Rhombus

What is turbot?

Generalities on the rhombus

Turbot ("brill" in English) or turbot is the name of a fish typical of the Mediterranean basin and the North-East Atlantic Ocean.

Many people improperly use the term rhombus indicating similar species but zoologically different. Of the Scophthalmidae family, it is called rhombus properly called the S. rhombus .

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Turbot ( Scophthalmus rhombus ) and turbot ( Scophthalmus maximus or Psetta maxima ) are NOT the same fish; instead they are different creatures. The turbot has a more squared profile; on the back it has characteristic growths or protuberances called bone tubercles.

In catering the rhombus is often the subject of commercial fraud. To this day there are numerous vendors who pass off the cheapest and least prized surname for rhombus, instead of a uniform brownish color. Others use, sometimes unknowingly, "rhombus" and "turbot" as synonyms; however, spikes are more valuable than common turbot.

The rhombus has all the characteristics of flat fish and, as the name suggests, is rhomboid in shape. The coloring of the back is brown, spotted, while the belly is clear.

The rhombus is a product of fishing that falls within the first fundamental group of foods. Rich in high biological value proteins, vitamins (especially water-soluble B, but also D) and minerals (eg iron and iodine), the rhombus is excellent from a nutritional point of view.

In the kitchen it is considered a very valuable ingredient. It is mainly used as a dish or as a main course, but there are also many traditional recipes of first courses and turbot-based appetizers.

The commercial availability of the turbot is limited to commercial fishing. It is not possible to raise it and, also for this reason, it generally has a rather significant retail price.

Description

How to recognize the roar?

Like turbot, sole, soaso, plaice, zanchetta, halibut, Petrale sole, etc., also the rhombus has the characteristics of a pleuronectiform fish, which means that it has both eyes (small and spaced) on the left or top side. The opposite side, the lower one, is instead devoid of eyes but normally equipped with gill. The jaws are developed and deep.

The turbot is a flat fish that spends its whole life lurking on the bottom, hidden by the sand, where it enjoys the mimicry necessary to hunt and, at a young age, to escape predators. Its coloring, active mimicry and body shape are therefore essential factors for the survival of the species. The back is spotted with gray, brown and beige, with light and dark shades (the young specimens have light spots and a dark border); the lower side, on the other hand, is white or slightly pink.

The rhombus often reaches dimensions of 70-80 cm for 7-8 kg of weight, the average specimens are about half the size.

Did you know that ...

Although turbot ( Scophthalmus rhombus ) and turbot ( Scophthalmus maximus or Psetta maxima ) belong to different species (for some it is also uncertain the classification of the Genus), scientific researches have shown that they can interbreed among them giving rise to hybrid creatures.

Turbot Nutritional Properties

Nutritional characteristics of the rhombus

Turbot is a fishery product that belongs to the first fundamental food group. Rich in essential amino acids, specific vitamins and minerals, this food has a low energy intake.

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The nutritional values ​​of the rhombus change significantly from one bibliographical source to another. Some sources even report a caloric intake 50% higher than reported in the table below (from fats and proteins).

Calories are provided mainly by proteins, followed by lipids and a small portion of carbohydrates. Peptides have a high biological value, that is they contain all the essential amino acids in the right proportions, polyunsaturated unsaturated fatty acids (probably with a good percentage of omega 3) and simple carbohydrates.

The turbot, like many other flatfish, has an interesting amount of collagen. This is presented, after cooking, as a gelatin that concentrates above all around the fins. It is not fat but protein.

The rhombus does not contain fiber, lactose, gluten and histamine; the latter can however increase significantly in the event of poor storage. Brings average amounts of cholesterol.

As far as vitamins are concerned, the rhombus contains good levels of niacin (vitamin PP), pyridoxine (vit B6), riboflavin (vit B2) and vitamin D (calciferol). With regard to mineral salts, the rhombus brings admirable concentrations of phosphorus, iron and iodine.

The turbot lends itself to any diet. It is particularly indicated in nutritional schemes poor in vitamin D (necessary for bone metabolism), iodine, iron and omega 3. It is suitable for a low-calorie diet and against metabolic diseases such as hypertriglyceridemia. It has no contraindications for gluten, lactose and histamine intolerance (as long as the state of preservation is adequate). Banned in the vegetarian, vegan, Hindu and Buddhist philosophy, it is instead granted in the Jewish and Muslim religions.

The average portion of rhombus is 100-150 g (about 80-120 kcal).

Rumble in the kitchen

How do you cook the turbot?

The turbot is a very valuable fish; more than the smooth one, it seems to be the stud that boasts unparalleled organoleptic and taste characteristics. With the rhombus, dishes or main courses are prepared, but not only.

Many use to skin the diamond before cooking. It is a device that is sometimes useful but, in other cases, counterproductive. The skin helps a lot to conserve the moisture of the meat, it does not disperse the collagen and for this reason it preserves its softness (preventing it from drying).

The turbot has white meats, delicate, fragrant and of medium consistency (not too elastic or too soft). Despite the thinness of its fabrics, it is very suitable for roast cooking. The baked turbot in a potato crust (or other vegetables) is very famous, a recipe that enhances even the largest sizes. Grilled turbot is also very popular; freshly smeared with fragrant bread (breadcrumbs, garlic, parsley, extra virgin olive oil, salt, black or white pepper, possibly grated lemon peel or a little white wine), it is particularly suitable for cooking specimens between 500 g and 1, 5 kg.

The delicacy of the rhombus also makes it an excellent raw material for delicate processing such as, for example, boiling in water (drowning), steaming, vasocottura (fillets, with a little dill or tarragon or wild fennel and chili pepper). ) and the quick pan leap. The rhombus in white, cold, also falls into the category of appetizers.

The turbot is excellent also prepared in stew, white or red. It also strains in processing with a more demanding taste such as cooking with milk or "cream".

It is undeniable that turbot fillets are excellent also fried, floured or battered, but it would be a real shame to use this highly prized fish for a similar purpose.

The cooked turbot is widely used to make filled pasta like ravioli and tortelloni.

Biology

Biological aspects of the rhombus

The rhombus is a flat pleuronectiform fish belonging to the Scophthalmidae family, Genus Scophthalmus and rhombus species.

Distributed throughout the Mediterranean, with little presence in the Black Sea, the rhombus is also widespread in the North East Atlantic Ocean, between Morocco and the Scandinavian peninsula.

The turbot is a predatory fish that feeds mainly on fish, crustaceans, molluscs and other invertebrates.

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In the area between Comacchio, Goro, Chioggia and Venice, the turbot fishing is done from the boat with the hand line, especially at night, using "infallible" white paganello or shrimp as bait.

More generally, the rhombus can be caught by fishing using the surf-casting technique (from the shore or from the quay) or to spinning; it is not unusual to come across specimens of turbot during bass fishing and vice versa.

On a professional level, rhombus fishing takes place by trawl or by longline.

The rhombus in the true sense lives mostly on challenging depths (up to 70 m). It prefers sandy bottoms but it is not unusual to see it even on gravel and mud. The young specimens remain near the breaker until they reach the size necessary to take off.

A couple of months a year, in the winter season, both the turbot and the spike are close to the coast for reproduction. In Italy this period is considered the "season of turbot fishing" par excellence and is particularly profitable in the area in the Upper Adriatic (between Trieste and Ravenna, especially in front of the lagoon areas).

Roots of ecology on the rhombus

As with many other fish, the population density of the rhombus is also suffering a significant and worrying decrease. The authorities think that this multi-factorial phenomenon is mainly due to intensive fishing (especially in the breeding season) and to the taking of juveniles in the lower depths, on the breaker. Certainly inappropriate, this last attitude is a prerogative of fishermen with nets (including the "balance" of amateurs) who, by using thick meshes and not respecting the minimum size of the fish, make massacres of small specimens (suitable for frying recipes mixed).