In the Pantanal and the Amazon, in the west and north of Brazil resp., pacu is one of the most-caught fish for commercial purposes as well as in sport fishing. It is a fish found on the menus of many restaurants, where the pacu fish is mostly served deep-fried. For those who have time, try out this recipe of pacu fish prepared in an oven, preferably – but not necessarily – a wood oven.
Sport Fishing of Pacu in the Pantanal and Amazon
Pacus live in large schools of sometimes hundreds of fish. They live on fruits and leaves that have fallen from trees along the waterfront, although they may also feed on small prey. Pacus are wary of potential predators and keep their distance; don't fish from the shore but take a boat to a stream and tie it to a branch that hangs over the water. Catching them requires patience and silence;
The required minimum length of a pacu fish that is caught to be taken home is 45 centimetres, but the fish can reach a length of 60 centimetres and weigh as much as 7 kilos. When alive, the Piaractus mesopotamicus, as the fish is officially called, has a yellowish colour, which turns into brownish or dark greyish when the animal is dead.
Before taking up a sport fishing excursion in Brazil, check at what time of year this is allowed, in many regions fishing is only allowed from February to October. Also make sure to obtain the proper fishing permits before setting out on a sport fishing trip.
Fish Recipe for Pacu Fish in the Oven
Since the pacu is such a large and heavy fish, preparing it properly in the oven demands patience. A fish weighing four kilos may take as long as four to five hours to cook properly. The result will be deliciously tender, white meat which goes well with rice and a salad.
Recipe for Pacu Fish in the Oven
Ingredients:
- 1 pacu fish
- 5 cloves of garlic
- 1 tablespoon of freshly cut parsley or other fresh herbs
- 1 large onion, 3 spring onions
- 4 lemons
- 1 cup of farofa – a mixture of manioc and "temperu", a green local vegetable, or small pieces of fried banana.
- Oil [for example soya oil or vegetable oil]
- Aluminium foil
Directions:
- Scale and gut the pacu
- Cut the fish open and take out the small bones – this facilitates the eating later
- Cut the garlic, parsley, onions and spring onions
- Mix the garlic and herbs with the onion and spring-onion and rub the mixture on the outside and inside of the fish
- Put the farofa inside the pacu fish
- Rub oil on the outside of the fish, as well as on the aluminium foil
- Fold the aluminium foil round the pacu
- Put the package into an wood-burning oven
- Bake the pacu 4 to 5 hours, of which 3 hours with the aluminium foil closed and 1 with the aluminium foil open so the skin will be nicely crisped.
- Serve the pacu from the oven with white rice and a tomato or lettuce salad
Pacu Fish Sport Fishing in Brazil and Recipe
Pacu is a popular fish served in Brazilian restaurants as well as in private homes. The two most common pacu fish recipes are fried pacu or pacu prepared in the oven. Other popular sport fishing areas in Brazil are the Panantal and Alta Floresta. Lovers of fish recipes may be interested this piranha fish recipe.
Karin-Marijke Vis - Karin-Marijke Vis is a bilingual writer (Dutch-English) who has been traveling in Asia and South America since 2003.
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