The Orange Roughy

The orange roughy or deep sea perch is a medium size fish that is really brick red in life but fades into yellowish orange when fished. It is found in some parts of the Pacific and Atlantic ocean.The fish actually appeared on the endangered species list because of over fishing but still appear in the popular markets when there is a surplus from New Zealand or Australia. It is considered a gourmet item on many restaurant menus. This is a medium size fish with firm and delicate tasting white flesh. The Monterey Bay Aquarium seafood watch here in California published an Environmental Defense Fund health advisory for orange roughy due to high levels of mercury. If you decide to eat it, you should eat no more than one meal per month. I think this is due to the fact that there is now too much pollution in our oceans and that the fish mature at a very slow rate and lives an extremely long life the the waters. The orange roughy lives 100 years or more, so the fillet in your freezer could be from a fish older than your grandmother! In short I decided to eat one that is organic and  good for you. You can get it at the farmer's market with vibrant carrot orange hue. I carved one specially for you. Enjoy!