Bluefish

Every autumn bluefish pass through the Bosphorus on their way from the Black Sea to the Marmara, opening the most eagerly awaited months of Istanbul's fish calendar. The season starts in September with small fish of 'çinekop' size and peaks in October and November with the larger 'sarıkanat' and full bluefish.

Why 24 cm?

The fisheries communiqué sets a legal minimum size of 20 cm for bluefish. We go further and do not buy any bluefish under 24 cm, because this is roughly when the fish first spawn, and the future of the stock depends on small fish staying in the sea.

How we cook it

• Grilled: skin side down over oak charcoal when it is hot but no longer flaming; salt only.
• Poached: for large fish over 1 kg, with tomato and bay leaf.
• En papillote: filleted, with vegetables and butter.

Bluefish spoils quickly, so fish landed at the pier in the morning is cooked that evening and never kept for the next day. The price is calculated by weighing the fish at your table.