Sand Bass "Serranidae"
RANGE:
Barred sand bass occur from southern Baja to Santa Cruz California. The adults
of this species occurs from shallow water to depths of 600 feet; however, most
fish are taken in 60 to 90 feet of water. Younger fish are found in abundance
from 5-30 feet.
HABITAT: The barred sand bass lives in the
sandy areas of the offshore. They congregate around bottom structure like
boulders and shipwrecks. During their spawning period they gather in schools
over hard sandy bottom areas from 90 to 100
feet.
DESCRIPTION: The body of the barred sand bass is
elongate and compressed. The mouth is large and the lower jaw protrudes
slightly. The color is gray white on the back, white on the belly and there are
dark vertical bars on the sides. Barred sand bass can easily be distinguished
from kelp bass by the height of the third dorsal spine. In barred sand bass this
spine is the longest of the dorsal spines, while in the kelp bass, the third,
fourth and fifth dorsal spines are of about equal length. Barred sand bass can
be distinguished from spotted sand bass by the lack of of spots on the
body.
SIZE: Barred sand bass are generally larger than
spotted bay bass and the largest California fish caught was 26 inches and 11.1
pounds.
FOOD VALUE: Light textured flesh and good
eating.
Availability: This is not available in
markets.
Fish & Chips
An old English
favorite made American-style.
1 pound sand bass fillets, cut in 2-inch x 1 1/2-inch
strips
Lawry's Lemon Pepper
Vegetable oil for frying
2/3 cup
all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons Lawry's Seasoned Salt
2/3 cup water
1
tablespoon malt vinegar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Prepared French fries
Pat fillets dry and sprinkle fish with Lemon Pepper on both sides;
set aside. Pour oil 3 inches deep into fryer; heat to 375¡F. In medium bowl,
combine flour and Seasoned Salt; set aside. In small bowl, combine water,
vinegar and baking soda. Stir vinegar mixture into flour mixture; beat until
smooth. Dip fish into batter; allow excess batter to drip into bowl. Fry 4
pieces at a time until medium brown, turning once. Drain on paper towels. Serve
immediately with French fries.
Makes 4 servings
Prep time: 15
minutes
Cook time: 12 minutes
Lemon Pepper Grill
Citrus flavors
add excitement to fish!
1 bottle (12 ounces) Lawry's Lemon Pepper Marinade with Lemon
Juice
1 1/2 teaspoons Lawry's Lemon Pepper
1/2 cup orange juice
1/3 cup
chopped cilantro
3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 to 1 1/2 pounds sand
bass fillets, cut in 4 pieces
Orange slices (garnish)
Lemon wedges
(garnish)
In medium bowl, combine first five ingredients; then pour into
resealable plastic bag. Add fish, seal bag and marinate in refrigerator 30
minutes. Grill or broil over medium-high heat 5 to 7 minutes each side or until
fish just begins to flake. Garnish with orange slices and lemon
wedges.
Makes 4 servings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Marinate
time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 14 minutes
Sand Bass with Lime Cilantro
Sauce
The Lime Cilantro Sauce is an excellent complement to
fish.
1 teaspoon Lawry's Seasoned Pepper
1 teaspoon Lawry's Garlic
Powder with Parsley
3 tablespoons butter
6 tablespoons lime juice
6
tablespoons pineapple juice
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
8 ounces sand
bass fillets, skinned and cut in 2 pieces
In small bowl, combine Seasoned Pepper and Garlic Powder with
Parsley; blend well. In large skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add
sand bass and cook over medium- high heat until brown, 3 to 5 minutes each side,
or until fish just begins to flake. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of the seasoning mixture
over fish. Remove fish and set aside. In same skillet, combine remaining
seasoning mixture, 3 tablespoons lime juice, 3 tablespoons pineapple juice and 1
tablespoon cilantro. Reduce pan juices over medium-high heat for 2 to 4 minutes.
Return fish to skillet to coat with sauce. Remove fish to serving platter. Add
remaining ingredients to skillet; reduce again. Pour sauce over
fish.
Makes 2 servings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20
minutes
