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Croaker Delivery or Pickup
The Instacart guide to croaker
About croaker
The croaker, or Atlantic croaker, is the smallest member of the drum family of fish. Each croaker typically weighs between 0.75 and 1.5 pounds when sold, although some can grow to between three and five pounds in the wild. Croakers are typically 18 to 22 inches in length and have a silvery appearance with a pinkish tinge.
Raw croaker meat is usually white but may have a reddish tint. After the fish is cooked, the flesh is firm, lean, and white. Croaker skin is also edible. Cooked croaker has a slightly sweet taste and a medium briny flavor.
A croaker fillet contains approximately 15 grams of protein, making it a good choice to ensure a protein-rich diet. Croaker is also a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, which the body requires but can't produce itself. Other important minerals found in croaker include potassium, iron, and calcium, which can help maintain healthy blood pressure and bone structure.
Croaker is typically sold fresh. The fish will either have the head attached or be filleted into steaks. Croaker may also be sold in portions with a prepared coating of oatmeal or breadcrumbs.
Croaker cooking tips
Croaker can be pan-fried, grilled, broiled, or baked. If you've bought croaker whole, you'll need to gut the fish. Croaker are sometimes cooked whole due to their small size.
One of the most common ways to cook croaker is with a coating of cornflour and eggs. To make this recipe, combine the flour, salt, and pepper in one bowl, and beat an egg in another. Dip the fish into the egg before coating it with the flour mixture. Then, fry the fish on both sides until the coating begins to turn brown.
To pan-fry croaker:
- Pat the fish dry with paper towels before adding a touch of lemon juice to season.
- Heat cooking oil over a skillet on medium to high heat.
- Fry the fish for three to five minutes.
- Turn the fish over and fry for a further three to five minutes.
To bake croaker:
- Heat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Coat the croaker with a mixture of vegetable oil and lemon juice, and season with salt and pepper.
- Cook in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the flesh appears translucent.
- The flesh should be flaky when it is cooked through.
To broil croaker:
- Preheat the broiler for 10 minutes and place the rack at least four inches from the heat source.
- Coat the croaker in a mixture of oil and lemon juice, and season with salt and pepper.
- Broil the fish for four to eight minutes, or five minutes on each side if it is thicker than 1.5 inches.
According to the dietary guidelines for Americans, fish should be cooked to an internal temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit. You can use a meat thermometer to test if your croaker is done.
Whether you're planning on frying fish with a crispy coating or baking it with an herb-filled seasoning, you can find the croaker you're looking for when you shop using Instacart. Let our shoppers put your order together to save you some time and they can have croaker delivered to your home in less than 2Â hours!
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FAQs about croaker
Baked, grilled, or fried croaker can be served with potatoes and vegetables, such as carrots or asparagus. Alternatively, you can use them in a fish taco recipe, which usually includes taco seasoning, tomatoes, avocados, and tortilla wraps. Many Korean or Asian dishes also include croaker, such as drizzled with soy sauce or served with rice, vegetables, and a spicy sauce. Croaker can also be added as an extra ingredient to a crab or shrimp salad. For example, try combining mayonnaise, shrimp, croaker, cilantro, tomatoes, and grated cheese with a seasoning of salt and pepper.
As its name suggests, the Atlantic croaker is typically found along the U.S. Atlantic coast. Croaker are also often caught in the Gulf of Mexico, especially by shrimp trawlers. Recreational anglers often catch croaker since they feed on types of bait that are easy to access, like worms and crustaceans. The regional distribution of croaker ranges from Cape Cod in the north to the Mississippi Delta in the south.
Like all fish, you should try to cook croaker the first day or two after purchasing it. Croaker can be frozen for an extended period of time if you're not planning to eat it immediately, but you shouldn't freeze it for more than six months. The fish will freeze better if you leave it whole.