goff
Assistant Cook
I ran into the rubbery, curling "red snapper" issue last night - thought I'd completely lost it as a cook until I found some of these blogs. I think ValeFoods nailed it - it is actually "nannygai" or, as it is sold in Australia, "saddletail snapper." I found another Facebook discussion in Australia where bloggers were complaining that their local store started selling this fish at a high price, and the description was identical: curling filets, hard, rubbery texture no matter how properly cooked (i.e., baking or grilling), tasteless and with fishy odor. My local grocery was selling it as "Wild caught red snapper, previously frozen from Thailand," which is flat out deceptive. I will complain to my butcher next time I return.