Important: Pink Ear Emperor can not be substituted for other fish in most recipes, save perhaps for Monkfish. It cooks up very firm, almost chewy, and is difficult to flake apart on the plate. Use for recipes that require firm fish such as soups and stews.

Pink Ear Emperor has a mild but very distinctive flavor I find quite likable.

This fish is completely covered with medium size scales which scrape off fairly easily. Cleaning presents no particular difficulty and filleting is very easy. Shave the fillet off the ribcage with your filleting knife because the ribs don't pull easily or cleanly from the fillet. Yield is low with a 10-3/4 inch 12 ounce fish yielding 4.2 ounces of skin-on fillet and 3.6 ounces skinless (30%).

The skin shrinks severely when fried and and doesn't relax so you need to skin fillets before frying. The heads, fins, bones and skins make a rather nice stock for soup with a distinctive flavor.