Razor fish (Raor)

Bep Al·lès – On the first of September, the fishing season for the razor fish in our islands. This is one of the most prized fishes due to its fine, tasty white meat, which makes it one of the most sought-after treasures by recreational boats. In fact, on Sunday, hundreds of boats could be seen looking for the white wrasse, which is where this seasonal fish is caught and where the Ciutadella Yacht Club is holding one of its most eagerly awaited championships.

Its scientific name is Xyrichthys novacula and it belongs to the wrasse family. It lives on sandy bottoms located between 5 and 35 metres deep and is very active in the summer months, while during the winter or colder months it remains buried in the sand. We can find them in the Mediterranean, but also in the Atlantic. In Catalonia it is known as "Lorito".

It is a fish that is organised in more or less numerous groups, formed by a male that dominates a vast area of ??the seabed, and his harem of females. It comes out to feed during the day, while at night it sleeps buried under the sand to heal itself from its predators. The largest specimens can weigh 150 to 220 grams and its shape is very compressed, which reminds us of a razor blade, hence its name of raor (razor fish). It also has two sharp teeth, which it easily digs into and which can cause very painful bites to fishermen if they do not alert them when unfishing them.

It is a fish that is usually caught when the sun is high and it is hot. Among the strains are white shrimp and there are still those who maintain the tradition of lamb's heart escaro, which they say is one of the most effective, since these fish have a weakness.

In the kitchen, the most common way to eat them is fried, but here there are a series of debates when it comes to preparing them. Some say they should never be floured, others that they should be fried with little oil and others say they should be floured and bathed in very hot olive oil, so that they are crispy on the outside and cooked to perfection on the inside.

They say that they are one of the finest fish in the sea, with a characteristic flavour that makes them one of the most prized late summer delicacies in both Menorcan and Mallorcan cuisine.

On our island, as well as eating them fried, there are also those who fry them with peppers, or some even on the grill, or we can also make them in a stew or with dry rice in a clay pot, although I personally like them best when they are freshly caught, cleaned in sea water and fried with plenty of olive oil.