The lighter flesh of this fish has a good medium flavor that will be appreciated by fish lovers. The dark streak down the center is both wide and deep with a flavor that's a little stronger, but not objectionably so. While this fish is not nearly as assertive as mackerel, it will not be thought ideal by neophites who want "fish lite".

Cooking:   This fish cooks well by any reasonable method. As with other Jacks, the flesh stays quite firm, even with wet cooking, but is easily broken into large flakes.

Scales:   Blue Runner scales are small and easy to scrape off.

Fillet:   This fish fillets easily with a coherent bones structure to follow. When you get to the rib cage, cut the ribs from the backbone with kitchen shears and pull them from the fillet with long nose pliers.

Skin:   The skin has little shrink when cooked, so fillets can be fried skin-on, but it is easy to remove using the standard long knife and cutting board method.   Caution:   The row of hard skutes along the lateral line needs to be cut away before cooking - or the skin needs to be carefully removed after cooling. The skutes can make this fish rather difficult to eat if left on.

Yield:   A 1-1/2 pound fish yielded about 11 ouncesz of bone-free skinless fillet (46%).

Stock:   Head bones and fins make a good medium flavored stock.