Culinary traditions developed around the specific fish pulled from local waters. Japanese sashimi techniques evolved for species with firm texture and clean fat. French cuisine built its sauces around fish that could carry richness. Peruvian ceviche relies on proteins that hold their structure against citric acid. As modern kitchens blend these global techniques, chefs face a technique mismatch. A cod that excels when poached falls apart when served raw. A mackerel that shines under a heavy cure overwhelms a delicate emulsion. Kitchens usually must source multiple species or accept that a fish will shine in one tradition and struggle in another.

The Kingfish Company Yellowtail provides the precise physiological properties required to execute multiple culinary traditions at the highest level without compromise.

The Japanese Standard

The Japanese raw tradition is arguably the most demanding test for fish quality. Sashimi requires a firm texture that holds a clean edge under the knife. It demands a subtle sweetness free from oxidation or metallic off-notes. The fat must provide richness without leaving a greasy film on the palate. Wild yellowtail has long been prized in Japan for meeting these exact criteria. The Kingfish Company raises the same species to these exacting physiological standards, delivering Japanese-grade quality from a European source. For kitchens in Belgium or the Netherlands, the fish often arrives within hours of harvest rather than days of airfreight.

Fat That Travels

The versatility of a fish across cuisines often comes down to how its fat behaves under stress. Different traditions use lipid content differently. In Japanese raw preparations, the fat needs to melt cleanly at body temperature. In a Peruvian tiradito, the fat must resist turning woolly when exposed to acid. French technique requires fat that integrates smoothly into warm butter emulsions. Indian-inflected dishes need a robust fat structure that does not disappear under intense heat and heavy spice. Kingfish Yellowtail possesses an evenly marbled, consistent intramuscular fat that happens to satisfy all these distinct chemical and thermal requirements.

Why Consistency Enables Range

Wild fish vary by season and diet. A winter catch behaves differently from a summer catch, forcing chefs to adjust their techniques. The Kingfish Company operates a Recirculating Aquaculture System in Zeeland, Netherlands. This controlled environment ensures that the water temperature and feed remain optimised year-round. The resulting fish delivers identical fat content and muscle density in every delivery. 

A chef can standardise a highly technical Japanese preparation knowing the fish will respond exactly the same way in March as it does in September. That same reliability applies whether the kitchen is executing a French confit or a South American cure.

One Fish, Six Frameworks

The true measure of versatility is practical application. Over this series, six distinct European kitchens applied entirely different culinary frameworks to the same fish. It carried bold Indian-inflected tandoori spices and rich lobster sauces without losing definition. It absorbed Peruvian leche de tigre without losing its bite. It integrated with traditional Dutch fermentation and pickled radish. It carried French-Belgian escabeche smoothly. It stepped back to amplify delicate German botanical oils. Finally, it met the strict requirements of pure Japanese sashimi. A chef does not need to source a different species for every technique on the menu. One reliable protein can anchor a globally influenced tasting menu.

Sustainability Without Compromise

Delivering this level of quality requires rigorous operational standards. The Kingfish Company runs its facility on one hundred percent renewable electricity and utilises filtered seawater. The fish are raised entirely without antibiotics or vaccines. This commitment to biosecurity and environmental stewardship made the company the first seriola producer in the world to earn Best Aquaculture Practices certification. It was also the first in the Netherlands to join the Aquaculture Stewardship Council programme.

The Takeaway

The technique mismatch forces kitchens into difficult sourcing decisions. Most fish dictate how they must be cooked. The Kingfish Company Yellowtail reverses this dynamic by offering a structure and fat profile that adapts to the chef. From holding temperature on the pass to aging in the fridge, and from carrying delicate botanicals to anchoring bold global cuisines, this fish answers the demands of the modern professional kitchen. It is a single ingredient that delivers genuine, measurable versatility across the entire menu.

Dimitri Proost X The Kingfish Company | From Nose to Yellowtail

What are your favourite ways to prepare Yellowtail, and how does it perform across different techniques?

My favorite way to prepare yellowtail is actually raw. Although, I also have a recipe using the belly, which I incorporate into risotto — I think that's fantastic. Why? Because the yellowtail belly contains beautiful fats. So raw is still my favorite way of working with it, and when I do cook it, I mainly use the belly part, searing it briefly so it's still half raw inside and the fat melts beautifully.

What unexpected or innovative preparation method have you discovered works particularly well with this fish?

I'm currently experimenting with making a sort of charcuterie from yellowtail — I'm basically trying to make bacon from the fish. I'm still in the testing phase, but I find it a very fun fish to keep experimenting with.

How do your guests react to Yellowtail on the menu?

My guests also prefer eating it raw in the restaurant.

References

1. The Kingfish Company N.V. Annual Report 2023.
2. McGee, H. (2004). On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen. Scribner.
3. Global Seafood Alliance. "World's First Seriola, RAS Farm Earns Best Aquaculture Practices Certification." (5 June 2018).
4. Aquaculture Stewardship Council. "ASC welcomes first Dutch farm, Kingfish Zeeland, to its programme." (26 September 2018).