Cannonball Jellyfish Recipe

 

Bite-size chunks of this jellyfish meat are a great vegetarian substitute for seared tuna steak or crabmeat on rice. I’ve used frozen jellyfish in this recipe, but if you’re lucky enough to get your hands on live-jellyfish, the meat is easier to eat.

 

In the kitchen, I was inspired by the jellies I find in the waters around the Far East. With one bite, it’s like no other fish.

The ocean is as varied as life itself; it is as beautiful, and as mysterious.

Some parts of the ocean are more interesting than others. The jellyfish we see in California waters are like the ones I know from Hawaii, or off of New Zealand: soft, beautiful, and colorful.

This recipe for Cannonball jellyfish (Aurelia sp.) has become one of my favorites, and I think you’ll agree when you try it.

The gelatin-like jelly of the aurelia jellyfish is very firm but tender. The meat itself has a mild flavor, and is easily digestible.

This jelly is great in salads, and it also makes an excellent vegetarian “tuna” substitute.

The gelatin in aurelia jellyfish

How do I cook the jellyfish?

You want the meat to still be soft when you bite into it. The best way to do this is to use a microwave to soften the meat. (You will also need to thaw frozen jellyfish, if you are using it. Just bring a container with water and ice to a boil.)

So, what is the best way to eat jellyfish? Well, you can simply put it on a bed of rice, with some scallions or radish sprouts.

A delicious and healthy salad would be great with this jellyfish meat. In particular, a delicious Asian lettuce salad would work well.

The best way to prepare this jellyfish meat is to cook it in a small quantity for only a couple of minutes. To cook it more, you risk the meat separating and drying out.

This recipe calls for the meat of only the front two “legs”.

This recipe is for a small quantity, only 2 cups. The yield can be easily scaled up.

This recipe is a little difficult to scale up, because it’s hard to know how much jellyfish you’re getting from a whole animal. It also helps to have a scale handy. I use a digital scale to get more precise.

If you get the jellyfish in a large quantity, you can cut the meat into bite-size pieces by using scissors or a knife.

How to store the jellyfish?

The jellyfish you will get from me has been frozen and thawed. You can do the same thing.

 

If you use frozen aurelia jellyfish, just bring a container with water and ice to a boil. Once it is boiling, remove the ice, and stir in the jellyfish. Stir the mixture well so that you don’t break up the fish. Then, let the mixture sit for at least 5 minutes before you stir it again. Repeat this step once or twice more until the meat is thawed. (You may need to use more water and ice to thaw the fish.)

The cooked fish will keep, covered, in the refrigerator for up to five days.

Tips:

How do I get my hands on live-jellyfish?

I have gotten my jellyfish from several online vendors. These men have been taking them out of the water with their fishing gear, using a long pole, and then bringing them into my kitchen. It’s a little time-consuming, but I’m so glad that I can cook with the jellyfish I love.

When I was researching live-jellyfish, I found that it was more difficult to get. I have also heard that it’s easier in Hawaii than it is in California.

What is the difference between jellyfish and calamari?

I believe that jellyfish and calamari are both types of cephalopods. I use the word “cephalopod” to refer to any of a class of animals that have a coiled-up, squishy body with a head on top of the body.

Aurelia jellyfish is one of the most common types of jellyfish that you can find in California waters. It is so called because it is shaped like a “ball” or a “cannonball.”

It is most often seen near the coast. You will notice these beautiful, soft jellies when you are fishing in the water, or if you are diving in the ocean.

There are actually two kinds of aurelia jellyfish:

Aurelia aurita: “Banded” jellies (see above)

Aurelia sp.: “Cannonball” jellies

How do I catch live-jellyfish?

A lot of jellyfish are so gentle that they don’t bother you. But, aurelia jellyfish are a little more aggressive, and can bite. If you get a bite from a live aurelia jellyfish, immediately leave the water and look for somewhere safe to get medical help.

You can find aurelia jellyfish in California on June through September, and in October through November.

You can catch aurelia jellyfish with a fishing net or by diving in the ocean. I love diving to see them, because the water is so clear that you can see them swimming in the ocean.

You can get other varieties of jellyfish at the same time. Some are quite gentle, and you won’t even need to leave the water. Others will sting if you try to grab them, and may even leave a bite-size mark in your skin.

If you want to know more about the jellyfish, I suggest you read my article on jellyfish.

How do I get the jellyfish meat out of the body?

If you are using frozen jellyfish, the meat should be soft enough to bite into.

But, to be certain, I usually use a pair of scissors to cut off the head of the jellyfish. I then remove the tentacles.

The meat can also be removed easily, if you get hold of the jellyfish before it is ready to be eaten. You can use scissors, or a knife, to cut off the jellyfish “feet” (also called tentacles) and you can pull off the “skin” from around the head of the jellyfish.

You don’t have to worry if you break up the jellyfish while you are preparing it. You can use this dish as a vegetarian substitute for fish.

How can I cook live-jellyfish?

There are a lot of variations on this dish, so I recommend reading the detailed instructions for each variation, but here is a general outline for cooking live-jellyfish.

Cook the live-jellyfish at a temperature of 140 F/60 C for approximately 30 minutes.

The meat of the jellyfish will still be soft when it�s done. This jellyfish, from a vendor in San Diego, would have been thawed, frozen, and then cooked by this method.

When it’s done cooking, you can enjoy it plain, but it also makes a great vegetarian alternative to fish.

This jellyfish recipe calls for 2 cups of cooked jellyfish. I think it makes a lot, but you can easily cut this in half, or you can make enough to freeze half of it for a later date.

This recipe uses a small amount of canned pineapple juice. I found that it really made the jellyfish meat more gelatinous. If you don’t have canned pineapple juice, you can use fresh pineapple.

Do you have an aurelia jellyfish recipe that you’d like to share?