This comes from A.J. McClane's Encyclopedia of Fish Cookery:
Formerly a commercial fish of some importance, the snook (Centropomus undecimalis) now has gamefish status and is no longer marketed. In years past, skinned fillets were often purveyed as "red snapper" in Florida. While an expert could tell the difference in its musculature, fillets of small snook are certainly the snapper's equal in flavor. Today, it's a more important food fish in Mexico, Central America and South America from eastern Colombia to Brazil. It's generally known as robalo in Spanish speaking countries.
The snook grows to more than 50 pounds with a length of over 4 feet, but any greater than 20 pounds is considered a big one. While these are of sporting interest, they have less value at table. Small snook have white, finely textured meat and are of excellent flavor, comparable to a walleye. The ideal fish size is 2 to 6 pounds. As they grow larger, the flesh becomes more coarse and loses its delicate, sweet taste. Except with the smallest fish, say 2 to 3 pounds, only skinned fillets should be used, as the skin imparts an off-flavor (usually described as "soapy"). The fillets are best prepared by cutting into fingers and deep frying. Small unskinned fillets can be panfried skin side down in a skillet with the lid on over high heat, so meat partially steams while the skin crisps; this is a method used in Costa Rica and Panama with delicious results. In Central America, snook is often served with slices of fresh pineapple - a delightful contrast with any delicate fried fish. Personally, I prefer snook of over 10 pounds in chowder form, although it can be made into edible dishes when baked or broiled.
