New varieties of fish to try eating this Easter
THIS Easter is the perfect opportunity to swim against the tide and add a new fish to the family dining table. Here’s where to start when you don’t know your gurnard from your garfish.
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THERE are, as the saying goes, plenty of fish in the sea.
The problem is that when it comes to taking one home, most of us are fussy and will only eat a select few.
While farmed Atlantic salmon is one of the biggest sellers in the fish shops, the other in-demand varieties such as snapper and King George whiting are caught wild.
They’re great fish to eat but their popularity comes at a cost.
MAGGIE’S TIPS TO PERFECT YOUR BAKING
Sustainability is a big issue in oceans around the world and, even in Australia, where fish stocks are carefully monitored, they are a finite resource.
“If people only want to eat King George whiting, it doesn’t matter what the management practices are, it is not going to be sustainable,” says John Susman, co-author of the acclaimed Australian Fish & Seafood Cookbook.
“Our Anglo Saxon culture has left us with a legacy of a relatively limited appreciation for and repertoire of seafood. We tend as a nation to favour the local favourites.”
John, who owns Sydney-based seafood supplier Fishtales and is regarded as one of the country’s leading fish experts, says he can understand why people might be scared off.
He compares a butcher shop, where there are essentially five animals available, with a fish shop where “you can be faced with more than a hundred animals with different handling and preparation requirement and culinary characteristics”.
This Easter is the perfect opportunity to swim against the tide and add a new fish to the family table.
But where to start when you don’t know your gurnard from your garfish?
We’ve asked some of Melbourne’s leading fish chefs to share the unsung heroes of the deep blue sea, and for their tips on how best to cook them at home.
HERO WORSHIP
“If you give people the option, they always go for the big names like snapper, flounder, and King George whiting. It’s hard for other fish to compete on a menu,” says Michael Bacash, whose three-decade career has been spent cooking fish, first at Toofey’s in Carlton and for the past 17 years at his eponymous South Yarra restaurant.
“But when we force people to get out of their comfort zone, they appreciate other fish when they try them.
“We do a sardine carpaccio and people are amazed at the flavour — and that it doesn’t taste like cat food!”
KEY TO COOK
Michael says watching the opacity of whatever fish you’re cooking change is the best indicator of when it’s done.
“When the fish is no longer translucent, and it’s still supple to touch, it’s ready.”
The biggest killer of a good piece of fish is residual heat. “Don’t be afraid of low heat. The combination of extreme and low heat can work well.”
GO UNDER
“The main thing to remember is that fish is significantly nicer undercooked or even raw than it is overcooked,” Michael says. “There are very few fish that aren’t good to eat if they are in good condition.”
The chef warns that unlike when cooking a steak that needs to be rested, when a piece of fish is done, it’s immediately ready to be served. “As soon as it’s off the heat, it needs to be eaten.”
CAN THE CAN
“I like sardines because when they are fresh the flavour is unreal, they taste of the ocean,” says Sam Homan from Iki Jime, Shannon Bennett’s new seafood-only CBD restaurant.
“I really love to serve sardines raw or with the skin side quickly barbecued so as not to cook the flesh too much. Cooked like this they are delicious with some nice olive oil and salt and pepper.”
As one of the few fish still caught in Port Phillip, Michael says sardines are one of the true seafood pleasures. “But please don’t buy them if they are soft and the guts are falling out of them.”
Scale and gut the whole fish (or ask the fishmonger to do so), season, dust in flour and fry in very hot oil. “The flesh should peel off the bone if you’ve got it right,” he says.
BLACK AND RIGHT
Paul Wilson from Prahran’s Wilson & Market says black trevally is a great fish for home — versatile, good value with good flavour. “It’s a robust fish that’s hard to over cook,” he says.
Finely slash skin, dust with flour seasoned with pinch of chilli and ground black pepper and shallow fry skin-side down in butter until crisp, turn and cook for 3 mins. Serve with a green mango salad, fresh lime and red curry sauce.
IS THIS MELB’S MOST MILLENNIAL EATERY?
“Black trevally is a great fish to use when you need a large fish steak,” Michael says, but cautions that it deteriorates quickly once out of the ocean.
To cook, Michael seasons, dusts with flour and seals both sides in a hot pan with butter.
He then turns the heat off and covers the pan, letting the heat permeate the fish.
BLUE STEEL
“I love the intense flavour of blue mackerel, and it loves spice,” Paul says. Marinate with chermoula and cook whole on the barbecue, or bake in the oven wrapped in baking paper.
“I didn’t like the strong oily flavour of blue mackerel when I first tried it, but now it’s one of my favourites to cook and eat,” Sam says. At Iki Jime, Sam serves it cooked using the Japanese technique of “yakashimo” — charring the skin while keeping the flesh on ice, raw and cool.
At home, Sam suggests serving blue mackerel with a tomato salad “as the sweetness and acidity of a beautifully ripe tomato work to complement the fish really well”.
GOOD GAR
“Aside from being striking to look at I love the versatility of garfish,” Sam says.
“Its crisp, clean flavour and delicate sweetness lend itself to many different preparations.”
He suggests grilling it whole and serving with a simple potato salad to highlight its delicate flavour.
“If you have the patience to fillet them, they are super tasty served raw with some chilli oil and a bit of soy.”
At Bacash, Michael serves garfish baked in a parmesan crumb. “Because (the fish) is so thin, once the crust is done the fish will be as well.”
HAIL THE KINGS
“We need to eat other dory fish, not just John Dory,” Paul says. “King dory is abundant and just as good if cooked carefully.” He likes to bake/grill a whole fish (head off) hot and fast — 200C for 10 mins. To serve, warm capers, chopped lemon segments and oregano in brown butter and spoon over the fish.
“Kingfish was one of the first fish I ever tried raw and I was blown away by the soft texture and almost nutty buttery flavour,” Sam says.
“I eat it raw just gently warmed either by slicing the fish and leaving the slices to come up to room temperature or by putting the slices in a low oven for a few minutes.”
SILVER IS GOLD
Michael says silver whiting is a great little fish that’s best served whole seasoned, drizzled in olive oil and cooked fast in a hot oven. Dress with capers soaked in balsamic and serve with a fennel salad.
SEE RED
“This reminds me of the simplest Mediterranean cooking at beachside restaurants along the Amalfi coast,” Paul says of red mullet. Ask your fishmonger to scale and gut the fish which can then be baked whole, topped with garlic slivers, cherry tomatoes, black olives and Oritz anchovies.
Finish with extra virgin olive oil, torn basil and a squeeze of lemon.
FISH SCHOOL WITH PURE SOUTH DINING HEAD CHEF DAVID HALL
BROOK TROUT
What is it? A freshwater fish native to northeastern America and Canada. Found in some rivers in the Yarra Valley and Goulburn region, and is thriving in Tasmania. It likes very cold, clean pure water; it’s is often the first fish to go if there are pollutants in the water.
Why choose it? I love cooking with brook trout because it is quick and easy to prepare as there are no spines or heavy scales to remove. It’s an excellent fish for cooking whole and can easily feed two people.
How to cook it? Either pan fry the fillets in a non-stick pan lightly sprayed with oil — for 2-3 minutes each side. Or bake ‘en papillot’ in the oven by wrapping the whole dressed fish in baking paper and cooking for 12-15 minutes at 220C. It’s a delicately flavoured fish so you don’t want to overpower it — keep it simple with fresh herbs such as parsley, dill or chives, fresh lemon juice, salt and pepper.
RED GURNARD
What is it? A reddish pink to bright orange saltwater fish, found in most Australian waters but is abundant in Bass Strait.
Why choose it? Gurnard is often considered a bycatch when fishing for higher value deep water fish. They are a currently at a stable number that isn’t being overfished.
How to cook it? Gurnard has a firm flesh that holds together well when cooking. It’s not a very oily fish so it’s very easy overcook, which is why I like to use it for fish and chips. Make a simple beer batter with self-raising flour and ale, lightly coat the fish fillets in four, dip them in batter and fry at around 180C for 5-6 minutes until golden and crisp.
EAGLE RAY SKATE
What is it? Found in most Australian coastal waters including Bass Strait, skate has a fatter tail than a true ray, with no stinging barb. They can grow in excess of 1.5m.
Why choose it? This is another fish considered a bycatch, so it represents very good value for money. The skeleton is made of cartilage rather than fine bones so is really easy to remove and makes it ideal to serve to children or those who are fussy about bones.
How to cook it? Skate can be steamed, poached, baked or barbecued. It has a mild flavour
that I think works well with a nice, simple citrus beurre blanc served with crushed new potatoes and seasonal steamed vegetables.
YELLOWFIN SEA BREAM
What is it? A silver coloured fish with yellow fins that grows up to 30cm, found in coastal waters from North Queensland to Victoria.
Why choose it? It’s a fish that’s available all year round, and is a great alternative to snapper, that is currently being overfished.
How to cook it? While the fillets of this fish can be pan fried, steamed or poached, I think its easiest to bake this fish whole as it helps to keep the fish moist when cooked on the bone. If cooking ‘en papillot’ (in the bag) I recommend cooking it with lemongrass, ginger, chilli and garlic and serving with rice and Asian greens.
MONKFISH
What is it? A large, darkly coloured, ugly-looking fish with a large mouth attached to a muscular tail. Mostly found in the Atlantic and North Sea, it’s not found in the southern hemisphere but often a similar fish called stargazer is sold as “monkfish” here.
Why choose it? I really enjoy the mild, slightly sweet flavour and the “meatiness” of the flesh, which is often compared to lobster.
How to cook it? A versatile fish that can been cooked most ways — pan fried, oven roasted, barbecued, grilled or slow cooked in a stew. Due to the firmness of the flesh, I find monkfish is a great low-fat protein to replace other meats in curries. I love it in a Thai green curry.
MELBOURNE’S CULT THAI RESTAURANTS
JAMON-WRAPPED SARDINES WITH HARISSA & CHICKPEAS
Serves 4 / Prep: 2 minutes / Cook: 10 minutes
• 400g can chickpeas, rinsed, drained
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp smoked paprika (pimenton)*
• 2 tbs olive oil, plus extra to brush
• 8 fresh sardines, cleaned (ask your fishmonger to do this)
• 8 thin slices jamon or prosciutto
• 1 cup (320g) tomato chutney
• 2 tsp harissa
• Salad leaves, to serve
1. Preheat a barbecue to medium-high.
2. Place a frying pan over medium heat.
3. Combine chickpeas, cumin, pimenton and oil in a bowl, then add to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, for 4 minutes or until chickpeas are crisp and golden.
4. Wrap each sardine in a slice of jamon and brush with oil. Barbecue the sardines for 2-3 minutes each side until cooked through.
5. Combine the chutney and harissa, then serve with sardines, warm chickpeas and salad leaves.
* Good-quality smoked paprika (pimenton) is from gourmet food shops and delis.
Recipe: Valli Little & Warren Mendes, delicious
— with Simon Wilkinson
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