Holls Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 Hi Raiders, been getting into some good salmon off the beach lately, South Coast NSW. I know this topic has been discussed often, but here's my take on it. Salmon are an excellent eating fish if prepared properly. First and No. 1: The fish have to be caught in open ocean waters, not estuaries or bays and certainly nowhere near a city! (They are tainted by the water they swim in). No. 2: They must be bled immediately. Lift the gill plate and cut through all of the red gills. Hold up by tail, in the water if possible. The blood should flow out. 3. Don't scale, just fillet the fish like a flattie. Then skin: flesh up, skin down, sharp knife between, zig zag/pull the skin through the knife blade. Most of the surface red flesh should come away with the skin. Flip over, cut long pieces of pinkie white flesh, removing all the dark red flesh. You now have some beautiful firm fillets. Three ideas for cooking: 1. Flour-egg-breadcrumbs, quickly cooked in pan or barbie, 2. Smoked. Beautiful! on bed rice, couscous or whatever. 3. Thai fish curry. Don't let anyone tell you they aint good eating! (Just underated, like shark/flake is in certain parts of Australia) Cheers and happy fishing! Photo: Three fish caught last Monday night. See the nice little gutter in pic 2? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tyrone07 Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 Have to agree mate as long as they are prepared right, just like any fish. I know a lot of guys that use them in a fish curry and swear by em. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smasher Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 Good tips. They also make great fishcakes, even ones caught offshore from Sydney. I finally know how to catch them now when they school up and surface feed on anchovies... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pistolpete33 Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 Great tip Holls Thai fish curry sound like the go. BTW how's the serenity in the sunset photo. Picturing myself in that chair with a nice coldie!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Holls Posted November 18, 2015 Author Share Posted November 18, 2015 Great tip Holls Thai fish curry sound like the go. BTW how's the serenity in the sunset photo. Picturing myself in that chair with a nice coldie!! Yep, gotta love it, even if you don't catch much. Would you want to live in any other country?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SquidMarks Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 Agree 100% Holls on all points, but if i may add..... Salmon are horrible frozen/defrosted. Fresh they are excellent treated using your method (bceah caught, bled and iced with the red flesh removed) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 Not sure I agree with the first point. Salmon schools move up and down the coast entering the estuaries and back out again constantly. The Salmon I catch in Sydney Harbour may have come from the same school that was present on a pristine south coast beach only days earlier. The flesh won't get tainted that quickly, if the Salmon lived in those waters then I would agree but they are Pelagic in nature. Otherwise, spot on post. Love Salmon and they are better eating than are given credit for, Cheers Windy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bardy Posted November 19, 2015 Share Posted November 19, 2015 I agree... They ain't too bad if done properly. Yes they are not as "forgiving" as other table fish on terms of handling, but if kept pristine as described above they will serve up better then ok Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Holls Posted November 19, 2015 Author Share Posted November 19, 2015 (edited) Not sure I agree with the first point. Salmon schools move up and down the coast entering the estuaries and back out again constantly. The Salmon I catch in Sydney Harbour may have come from the same school that was present on a pristine south coast beach only days earlier. The flesh won't get tainted that quickly, if the Salmon lived in those waters then I would agree but they are Pelagic in nature. Otherwise, spot on post. Love Salmon and they are better eating than are given credit for, Cheers Windy Fair enough, Matt, Haven't eaten salmon from Sydney Harbour so no doubt you are right. In Victoria, salmon caught in Corio Bay, for example have a distinctive 'kerosine' smell and taste. They chase schools of mullet, shrimp etc which themselves have been feeding on stuff in the bay. Edited November 19, 2015 by Holls Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Holls Posted November 19, 2015 Author Share Posted November 19, 2015 Agree 100% Holls on all points, but if i may add..... Salmon are horrible frozen/defrosted. Fresh they are excellent treated using your method (bceah caught, bled and iced with the red flesh removed) Re frozen fish. I freeze the clean fillets in airtight bags. Great smoked! Take frozen fillets out of the pack and drop them straight in the brine to thaw. A few hours later, pat dry and put on the smoker. I can tell you they come up very well! (and if not all smoked fish eaten, make a smoked fish chowder. There are some great - very easy - online recipes.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twinfisher 4.9 Posted November 19, 2015 Share Posted November 19, 2015 I'm sorry but have tried salmon every-which way and apart from fish cakes, would prefer to release them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Guest123456789 Posted November 19, 2015 Share Posted November 19, 2015 I'm sorry but have tried salmon every-which way and apart from fish cakes, would prefer to release them. +1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now