fragmeister Posted December 3, 2021 Share Posted December 3, 2021 (edited) Hi Raiders, After a recent fishing trip I cooked some flathead fillets using my favourite batter - Tempura Batter. This is a personal taste only because I was never keen on a thick batter. While the flathead I cooked was very nice it was not quite as good as I thought it would be. I think it was a little "watered down" and not a sweet as I expected. That's not to say it wasn't good, but it was just a little shy of fantastic which is how I normally think of flathead cooked the same day. What was different ( apart from my expectation after 12 months without a fresh fish perhaps)? Well, this was a Tiger Flathead and I would usually be cooking Blue Spots. So this led me to wonder whether there were any opinions in the Fishraider community as to the table qualities of my big 4 in the flathead species. Certainly other fish such as Sand Whiting and King George Whiting are rated differently, so flathead may also vary on the chew. So here are my big 4 Flathead species in no particular order of preference. Dusky Flathead Sand Flathead Blue Spot Flathead Tiger Flathead Let me know your thoughts. Cheers Jim Edited December 3, 2021 by fragmeister 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slowjigger Posted December 3, 2021 Share Posted December 3, 2021 Yes dusky flathead are tastier than offshore flathead (sand, blue spot). They freeze better too. Although rock flathead are the tastiest of the lot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fragmeister Posted December 3, 2021 Author Share Posted December 3, 2021 `` 1 minute ago, slowjigger said: Yes dusky flathead are tastier than offshore flathead (sand, blue spot). They freeze better too. Although rock flathead are the tastiest of the lot. Going to edit that post. That wasn't meant to be my order of preference LOL! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slowjigger Posted December 3, 2021 Share Posted December 3, 2021 24 minutes ago, fragmeister said: `` Going to edit that post. That wasn't meant to be my order of preference LOL! Also I think sand flathead and blue spot are one and the same. Common names can be confusing I know, as is identifying offshore flathead. The tail spots are said to be a distinctive and useful in identification of sand/ blue spots. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fragmeister Posted December 3, 2021 Author Share Posted December 3, 2021 11 minutes ago, slowjigger said: Also I think sand flathead and blue spot are one and the same. Common names can be confusing I know, as is identifying offshore flathead. The tail spots are said to be a distinctive and useful in identification of sand/ blue spots. Cant agree with that one.. Bluespots are Platycephalus caeruleopunctatus Sand flathead are Platycephalus bassensis In Sydney you will catch sand flathead in the bays and close in but generally blue spots are only in 25 meters or more. Plus they have very clear blue spots. Cheers Jim 39 minutes ago, slowjigger said: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noelm Posted December 3, 2021 Share Posted December 3, 2021 They are all similar in taste, Duskies tend to get pretty dry once they get bigger, Blue Spot seem to be consistent regardless of size, Tigers taste just like Blue Spot, but the black stomach lining puts some people off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slowjigger Posted December 3, 2021 Share Posted December 3, 2021 15 minutes ago, fragmeister said: Cant agree with that one.. Bluespots are Platycephalus caeruleopunctatus Sand flathead are Platycephalus bassensis In Sydney you will catch sand flathead in the bays and close in but generally blue spots are only in 25 meters or more. Plus they have very clear blue spots. Cheers Jim Yes, but the trouble is that sand flathead is listed as another name for blue spot flathead. Like I said the common names are confusing: Species | Sydney Fish Market Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankS Posted December 3, 2021 Share Posted December 3, 2021 Yes they can taste different, even when cooked in the same pan. My favorite is a Marbled Flathead caught gutted skinned filleted and fillets kept in the bottom of the fridge overnight, then lightly fried with a thin batter of your taste. Frank Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yowie Posted December 3, 2021 Share Posted December 3, 2021 (edited) Jim, I occasionally catch a Blue Spot inside Port Hacking, mainly near Lilli Pilli and as shallow as 30 feet (about 10 metres) deep. Not big fish but mostly over the limit up to 40cm. Best is 3 in a morning fishing for something else. Blue spots are called Sand Flathead at times, though the true Sand Flathead lives around the mouths of rivers over shallow sand banks, and not too far up river. Not many over the 30cm mark as only a small fish. Blue Spot and Tiger flathead (ocean species) can be eaten at most sizes without being too tough, whereas larger Duskies (65cm plus) tend to be a little drier, and at 86 (one I ate many years ago) was dry and chewy. Sand Flathead are small, similar to Spikey Flathead, and can be eaten at any size as they are always tender fleshed. I have only caught a few Marbled Flathead, and from what I remember, they were tasty. I have also caught and eaten a couple of Yellowtailed Flathead and Northern Sand Flathead in Port Hacking, not big fish and quite edible. I rate ocean Flathead as slightly better eating than estuary Flathead. Identification is not always easy, as some Flathead are given one name, which differs from the identification given by another expert. eg. I.D. difference between the Aust Museum and the Fish Market. Edited December 3, 2021 by Yowie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankS Posted December 3, 2021 Share Posted December 3, 2021 One tip I will give for any salt water fish. Wash gut and prepare them how you want with SALT water and never wait till you get home and do them in FRESH tap water. Frank 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fab1 Posted December 3, 2021 Share Posted December 3, 2021 How many of you would know what from what in a blind test?Not many if any is my bet.Just eat the bloody thing.😂😂 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Green Hornet Posted December 3, 2021 Share Posted December 3, 2021 I don't know about anyone else, but I reckon the ones that spike me always taste better. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankS Posted December 3, 2021 Share Posted December 3, 2021 40 minutes ago, Fab1 said: How many of you would know what from what in a blind test?Not many if any is my bet.Just eat the bloody thing.😂😂 True, if a blind test with different fish etc. but when you have a fish in front of you that you can identify and cook it you know if it is nice or not and you can relate to another taste test you have had in the past and can determine which fish pleased you more with taste. If you have a few different fish you can taste each one and compare which one you enjoy the most. Frank Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebel Posted December 3, 2021 Share Posted December 3, 2021 Duskies are the go. Always clean them with salt water, never fresh water. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yowie Posted December 4, 2021 Share Posted December 4, 2021 2 hours ago, Fab1 said: How many of you would know what from what in a blind test?Not many if any is my bet.Just eat the bloody thing.😂😂 I would know a few different ones, except if I was 'blind' from drinking too much, , which does not happen these days. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoingFishing Posted December 4, 2021 Share Posted December 4, 2021 I agree that different flathead species taste better than others. I rate marbled and blue spots above all others. Dusky is probably third place. PS. What on earth is a rock flathead? Never heard of it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noelm Posted December 4, 2021 Share Posted December 4, 2021 Rock Flathead are not all that common, also called a Marbled Flathead, most often caught right on the edge of reef, kind of common catch for Snapper fishermen and drifters who target the reef edges. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yowie Posted December 4, 2021 Share Posted December 4, 2021 38 minutes ago, GoingFishing said: I agree that different flathead species taste better than others. I rate marbled and blue spots above all others. Dusky is probably third place. PS. What on earth is a rock flathead? Never heard of it Platycephalus laevigatus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingie chaser Posted December 4, 2021 Share Posted December 4, 2021 All fish even in the same species will taste different(all be it subtle) & again is dependant on location, habitat & what they are feeding on & often fish flesh & flavour will be affected by time of year, spawning season etc Line the flathead species up in a blind tasting & if you can identify them by flavour then your better than the best sniffer dog in the world 😉 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larkin Posted December 4, 2021 Share Posted December 4, 2021 5 hours ago, kingie chaser said: All fish even in the same species will taste different(all be it subtle) & again is dependant on location, habitat & what they are feeding on & often fish flesh & flavour will be affected by time of year, spawning season etc This probably has a lot to do with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
61 crusher Posted December 4, 2021 Share Posted December 4, 2021 22 hours ago, frankS said: One tip I will give for any salt water fish. Wash gut and prepare them how you want with SALT water and never wait till you get home and do them in FRESH tap water Totally agree, another thing that I’ve found particularly with the softer fillets like flatties is to pat them down with paper towel & only dunk them in the saltwater if needed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noelm Posted December 4, 2021 Share Posted December 4, 2021 Not too sure I would call a Flathead fillet soft. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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