Kitchen - fantastic info’ - thanks to Raider contributors.

[Pickles]

After reading advice / suggestions from @Yowie, @Larkin, on how to make snapper edible (joking, but still don’t compare with kingfish), I went hunting ornaments The Kitchen - what a great resource this is. Loved the articles by Adrian ( @kingie chaser,) Zoran ( @zmk1962) on smoking Pot (sorry “Pot smoking”) Dave (. @Yowie), @maccapacca and so many others.
Thanks for sharing ‘Raiders and Donna for your work and efforts with the site.

Edited April 13, 2022 by Pickles

[bessell1955]

I have to agree with you, Pickles.  The members on this site are indeed very supportive and willing to help!

[noelm]

Not too sure why you think Kingfish is so much better than Snapper, it certainly is different, but not bad to eat (in my opinion) it wasn't that long ago that Kingfish were considered unmarketable and not caught commercially, and not eaten by rec fishers at all. Now to be fair, bigger Snapper are not as good as ones about 1-2kg, and Kingfish are great as fish pieces, crumbed or battered.

[Isaac Ct]

Never had Kingfish, but I know that snapper taste nice. Maybe one day I will get a decent king.

[noelm]

Kingfish taste "fishy" some people like that kind of flavour (like Atlantic Salmon) others don't, Snapper have a unique taste, just like Bream, not fishy, but a distinct flavour.

[mrsswordfisherman]

Much prefer Kingfish that we catch and cryovac fresh

It tastes superb and not at all fishy yum 

[Isaac Ct]

56 minutes ago, noelm said:

Kingfish taste "fishy" some people like that kind of flavour (like Atlantic Salmon) others don't, Snapper have a unique taste, just like Bream, not fishy, but a distinct flavour.

Actually I lied, I have had kingfish sashimi and can have a flavour but when paired with the right ingredients it can taste delicious. Definitely agree with Bream having a distinct flavour, some people hate it but my dad loves them.

[Little_Flatty]

Sometimes people mistake a lack of freshness for a ‘fishy’ odour. Flathead from the shops often tastes ‘fishy’ whilst a flathead you catch, dispatch,  immediately ice and eat that day will not.

Other fish like slimey mackerel genuinely taste fishy. This isn’t actually a freshness thing; it’s the character of the flesh and some species are actually valued for this.

[bessell1955]

Not being an expert but i feel that all fresh fish tastes great.

[Pickles]

21 hours ago, noelm said:

Not too sure why you think Kingfish is so much better than Snapper, it certainly is different, but not bad to eat (in my opinion) it wasn't that long ago that Kingfish were considered unmarketable and not caught commercially, and not eaten by rec fishers at all. Now to be fair, bigger Snapper are not as good as ones about 1-2kg, and Kingfish are great as fish pieces, crumbed or battered.

 

9 hours ago, bessell1955 said:

Not being an expert but i feel that all fresh fish tastes great.

Noel, I need some coaching in the kitchen obviously. Usually leave the culinary stuff to my wife, who does an excellent job. But I also like my steak “Blue” (30 seconds a side on a hot grill), which most folks find unpalatable, I guess it’s all a matter of “taste”. I do however rank Mahi Mahi and jewfish above kingfish.

[Pickles]

21 hours ago, Isaac Ct said:

Never had Kingfish, but I know that snapper taste nice. Maybe one day I will get a decent king.

You’ve get plenty of time Isaac, I didn’t catch my first kingfish till I was about 30, now they are my no 1 target species, but Loooove how they pull string and fight dirty - my kinda fish.

[Pickles]

9 hours ago, bessell1955 said:

Not being an expert but i feel that all fresh fish tastes great.

Got to agree 100%, however, I find kingfish are better / easier to handle and cook once the fillets / cutlets have been in the fridge overnight. If I freeze fish I usually cryovac as Donna said and kingfish no longer than a month (but usually ont last that long).

Edited April 14, 2022 by Pickles

[Pickles]

20 hours ago, maccapacca said:

What makes it taste ‘Fishy’, my mate recently caught a king and a cut it up straight after he caught it and gave me a bit of ‘sashimi’, it was a raw bit of kingfish but didn’t taste fishy at all even without any seasoning, tasted pretty decent for a raw peice of fish could only imagine what it would taste like all cooked up nicely.

Macca it is absolutely critical in my opinion to bleed all pelagic species. I tail wrap my big Kingies and cut the throat over the side of the boat and let them bleed out well and then straight onto ice. If you don’t do this they are only good for cat food. The bleeding is absolutely essential.

[mrsswordfisherman]

4 minutes ago, Pickles said:

Got to agree 100%, however, I find kingfish are better / easier to handle and cook once the fillets / cutlets have been in the fridge overnight. If I freeze fish I usually cryovac as Donna said and kingfish no longer than a month (but usually ont last that long).

Cryovaccing lasts longer I believe. Fresh fish is always better tasting of course. You mentioned Mahi Mahi Bob  

I remember a charter out of Port Stephens with Ross Hunter. We caught lots of Mahi Mahi that day and we brought them back to the pub where the chef presented our table of 12 with the Dollies cooked in a variety of ways. 

Served with fresh salads it was so delicious 

[noelm]

I guess like most things, it's all about personal taste, I eat lots of fish, and almost all species, including Kingfish, and this will get me flamed big time, but (in my opinion) Kingfish are very similar to Australian Salmon in taste, and I eat Salmon reasonably regularly. The best way to cook fish for me, is just simply rolled in flour and fried in hot clean oil, that way the fish flavour is not masked by a dozen different spices/sauces, some fish is not the best done in flour and needs crumbs or a decent light batter, Kingfish is one of those. Dolphin Fish is a very "fishy" taste, once again, in my opinion! but I eat lots of them, especially around the 5-6KG size.

[Pickles]

19 minutes ago, mrsswordfisherman said:

Cryovaccing lasts longer I believe. Fresh fish is always better tasting of course. You mentioned Mahi Mahi Bob  

I remember a charter out of Port Stephens with Ross Hunter. We caught lots of Mahi Mahi that day and we brought them back to the pub where the chef presented our table of 12 with the Dollies cooked in a variety of ways. 

Served with fresh salads it was so delicious 

I was a buddy of the late Ross and in awe of his fish knowledge and boat building abilities (far greater than his “skills” as a guitarist singer).

[Pickles]

20 minutes ago, noelm said:

I guess like most things, it's all about personal taste, I eat lots of fish, and almost all species, including Kingfish, and this will get me flamed big time, but (in my opinion) Kingfish are very similar to Australian Salmon in taste, and I eat Salmon reasonably regularly. The best way to cook fish for me, is just simply rolled in flour and fried in hot clean oil, that way the fish flavour is not masked by a dozen different spices/sauces, some fish is not the best done in flour and needs crumbs or a decent light batter, Kingfish is one of those. Dolphin Fish is a very "fishy" taste, once again, in my opinion! but I eat lots of them, especially around the 5-6KG size.

Thanks for sharing Noel - great to get your opinions and no one who has benefitted from your knowledge and selfless input would ever “flame” you. I also eat salmon and although I wouldn’t rank them with kingfish, Love them in green Thai curry.

[noelm]

Yep, a fresh Salmon, filleted, skinned and all the blood meat cut away is good eating, but, left uncleaned, or a few days old they are not so flash. Some fish benefit from leaving the skin on, Bream, Whiting and Snapper but others are only OK is skinned and the blood lines cut out, Kingfish, Mahi Mahi and Blackfish being common ones. But when it is all said and done, good fresh, well looked after fish is way better than something left in a bucket all day, or even in an esky/kill tank with no ice.

[mrsswordfisherman]

1 hour ago, Pickles said:

I was a buddy of the late Ross and in awe of his fish knowledge and boat building abilities (far greater than his “skills” as a guitarist singer).

He was a sponsor and member of this forum for many years and he became a family friend. 

Many of us went there each year to stay in the units and go out on charters with him and his son Glenn on Broadbill and Billfisher. We always had a great time. I caught my first marlin on Broadbill with Capt Ross. 

He did several talks at the RSL for fishraider members and ended with a tune and playing his guitar. Shark Fishing was a fav. 

[noelm]

Yep, I have an old VHS video here somewhere with Ross, myself and a couple of friends fishing out of Sydney.

[Pickles]

8 hours ago, mrsswordfisherman said:

He was a sponsor and member of this forum for many years and he became a family friend. 

Many of us went there each year to stay in the units and go out on charters with him and his son Glenn on Broadbill and Billfisher. We always had a great time. I caught my first marlin on Broadbill with Capt Ross. 

He did several talks at the RSL for fishraider members and ended with a tune and playing his guitar. Shark Fishing was a fav. 

I went out with he and Glenn on several occasions in the 90’s and well remember when the fishing was quiet, he would bring out the guitar, don’t remember a lot of his songs, but I remember  his “Pilchard” son. I caught a 37kg YFT on Broadbill.

[James Clain]

On 4/14/2022 at 9:22 AM, noelm said:

Not too sure why you think Kingfish is so much better than Snapper, it certainly is different, but not bad to eat (in my opinion) it wasn't that long ago that Kingfish were considered unmarketable and not caught commercially, and not eaten by rec fishers at all. Now to be fair, bigger Snapper are not as good as ones about 1-2kg, and Kingfish are great as fish pieces, crumbed or battered.

Different taste. I love the taste of kingfish but every time i have tried snapper i've found it vile. 

[big Neil]

I don't eat a lot of fish mainly because I don't catch many fish that I would want to eat. Most of you would know that I fish freshwater (mostly) and I seldom eat Murray Cod and Yellowbelly. I don't have the heart to kill them, to be honest. I don't mind Redfin but seldom target them.

Although not rated by anybody as a "normal table fish Tailor are great when butterflied and smoked with oak. I am yet to taste Kingfish, only ever caught one. I agree about Snapper though, the smaller ones being much better to eat than large ones.

Maybe my tastes in fish are askew to most peoples as I really like Leatherjackets and Blackfish. As mentioned taste is an individual preference.

bn

[frankS]

I have one of Ross's CD's here somewhere and enjoyed his style of entertainment , never been on his boat but did enjoy his company. In fact I have never been on any sort of charter, always had my own boats.

Frank