Available wild-caught, it is a marine fish found mainly on the inner continental shelf to around 150m and mainly trawled, lined and trapped off the north-western coast of Australia, although it is found from Queensland north around to the central coast of WA and is caught in sections of the Great Barrier Reef.

DIVE DEEPER

COMMERCIAL NAME

Frypan Bream

Method of Capture

Region

Other names

Frypan Snapper, King Soldierbream, Longfin Snapper, Longspine Snapper.

Scientific Family

Sparidae (Breams).

Seasonality

Available year round.

Size

Commonly 600g-1.5kg and 30-45cm, but can grow to 4kg and 58cm.

Price range

Medium priced.

Alternative Species

Emperors, Morwong, Seaperches.

ROLL UP YOUR SLEEVES

SHOPPING TIPS

Sold mainly whole (gilled and gutted) and occasionally in fillet form (usually skinned). In whole fish look for lustrous skin, firm flesh, and a pleasant, fresh sea smell. In fillets, look for yellowish-white, firm, lustrous, moist flesh without any brown markings or oozing water and with a pleasant fresh sea smell.

STORAGE TIPS

Make sure whole fish is scaled, gutted and cleaned thoroughly as soon as possible (completely remove the lining of the abdominal cavity and the white fat along the abdominal wall). Wrap whole fish and fillets in plastic wrap or place in an airtight container. Refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze whole fish for up to 6 months, and fillets for up to 3 months, below -18ºC.

COOKING TIPS

Average yield is 35%. Has a mild, sweet flavour, low oiliness and moist, soft-medium flesh.

COOKING METHODS

Steam, poach, pan-fry, bake, grill, barbecue. A good plate-sized fish cooked whole, flesh also works well in mousseline.

Flavour pairings

Capers, chilli, coriander, garlic, ginger, lemon, lemongrass, lime, parsley, soy sauce.

IMPORTS

None. Frozen imported fillets of other species are sometimes sold as ‘Seabream’, although there is also an Australian fish called Seabream, which is actually a member of the Emperor family.

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INGREDIENTS:
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons chardonnay vinegar Salt flakes and freshly ground white pepper, to taste
2 golden shallots, very finely diced Rock salt, for serving
 12 freshly shucked Sydney rock oysters Chervil sprigs, for garnishing

METHOD:
Whisk together oil, vinegar, salt and pepper and stir in shallot.