Species

Yellowtail Scad

Trachurus novaezelandiae

Carangidae (Trevallies). Available year round with peaks in NSW and Victoria from January - August. Low priced.
Yellowtail Scad

Overview

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Available wild-caught, it is a free-swimming marine fish found mainly in schools over the inner continental shelf and in estuaries and caught mainly off NSW and Victoria using purse seines, though haul nets and demersal trawls are also used and its line-caught in SA. Looks similar to the closely related Jack Mackerel, but smaller.

Other names

Scad, Yellowtail, Yellowtail Horse Mackerel.

Imports

None.

Fast facts

Size & weight
Commonly 300g and 30cm, but can grow to 1kg and 50cm.
Price guide
Low priced.
Related species
Trevallies (including Bigeye, Black, Bluefin, Bluespotted, Diamond, Giant, Golden and Silver Trevallies), Black Pomfret, Darts, Jack Mackerel, Queenfish, Samsonfish, Turrum, Yellowtail Kingfish.

Preparation

To buy
Sold whole; look for lustrous skin, firm flesh, and a pleasant, fresh sea smell.
To store
Make sure fish is scaled, gilled, gutted and cleaned thoroughly. Wrap in plastic wrap or place in an airtight container. Refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months below -18ºC.
To cook
Average yield is 35%. Has a strong flavour, medium oiliness and dry, medium-firm flesh with few bones, which are easily removed.
Cooking methods
Deep-fry, pan-fry, bake, grill, barbecue, smoke. It is best wrapped in foil or vine leaves if baking or barbecuing, to prevent it drying out.

Flavour matches

Pairs well with
Basil, caraway, chilli, coriander, cumin, curry, fennel, garlic, ginger, herbs (such as coriander, dill, French tarragon, parsley, sage, thyme), lemon, lime, olive oil, onion, oregano, sesame oil, soy sauce, tamarind, teriyaki sauce, tomato, vinegar, wasabi, white wine.

Cook

Recipes to try

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