Yellowtail Kingfish
Seriola lalandi
Other Names
Amberjack, goldstriped amberjack, kingfish, kingie, southern yellowtail, Tasmanian yellowtail, yellowtail, yellowtail amberjack.
Family
Carangidae (trevallies).
Description, Location, Habitat and Harvesting Information
Available both wild-caught and farmed. It is a free-swimming marine fish found alone or in small schools mainly near the coast and around offshore islands and reefs in warm temperate waters from Rockhampton, Queensland, south to Shark Bay, WA, including Bass Strait and around the Tasmanian coast. Mainly caught off NSW (November-March) and Queensland (April-August), with some off south-western WA, by handlines with lures or live bait and occasionally by droplines and demersal trawls. Also farmed in Spencer Gulf, SA, (mainly Port Lincoln and Whyalla) and marketed under its Japanese name: ‘hiramasa’. The yellowish (rather than olive green or greyish) tail distinguishes it among related fish and gives it its name.
Season
Available year round.
Size and Weight
Commonly 10-15kg and up to 100cm, but can grow to 70kg and 190cm. Farmed fish are typically 3-5kg.
Price
Medium-high priced, with the smaller farmed fish commanding a higher price than larger wild-caught fish.
Relations
Bigeye Trevally, Black Pomfret, Black Trevally, Bluefin Trevally, Bluespotted Trevally, Dart, Diamond Trevally, Giant Trevally, Golden Trevally, Jack Mackerel, Mahi Mahi, Queenfish, Samsonfish, Silver Trevally, Turum, Yellowtail Scad.
To Buy
Sold whole (gilled and gutted), as cutlets, steaks and fillets. In whole fish look for lustrous skin, firm flesh, and a pleasant, fresh sea smell. In cutlets, steaks and fillets, look for white-dark pink, firm, lustrous, moist flesh without any brown markings or oozing water and with a pleasant fresh sea smell. Small fish are more flavourful, moist and tender, and are considered the best eating, as are those from colder waters, making farmed fish from SA ideal.
To Store
Make sure whole fish is scaled, gutted and cleaned thoroughly. Wrap whole fish, fillets and cutlets 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, steaks or cutlets for up to 3 months, below -18ºC.
To Cook
Average yield is 55%. Has a medium-strong flavour (increasing with the fish’s size), medium oiliness and dry-medium moisture, with medium-firm textured flesh (which can be coarse and soft in larger fish) and few large bones, which are easily removed. The centre bone of cutlets can be removed and a filling placed in the cavity. Score whole fish at the thickest part of the flesh and cut thick fillets into serving-size portions and score to allow even heat penetration.
Cooking Methods
Deep-fry, pan-fry, stir-fry, bake, braise, grill, barbecue, smoke, raw (sashimi), pickle. It can be wrapped in foil or banana leaves if baking or barbecuing, to prevent it drying out. The firm flesh holds together well in soups, curries and casseroles and can be cubed for kebabs.
Goes Well With
Chilli, coriander, cumin, fennel, garlic, ginger (fresh and pickled), lemon, lime, soy sauce, wasabi.
Alternatives
Mackerel, Striped Marlin, Morwong, Silver Trevally, Tuna.
Imports
Chilled whole fish are imported from New Zealand.
Recipes