Species
Flatheads
Description
These appropriately named bottom-dwelling marine fish have a flat-triangular shaped head and long, dark, tapering body. Wild-caught, they are found mainly inshore in estuaries and bays to depths of about 30m and are caught in NSW estuaries and off the coast of southern Queensland by gillnets and seine nets (as well as bycatch of prawn trawling).
Other Names
Black Flathead, Dusky, Estuary Flathead, Flathead, Flattie, Frog, Lizard, Mud Flathead, River Flathead.
Family
Platycephalidae (Flatheads).
Season
Available year round with peaks in NSW and Queensland from June to August.
Size and Weight
Commonly 500g-6kg and 40-80cm, but can grow to 15kg and 120cm.
Price
Medium priced.
Relations
Bartail, Bluespotted, Deepwater, Longspine, Northern Sand, Rock, Southern Bluespotted, Southern Sand, Tiger, and other Flatheads.
To Buy
Sold whole (gilled and gutted) and in fillet form. In whole fish look for lustrous skin with a slippery, mucilaginous coating, firm flesh, and a pleasant, fresh sea smell. In fillets, look for yellowish-white, firm, lustrous, moist flesh without any brown markings (dense patches of dark veins are often apparent) or oozing water and with a pleasant fresh sea smell.
To Store
Make sure whole fish is scaled, gilled, gutted and cleaned thoroughly. Lay whole fish and fillets in a single layer on a plate and cover with 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.
To Cook
Average yield is 30%. Has a slightly sweet flavour, low oiliness and slightly dry, medium textured flesh with fine flakes. Their unusual shape means that there are relatively few bones, mostly towards the head section of the fillet, which are easily removed. The bones make good stock. Cut thick fillets into serving-size portions to allow even heat penetration.
Cooking Methods
Steam, poach, deep-fry, pan-fry, bake, grill, barbecue. It is best wrapped in foil or banana leaves if baking or barbecuing, to prevent it drying out. It is an excellent fish battered for fish and chips.
Goes Well With
Beer batter, beetroot, cauliflower, capers, cornichons, dill, garlic, horseradish, lemon, lettuce, lime, mayonnaise, onions, tartare sauce, tomato, white wine vinegar, yoghurt.
Alternatives
Bream, Hussar, Morwong, Redfish, Tarwhine, Whiting.
Imports
None.
Recipes
Flathead Fillets in Beer Batter
Flathead Fillets with Roasted Baby Beetroots & Walnuts
Flathead Pitas with Tzatziki & Cherry Tomato Salad
Bouillabaisse