Species
Species
Description
Available wild-caught; it is a bottom-dwelling marine fish that occurs from Brisbane south to Perth, including Bass Strait and around the Tasmanian coast, on the continental shelf and upper slope from shallow waters to depths of between 10 and 400m often near reefs or rocky bottoms, with smaller fish found near the coasts of Victoria and Tasmania.
It is mainly caught off south-eastern Australia by demersal trawl, with minor catches in the Great Australian Bight. It is also caught off NSW by traps and droplines.
Similar to Grey Morwong but more greyish-white rather than blue, and with a lack of distinctive colouring around the eyes. King Morwong can be distinguished from Jackass by its dark band on the outer upper half of the pectoral fin. Jackass Morwong, and the closely related but far less common King Morwong, are usually sold under the marketing name ‘Morwong’.
Other Names
Jackass Fish, Perch, Sea Bream, Seine-boat Morwong, Silver Perch, Deep Sea Perch, Morwong, Mowi, Mowie, Squeeker Perch, Tarakihi, Terakihi.
Family
Cheilodactylidae (Morwongs).
Season
Available year round.
Size and Weight
Commonly 900g-3kg and 40-60cm, but can grow to 4.5kg and 70cm.
Price
Medium priced.
Relations
Banded Morwong, Blue Morwong, Grey Morwong, Red Morwong.
To Buy
Sold whole (gilled and gutted), and in fillet form (often skinned). In whole fish look for lustrous skin, firm flesh, and a pleasant, fresh sea smell.
In fillets, look for creamy pink, firm, lustrous, moist flesh without any brown markings or oozing water and with a pleasant fresh sea smell.
To Store
Make sure whole fish is scaled, gutted and cleaned thoroughly. 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.
To Cook
Average yield is 38%. Has a distinctive medium flavour, low-medium oiliness, flesh that can tend to be dry with a medium-firm texture. It is best to remove rib and pin bones before serving.
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
Steam, poach, deep-fry, pan-fry, stir-fry, bake, braise, grill, barbecue. It is best wrapped in foil or banana leaves if baking or barbecuing, to prevent it drying out.
A good plate-sized fish cooked whole. The firm flesh holds together well in soups, curries and casseroles and can be cubed for kebabs.
Goes Well With
Basil, chilli, coconut milk, coriander, lemon, lime, sweet chilli sauce, olive oil, parsley, sesame, soy sauce, teriyaki sauce.
Alternatives
Breams, Ray’s Bream, Red Emperor, Snapper, Threadfin Salmon, Warehous.
Imports
None.
Recipes
Whole Morwong Barbecued in Banana Leaves