cooking Butterfish
Printed From: The Fishing Website
Category: Diving
Forum Name: Spearo's Corner
Forum Description: Free-divers & spearos chat about their sport
URL: https://www.fishing.net.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=101588
Printed Date: 05 Nov 2026 at 3:37pm
Topic: cooking Butterfish
Posted By: Spearo2b
Subject: cooking Butterfish
Date Posted: 04 Jun 2014 at 9:23am
| i know there has been numerous threads on this topic but i cannot find them i was just wondering if there was a particular way or recipes for Butter fish last two times i have cooked it it has gone quite tough (just a thicker texture) and fallen apart im wondering if anyone out there has recipes or cooking techniques to avoid this much appreciated cheers |
Replies:
Posted By: kolt45
Date Posted: 04 Jun 2014 at 9:38am
| Best way is to give them to your neighbor and cook a snapper for yourself! |
Posted By: Mullins
Date Posted: 04 Jun 2014 at 9:45am
| Aim high |
Posted By: Troy Tempest
Date Posted: 04 Jun 2014 at 9:54am
|
Great - a butterfish thread. Unleash the haters!! Thai curry is great - any flakes just make the sauce thicker. Fishcakes - all good and no need to worry about flakes. Lightly freeze a fillet and finely shred it, cook it like a whitebait patty. Frying - don't do it from cold seems to help, leave the fillet at room temp.
------------- ·.¸¸.·´¯'·.¸¸·´¯'·.¸¸.·´¯'·.¸ ><((((º> .¸¸·´¯'·.¸¸.·´¯'·.¸ ><((((º> Just quietly getting on with it... |
Posted By: kolt45
Date Posted: 04 Jun 2014 at 9:58am
|
There may be something in the room temperature bit. I've got
a mate who swears by allowing beef to warm to room temp, so maybe this works
with fish as well. I actually don’t mind a butterfish wrapped up in baking
paper with olive oil, capsicum, courgette, garlic, ginger, chili, and kaffir
lime. |
Posted By: red rooster
Date Posted: 04 Jun 2014 at 10:21am
| if frying do so on low heat, otherwise fillet will curl up - lots of seasoning |
Posted By: Diver Dan
Date Posted: 04 Jun 2014 at 10:57am
|
Butterfish makes great Thai fish cakes - coarse puree with crayfish and scallops even better, and all the usual flavourings. If I pan fry or egg and breadcrumb it, I finish it in a hot oven for 3 or 4 minutes - will be cooked through and tender. Personally, if you are after a delicate tasting fish, it is hard to beat (blue cod is the best - or King George Whiting!). Kolt, snapper is so over rated in general. Next time you get a big snapper though, scale it, skin on cutlets, salt for an hour or two, then rinse, and confit in olive oil or duck fat, finish skin side up under a very hot grill. You will be blown away. ------------- Proud member of the Glen Innes Spearfishing Club |
Posted By: kolt45
Date Posted: 04 Jun 2014 at 11:30am
|
Snapper are appropriately rated in my opinion. I scale almost all my fish and wouldn't dare take the skin off a snapper of any size. I also keep all the wings on all my fish except koheru. If people didn't throw away the wings, they'd find that they have twice as many meals off the same number of fish, plus more variety in taste and texture as well.
If you have to cover up the flavour of something with something else, doesn't that mean that it wasn't very good to begin with? Mincing scallops and crayfish with butterfish is a crime.
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Posted By: Chazza404
Date Posted: 04 Jun 2014 at 11:36am
Letting meat settle to room temperature helps with heat distribution while cooking; a thicker or chilled fillet means it'll take longer to cook to the centre - the risk being of over cooking the outer sections of the meat. A good guide for cooking steak; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhOV89EQtJs I quite like a butterfish ceviche, also baked in foil with some butter and fennel seeds turns out nice (works well with most fish).
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kolt45 wrote:Posted By: e.m.p!
Date Posted: 04 Jun 2014 at 12:47pm
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I've heard that butterfish turning either mushy or rubbery is a seasonal thing. Also apparently it helps to leave the fillets in the fridge over night. Great recipes in this thread - maybe I should give it another go… |
Posted By: spear crazy
Date Posted: 04 Jun 2014 at 4:26pm
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Thai fish curry is awesome with butters and I normally leave in the fridge at least overnight so help. Will try it with fishcakes though after reading this! ------------- Axemen Spearfishing... "Putting the crap back into elite" |
Posted By: herby
Date Posted: 04 Jun 2014 at 4:31pm
| Get yourself an Old El Paso soft taco crispy chicken kit from the supermarket, substitute the chicken for strips of butterfish. |
Posted By: pjc
Date Posted: 04 Jun 2014 at 4:42pm
|
wife made thai green curry,tasty,she usualy uses snapper and i could not taste difference only texture was a bit corser. ------------- Sex at 58.Lucky I live at 56 |
Posted By: kolt45
Date Posted: 04 Jun 2014 at 4:43pm
| My favourite Mexican spice mixes are by Tio Pablo. Use proper Mexican style tortillas made with masa instead of the crap OEP wheat flour ones. Soooooo Goooooood. http://www.tiopablo.co.nz/index.php/products/tio-pablo" rel="nofollow - Tio Pablo |
Posted By: Spearo2b
Date Posted: 04 Jun 2014 at 4:48pm
|
cheers for the help will have to give some of these a go thanks |
Posted By: cirrus
Date Posted: 04 Jun 2014 at 4:48pm
|
IMO butterfish would one of the top N.Z fish to eat. Would rate well above snapper ,but maybe because snapper is the main fish i catch. I just simply pan fry in butter. Sometimes see it whole & gutted in Asian fish places in A.K @ around $12 kg,and ironically they are very fresh and firm,unlike most of the other fish which is in varying stages of decomposition. So where they source it and how they get it in top condition i dont know |
Posted By: herby
Date Posted: 04 Jun 2014 at 5:04pm
| ^ I do. |
Posted By: Diver Dan
Date Posted: 04 Jun 2014 at 5:05pm
|
Ok Kolt, why is the crayfish/scallop/butterfish thing sacrilege? I admit it is a luxurious dish, but it adds a level of richness and sweetness to them. Awesome. Those Tio Pablo tortillas are OK, but if you can source masa harina and use a tortilla press to make your own, it is way better. Some people think wearing denim top and bottom is OK as well. ------------- Proud member of the Glen Innes Spearfishing Club |
Posted By: kolt45
Date Posted: 04 Jun 2014 at 5:23pm
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I would enjoy scallops in all their unadulterated glory before I went and mashed them up with a blasted butterfish. I also agree that denim is the way to go. All denim.
|
Posted By: harrison
Date Posted: 04 Jun 2014 at 6:07pm
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For the butters defo in the fridge or chilly bin overnight then nothing beats simply frying them in some kind of cooking oil with salt and add pepper, use same pan to fry up a couple of eggs, place on top of fish and devour with appropriate utensils and of course more salt and pepper. The room temperature thing makes sense but my fish is normally on the bench for 15mins or so before i cook and always slice them thiinner so 1 fillet becomes 2 if its thick so wouldnt know otherwise. ------------- |
Posted By: bigbrett
Date Posted: 04 Jun 2014 at 7:23pm
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Enough of your snapper snobbery Kolt - butters are awesome eating (besides its usually only fish I can find and shoot!) definitely leave in fridge overnight after filleting as cooking them fresh seems to make them mushy n curl. Usually pan fry in olive oil with some lemon pepper seasoning or just garlic butter. ------------- Also known as "Dory Rider" |
Posted By: Kinabal Lector
Date Posted: 04 Jun 2014 at 7:36pm
|
butterfish has no fat but good texture therefore you need to attach fat to it. My favourite way is with panko breadcrumbs or normal if you cant find panko. Cut out lateral line to stop curling and serve with home made tatare. smoking-bad battering-ok to bad curry-better for fish that dries out and chunky like trevs-too rubbery if cooked like this Fish cakes ok- but better with fish that dries out like kahawai or snapper for binding normal pan fry with flour-dosent attach enough added fats to flavor this fatless fish on the plus side with so little fat it freezes well |
Posted By: Kinabal Lector
Date Posted: 04 Jun 2014 at 7:39pm
totally agree. If you covering up flavour let it live. No waste definitely |
Posted By: Dobo
Date Posted: 04 Jun 2014 at 7:47pm
Kinabal is on the money, Panko crumbs all the way. I always freeze b-fish fillets then thaw in bowl of cold water before cooking, seems to help the texture of the fish. I once tried making a Riesling wine batter which was by far the best tasting butterfish I've ever had but I can't give you that recipe as I've never been able to recreate the batter :( |
Posted By: Troy Tempest
Date Posted: 04 Jun 2014 at 8:42pm
|
Forgot! Also excellent base for chowder, as bf breaks up really well with the potatoes, you just have to add shellfish etc to complete thevdeal. Mrs Tempest also does an interesting stew type thing with chopped tomatoes, green peppers, onion and butters with some herbs, Great with rice... ------------- ·.¸¸.·´¯'·.¸¸·´¯'·.¸¸.·´¯'·.¸ ><((((º> .¸¸·´¯'·.¸¸.·´¯'·.¸ ><((((º> Just quietly getting on with it... |
Posted By: _Jimmy_
Date Posted: 04 Jun 2014 at 9:00pm
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Smear with mayo, roll in breadcrumbs. Fry it. Same with all fish |
Posted By: shiraz
Date Posted: 04 Jun 2014 at 9:12pm
| Butterfish = craybait. Anything involving zuchini/courgette is just vegetarian bestiality, go directly to jail, do not pass go/do not collect $200 |
Posted By: Unclejake
Date Posted: 04 Jun 2014 at 9:56pm
|
Kinibal, that's an insightful post. I still don't want to eat butterfish, but at least now I may know why. Those poor vegan fish. I smoked a couple once and the level of disgusting was epic. I imagine only smoked nudibranch would be worse. IMEO butterfish is the piscatorial equivalent of butter chicken to curry. Kids love them both... and fair enough too. They have their place in the world, right along with rum and coke and Mullins' mid-winter milo. My dear friend George simply loves butterfish mind you. He takes them to work and microwaves them in the office. He's very well known, if not particularly popular. |
Posted By: hkt_up
Date Posted: 04 Jun 2014 at 10:14pm
|
x3 for panko crumbs. Flour, egg, crumbs, shallow fry in olive oil, delicious. I was not a fan until a mate cooked it this way, the crumbs seal it and keep it moist. Don't over cook it!! |
Posted By: kolt45
Date Posted: 05 Jun 2014 at 9:30am
YES! |
Posted By: JH86
Date Posted: 05 Jun 2014 at 9:39am
 |
Posted By: Kinabal Lector
Date Posted: 05 Jun 2014 at 1:34pm
Smoke fish with fat. Butterfish has good moisture and texture so crumbing great. Panko crumbed bfish is up there in my opinion |
Posted By: long john
Date Posted: 05 Jun 2014 at 2:12pm
good thread pepper, and lots of it. ------------- Proud member of the Glen Innes Spearfishing Club |
Posted By: Philip van Zijl
Date Posted: 05 Jun 2014 at 8:08pm
|
When my sister visited two years ago, she made us butterfish (that my brother in law and I shot the morning) for my 60th birthday dinner: (Fleurs was closed - She has it on her menu as signature dish and wraps it in bacon. I'll try that and report back - just thought I'll warn UJ for in case he goes there and sees butterfish on an actual menu!) Fillets in oven pan, sprinkle lightly with Moroccan spice, salt and pepper, little dab of sour cream and top with light sprinkle of parmesan. Grill for 7 minutes at 180C. Nice... ------------- Never underestimate and old man with a spear gun ;) |
Posted By: Kinabal Lector
Date Posted: 05 Jun 2014 at 8:12pm
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"morrocan and parmesan".............fusion aye the al brown Parmesan and parsley crumb recipe good |
Posted By: Don18025
Date Posted: 06 Jun 2014 at 9:03am
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Just needs a slow cook in butter. Do not overcook. Well named fish.... There is a fish and chip shop in Picton that offers butterfish, so add that to the restaurant list. |
Posted By: ramjet24
Date Posted: 06 Jun 2014 at 9:57am
| I feel like a complete philistine compared to you guys with all your fancy recipes! I just flour egg and crumb mine, in the fry pan, yum! Butterfish has to be up there with the nicest fish to eat. Amazing that a vegetarian can taste so good! |
Posted By: chillwave
Date Posted: 06 Jun 2014 at 2:12pm
butters in panko at the long weekend. shallow fried in butter and oil. no complaints here - they got smashed |
Posted By: Unclejake
Date Posted: 06 Jun 2014 at 5:33pm
| Steady on with the salad there son. No need to over do it. |
Posted By: Kinabal Lector
Date Posted: 06 Jun 2014 at 6:34pm
good luck with the bowel cancer i got served butterfish on a cruise ship. They wrecked it though |
Posted By: Troy Tempest
Date Posted: 06 Jun 2014 at 8:24pm
|
The feed looks awesome... Tip for those looking after their hearts, pour in oil ( your choice) then fry a small amount of butter in the oil, then fry the fush. Taste of butter, fat content of oil. Sorry if everyone knew this already... ------------- ·.¸¸.·´¯'·.¸¸·´¯'·.¸¸.·´¯'·.¸ ><((((º> .¸¸·´¯'·.¸¸.·´¯'·.¸ ><((((º> Just quietly getting on with it... |
Posted By: Mullins
Date Posted: 06 Jun 2014 at 8:59pm
| Butter is mostly fat, oil is fat. Guess you're meaning saturated fat though? |
Posted By: Geofinz
Date Posted: 06 Jun 2014 at 9:17pm
| Crippy and I decided the other weekend since butterfish have such a poor rep with spearos from now on we will only shoot marari. I will continue cooking them in the same way I used to cook butterfish but they will taste way better. |
Posted By: Unclejake
Date Posted: 06 Jun 2014 at 11:35pm
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^ Youse might get into trouble lighting a flax and kumara husk fire inside the office microwave.
|
Posted By: Diver Dan
Date Posted: 06 Jun 2014 at 11:48pm
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Don't be a dick UJ. George, you are awesome. Best butterfish man I know. Respect ------------- Proud member of the Glen Innes Spearfishing Club |
Posted By: KikBac
Date Posted: 06 Jun 2014 at 11:56pm
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What Troy said. Butter is expensive but imparts a beautiful crisp natural flavour. Oil is cheap but tastes; well oily. Use a blend of both and enjoy! ------------- Beer: the most important meal of the day. |
Posted By: Crippy
Date Posted: 07 Jun 2014 at 6:41am
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You can keep your rarī, mariarī, butterfish or whatever you want to call them hiwihiwi is where it's at. ------------- Go hard or die trying. |
Posted By: Geofinz
Date Posted: 07 Jun 2014 at 10:33am
| Ah maybe it was spearfisher916 I had that conversation with not cripdick. |
Posted By: Barx
Date Posted: 07 Jun 2014 at 6:35pm
|
Another butterfish recipe : Thaw a fillet of freezer burnt butterfish and leave it on the bench all afternoon so it warms to room temperature and starts to dry out and curl on the corners. Smear it liberally in Marmite, then roll it in raw rolled oats so they all stick like a crust. Cook it very slowly in melted lard (preferably which has had chorizi sausages and lamb chops cooked in it first). Season with crushed peanuts and mint leaves. Serve cold on a plate of warmed lentils. Ideal food for giving to the inlaws, and others you'd prefer to spend less time with. ------------- Do or do not. There is no try. |
Posted By: Motorhead
Date Posted: 07 Jun 2014 at 6:39pm
My vote for Recipe of the month.
|
Posted By: Unclejake
Date Posted: 07 Jun 2014 at 7:36pm
Barx, I don't care what FDS3 and Spearfisher916 say about you. I think you're the man. |
Posted By: spearfisher916
Date Posted: 07 Jun 2014 at 9:18pm
Terrakey.
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Posted By: Unclejake
Date Posted: 07 Jun 2014 at 9:52pm
^ 
|
Posted By: Troy Tempest
Date Posted: 07 Jun 2014 at 9:54pm
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And there we go... At least we go a few positive postings in first! ------------- ·.¸¸.·´¯'·.¸¸·´¯'·.¸¸.·´¯'·.¸ ><((((º> .¸¸·´¯'·.¸¸.·´¯'·.¸ ><((((º> Just quietly getting on with it... |
Posted By: spearfisher916
Date Posted: 07 Jun 2014 at 10:04pm
Speechless. I have no comeback, its just too intense.
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Posted By: Unclejake
Date Posted: 08 Jun 2014 at 12:00am
^ |
Posted By: Philip van Zijl
Date Posted: 08 Jun 2014 at 8:25am
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Looks like something out of a Star Wars... ------------- Never underestimate and old man with a spear gun ;) |
Posted By: Kinabal Lector
Date Posted: 08 Jun 2014 at 8:53am
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"prison sex face" |
Posted By: Motorhead
Date Posted: 08 Jun 2014 at 9:29am
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Posted By: Barx
Date Posted: 08 Jun 2014 at 4:35pm
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Show me the secrets of the butterfish oh great one...... ------------- Do or do not. There is no try. |
Posted By: shiraz
Date Posted: 08 Jun 2014 at 8:16pm
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"prison sex face" "Before". Where's the "after" foto?
|
Posted By: Kinabal Lector
Date Posted: 08 Jun 2014 at 9:40pm
| I suspect exactly the same but smoking a ciggy. |
Posted By: Unclejake
Date Posted: 08 Jun 2014 at 9:44pm
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Hahahaha, In fairness the chap in the photograph was feeling quite crook at the time. He's a good spearfisherman and a nice guy. He was just having a bad couple of days with his health
|
Posted By: mjl
Date Posted: 10 Jun 2014 at 9:25am
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Yes, I believe something happened early on that trip that damaged his spleen ------------- "It was the Law of the Sea, they said. Civilization ends at the waterline. Beyond that, we all enter the food chain, and not always right at the top. " Hunter S. Thompson |
Posted By: dazxa
Date Posted: 10 Jun 2014 at 10:06am
| After pan frying the fillets, I always roast the frames and head with a drizzle of olive oil some salt and pepper. This is then picked over with cold glass of beer, or two. |
Posted By: Mullins
Date Posted: 10 Jun 2014 at 10:25am
I hope he vented it properly.
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Posted By: spearfisher916
Date Posted: 10 Jun 2014 at 3:32pm
At the risk of sounding narcissistic by assuming I had something to do with that, I still wouldn't change a thing.
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Posted By: spearfisher916
Date Posted: 10 Jun 2014 at 3:37pm
Marari have a habit of stowing juicy fat sea lice in the mouth and gills...have you ever seen any wriggle out while in the pan?
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Posted By: Bad uncle
Date Posted: 10 Jun 2014 at 6:29pm
| The last few pan fryed butters have put me of I think, use to injoy them. Think I will stick to snapper from now |
Posted By: mjl
Date Posted: 11 Jun 2014 at 9:23am
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The transformation is nearly complete ------------- "It was the Law of the Sea, they said. Civilization ends at the waterline. Beyond that, we all enter the food chain, and not always right at the top. " Hunter S. Thompson |
Posted By: Unclejake
Date Posted: 11 Jun 2014 at 10:51am
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Yup. Almost a complete and utter dick now. *winkface |
Posted By: Gundry
Date Posted: 12 Jun 2014 at 8:18am
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That the way fd3s come join our ivory tower ------------- Winter is Meh |