Frostfish for dinner
Printed From: The Fishing Website
Category: Saltwater Fishing
Forum Name: The Briny Bar
Forum Description: The place for general chat on saltwater fishing!
URL: https://www.fishing.net.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=105894
Printed Date: 31 May 2026 at 6:37am
Topic: Frostfish for dinner
Posted By: waynorth
Subject: Frostfish for dinner
Date Posted: 09 Dec 2014 at 8:52pm
|
After watching Graeme Sinclair & crew on Saturday night cleaning up on big snapper in the BOI with Bucko I thought the spawning run had finally arrived, so headed out for an afternoon fish on Monday with high hopes. The algal bloom on the northern side of the Bay was gone, & in the same area in about 45m found some big bait schools, with a few gannets half-heartedly working them, but only managed a few pannies and a frostfish on softbaits. I've always had trouble getting my head around the similarity in appearance between frostfish & 'couta, but this time I decided I would take a deep breath & try cooking up the frostfish to see if it really was as good as I have heard. Wow - is it what. Didn't try anything fancy - just cut it into slabs, washed off the slightly slimy skin, floured it, and fried it skin on as you would a flounder, and it was superb. The cooked skin peeled off easily (I'm not that brave), the texture and flavour was similar to flounder, and the bones were where you would expect them to be. Hapuka baits be damned - these are great eating fish ! ------------- treat fish like fish |
Replies:
Posted By: the demon
Date Posted: 09 Dec 2014 at 8:57pm
|
Good one, had it smoked before ,Was quite wet or more than moist but taste good .
|
Posted By: PeterWalker
Date Posted: 09 Dec 2014 at 9:05pm
| Frost fish? Do you mean Gemfish? Cause Frost fish look nothing like couta. |
Posted By: Catchelot
Date Posted: 09 Dec 2014 at 9:09pm
On ya Waynorth cos thats exactly what we do with them and we have found if treated right they taste like John Dory but cook them like you do flounder, awesome!  ------------- "The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever." - Jacques Cousteau |
Posted By: Catchelot
Date Posted: 09 Dec 2014 at 9:11pm
No Pete Gemfish or Southern Kingfish are not Frostfish. ------------- "The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever." - Jacques Cousteau |
PeterWalker wrote:Posted By: smudge
Date Posted: 09 Dec 2014 at 9:13pm
|
Peter, I think Waynorth is referring to their mean as mouths which resemble a coutta's. Plus they are both skinny things. ------------- Best gurnard fisherman in my street |
Posted By: PeterWalker
Date Posted: 09 Dec 2014 at 9:13pm
No I realise that, just don't think frost fish look particularly like couta. |
Posted By: PeterWalker
Date Posted: 09 Dec 2014 at 9:14pm
Fair enough. Never eaten a frost fish so good to know they are worth eating. |
Posted By: Lethal
Date Posted: 09 Dec 2014 at 9:35pm
|
managed 3 the other day my mate grabbed them and said they are excellent eating, i wasn't so keen and took snapper fillets instead, yeah the bay seams to have a few swimming around at the moment...  ------------- Thanks for everything you did for us Eric. may you rest in peace, You were one of the real legends of NZ recreational fishing |
Posted By: krow
Date Posted: 10 Dec 2014 at 8:51pm
|
I've tried them on 2 occasions and they were uneatable. Full of bones naff all meat and tasted ( |