CORAL TROUT
THEY SAY BEAUTYis only
skin deep, but when you’re
talking coral trout, it goes
fardeeperthanmost.
Withbright,burstingred/
orangeskin artfully dotted
with pale-blue spots and a delicate blue
eyelinerarounditsbig,blackeye,it’sone
ofthemostbeautiful species in Australian
tropical waters.
Butasallgoodchefsknow,coraltrout’s
real beauty lies beneath the surface, where
wonderfully wobbly, gelatinous, sweet,
delicate flesh resides. It’s so good, it’s
considered by many to be at the luxury
endofadeep-bluediet,wherelobsters,
caviar and oysters are found.
“Coraltroutis,withoutdoubt,oneof
my all-time-favourite special-occasion
fish!” exclaims fish-o-phile John Susman,
of Fishtales seafood consultancy.
This bottom-dwelling beauty fossicks
around inshore and coastal reefs and
islandsinAustralia’stropicalwatersfrom
Northern Queensland across the NT and
downthecoastofWAtoSharkBay.
“Whilstthe species is found throughout
theworld,Australiancoraltrouthasa
distinguishablecharacteristicinbothits
fleshtextureandflavour,mostlytodo
withtheirdietofantipodeancrabs,
prawns and smaller fish,” says Susman.
“Wehaveseentheindustrytransform
when they discovered the live fish markets
Asbeautifultoeatasitistolookat,theluxuriouscoraltrouthas
no problem attracting the attention ofAnthony Huckstep.in Hong Kong and China and the domestic
Chinatowns,asthisfishhasroyalstatus
throughmuchofAsia.Fishermenwere
incentivised to really look after their catch
so they could get the big bucks for live
coraltrout.”Aby-producthasbeenan
uplift in the quality of not-so-live fish
Down Under.
Once only seen north of the Tweed,
coral trout is fast gaining super-premium
status in the best Western dining rooms
ofthesouth,too,Susmanadds.“Andits
availability means we can all enjoy this
incredible fish.”
Itspearlywhitefleshhasadensityand
almost meaty character that transforms
to a light, clean flavour when cooked, and
whileitsmild,sweetflavourisbeautiful
onitsown,itprovidesadeliciousflavour
canvas,too.“Iespeciallylikeitsteamed
with Asian ingredients like ginger, lime,
spring onions and coconut,” says Susman.
“Surprisingly, the almost leathery skin
crisps up like duck skin when given the
old fish-weight cooking technique. Serve
itwithfennelorasharpsaffronaioli and
you’re in absolute heaven!”pomegranate and prunes’. Find the recipe
atdelicious.com.auandintheAustralian
Fish & Seafood Cookbook(Murdoch Books,
RRP $79.99), available in bookstores now.delicious.com.au/food-files
Formore tips on buying and
storing fresh seafood.@huckstergram @anthuckstepILLUSTRATIONALICE CLEARYPHOTOGRAPHYBEN DEARNLEYBUYINGTry buying whole fish –
evenifyouhavetoaskyourfishmonger
todryfilletthemforyou.Eyesshould
be clear and plump, aroma should be
ofthesea.Skinshouldbebrightred/
shimmering orange with blue dots.
STORINGWrap in muslin or freezer
filmandplaceinanairtightplastic
containerwithalayeroficeonthe
bottom, the fish resting on a drip tray.
Sealandstoreatthebottomoffridge.
COOKINGWholeonthebone,
crisp skin, steamed, roasted, in soup.
CATCHING METHODHandline,
tropical mid-water trawl.
SUBSTITUTIONSBigeye ocean
perch, red emperor.
ACCOMPANIMENTSTomato,
ginger, lime, spring onion, coconut,
fennel, almonds, pomegranate, prunes.44 delicious.com.au