Depending on where you live, there should be a wide variety of seafood available at your local market, from the superb tropical barramundi and coral trout to the delicate flavor of whiting, marlin, bream and jewfish in the colder oceans. I live in Australia. It is very easy to find many different fish coming from New Zealand waters. New Zealand’s waters are very rich in shellfish and have many varieties of fish that are excellent to eat. In South Australian waters, there are several species of floodwaters.
For the same fish, it can sometimes come under different names between both countries, as well as from state to state within Australia. For cooking, there are two types of fish: freshwater fish and saltwater fish. These can be roughly divided into fish that has white meat and fish that is oily. The main difference is that the oil in white or lean fish is concentrated mainly in the liver while in oily fish the oil is distributed throughout the meat. That is why many people believe that oily fish is more nutritious although higher in kilojoules.
The following list will give you an idea of what type of fish to buy.
Sweet water. The best freshwater oily fish for grilling, baking, and poaching are Atlantic salmon and rainbow trout. Cod and perch are more delicate white fish, well suited for sautéing, poaching and steaming.
Oily. It is the best choice of fish for grilling, roasting and baking. The oiliness varies according to the fish; typically, the darker the meat, the higher the fat content. The most popular oily fish are Atlantic salmon, rainbow trout, mackerel (silver, white or skipjack), mullet (red or grey), tuna (southern bluefin)
White. It’s a good choice for stir-frying, sautéing, deep-frying, steaming, or poaching. Just keep in mind that if you want to bake or grill, the white fish should be protected from drying out by basting or stuffing.
The most popular and common freshwater fish are lemon sole and flounder, gem fish, ocean perch, snapper, coral trout, barramundi, blue-eyed or blue-nosed cod, red fish, the red emperor, the cod, the sea bream, the whiting and the marlin.
You can also ask your fishmonger for advice on the best fish for a certain recipe or cooking style, or the best fish to eat that day. With knowledge of the basic type of fish, you will be able to choose the best fish for your serving.
