Mangrove Jack
Most seaperches have superb white flesh and a delicate, yet generous, flavour. They can be prepared in a wide range of ways including grilling, poaching, deep frying, shallow frying, baking and steaming.
Simple pan-frying allows for a range of different flavours and textures to be utilised. Seaperches are often large, but the smaller fish are excellent baked whole (gilled and gutted).
Lay fillets on a bed of leeks and fennel with a small amount of fish stock. Cover and bake until just cooked. Keep the fish warm while the leeks, fennel and stock are purÈed. Heat this gently and blend in crËme fraÓche. Season to taste and pour over or under seaperch fillets and add a few roasted cashews.
Flavour Mild
Oiliness Low
Moisture Moist
Texture Firm, Flaky
Flesh Colour White to dark pink
Thickness Medium fillets, but larger fish are often cut into thick steaks
Bones Some pin bones, but these are large and easily removed
Price Seaperches are medium-priced finfish.
Suggested Wines
A range of wines can be served with seaperch, including chenin blanc, colombard and semillon sauvignon blanc blends.
The spicy flavours in Mick McDougall s recipe saddletail seaperch with Thai jockey from the Bonrook Lodge in the Northern Territory, can be complemented by a sparkling shiraz.
Cooking Ideas
| Bake | Deep Fry | |
| Grill/barbecue | Poach | Raw |
| Shallow Fry | Smoke | Steam/microwave |
When Caught
Year round
Important Features
Wild/Farmed Wild, Some species, such as golden seaperch (Lutjanus johnii), show potential for aquaculture.
Habitat Saltwater and estuarine, Often caught near reefs, but some species more common on offshore trawling grounds
Recovery Rate
Fillets: 38% from whole seaperch
Mangrove Jack Research
FRDC provides a comprehensive search of the latest research papers and images on Mangrove Jack
Remarks
Some larger species, such as paddletail (Lutjanus gibbus) and red bass (L. bohar), have been known to cause ciguatera fish poisoning in some areas and should be avoided.
Imports Myanmar, Namibia: frozen gilled and gutted and fillets
Common Size >75cm
Overseas Names GB: mangrove red snapper; J: goma-fuedai; RI: kakap merah; ZA: river snapper, rivier-snapper
Grading Not usually graded
Nutrition Facts
per 100g of raw product
| Kilojoules | na |
| Cholesterol | 21mg |
| Sodium | na |
| Total fat (oil) | 0.4g |
| Saturated fat | 31% of total fat |
| Monounsaturated fat | 16% of total fat |
| Polyunsaturated fat | 53% of total fat |
| Omega-3, EPA | 11mg |
| Omega-3, DHA | 117mg |
| Omega-6, AA | 38mg |
Data presented are for blue threadfin.