if the wather stays nice like this RF, ignore my txt, i might make the drive up to that place tonight,ill bring the crab and cray and we can throw out big baits over night for 15kg+ grots till first light and hiff the snapper baits out, and if it actully turns 40kt SSE ill have my shark reel in the truck and put a whole live ky or whole 3-4kg skippy out under a rubbigh bag 1.2-1.5km off shore, if the winds like that there aint no harm in trying… and that place we might be is going to be really dirty water, i find it magnets for sharks, the merky warm water…

most fishermen already know how to fillet a fish, here i will tell you how to steak a fish… all you need is:
1x large knife depending on the size of the fish(may need a machette for groper, kingfish)
1x rubber mallet(can find these at most shops that sell camping gear or hardware)

clean your fish as normal, gutt, gill, scale… slice threw the fish with your knife untill you come to the spine, wack the tip of the knife with the rubber mallet then follow threw cutting it into a nice steak… you can also do this with the palm of your hand if its a smaller fish or just blunten the crap out of your knife sawing threw the spine…

yes you can buy a stainless steel fast fish smoking draw from warehouse, mitre 10 or a fishing shop, but these are usually in the range of $40 – $200. You can make one just as good out of normal kitchen items or pick up the missing piece for a few $ and they are just as good as the bought ones, all you need is a bbq or portable outdoor cooker.

What you need:
1x oven tray/roasting tray, deep dish.
1x cake cooling rack.
1x roll of tin foil.
1x bag of wood chips.

Method:
1. sprinkel wood chips in bottom of oven tray.
2. place cake cooling rack over the wood chips.
3. put in your fish fillets and cover the tray with tin foil.
4. place on the bbq or out door cooker on low temp and smoke your fillets. you can also do this inside on the stove if you dont mind your kitchen smelling like smoke for a day or 2.

BEER BATTER: Yield 450ml aprox.

Beer: 1 bottle(300ml so take a sip off the top)
Flour: 200g
Egg: 1
Salt: 1/4 tsp
Pepper: to taste(means to your liking)

Method:
1. Throw flour, salt and pepper in a bowl.
2. Make a well in center and pour in the beer.
3. Gradualy whisk in from sides to make a smooth batter.
4. Mix in the beaten egg.
5. Rest for 1hr befor useing.

TEMPURA BATTER: Yield 400ml aprox.

Flour: 45g
Cornflour: 95g
Salt: 1/4 tsp
Pepper: to taste
Ice-cold water: 180ml

Method:
1. Sieve dry ingrediants into a bowl.
2. Make a well in center and add the water.
3. Mix into a smooth batter and use while cold.

EGG BATTER: Yield 500ml aprox

Flour: 200g
Salt: 1/4 tsp
Egg: 1
Water: 250ml
Oil: 30ml

Method:
1. Throw flour, salt and pepper in a bowl.
2. Make a well in center.
3. Beat the egg and water togeather and pour into the well.
4. Gradualy whisk in from sides to make a smooth batter.
5. Stir in the oil.
6. Rest for 30min befor useing.

with all batters, lightly coat the fish in seasoned flour(flour+salt+pepper) befor dipping in the batter.

best way to cook with batter is to deep fry, to do this drop battered fish into heated oil aprox 160-180C.
if you get bored with the same old batter, try adding a bit of flavour to the mix, lemon pepper, herbs or spices.

kingfish steaks: 4x 200g
salt: 1/2 tsp
lemon juice: 20ml
fresh chilli: 1
garlic: 1clove
onion, small: 1
fresh ginger, grated: 2cm
coconut milk: 400ml
turmeric: 1/4 tsp
lemongrass stalk,bruised: 1

Method:
1. sprinkel fish with salt and lemon juice and set aside.
2. blend chilli, garlic, onioin and ginger into a fine paste.
3. mix paste, coconut milk, tumreric and lemongrass in a pot and simmer gently for 30mins untill thickened.
4. add fish steaks and continue to cook for aprox 10mins untill fish is just cooked threw. removed lemon grass stalk.
5. if you need to ajust seasoning and consistency befor serving.

as with all recipes this is a basis, add/remove any thing you like to suite your own pallet.

smoked fish*, flaked: 400g
potatoes, mashed: 450g
corriander, chopped: 1 tsp
parsley, chooped: 1 tsp
red onion, fine dice: 50g
dijon mustard: 1 tsp
salt and pepper: to taste
flour: 100g
eggs, beaten: 2
bread crumbs or oatmeal:250g

Method:
1. mix fish, potato, herbs, onion, mustard and season them together.
2. shape into 8 cakes and pane** with flour, egg and bread crumbs or oatmeal.
3. pan-fry on both sides in hot oil and butter until golden brown.

* you can use just about any type of smoked fish you like, kahawai, snapper, kingfish..
** pane is the method used to crumb fish, first lightly coat fish is seasoned flour, dip in beaten eggs, coat in bread crumbs, for thicker crumbing repeat egg and crumbs.

this recipe is also good to get rid of your Red Cod (just quickly fry off your fillets and flake it up). Additionally you can add more fish and less potato to make them into patties and make Fish Burgers.