See other species here.

Silver Trevally

Pseudocaranx dentex (Silver Trevally)
Pseudocaranx wrighti (Skipjack Trevally)

Silver Trevally
Species

Trevallies

Description

Two very similar species are marketed as silver trevally, P.dentex grows much larger and has more bony, enlarged scales near the base of the tail. Available wild-caught, they are free-swimming marine fish found in coastal to off-shore waters, mainly near reefs where they feed on smaller schooling fish, and caught off southern Australia (from Shark Bay, WA to Rockhampton, QLD) by line and trawl net offshore as well as by gill and tunnel nets in bays and estuaries.

Other Names

Blurter; Ranger, Sand Trevally; Silver Bream; Skippy, Skipjack Trevally, White Trevally.

Family

Carangidae (Trevallies).

Season

Available year round, with peaks from November – May.

Size and Weight

Silver commonly 35-60cm and 400g-2.5kg, but can grow to 18kg and 122cm. Skipjack are much smaller, typically about 30cm.

Price

Medium priced.

Relations

Trevallies (including Bigeye, Black, Bluefin, Bluespotted, Diamond, Giant and Golden Trevallies), Black Pomfret, Darts, Jack Mackerel, Queenfish, Samsonfish, Turrum, Yellowtail Kingfish, Yellowtail Scad.

Despite the similarity in their names, Trevallies are unrelated to Trevallas.

To Buy

Sold whole (gilled and gutted) and in fillet forms. In whole fish look for lustrous skin, firm flesh, and a pleasant, fresh sea smell. In fillets, look for pale reddish-brown, firm, lustrous, moist flesh without any brown markings or oozing water and with a pleasant fresh sea smell.

To Store

Make sure whole fish is scaled, gilled, gutted and cleaned thoroughly. Lay whole fish or fillets in a single layer on a plate and cover with plastic wrap or place in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. The flesh softens quite a bit when thawed, so freezing is not recommended.

To Cook

Average yield is 35%. Has a somewhat fishy flavour, high oiliness and dry, medium-textured flesh with fine flakes and few bones, which are easily removed. The skin is usually removed.

Cooking Methods

Steam, poach, deep-fry, pan-fry, bake, grill, barbecue, smoke, pickle. It tends to be dry so marinating prior to cooking helps prevent drying out, as does wrapping in foil or banana leaves if baking or barbecuing.

Goes Well With

Basil, caraway, chilli, coriander, cumin, curry, fennel, garlic, ginger, herbs (such as coriander, dill, French tarragon, parsley, sage, thyme), lemon, lime, olive oil, onion, oregano, sesame oil, soy sauce, tamarind, teriyaki sauce, tomato, vinegar, wasabi, white wine.

Alternatives

Silver Perch, Morwong, Gemfish, Warehou, Snapper, other Trevallies.

Imports

Chilled and frozen Silver Trevally, whole and in fillet form, is imported from New Zealand.

Recipes

Teriyaki Silver Trevally Fillets with Sesame & Zucchini