Species
Dories
Description
Available wild caught, it is a bottom-dwelling marine fish found mainly on the upper continental slope commonly between 500-600m and mainly caught as bycatch of Blue Grenadier trawling off the south-eastern coast of NSW and Victoria, with some off SA and WA as far north as Exmouth. Its skin is silver and, unlike some other Dories, rough to touch.
Other Names
Horsehead, Lookdown Dory, McCulloch's Dory, Shadow Dory.
Family
Cyttidae ('Australian' Dories).
Season
Available year round.
Size and Weight
Typically 1.5-3.2kg and 40-55cm, but can grow to 65cm and 6kg.
Price
Medium priced.
Relations
None
To Buy
Sold mostly in fillet form, fresh and frozen. In fillets, look for yellowish-white, 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, gutted and cleaned thoroughly. Wrap whole fish and fillets in plastic wrap or place in an airtight container. Refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze whole fish for up to 6 months, and fillets for up to 3 months, below -18ºC.
To Cook
Average yield is 35%. Has a mild flavour, low oiliness and moist, medium textured flesh with fine flakes and few bones, which are easily removed. The edible skin can be left on.
Cooking Methods
Steam, poach, deep-fry, pan-fry, bake, grill, barbecue. Fillets are thin and, to protect them when barbecuing or grilling, best wrapped in foil or banana leaves.
Goes Well With
Butter, citrus, fresh herbs (such as chives, coriander, dill, French tarragon, parsley, thyme), olive oil, white pepper, white wine.
Alternatives
Other Dories or Oreodories, Flounder, Sole, Whitings.
Imports
None.
Recipes
Mexican Fish Picnic Pies
Fish, Capsicum & Tomato Pot Pies
Pan-Fried John Dory with Orange, Parsley & Date Salad
Blackened Mirror Dory with Lime Butter