From the Fish Counter

If you’ve been to the Robberg Store you will probably have seen our fish counter where we display a number of different species of fish as well as shellfish and crustaceans.

You may also have spoken to Dennis and Marichane who man the fish counter and are always happy to share their fishy knowledge and recipes. They will also gladly fillet and debone for you any fish you choose at the counter. Watching them work their magic with the blade is an experience in itself!

You can also learn about some of the different types of fish below, and pick up some tips on how to prepare them.

Yellowfin Tuna

The yellowfin tuna is a species of tuna found in pelagic waters of tropical and subtropical oceans worldwide. Yellowfin is often marketed as Ahi, from the Hawaiian ʻahi, a name also used there for the closely related bigeye tuna. The yellowfin tuna is among the larger tuna species, reaching weights over 180 kg (400 lb).

Yellowfin tuna prey include other fish, pelagic crustaceans, and squid. Like all tunas, their body shape is particularly adapted for speed, enabling them to pursue and capture fast-moving baitfish such as flying fish, sauries, and mackerel.

TASTE: Fresh yellowfin tuna doesn’t look or taste like the tuna you buy in a can. It’s deep red in colour with a sweet, mild flavour and a dense, firm, beef-like texture.

COOKING SUGGESTIONS:

Can be prepared as tuna steaks (coated in sesame seeds and seared in olive oil), sashimi & sushi (raw), roast (marinated in orange juice, soy sauce, sesame oil, lime juice, parsley & oven baked), kebabs (basting with lemon & herb basting and braai/grilled).

Snoek

Snoek is a long, thin species of snake mackerel found in the seas of the Southern Hemisphere, and a popular food fish in South Africa, particularly along the west and southwest coast. It is also known in Australasia as barracouta though it is not closely related to the barracuda. This species will form schools near the bottom or midwater; sometimes even near the surface at night. It prefers sea water temperature between 13 and 18 °C

The flesh is oily and presumably packed with all the health benefits that oily fish brings; the meat is firm and strongly flavoured, rather like mackerel on steroids.

COOKING SUGGESTIONS:

The traditional way from the West Coast is to baste your snoek with butter, apricot jam, garlic, lemon juice, salt & pepper whilst on the braai, to be eaten with sweet potato on the side.

Alternatively, either flecked snoek marinated (braai/oven), smoked, or as deep-fried portions.

Yellowtail

The yellowtail is a large fish found in the Southern Ocean.

The cooked meat is white and firm with a sweet, mild flavour. The high oil content gives the flesh a buttery texture.

COOKING SUGGESTIONS:

Whole on the braai, basting with Lemon & Herb, Ceviche (Raw), Filleted it can be grilled in a pan with Lemon Butter and Black Pepper, Baked in the oven on a bed of Spinach and Onion, Coated with Olive Oil, Fennel, Lemon Slices, and other fresh herbs.

White Stumpnose

White stumpnose is caught using traditional rod and reel or handlines between Cape Agulhas and the Great Kei River at depths shallower than 110m.

The flesh has a mild, sweet shellfish-like flavour, and a slightly flaky texture. This white variant is a little less meaty than the Red Stumpnose.

COOKING SUGGESTIONS:

• Oven baked whole with Salt, lemon, garlic, herbs and olive oil.
• Pan fried fillets in butter, once almost cooked, add dry white wine, lemon juice, garlic, hot sauce and cream to the pan. Let simmer and serve on rice.
• Deep fried in batter or panko crumbs.

Kabeljou

Kabeljou (or Kob) is a saltwater line fish caught off the South African coastline.

It has a firm, white flesh that is light and easy to digest.

It can be oven-baked or grilled, pan-fried or cooked on the braai.

Baste in garlic and butter before cooking and serve with chips or rice and a tartar sauce.

Norwegian salmon

A delicious, versatile fish with distinctive pink flesh, Norwegian salmon is known for its oily texture and aromatic flavour which lends itself to anything from sashimi to a braai.

Our salmon is sourced from farms in the Norwegian fjords with its cold, clear waters.

Ocean-farmed Norwegian Salmon is one of the best sources of omega-3 fatty acids.

Salmon can be prepared as Sushi, Poke Bowls, Ceviche, Sashimi (raw), Baked with Garlic Butter, Asparagus and Lemon Slices (oven), Seared (pan with butter) or Smoked.

Hake

Two species of hake are caught in South African waters: shallow-water Cape hake Merluccius capensis and deep-water hake Merluccius paradoxus.

Our favourite way of cooking hake is pan-frying in shallow oil with butter and seasoning. Adding garlic is always an option!

Carpenter

Carpenter are slow-growing, long-lived, migratory, schooling fish and are part of the Red Snapper family.

Also known as Kapenaar, Doppies, Doppie, Silverfish, Silvervis and Miss Molly, they are endemic to our coastline and inhabit rocky reefs up to depths of 110m.

Carpenter is great for cooking whole on the braai. Butterfly the fish and brush the fleshy side with garlic butter. Marinate for 30 min, then cook over medium coals for 10-15 min.

Also suitable for panfrying, or in the oven at 180°C for 15-20 minutes.

Baramundi

Barramundi or Australian Seabass is caught in Australian waters and imported to SA.

It has a mild, silky, buttery rich flavor. Its white, flaky flesh is packed with Omega-3s that help to maintain a healthy body.
The flavour and texture are similar to Snapper and Sole.

COOKING SUGGESTIONS:

1. Steam with lime & ginger
2. Pan roast
3. Oven bake with butter and fish spice

Serve with a lemon butter sauce and garnish with fresh basil.

Santer

Santer are long-lived fish that frequent rocky reefs as adults and prefer to inhabit sheltered estuaries as juveniles.

They are predators that hunt smaller fish, crustaceans and squid.

Santer are found along South Africa’s eastern and southern Cape coast.

COOKING SUGGESTIONS:

Santer are perfect for cooking whole on a braai grid. Make 2 incisions on each side and fill them with lemon and garlic. Season the skin with salt and black pepper. Brush on olive oil and braai each side for 5 minutes.

Also suitable for panfrying, or in the oven at 180°C for 15-20 minutes.