Are bream overrated as table fish?

[armagh6]

Just wondering if anyone else shares this opinion? And conversely, I think tailor are under-rated. I've had both cooked the same way and found that the Tailor are a nicer tasting fish. The bream seem to have a strong fishy sea flavour and even muddy. Any thoughts anyone?

[FrgdEd]

Hi Arm,

Not sure i fully agree......but do understand as i have caught bream that tasted muddy.
I do enjoy tailor also...but must be fresh and bled.

Frg

[Peril]

Depends on where you catch them, or where they've been living. I've had some very sweet bream from the ocean or the lower parts of estuaries. From muddy areas they can definitely be unappealing.

[neilm]

I'll only eat bream caught in the ocean proper and they taste great. Never been tempted to try tailor although have heard that smoked they are good.
Cheers,
Neil

[JOC00L]

I'd prefer a flatty fillet over a bream any day! And yes, the bream will vary in flavour depending on where it is caught!

[xtosea]

I agree with Joe, i think Flathead are underrated, as for Bream, leave them for the bream fisho's:), i'd rather a Dolly or Jew anyday. But Flathead are very good table fare. Tailor if looked after properly and eaten that night, are tops.

[Boiler]

Give me a good flatty anyday.

Oh by the way i think the morwong is a nice feed too.

Cant comment on jewies though, they seem to a myth to my boat & fishing trips....LoL>>>>>but they are a great looking fish, even the 35cm ones :p

[JEWEL]

Dont bother freezing tailor they get very mushy.

Find yourselves a recipe for Cajun Blackend fish (if you like spicey!) Fresh bled tailor is nothing short of sensational done like this.

[bluecod]

Caught in the lower estuaries/surf and eaten fresh, I would rate bream "as one of" the best eating fish going. Flathead and whiting are also way up there either BBQ'd or panfried, but I find snapper disappointing.

Fresh steamed bream with fresh ginger, garlic, shallots and chilli seared into the flesh with boiling oil poured over it and a light soy sauce baste is a meal that is almost impossible to pass up.

[Chris]

George can you write the ingredients and method for that and email it to me or better still come around and show me how to do it??

[bluecod]

Here you go Chris!

Steam the bream for 20 to 30 minutes [depending on size] and place in a shallow ovenproof dish.

break the skin on the topside in about four places and pour about 1/2 cup of light soy [for fish] over it

place finely chopped garlic, ginger and shallots over the fish.

heat about 1/2 cup good quality veg oil in saucepan until it is smoking then pour over the vegetables on the fish. the hot oil sears the flavours of the ginger, garlic and shallots into the fish and the soy provides a sweetness to it.

[Row]

As you can see it's really a matter of tase, I like bream, but the flavour is very strong and can vary depending on where they lived before being caught, some peolpe can't handle the strong fishy taste, Tailor are good eating, but must be bled on capture and eaten fresh, I think grilled is best as it removes some of the moisture, but I smoke tailor mostly.
Jew (mulloway) is good but the bigger the better, I think the smaller ones are too mushy (hence the name soapy jew). But you can't go past fresh flathead or snapper.

[Bashir]

a 35cm bream caught from the ocean rocks is about 10 times better than one from an estuary. But either way bream are overrated no matter which way you look at it, from their 'sportfish' profile to their eating qualities.

[Row]

for people who live in areas such as I do (port stephens), it is not very often that <16' boat will get you out of the heads, for these fishers bream is the best fun on light gear around the estuary, and, as we know, more blokes fish for fun rather than catch, I love nothing better (when I can't get outside) than fishing with a baitcaster with 4lb braid for bream, if you hook up a good size bream on light gear then fun is the result. And, if I win the battle, the fish will (most times) be let go to fight another day.