The King George Whiting
Found in the inter-tidal sea-grass areas surrounding the South Coast of Australia the King George Whiting is a prolific breeding fish with a short life cycle.
Caught mainly via hook and line or small seine netting operations by dedicated lone fisherman. The King George Whiting lives in the semi-sheltered estuaries around Streaky Bay, Coffin Bay, Ceduna, Port Lincoln and up the east coast to Cowell.
Renowned to be a prize catch for chefs that know and understand its culinary capabilities.
Photo: Shutterstock
Distinguishable from other Australian whiting, thanks to its unique bronze spots, dusky yellow markings and highly elongated shape.
The King George Whiting normally spawns from April to June offshore with the tidal currents carrying fertilised eggs and larvae into the sheltered bays. As the warmth of summer takes hold the King George Whiting grows rapidly and come winter, can reach up to 2kg and sometimes a bit larger in summer.
Photo: http://kaydofishingworld.com
A single fisherman takes a small boat through semi-sheltered estuaries around Streaky Bay, Coffin Bay, Ceduna, Port Lincoln and up the East coast to Cowell looking for the right mix of sand and seaweed- where the fish congregate.
The King George Whiting is a benthic carnivore that congregate in shallow waters feeding on tapeworms, weeds, crustaceans, worms, molluscs and fish.
The lone fisherman drops anchor with line and hook or carries out drift fishing using burly and a small whiting hook. Once caught, the King George Whiting is placed directly into a slurry in a plastic esky, increasing shelf life and maintaining flavour and texture.
Available all year round, although the best King George Whiting are caught during winter- June to September. With low oil content the King George Whiting is high in moisture when raw, but retains this moisture when cooked. Being especially prized for it's sweet, delicate flavour and soft, tight grained texture- revered by chefs and consumers alike.
The ultimate experience is fresh whiting. In particular the clean, fresh iodine zing it is renowned for. The King George Whiting is a unique Australian fish experience. It's incredibly sweet flavour and firm, moist flesh give it Dover Sole characteristics.The archetypical battered and deep-fried King George Whiting is arguably one of the great seafood experienced from the Eyre Peninsula.
Photo: http://streakybay.com.au/
Information: The SEAFOOD of the Eyre Peninsula- Australia's Seafood Frontier Book
http://seafoodfrontier.com.au/fresh-premium-seafood/
