Whole Golden Yellow Croaker
A small, round-bodied fish with a gilded flank that catches the light, cleaned and laid whole on ice within hours of the net coming aboard.
What It Is
A whole marine fish of the croaker family, sold round rather than filleted: head, tail and backbone intact, the belly opened and cleaned. The skin carries the metallic gold sheen the fish is named for, and the flesh beneath it is white, fine-grained and built in loose flakes that separate cleanly with a fork.
Where It Comes From
Taken from coastal grounds in the East China Sea on day boats, then gutted and blast-frozen at the shore plant the same day, so the fish never sits in a hold before it is frozen.
Specifications
| Pack size | 2 kg, vacuum-sealed |
| Form | Whole, cleaned, head and tail on |
| Skin | Glossy, metallic gold to silver |
| Flesh | White, flaky, few fine bones |
| State | Raw, frozen |
| Grade | A |
State on Arrival
Arrives frozen hard with gel ice in an insulated box. The pack should feel like a brick; if it has softened in transit, cook the fish the same day instead of putting it back in the freezer.
Storage & Thawing
- Keep at -18 °C or colder, in the sealed pack.
- Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, still in the pack, on a plate.
- For a faster thaw, stand the sealed pack in cold water for 40–60 minutes.
- Pat the skin and cavity dry before cooking — a wet fish will not brown.
- Do not refreeze once fully thawed.
Shelf Life & Delivery
Best within 9 months of the production date at -18 °C; cook within 2 days of thawing. Shipped frozen in an insulated box with gel ice and delivered on a cold-chain service — move it straight to the freezer on arrival and check the pack is still firm.
How to Cook It
- ('Steam: score the flanks, tuck ginger and spring onion into the cavity, steam 8–10 minutes, then dress with hot soy and oil.', 'Pan-fry: dry the skin, fry in a little oil over medium heat until both sides are crisp and gold, 4–5 minutes a side.', 'Braise: sear first, then simmer in soy, ginger, garlic and a little sugar for 10 minutes until the sauce coats the fish.', 'Deep-fry: dust lightly with cornflour and fry at 180 °C for 4–5 minutes until the skin blisters.')
Allergens
Contains fish. Packed in a facility that also handles crustaceans and molluscs.