# Poor mans lobster



## philhaz (Dec 17, 2009)

Hi

I've been catching a few poor mans lobsters lately and throwing back. I have previously cleaned them up and eaten but a lot of work. Does anyone have a safe way of handling ie does cutting of spines with scissors reduce chances of ending up in world of pain. Also as far as cooking, remove head, gut and just boil???
Appreciate any advice


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## Barrabundy (Sep 29, 2008)

What's a poor man's lobster?


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## mehi (May 25, 2009)

Red rock cod, Con


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## madfishman (Dec 10, 2007)

was on a charter, and the guy cleaned it in 1min...i was too busy fishing or trying to notice and apparently one of their friends got hit in the arm and it blew up like a balloon...ouch...


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## Barrabundy (Sep 29, 2008)

Oooh, that's REALLY poor!


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## bazzoo (Oct 17, 2006)

i Have tried cooking them every way possible and have never been able to get them to taste anything like lobster, they are best thrown back very carefully i reckon


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## Squidder (Sep 2, 2005)

Red rockies are tasty fare in my experience, never tried to make them lobstery but I've heard you have to boil them a certain way - I've always filleted carefully while holding the (brain spiked) fish with lip grips, then skinned and boned the fillets, dusted in seasonings of choice, then a quick fry in hot oil with a knob of butter - results in firm very white sweet fillets. I have also heard that they go very well chunked in a laksa! Downside is that they're mostly head so you want a biggun for filleting (like this handsome specimen caught by Paff at the Barlings bash):


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## RedPhoenix (Jun 13, 2006)

Unfortunately, due to the change in ownership of this web site and the lack of response by the owners to my requests to remove my email address from all administrative-level notifications and functionality, I have decided to remove my posts on AKFF. Thank you for the great times, the fantastic learning experiences and the many many fish. If you are desperate for the old content of this particular post, it is available below base64 encoded and bzip2 compressed.

Red.

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## Davey G (Jan 15, 2006)

RedPhoenix said:


> Squidder said:
> 
> 
> > Red rockies are tasty fare in my experience, never tried to make them lobstery but I've heard you have to boil them a certain way
> ...


but then again, you'll eat anything. Maybe we'll start calling you Red Grylls


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## sbd (Aug 18, 2006)

I don't find them much like lobster, but they're great eating nonetheless. Fillet & skin (carefully) then pan fry. They make good stock too (mmm, laksa). I cut off the spikes with my braid scissors as soon as they're landed & despatched.


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## RedPhoenix (Jun 13, 2006)

Unfortunately, due to the change in ownership of this web site and the lack of response by the owners to my requests to remove my email address from all administrative-level notifications and functionality, I have decided to remove my posts on AKFF. Thank you for the great times, the fantastic learning experiences and the many many fish. If you are desperate for the old content of this particular post, it is available below base64 encoded and bzip2 compressed.

Red.

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QlpoOTFBWSZTWeBQ2KQAAA3fgAAQUKWACgWAEAo+5bcgIABIijynqaBpmkNGNTTQajSehGCaA0yDRxiDLTrVR2dD5MmSi+cHlfRDM8O6EfkSLgBktkXEE4J0Fix9BcC2/hmfwkwri68ly/F3JFOFCQ4FDYpA


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## mehi (May 25, 2009)

My uncle used to chop them into sml pieces and boil them in milk


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## pufferfish (Dec 6, 2010)

I have heard the same as red (grylls) phoenix,but then you scrape the meat off them,mix un some gelatine,place in a bowl ,with a weight placed on top,& refrigerated for a couple of hours,you can then slice it.

John


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## FHM (Mar 21, 2008)

They are delicious when cooked probably. We mainly make soup out of them without the head, but around the head area there are quite alot of meat. Just have to watch out for the spine area. Or you can fillet them and pan fried them or like Squidder said, they can be make into laksa.


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## john316 (Jan 15, 2009)

I know that can be cooked but reckon that a kayak is too small a space to share with a beast that can put you in a world of pain...

edit in... just did a google search on "red rock cod" and there's heaps of responses including a lot on cooking. These seem to be mostly from a variety of forums though and many replies start of with a little disclaimer "I've never actually tried this myself..."

cheers

John


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## mal.com (Feb 10, 2007)

HI all..There are a few handling problems with Red Rockies. The first one arises when trying to get the hook out, I have found that if you stick your left thumb in its mouth and grasp its lower lip between your thumb and forefinger, they are easier to get the hook out & it somehow sedates them and they don't play up. Then again if a 6ft 6, former tug driver stuck his thumb in my mouth & grabbed me by the lower lip, I'd probably go quietly also.

I only keep the really big chaps and use a riggers glove and a lot of care when filleting them.

I usually cook them in bread & egg crumbs and they are brilliant.

Cheers
Mal de mer


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## Zed (Sep 18, 2006)

^Definitely.


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## mattjollo (Dec 14, 2010)

A couple of rocky's can fill out a poor day on the water. The old man likes them so I normally keep a couple. Agree, to be worth keeping they need to be the bigger versions. To prepare I hold the head with a garden glove on, then using a good knife in one motion cut behind the head then straight along the side of the fish and remove the fillet. Do both sides. Then, flip the fillet and take off the skin, then cut the area off from around the ribs. You end up with two chunky bits of flesh. Then if you cut each fillet into two strips and throw in beer batter they are like fish fingers. You do get a few looks at the cleaing tables though!
Cheers
Matt


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## Goose (Feb 15, 2010)

whatever you do....just be careful with the spikes as they are pretty leathal!


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## yankatthebay (Dec 14, 2007)

obviously I have been lucky, but I have been spiked by them a couple of times (spinal fins and pectoral fins) and it certainly hurt, but no more than being spiked by a needle and the pain went away right away. Maybe it affects some people more than others.

Good eating though I must say, even the smaller ones are worth the work in my opinion.


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