What the heck is king Clip???

[Nauti Natured]

Bought some "fresh King Clip" from the old Harry Peter tonight. The butcher said it was "just like grouper". Nothing else in the shelf looked edible so I thought Id give it a try.

Well .... after the meal I would venture a guess that "fresh" meant that it is less than two weeks old and has spent, at most, the last three hours in a refrigerated climate. I should have known that, my wife being able to smell the fish as I prepared it, from two floors up, was a bad sign.

So ... what the heck is this mystery fish? I tried to search it on google and found some odd pics.

Any insight?

[Nauti Natured]

Oh ... by the way ... DONT BUY IT

[Deep C]

Well, I'm gonna be seeing some soon... South Atlantic Sludgemudgeon... Its a scrod type critter from the waters off Cape Point South Africa... Looks more like a ling than a cod but kind of in that family. True name is cusk...
They trawl em over there but even at that its not a top shelf highy sought after species... In close to shore the juveniles "klippies" give the locals something to catch without too much hassle... Not bad eating not great though either.

[Ace1st]

For a moment there I thought you were talkin about the Barber Shop on MArtin Luther KIng Blvd. High and Tight is there Motto!

[merry marlin]

Got to smile when I saw your post Chris... Even in South Africa most folks don't have a clue what that fish looks like but the name sounds good and it's on the menu of all the restaurants serving fish.
I guess if we exported our grouper to S.A. once in a while it too would taste pretty fishy!!!
Unfortunately with all the closures happening here more and more of the fish markets will have old imported fish I guess....
MM

[BarryTurano]

In the northeast they are know as ling or red hake. You will find them in the markets as scrod. They are good eating as long as the fish is kept on ice after landing. They have what is know as a "hot stomach" and the meat will get mushy fast if not kept iced.

[Captain Fred Archer]

Barry,

If it's the same fish you are right...they are excellent, mild tasting fish, but for sure should be iced well. That also helps when cutting them because they are soft. Sweet, mild eating, though. We used to catch them along with whiting, which are one of the best smoked fish I've ever eaten.

"Ting-a-ling" was what we used to say when we caught one.

Memory Lane. Thanks!

[giantfan]

Also a great BFT bait

[BarryTurano]

I haven't seen a whiting in 20 years. Used to catch them by the tub way back when out of Sheepshead Bay in Brooklyn. They were great eating fish. Mild and flaky. I remember stories of whiting coming into the beach at Coney Island that people would walk into the water a few feet and kick them up onto the beach where they would be picket up and put in buckets. Sort of like the grunion runs on the west coast. From what I understand the whiting disappeared because of mid water trawlers. Memory Lane is right.
Actually thanks to Nauti for asking the question

Barry,

If it's the same fish you are right...they are excellent, mild tasting fish, but for sure should be iced well. That also helps when cutting them because they are soft. Sweet, mild eating, though. We used to catch them along with whiting, which are one of the best smoked fish I've ever eaten.

"Ting-a-ling" was what we used to say when we caught one.

Memory Lane. Thanks!

[HOLWACHAGOT]

King Clip perhaps?

King of the rednecks of Darfur....for sure.
HOLWACHAGOT