Description

Butterfish are found all along the New Zealand coast where they feed on kelp beds over shallow rocky outcrops, because of this they are not often seen in waters deeper than 15 metres.

Also called greenbone, because their bones have a greenish tinge, they should not be confused with the warehou family that is often called butterfish in Japanese cuisine.
Even though they are found throughout New Zealand, butterfish’s main fishery is centred on the Cook Strait, between Tasman Bay, Castlepoint and Kaikoura, and along the East Cape. There is a smaller fishery located around Stewart Island.

The colour of this inshore fish varies depending on the sex and age. Young fish are a golden-bronze, adults are brown to olive green, whilst the largest fish is a dark blue-black.

They are a good source of vitamin B and omega 3, and like all seafood is a great source of protein.

Cooking
Butterfish has a clean and delicate flavour, with a translucent flesh, which is tender and moist once cooked, which is where they get their “butteriness” they are named after.

Their flesh flakes beautifully, making it perfect in a fresh summer salad or with pasta.

To check that the fish is fresh, make sure it has rosy pink pastel coloured gills, bright and clear corneas and the skin has a luminous sheen. When buying butterfish check the flesh is semi-transparent and glossy, if it isn’t, or the fish looks sticky or mushy, then it is not fresh.