Often wrongly identified as hake, gemfish are good eating if looked after and treated with the same respect you would hapuku and the like. They have an oily flesh that makes them particularly good as fodder for the smoker. Some say smoked gemfish is as good as it gets.
It is also a good species for cooking in a number of conventional ways and can be fried, steamed, baked and barbecued. Gemfish’s strong flavour and firm texture makes it ideal for Asian and Mediterranean-style dishes as it can withstand strong, bold flavours.
It is filleted the same way you would a kingfish or a trumpeter. The stomach cavity contains an off-putting yellow, bile-like liquid, which it pays to keep away from the flesh.