How to properly prepare the immortal porgy....

[Pokerman1]

Porgy.... my favorite fish...here's how to do it.

To begin with, fileting a porgy is a crime.... now, on to the recipe.

Only way to prepare Porgy is grilled....

Bleed as soon as you catch it. Better yet, take the gills and guts out ASAP and put on ice. Scale, dry, and keep out of fridge or cooler for about 1.5 hours.

Then, get a really hot olive-oil rubbed grill going. oil on both sides of the fish, put a sprig of rosemary, crushed garlic clove, and piece of lemon in the cavity.

Grill on one side on a very hot grill (425 or so), for about 5-8 minutes or until it comes off the grill easily (the key is get the fish at room temperature ahead of time- this prevents steam and sticking). Use a fork/tong in each hand method (a nice long-handled fork really helps to get the porgy off the grill with the skin on). You want a nice char (of course). Then, turn and do the other side for another 3-4 minutes or so.

Take off the grill and let fish rest (like a steak) for several minutes. Then, enjoy. Once you figure out the bone pattern, bones are not an issue. The dark meat around the collar is the best...

If this is not close to the top of your fish-eating list, you're not doing it right. :)

Best,

Joe

[Jigman13]

I do something similar with my porgies. Three things I do differently:

1.) After cleaning/gutting/scaling, I'll let them chill on ice in a cooler in the fridge in a ziploc for at least 24 hours.

2.) I score the skin on both sides and brine in salted ice water (bottled), fresh lemon juice, herbs and some white wine for about 10 to 15 minutes.

3.) Before grilling in a fish basket, i pat dry inside and out, rub with olive oil and season with salt and pepper inside and out, lemon and herbs into the body cavity.

No one in my house will touch it which means more for me lol...

[porgylber]

Great recipes guys. I love porgy, both grilled and fried.
For fried, I follow the same principles as in the grilled recipes.
Scale and gut the fish. Leave the head on. Gills out. Score the skin on both sides.
Prepare a mixture of flour and corn meal. Add kosher salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder, a pinch of cayenne.
Get the veggie oil super hot. Fry ‘em up…and enjoy.

The worst part of the whole thing is scaling a porgy. Freaking scales everywhere.

Anyone with suggestions for an easy, cleaner scaling option? It would be much appreciated.

[Pokerman1]

Porgylber,

Try Big Norm's Magic Fish Scaler. It looks like a toy, and I was skeptical at first. Around $10.00 on amazon/ebay.

You won't regret it. It is excellent for scaling porgies, and the scales do not fly around.

Joe

[Jigman13]

The worst part of the whole thing is scaling a porgy. Freaking scales everywhere.

Anyone with suggestions for an easy, cleaner scaling option? It would be much appreciated.

I walk over to my neighbors front lawn and scale them over there using a big metal spoon. They fly all over the place but, hey, its not my lawn LOL... jk... but a metal tablespoon does work pretty well for larger scaled fish.

[frugalfisherman]

fillet, skin on and smoke.

[bulletbob]

There are some guys that love them, some that won't go near them, and guys like me that are kind of "meh"... The really small sand porgies [before size limits] were less strong and I liked them more than the larger ones we catch on head boats... I dunno, they have a LOT of dark meat, and are just much stronger and "fishier" than most other species that live in the same places, and eat the same food as the Porgy... Given a choice between a 1 pound Blue, and a 1 pound Scup, I would rather eat the Blue.
Porgies are actually pretty firm, but I dunno to a lot of us they are just strong tasting, and get stronger each day when refrigerated for a few days...
I keep them and eat some, but often give some away on the boat, and certainly give some away at home... They are ok, but not close to Tog, Sea Bass, Ling, Flatties, etc etc... About the same "edibility"level as a sea robin[meh]. bob

[reason162]

I do something similar with my porgies. Three things I do differently:

1.) After cleaning/gutting/scaling, I'll let them chill on ice in a cooler in the fridge in a ziploc for at least 24 hours.

2.) I score the skin on both sides and brine in salted ice water (bottled), fresh lemon juice, herbs and some white wine for about 10 to 15 minutes.

3.) Before grilling in a fish basket, i pat dry inside and out, rub with olive oil and season with salt and pepper inside and out, lemon and herbs into the body cavity.

No one in my house will touch it which means more for me lol...

They really are made for the grill.

I like to salt them down overnight, packed in plenty of paper towels - the meat will be well seasoned and firm up nicely.

https://youtu.be/bnHA5OQtHQc

[acabtp]

How do you get the immortal ones to hold still long enough to scale/grill them??? :p

[dales529]

How do you get the immortal ones to hold still long enough to scale/grill them??? :p

Now thats funny!!

[Capt Sal]

There are some guys that love them, some that won't go near them, and guys like me that are kind of "meh"... The really small sand porgies [before size limits] were less strong and I liked them more than the larger ones we catch on head boats... I dunno, they have a LOT of dark meat, and are just much stronger and "fishier" than most other species that live in the same places, and eat the same food as the Porgy... Given a choice between a 1 pound Blue, and a 1 pound Scup, I would rather eat the Blue.
Porgies are actually pretty firm, but I dunno to a lot of us they are just strong tasting, and get stronger each day when refrigerated for a few days...
I keep them and eat some, but often give some away on the boat, and certainly give some away at home... They are ok, but not close to Tog, Sea Bass, Ling, Flatties, etc etc... About the same "edibility"level as a sea robin[meh]. bob

Another great post by the famous "BULLET" denouncing every fish that swims in NJ.!! Get a life!!

[Capt Sal]

When i grew up in the fifties and sixties and fished with my grand father and father it was strictly for the table. Numero uno were porgies. Second were whiting. Third were ling and so on. I still eat porgies and they are fun to catch and great for kids and novice anglers. I fillet mine. They are great in the smoker also . Appreciate what we have. Why do yo think they used to run porgie specials in Montauk because they taste like Sh---t ?

[Duffman]

When i grew up in the fifties and sixties and fished with my grand father and father it was strictly for the table. Numero uno were porgies. Second were whiting. Third were ling and so on. I still eat porgies and they are fun to catch and great for kids and novice anglers. I fillet mine. They are great in the smoker also . Appreciate what we have. Why do yo think they used to run porgie specials in Montauk because they taste like Sh---t ?

It honestly bothers you that some people don’t find certain fish tasty?

[bulletbob]

Another great post by the famous "BULLET" denouncing every fish that swims in NJ.!! Get a life!!

You have a real problem sir... You are argumentative and rude, and your reading comprehension is questionable at best.. I never "denounced' porgies nor weakfish a week or so ago.. Merely stated the FACT that they are strong tasting to many of us, and over many many decades of fishing I have seen a lot of them given away by fine anglers that don't care to eat them, but will eat other bottom feeders...

I also stated that I do keep some, while not crazy about them, I do eat them, but they are not a favorite.. Many other knowledgeble fishermen feel the same.. I fish for them, enjoy them as a wonderful game fish, but like many other fresh and salt water fish, there are better eating fish out there in my humble opinion .. There is a reason sea bass and flatfish and cost 5 times what porgies cost.

Most people simply don't like them as much.. Thats just a fact.

However, facts really have never seemed to matter much to you... You just like to argue for the sake of arguing.. bob

[dales529]

It honestly bothers you that some people don’t find certain fish tasty?

LOL

[Pennsy Guy]

LOL

^^^^

[Capt Sal]

It honestly bothers you that some people don’t find certain fish tasty?

No it bothers me that people run boats for a living and sponsor this site. He might convince people not to fish for them because they taste bad in his opinion. He should post something positive or nothing at all. Why do you think the the charter and party boat Capts. Do not respond to these Posts ?? Because they do not not want to be involved in something that might cost them customers ! I don't care and i am retired and i know i am out spoken. What you see is what you get. Do you fish for and eat porgies? Do you bring the kids out for a fun day on the water? Do you catch blues for fun? Do you eat any or release them all ? Do you smoke Fish? Do you you think NJ has opportunity and multiple species of fish for every different type of angler? Do you release all of your Stripers? I only kept a couple each year for the farmer who let me hunt his land. All good catch catch my drift ? We have a great fishery in NJ and enough negativity in this world !!! A MEN !

[Detour66]

I caught a bunch of large Porgy's last week and fillet them and cut out the dark meat and breaded and deep fried them and they where rather tasty. I would also like to cook them whole on a grill. I think they are underrated as table fair!

[bulletbob]

No it bothers me that people run boats for a living and sponsor this site. He might convince people not to fish for them because they taste bad in his opinion. He should post something positive or nothing at all. Why do you think the the charter and party boat Capts. Do not respond to these Posts ?? Because they do not not want to be involved in something that might cost them customers ! I don't care and i am retired and i know i am out spoken. What you see is what you get. Do you fish for and eat porgies? Do you bring the kids out for a fun day on the water? Do you catch blues for fun? Do you eat any or release them all ? Do you smoke Fish? Do you you think NJ has opportunity and multiple species of fish for every different type of angler? Do you release all of your Stripers? I only kept a couple each year for the farmer who let me hunt his land. All good catch catch my drift ? We have a great fishery in NJ and enough negativity in this world !!! A MEN !

NJ is a great fishery. Never said it wasn't.. When I can, I too patronize party boats, and enjoy fishing on them, and greatly appreciate how hard the captains and crews work to get some fish for their clients... That being said, there ARE some fish that are better eating than others.. WHY is that such a problem for you?..
If some guys love Porgies, or Sea Robins, or False Albacore, or Chum Mackerel, who CARES if someone else isn't crazy about them???.. thats what makes the world go around.. Differing opinions are a good thing, and are certainly not negative... Like Porgies?.. Great catch and eat all you can find... Some guys will enjoy their day on the party boat, keep a few, give some away, and be happy with that. It simply does NOT affect you in any way.

[Duffman]

No it bothers me that people run boats for a living and sponsor this site.

It bothers you that people run boats for a living and sponsor this site ???? Huh?

[reason162]

He might convince people not to fish for them because they taste bad in his opinion. He should post something positive or nothing at all.

So you think njfishing is and should be just a mouthpiece of the charter/party boat fleet, and that Bob shouldn't broadcast that he possess a more - ahem - sophisticated palate than most?

Lmfao. Chemtrail Bob vs Grumpy Sal - normally a wash for me but in this case you are being a bigger clown than usual.

[bulletbob]

So you think njfishing is and should be just a mouthpiece of the charter/party boat fleet, and that Bob shouldn't broadcast that he possess a more - ahem - sophisticated palate than most?

Lmfao. Chemtrail Bob vs Grumpy Sal - normally a wash for me but in this case you are being a bigger clown than usual.

"Sophisticated palate".. Well, I DO like Aldi's Spaghetti and Meatballs in a can[$.67!], so there's that.
Just think there are better tasting fish than scup is all,, they are not bad, just that some others are better.. Not sure why that humble observation caused such a shit storm..
As to this section being a forum exclusively for party boat reports, its not and never was, although they of course are a substantial,neccessary and well appreciated part of it, and I realize they help pay the bills here, and many of us don't.

NJFishing.com Salt Water Fishing
Use this board to post all general salt water fishing information.


Says so right at the top of the page, and I have seen Gerry mention as much in other similar discussions over the years that turned into pissing contests as this one has.

[Capt Sal]

So you think njfishing is and should be just a mouthpiece of the charter/party boat fleet, and that Bob shouldn't broadcast that he possess a more - ahem - sophisticated palate than most?

Lmfao. Chemtrail Bob vs Grumpy Sal - normally a wash for me but in this case you are being a bigger clown than usual.

Never said that Pb and Charter sponsor the site not you. NOW i can't post what i want to say. But use your imagination .

[reason162]

Never said that Pb and Charter sponsor the site not you. NOW i can't post what i want to say. But use your imagination .

Yeah and without regular members contributing and viewing these forums PB and charters will be posting into the void. We're all content creators here buddy, and Bob can say w/e tf he wants about porgy :)

[Capt Sal]

Yeah and without regular members contributing and viewing these forums PB and charters will be posting into the void. We're all content creators here buddy, and Bob can say w/e tf he wants about porgy :)

You contribute nothing! Post one thing you have done to better this site or fishing in . Yeah Bob can post whatever he wants. I wasted enough time on you. You are not worth it.. Please do not respond.

[dales529]

You contribute nothing! Post one thing you have done to better this site or fishing in . Yeah Bob can post whatever he wants. I wasted enough time on you. You are not worth it.. Please do not respond.

Capt Sal
I beg to differ here. Reason162 has posted many informative posts on all types of fishing and regulations. Go easy, life is short just saying!

[spc06]

They really are made for the grill.

I like to salt them down overnight, packed in plenty of paper towels - the meat will be well seasoned and firm up nicely.

https://youtu.be/bnHA5OQtHQc

Great, now I'm hungry! That salsa thing that he made looked intense! Never had a porgy, now I want to go on a boat and catch a few.

-Scott