How many times have you thought to make a variety of delicious platters with a Porgy (or Scup) but have backtracked due to not knowing the art of preparing the fillet from the fish? It is time to make some delicious cuisine at home, and many are doing the same. Enjoy cooking porgy fillets at home. However, in the beginning, one should master the art of getting the fillets out of the delicious porgy fish and then experiment with their culinary expertise.
Porgy is more or less a small fish that grows to the size of our palm when we spread our fingers. It is one of the most delicious fish that can be baked, broiled, grilled, or even poached. One can make a variety of dishes with this sweet fish. Almost all love them, and some people also consider with at par with the famous bluefish. With lots of scales and bones, porgy fish is flat in shape and a bit challenging to make the fillets unless one masters the art. Let us first discuss the process of cleaning and preparing the fillets. At the end, we will highlight some of our favorite Porgy recipes.
How to Clean & Fillet a Porgy (Scup)
After getting the fresh porgy fish from the market or catching them while you are camping, put the fish on a flat surface like a table or a cutting board. Now, take your fillet knife and make sure it is sharp. Be careful as the fillet knives are extremely thin and sharp at the edges; otherwise, you may cut your hand. The blade of the knives for making fillets from Porgy must be thin so that one can get the maximum meat from this small sumptuous fish, and there is no wastage as you de-skin and debone it.
Lay the fish sideways on the table or the cutting board. Here is no need to remove the scale or the head. Now take the knife, hold it properly, and start cutting just beneath the gill. Remember that to get the largest fillets, and one should begin to cut from the gill and move till the pectoral fin. Then insert the knife again, slide it downwards, hold the side firmly with your other hand, and cut down until you almost reach t the end of the vertebra and at the start of the caudal fin ray. You will get one part of the fish with the skin and the scale.
Now turn the fish on the other side and follow the same process. Wash the knife and the fish with water after discarding the head and the tail and the ribcage. You will get the meat with the skin and the scales attached to one side of each portion.
Again take a thin-bladed sharp knife and slice it between the skin and the meat holding the rear end around the tail with the other hand. Run the knife upwards, cutting against the skin. Move the blade in and angled direction until the entire meat is separated from the skin. You get one part of the fillet.
Follow the same process with the other half. Discard the skin and wash the fillets. Pat them dry. Now, you get lovely fillets of the porgy fish which are ready to be cooked in a different style.
Things to Remember while Preparing Porgy Fillets
- The knife that you intend to use should be sharp at the edges, and the blade should be thin. Find the best fillet knife to cut a porgy here
- You should use a sturdy table to lay the fish on sideways. An unbalanced table can cause accidents while making the fillets
- Hold the fish tightly with one hand on the surface as you try to get the meat along with the skin and the scales
- Hold tightly near the tail with one hand while de-skinning the Porgy, else if it slips, chances are there that you may cut your hand with the knife
- Always try to run the knife opposite the other hand and not towards it. That way, you can save your other hand from unwanted cuts even if the fish or the knife slips from your grip
Following the above process and the tips and tricks, you can prepare Porgy fillets at home or while camping out with family and friends. However, nothing is complete if you do not master some of the lip-smacking recipes that can give absolute pleasure to the taste buds. There are a variety of recipes, and they are quite easy to make. Let us discuss some of them so that you can surprise your loved ones or the guests with the preparations.
Best Porgy (Scup) Cooking Recipes
- Baked Porgy Fish with Parmesan Cheese
This preparation is perfect side dish during the meals or when you are chilling out with the drinks. It can be served in combination with roasted potato, finger chips, with a blend of tartar sauce or any other of your choice. The ingredients needed are simple and readily available.
All you need is ¼ cup milk, breadcrumbs ½ cup, ½ teaspoonful of Paprika, Grated Parmesan Cheese, Salt to taste, and the Porgy fillets.
After everything is ready at hand, preheat the oven to reach 375 degrees. Grease the baking pan evenly with oil. Take a bowl and add the milk and salt as per taste. In another bowl, mix the bread crumbs, the Parmesan Cheese that has already been grated, and the paprika. Now take one fillet and dip into the milk mix. Take it out and put it in the other bowl that has the bread crumb mix. The crumb mix will attach to the fillet. Make sure that both sides of the fillet have a crumb layer on it. Take it out and put on the baking tray. Continue the same process with other pieces of the fillets. Place all the fillets in the baking tray and add some melted butter on them.
Now put the tray inside the oven and cook for around 30 minutes. The time of cooking depends on the fillet thickness. At times take the tray out and pierce with a fork. It the fillets flake, the baking is complete. Take them out and garnish as desired with adding tartar or remoulade sauce and baked or fried potato, sliced onions, and serve hot. Enjoy this mouth-watering platter that is easy and fast to cook.
- Porgy Fish Chowder with Cream
It is another preparation that is loved by almost all foodies. It gives adequate calorie, carbohydrates, and protein to the body. All you need is chicken broth ½ cup, salt to taste, ground black pepper, sweet paprika ¼ cup 2 cup of potatoes that are peeled and diced making 1.5-inch dices. You also need 1 cup diced carrot, one onion that is finely chopped, butter two tablespoonfuls, and all-purpose flour two tablespoons. Also required is 2 cups of milk and for the garnish freshly chopped chives or parsley.
Take the Porgy fillets and cut them into small pieces. Take a saucepan; add the potatoes, carrots, and the seasonings. Add the chicken broth and cover and cook for about 8 to 10 minutes or till the vegetables become tender.
Now add the pieces of the Porgy fillets in the saucepan and cook for another 7 to 8 minutes. Take another pan, add some butter, and sauté the onions. Add the all-purpose flour and blend well. Now add the milk while continuously whisking. Whisk for some time while cooking till the mistier thickens a bit. Now, add this mixture to the other saucepan where the fillets and the vegetables have been boiled in the chicken broth.
Cook for another 5 to 10 minutes with frequent stirring. Take a bowl and pour all the cooked ingredients. Now garnish the preparation with freshly chopped chive or coriander. Your Creamy fish Chowder is ready. Serve hot to your loved ones, friends, and guests and get accolades for your preparation. All of you can enjoy this lovely dish that is quite easy to cook.
A porgy can also be prepared as a whole fish. For the best grilled whole Long Island Sound Porgy recipe, check out the Food Network.
Conclusion
It is not too difficult to make Porgy or Scup Fillets. If you have a proper knife, a good cutting board, and a sturdy table, you can easily make the fillets out of the one of the sweetest fish. Of course, it is helpful to practice filleting a few porgies in order to be an expert in making fillets, but if you follow the above steps correctly, you can be a master fillet cutter at home or in the camping circle. Again, try cooking any of the dishes mentioned above that require minimum ingredients and are readily available at home. You can also try your recipes and can create some of the most delicious fusion dishes with the Porgy fillets. Master Chefs are born this way. If you are a foodie and want to experiment with your preparations at home, then go ahead. You can always enjoy at home and enjoy some of the best dishes made from Porgy fillets. Nothing is impossible if you master the art of making Porgy fillets.
