Porgy has white, tender meat with a large flake and mild, sweet flavor. It has been compared to snapper in taste and texture.  This recipe will work with porgy fillets as well using the pan-frying method, but fillets should be cooked skin-side down only and cooking time will only be 2-3 minutes until the flesh is opaque.

Ingredients

Filleted porgy (scup) (approx 1 lb)

1 tablespoon ginger, minced

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

½ cup soy sauce

1 ½ cups water

½ cup chopped cilantro

½ cup chopped scallions

1 teaspoon rice vinegar

Preparation

1. The fish should be cleaned and scaled, leaving on head and tails if desired.

2. Put a large, deep skillet over medium heat.

3. Add 2 tablespoons vegetable oil and 1 tablespoon minced ginger; cook until sizzling.

4. Add fish, ½ cup soy sauce, 1½ cups water, ½ cup chopped scallions, ½ cup chopped cilantro and a teaspoon rice vinegar.

5. Boil, cover and turn off heat.

6. Fish will be done in about 10 minutes, do not take the top off beforehand as heat will be lost. Garnish: Chopped scallions.

Baking the black sea bass in salt produces a deliciously moist fish with a subtly salty flavor.  In addition, presenting a salt-baked whole fish at the table creates a stunning presentation, even though it’s an incredibly easy preparation.

Ingredients

2-pound sea bass, cleaned, leaving head and tail intact
2 tablespoons plus 1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon, crumbled
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 lemon
3 1/2 cups coarse salt (about 1 1/4 pounds)
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup warm water plus additional if necessary

Accompaniment: lemon wedges

Preparation

1. Rinse sea bass under cold water and pat dry inside and out. Sprinkle cavity of bass with 1/2 teaspoon tarragon and pepper.

2. With a sharp knife trim ends of lemon to expose flesh and, standing lemon on one end, cut from top to bottom to remove peel and pitch. Cut lemon crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices and arrange in cavity.

3. Preheat oven to 450°F. and lightly oil a baking pan.

4. In a bowl, whisk together remaining 2 tablespoons tarragon, coarse salt, and flour. Stir in 1 cup warm water plus additional as necessary to form a slightly stiff paste (paste should resemble wet sand).

5. Arrange bass in oiled pan. Coat top of bass completely with half of salt mixture, patting it on, and turn bass over. Coat other side in same manner (bass should be completely covered).

6. Bake bass in middle of oven 30 minutes. Crack salt crust with a sharp knife or hammer and remove top crust, discarding it. To serve, lift bass in pieces off bones and discard bones. Lift out remaining bass. Serve bass with lemon wedges.

Swordfish has a relatively high oil content and a firm, meaty texture that lends well to high heat preparations such as grilling and stronger flavors, such as the ones featured in this flavored butter.

Ingredients

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, room temperature

2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 teaspoon ground mixed peppercorns, plus more for sprinkling

1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel, tightly packed

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 1-inch-thick swordfish fillets (about 6 ounces each)

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.

2. Mash butter, parsley, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon ground mixed peppercorns, and lemon peel in small bowl. Season to taste with salt.

3. Heat oil in heavy large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle swordfish with salt and ground mixed peppercorns.

4. Add swordfish to skillet. Cook until browned, about 3 minutes. Turn swordfish over and transfer to oven. Roast until just cooked through, about 10 minutes longer. Transfer swordfish to plates.

5. Add seasoned butter to same skillet. Cook over medium-high heat, scraping up browned bits, until melted and bubbling. Pour butter sauce over swordfish and serve.

This tomato and fennel soup base works well with almost any combination of white-fleshed fish and shellfish. Also, you can substitute water or chicken stock for a more lightly flavored stew. But this would be a great opportunity to make your own seafood stock from discarded fish bones and shellfish shells.

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless golden tilefish fillets, cut into chunks

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup chopped onion

1 fennel bulb, stalks trimmed, core removed and thinly sliced

1 bay leaf

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 lemon, thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic, grated on a rasp or minced

2 tablespoons tomato paste

4 Roma tomatoes, sliced 1/4-inch thick

2 cups dry white wine

2 cups fish stock

Flat leaf parsley, chopped for garnish

Preparation

1. In a stock pot over medium heat, add the olive oil, onions, fennel, bay leaf and season with a pinch of salt and a grind or two of pepper. Cook, stirring, until both the fennel and the onions are very tender, but not browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Be careful to not break up the bay leaf during this process as you will want to be able to fish it out later!

2. Add the lemon slices, garlic, and tomato paste stirring to combine. Cook until the tomato paste turns a deep reddish brown, then add the tomato slices and season with another pinch of salt. Allow to sit and bubble a bit, then stir, repeating until the tomatoes are completely broken down and some moisture has evaporated from the pot, about 10 minutes.

3. Add the wine and scrape up any bits on the bottom of the pan and bring to a simmer. Simmer uncovered until most of the wine has evaporated, about 10 minutes.

4. Add the fish stock, raise to a simmer and nuzzle the fish into the pot, and simmer until fish is cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes. Serve warm with a sprinkle of chopped parsley.