One of the things we try to do at the Delcambre Seafood & Farmers Market is educate customers (who are not fishermen) on the different species of fish available to eat, encouraging them to try something new. At the top of the list of those little-known and misunderstood fish are porgy and sheepshead.
Porgy (not to be confused with pogie) is one of the oldest fisheries in the country, dating back to colonial times when they fed many American settlers.
These saltwater panfish are flat with deep bodies and a spiny dorsal fin. Their coloring spans from reddish on top and silvery-white on the bottom with blue spots and streaks in between. With bulging eyes, banded stripes that run across their body, a long angular forehead and a disproportionately small mouth, they could be a character in a children’s animated film.
However, their powerful jaws and strong set of teeth make it easy for them to crush their favorite hard-shelled foods like crabs, clams, mussels, snails and sea urchins, as well as worms and small fishes. In Louisiana porgy are found in waters 150 to 300 feet deep where they feed in schools around rocky ledges and reef-like habitats.
Also called scup, sea bream, ironsides, and maiden, they are more commonly referred to as white snapper along the Gulf Coast, even though they are not true snappers.
They typically weigh just three to four pounds and can measure up to 18 inches – though most will be around 6 inches long.
Considered a bycatch fish for decades, porgy has been used as a stand-in for red snapper by chefs in New Orleans. This is a meaty fish with delicate white flesh that’s just as delicious raw (as in ceviche) as it is cooked. With a slightly sweet, mild flavor, porgy is considered by many to be more delicious and tender than tilapia. It’s also a nice small size that’s perfect for cooking whole, which is arguably the best way to cook fish. Their thin, crunchy skin can also be eaten. Because they are less oily than many other seafoods, they bake to a deliciously crispy finish in just about 20 minutes at 400 degrees. They are ideal for sushi and ceviche. Whether enjoying them grilled, en papillote, baked or pan-fried (they make a great fish and chips) or even in a poké bowl, the world is your porgy!
Nutritional Value
Porgy is good eats for reasons other than its taste. The fish packs high amounts of niacin, phosphorus, vitamins B6 and B12 and selenium. It’s a lean fish low in sodium and a great source of low-fat protein. Though low in Omega3, porgy is one of the few fish with the lowest levels of mercury.
Porgies, and similar underappreciated fish, are so much on the radar of chefs for their taste and sustainability that one seafood market in New Orleans is named Porgy’s, in an effort to increase awareness of the fish and other lesser-known, lesser-coveted Gulf-caught fish.
Sheepshead
Another fish finally gaining recognition is sheepshead. Fortunately for us, Louisiana has big sheepshead and lots of them, spreading from salt water to slightly salty brackish waters, and marshes to freshwater habitats in winter.
For years, the biggest obstacle for this fish was its name. In fact, the name was such a turn off for so many that the U.S. Food & Drug Administration approved a name change in 2004 for commercially sold sheepshead in Louisiana to be referred to as “rondeau seabream.” They’ve also shown up on the menus of seafood restaurants under the name “bay snapper.”
And here’s the other thing about sheepshead: their looks, with a mouth full of stubby, “human-looking” teeth. Dark vertical stripes running down their light gray bodies, resembling a striped prison uniform, has earned them the name “convict fish.” Like porgy, sheepshead have sharp spines running down their backs, that can be 17 inches long.
Because of their choppers, they’ll eat just about anything, from clams and mussels to smaller fish, and if plants and algae are around, they’ll feed on those just as heavily. In fact, one study done in Lake Pontchartrain showed that 54% of their diet is plants. The research revealed that although sheepsheads are capable of feeding on blue crabs and barnacles, that is on the bottom of their diet list.
March and April is spawning season when 2-year-olds, weighing ½ to 1¾ pounds, group into schools. Because they are slow swimmers, sheepshead become easy targets for anglers. Fishermen find them congregating around man-made structures, such as oil and gas wellheads, in major bays and nearshore waters outside the beachline.
Nutritional Value
Like other fish, sheepshead is a good source of protein, but they also contain a rich array of vitamins and minerals. They are high in vitamins A, B-9 and B-12, so eating these fish can help maintain a healthy digestive and nervous system, hair, skin, nails and eyes.
Good Eats
Their diet of shrimp and various other shellfish contributes to their richer, more succulent taste compared to other fish.
The firm, white meat boasts a mild, sweet flavor with a hint of brininess. It’s a versatile fish that can be grilled, baked, or pan-seared, cooked whole, as filets or in tacos. (If grilling or pan-searing, the best results come from cooking hot and fast.) They make a good chowder and great “faux” crab cakes.
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