Grilled Whole Long Island Sound Porgy Recipes

WHOLE GRILLED PORGY WITH SMOKEY TOMATO CHUTNEY

Steps:

• For the vegetables: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Preheat the grill to medium-high heat.
• In a large bowl, toss the cauliflower with some olive oil, salt and pepper. Put the cauliflower florets onto a baking sheet and into the oven to roast until nicely browned, about 20 minutes. Keep warm until service.
• In a separate bowl, toss the potatoes, eggplant and carrots with some olive oil, salt and pepper. Place the potatoes, eggplant and carrots on the grill. Grill until marked, 5 to 6 minutes. Put onto a baking sheet and into the oven until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Keep warm until service.
• For the chutney: Heat the olive oil in a medium saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and shallots and caramelize, about 2 minutes. Add the jalapeno and tomatoes, tossing to combine. Turn down the heat. Add the clam juice, orange juice, lime juice, cumin and smoked paprika. Simmer on low until the liquid dissolves, about 2 minutes. You may need to add more clam juice in order to further cook the tomatoes.
• For the porgy: Rinse the porgy in cold water and pat dry. This is very important; the fish needs to be completely dry or it will stick to your grill! Rub the porgy with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Get your grill screaming hot. Place your porgy at 10 o'clock and don't touch it! Leave it for a few minutes, and then lift slightly with a fish spatula to check for lines and sticking. If it's sticking, leave it there another 2 minutes or so, and then carefully turn it to 1 o'clock. Leave it there long enough to get some nice black lines, and then flip. Again, get some nice black lines and then either finish it on the grill or pop it in a 350 degree F oven for 3 to 4 minutes or until desired doneness. Cooking time varies based on the size of fish so you have, to feel it out. It is perfectly acceptable for a porgy to be served "pink on the bone." In fact, some Montauk locals will send it back to the kitchen if it's cooked any further!
• Place the whole grilled porgy on a serving plate. Serve the roasted vegetables on the side and top with some of the chutney.

GRILLED PORGIES AND ONIONS

Steps:

• Heat grill to very hot. Oil the grates. While grill heats, use 1 1/2 tablespoons oil to rub fish inside and out. Season generously with salt and pepper inside and out.
• Using a grill pan, sear onion slices until lightly charred on grill, or cook them in a dry skillet on top of stove. Stuff fish cavities with onions and thyme. Grill both fish close to source of heat, turning once, until skin is nicely charred and fish are cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes a side, depending on heat of grill. While fish are grilling, mix lemon juice with remaining oil.
• Transfer both fish to large platter or board. Remove onions and thyme and set aside. Fillet fish by first cutting along the top and bottom edges and just below the head. Lift off top fillet and place on serving dish. Remove skeleton, head and tail. Transfer bottom fillet to platter. Repeat with second fish and arrange on platter. Scatter onions and thyme over fillets and drizzle with lemon oil. Serve.

PORGY WITH STARFRUIT AND PUMPKIN SEEDS

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a medium saute pan over high heat. Sprinkle the fish evenly with the salt and then place in the pan. Cook until translucent, and then flip and add the butter. Cook until the butter is brown, then add the pumpkin seeds, shallots and starfruit. Saute until the shallots are translucent and the starfruit is blistered. Baste the fish with the butter, shallot and starfruit juices and remove from the pan. Place the fish on a plate and spoon the starfruit and pumpkin seeds over and around the fish.

GRILLED PORGY WITH LEMONS AND SCALLIONS

Steps:

• Prepare a charcoal grill until coals are ashed over and hot, or heat a charcoal grill to high. Or heat a broiler (see Tips).
• Cut 3 lemons into ½-inch-thick slices and discard any pits. Pat fish dry inside and out and season inside with salt. Place the lemon slices inside the fish, then place the thyme and oregano on top of the lemon. If the fish don't close around the stuffing, tie fish closed in two places with kitchen twine. Brush fish on both sides with 4 tablespoons olive oil.
• Toss scallions with a pinch of salt and remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Cut the 2 remaining lemons in half, removing any seeds.
• Scrub the grill grate clean, then rub with an oiled kitchen towel or wad of paper towels. If your grill can fit everything, place everything on at once. Otherwise, start with the scallions and lemons, cut sides down. Season one side of each fish with salt and place salt side down on the grates next to the scallions and lemons. Grill (covered if using a gas grill), turning once, until the lemons and scallions are softened and lightly charred, 3 to 4 minutes for the scallions and 5 minutes for the lemons. Grill the fish until the skin releases naturally from the grate, about 6 minutes, then salt the other side, cover and grill until cooked through, about 6 minutes longer. Test for doneness by slipping a paring knife into the center of the fish; it should feel hot when carefully touched to your lower lip or the inside of your wrist.
• Spread scallions on a serving platter and set lemon halves around the sides. Transfer the fish to the platter, remove the string and serve.