General Description: There are about 15 species of porgy found in the western Atlantic and the Caribbean and more than 20 types in the Mediterranean and the eastern Atlantic, where they are known as sea bream. Porgies get their name from a Native American word meaning “fertilizer,” for which they were commonly used. The most prized member of this family is the European gilt-head bream (Sparus aurata); the Romans considered them sacred to the goddess Aphrodite. Sea bream are male for the first two years of their life and transform into females in their third year. They have firm, succulent flesh with excellent flavor. Red sea bream (Pagellus bogaraveo) are the only member of the family common in eastern Atlantic waters. They have good meat suited to poaching, stuffing, and baking.

Gilt-head breem

Red porgy (Pagrus pagrus) are found on both sides of the Atlantic, though the western porgy was long treated as a separate species (P. sedecim) by Americans. Their flesh is firmer than that of other porgies, and the fish is also a bit larger and not as delicate as the gilt-head bream. It works well as steaks or for stuffing and baking. Sheepshead porgy (Archosargus probatocephalus) are found in the eastern Atlantic and the Caribbean. They have always been highly regarded as food and are pan-fried in the American South.

Northern porgy (Stenotomus chrysops) range from Cape Cod to the Carolinas and were amazingly abundant in nineteenth-century New England. The plump, golden-silver jolthead porgy (Calamus bajonado) are delicious and beautiful and may be found along the North Carolina coast to Bermuda, the Bahamas, and the Caribbean.

Northern porgy

Locale and Season: Sea bream are found in the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, but commercial harvests are small, so they are increasingly being supplied by aquaculture in Europe and Iceland. They are in season from the summer months until December. Porgies are caught by hook and line and trawls; they’re a popular sport fish, with their American East Coast season starting in May or June and running until October. Argentina is the world’s most important red porgy producer.

Characteristics: Gilthead bream weigh about 2 pounds and are always sold whole. Porgy range from 1/2 to 20 pounds, though average market weight is 3 pounds. Red sea bream meat is rosy when raw but turns white when cooked; it is moist with rich, sweet flavor and firm but tender texture. Red porgy have white, tender meat with large flake and mild, sweet, but satisfying flavor, though its numerous small bones make it hard to fillet. The fat-bodied northern porgy has firm, flaky flesh, though it is quite bony.

How to Choose: Sea bream are usually found whole. Choose fish with bright, shiny scales. They have a high percentage of waste, so allow at least 1 pound per person. Note that in Europe red bream and red porgy are considered inferior to gilthead bream. Small bones will be easier to remove from the largest porgies.

Storage: Store whole fish in the refrigerator, surrounded by crushed ice, for 1 to 2 days after purchase or catch.

Preparation:
Bake, broil, grill, poach, or sauté porgy. Sea bream are best cooked whole; they are traditionally added to bouillabaisse. Very fresh gilt-head and red bream may be used for sushi and sashimi.

Suggested Recipe: Niçoise Gilt-Head Bream (serves 4): Season a whole (2-pound) cleaned gilt-head bream (or porgy) with salt and pepper. Place several sprigs of thyme and parsley and 2 bay leaves inside. Place in a baking dish with 1/4 cup olive oil. Arrange sliced lemons on top of the fish and sliced tomatoes around the fish. Bake at 400°F for 20 minutes, basting with the olive oil. Arrange anchovy fillets and halved cured black olives on the fish and add 1/4 cup white wine. Bake about 5 minutes longer and serve.

Flavor Affinities: Anchovy, basil, bay leaf, celery, chervil, cured black olives, fennel, lemon, onion, parsley, potato, saffron, scallion, shallot, thyme, tomato, white wine.