How to Prepare a Whole Scup

Courtesy of Cathy Pedtke, Eating with the Ecosystem

Cathy is our board vice president and she is also a chef and recipe developer! We asked her for some help with producing a few how to guides for the home seafood cook.

 
 

WHOLE SCUP FOR GRILLING OR BAKING

Servings: 2 Total time: 35 minutes

IMG_3698.jpg

Ingredients:

  • 1 whole scup

  •  0.5 lemon (fresh or preserved)

  • 1 cup herbs (Use what you have: chives, thyme, rosemary, parsley or basil all work great!)

  • 2-3 cloves garlic, smashed

  • 2 tbsp salt

  • 1 tbsp oil


    Directions:

  • Clean and scale your scup, trimming off top and side fins but leaving tail and head intact (Many fishmongers will do this step for you)

  • Rub the scup inside and out with salt - use finely ground salt for best results

  • Open the scup belly and fill with sliced lemon, herbs, and mashed garlic. Use a knife to cut further down the belly to make a little more room if needed.

  • Press the fish closed and brush the outside with olive oil. If you’re grilling the fish, add extra oil and lightly grease the grill grate as well to prevent sticking. This is less of a problem if baking the fish. 

  • To grill, lay fish on the grill grate over low heat and cook 6 to 8 minutes per side, until fish is firm and flakes easily. You can also wrap fish in a single layer of foil to make it easier to maneuver on and off the grill, but this will prevent the skin from charring and lessen the smoky flavor.

  • To bake, lay fish in a baking dish and bake at 375 for 10 to 15 minutes, until the fish flakes easily.   Carefully flake meat directly off the fish bones with a fork: scup has lots of small bones, so be wary while eating. Serve with rice and steamed or grilled veggies, and top with extra lemon juice and herbs!