Anyone ever eaten Conger?

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Anyone ever eaten Conger?
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Jonnyboy

Joined: 29 Oct 2004
Posts: 23956
Location: under some rain.

Posted: Mon Apr 04, 11 8:28 pm Post subject:
https://www.fishonline.org/search/simple/?fish_id=175 Avoid.

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46247
Location: yes

Posted: Mon Apr 04, 11 8:35 pm Post subject:
not a critter i would target for dinner if you want a fight perfect where there are conger under the rocks there are tasty fish in the water above

Northern Boy

Joined: 04 Oct 2010
Posts: 976

Posted: Tue Apr 05, 11 8:01 am Post subject:
So the general consensus is it's a bit grim!

kirstyfern

Joined: 03 Jan 2010
Posts: 1574
Location: Great Dunmow, Essex

Posted: Tue Apr 05, 11 9:52 am Post subject:

Quote "Due to its abundance in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, the conger eel is one of the most well known fish in Argentina, and above all because its meat has a great flavor. It tastes very good even in the simplest preparation on the grill, with a little salt, lemon and a few drops of olive oil; in the oven with lemon, olive oil, chopped parsley, and a chive. Also, rosemary makes an excellent match with the flavor of this white, tasty and abundant fish."

I think it says 'avoid' on the fish site due to ethical reasons rather than taste...

Tavascarow

Joined: 06 Aug 2006
Posts: 8407
Location: South Cornwall

Posted: Tue Apr 05, 11 10:59 am Post subject:

kirstyfern wrote:

I think it says 'avoid' on the fish site due to ethical reasons rather than taste...

Yes but if it's being pulled up in the nets & thrown back dead surely it's better eaten.

sean
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42219
Location: North Devon

Posted: Tue Apr 05, 11 11:05 am Post subject:
Don't think there's any significant net catch of conger. They're reef fish. The conger fisherman I knew in Guernsey set long lines of baited hooks with a buoy at the top and a seriously heavy weight at the bottom.

Northern Boy

Joined: 04 Oct 2010
Posts: 976

Posted: Tue Apr 05, 11 12:42 pm Post subject:
I was asking because I want(ed) to target them myself, but generally only target stuff I want to eat. If I get something tasty and a good scrap then that's the perfect combo. It seems conger is about the biggest fight you can target recreationally and still eat, at least in UK waters. Maybe I'll stick to smoothound.

murdrobe

Joined: 03 Jun 2010
Posts: 189
Location: Blackburn, Lancashire

Posted: Tue Apr 05, 11 3:49 pm Post subject:
when i had it from my local fishmonger it was very odd and im sure it was a case that i had a bad 1 though. it tasted of menthol. including that funny sensation you get on your tongue....

Moniar

Joined: 26 Jan 2009
Posts: 152
Location: Lampeter, west Wales

Posted: Mon Apr 25, 11 6:17 pm Post subject:

Northern Boy wrote:

I was asking because I want(ed) to target them myself, but generally only target stuff I want to eat. If I get something tasty and a good scrap then that's the perfect combo. It seems conger is about the biggest fight you can target recreationally and still eat, at least in UK waters. Maybe I'll stick to smoothound.

I have eaten conger as a child, after catching one off Holyhead breakwater - the middle section is supposed to be the best. I have eaten it after cutting into steaks and baking in oven in butter and bit of milk. It is supposed to be really good in currys as its firm bit like monkfish and huss. Like Huss its an acquired taste, but if I caught one over about 8lb I would probably bring it home as it would be worth the effort involved in prep work.

I am not aware of it being on any non ethical list - like pollack its found over reefs and deep water wrecks so net catches should be very low. Most angling skippers I know will insist on punters putting any decent size one back but will usually be ok about killing and taking an average size one for the pot.

I know a few kayak anglers in the uk that fish for them at night on the south coast as they ut up a decent fight, but I would rather target mackeral bream and pollack/coalies for eating, as I do not fancy trying unhook a big conger by torchlight on my kayak at night

They are bad enough to deal with when caught off the shore!

Presume you dont eat smoothhound Northern Boy? Great fighting fish and one I fancy targetting down here in west Wales this summer, just for the scrap they give for their size. I was fishing off the kayak off an Anglesey mark three years ago when an adjacent charter boat had a client hook inot and boat a new Welsh record for smooth hound - 25lb 6oz monster, which I watched being caught , netted weighed and then released whilst speaking to the skipper alongside - the ones down here in west Wales tend to be smaller so will be giving them a go soon if I can find some local crab.

Northern Boy

Joined: 04 Oct 2010
Posts: 976

Posted: Fri Apr 29, 11 6:05 pm Post subject:

Moniar wrote:

I do not fancy trying unhook a big conger by torchlight on my kayak at night

I have never tried smoothound but only because I didn't know they are good eats. I have caught one (on feathers!) but chucked it back. I only moved back to the UK recently and am just getting the hang of British sea fish. I caught some very large and tasty fish in California and miss the 'sleigh ride' on the yak! I would have a crack at the Tope but (I don't think?) you're allowed to eat them?

Think I'll have a crack at the hounds this summer. Definitely going to be up your way at some point as well.

celestialspore

Joined: 27 Jul 2010
Posts: 26
Location: Aberdeenshire

Posted: Sun May 01, 11 8:15 pm Post subject:
Years ago my mum used to take the ones my dad caught in his creels (lobster pots) up to the local chinese and swap them for a meal. The congers go in and eat the lobsters, so some fishermen don't like to release them again here.

catbaffler

Joined: 31 Mar 2009
Posts: 937
Location: Barry

Posted: Sun May 01, 11 8:20 pm Post subject:
I once had one mouthful... I abandoned the rest, not because of the taste but because it was the closest I hope I ever come to munching on a loaded pincushion

Duckhead

Joined: 24 Oct 2009
Posts: 2069
Location: Up the hill, Italy

Posted: Sun May 01, 11 8:31 pm Post subject:
If you catch a fish that you don't fancy eating, but you have caught it, then do this. Salt it so it goes dry salted. Then clean it with lots of changes of water. Then put it in a bowl with some milk and garlic and pummel it, pestle and mortar style. It will "come together" and you can eat it on toast, like they do in Venice.

pricey

Joined: 28 Feb 2005
Posts: 6444

Posted: Sun May 29, 11 8:49 am Post subject:
Conger is lovely to eat, you just need to cook it right, it needs to be stewed nice and slow, the fish stall still sells it every day so it cant be bad.

robins

Joined: 10 Sep 2010
Posts: 30

Posted: Tue May 31, 11 3:01 pm Post subject:
I kept one of about 7lbs some years ago and seem to remember it made quite good fish cakes but was a bit strongly flavoured for eating in its own right.

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