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Anyone ever eaten Conger?
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Tavascarow



Joined: 06 Aug 2006
Posts: 8407
Location: South Cornwall
PostPosted: Tue Apr 05, 11 10:59 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

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
PostPosted: Tue Apr 05, 11 11:05 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

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

PostPosted: Tue Apr 05, 11 12:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

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
PostPosted: Tue Apr 05, 11 3:49 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

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
PostPosted: Mon Apr 25, 11 6:17 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

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

PostPosted: Fri Apr 29, 11 6:05 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Moniar wrote:
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 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
PostPosted: Sun May 01, 11 8:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

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
PostPosted: Sun May 01, 11 8:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

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
PostPosted: Sun May 01, 11 8:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

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

PostPosted: Sun May 29, 11 8:49 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

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

PostPosted: Tue May 31, 11 3:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

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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