Thread: Baked Pinfish

Yes, you read that correctly, Baked Pinfish

After reading that some had cooked pinfish, a fish renowned as inedible, and found them tasty, I decided to try some. The scouts caught some bream size ones and I threw 6 into the cooler.
Scaled, gutted and took the gills out.
Placed a layer of onions in the bottom of a foil lined tray.
Seasoned each side of the fish ginger, salt & pepper.
Baked in a 425* oven for 15 minutes.
They were as good as any bream, small sheepshead or whiting I've ever baked in a similar way.

Bream-sized pinfish no longer get an automatic throw-back on slow days.

I'd give it a try, doesn't seem like there could be much meat on those little guys though. Not exactly a thick fish. I wonder if they have potential for pickling? No need to fillet, the acid dissolves the bones.

Nope, not a lot of meat for sure, but as much as bream of the same size.
Never thought about pickling them, does it work better with lean or fatty fish?
I've been tempted to pickle Spanish sardines when they show up in good numbers.

Years ago, I fried some bream sized pinfish and they tasted like fried fish. Nothing really special, but nothing wrong with them, either. One of their alternate names is "Sailor's Choice".

Carl,
My last batch of pickled fish was white bass, which is a slightly oily/fatty fish. Came out great. Usually I'd use pike, but I've been known to use creek chubs and shiners on occasion. Everything has worked well so far. If you'd like I'll post a recipe later.

Thanks Carl.
Makes sense really because one of pinfish's closest inshore relative is sheepshead.
Yep!

sure, love to have the recipe!

I like cooking up large pinfish. They taste a bit like bream when they're fried and I really like fried fish! It's good to know that there are other tasty ways to prepare them. Once I'm able to fish regularly (there are new positive developments on that front), I want to try different preparation methods.

Thanks for the suggestion, CarlF!