Black Drum
Pogonias cromis
Bays, passes, and oyster bottoms from the mid-Atlantic through Texas. Feeds heavily on crabs and shellfish and can exceed eighty pounds.
Contaminant load: Low–moderate
Flavor Profile
Mild and sweet with a shellfish note from its crab diet, in fish under about fifteen pounds. Large drum turn coarse and strong.
Texture & Preparation
Firm and moist when small; coarse and stringy in big fish.
Cooking Methods
💡 Chef's Insight
Black drum lives or dies on size selection. Under about fifteen pounds — puppy drum — it's sweet, firm, and genuinely excellent, with a crab-fed flavor that echoes redfish. Over that, the flesh goes coarse and the odds of encountering harmless but off-putting parasitic worms climb; those fish belong back in the water. On a good small drum, blacken it in cast iron with a heavy Cajun crust, or grill it on the half shell like redfish with butter, garlic, and lemon pooled on top of the fillet. Its firmness also makes it the ideal Louisiana courtbouillon fish: brown a dark roux, build with onion, celery, pepper, and tomato, then poach thick chunks in the sauce and serve over rice.
Safety Context
Lower concern at small sizes, moderate for large old fish, which accumulate more mercury and are managed with maximum size limits in several states. Keep the small ones. Parasitic worms in big drum are a quality issue rather than a serious health one, but they're another reason to size down.
Primary Contaminants
Low mercury in small 'puppy drum'; moderate in big old fish, which can also carry parasitic worms in the flesh.
Similar Alternatives
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This profile describes the species. Recommended consumption frequency depends on where the fish came from — the Water to Table Advisor™ locates the official advisory for your water and household.