Bluefish, yeah Bluefish!

Food & Cooking
1

EDIT
Just realized I didnt put this in the recipe forum… they all go with beer :smiley:

Four Bluefish recipes for anyone who can get it FRESH
To me the key with most fish is SALT, people often think “well its a saltwater fish, how much could it need?”
More than you think  ;)

Baked Bluefish and Tomato

Pre-heat grill to medium (or set oven to 400)
Spread a big piece of tin foil out and lube it with olive oil
Place skinned filets down in a pattern so that when you are done it looks like one big giant piece of fish (this depends on how many are eating)
The goal is to have the fish be the same thickness. Back of filet to front of other, etc.
Salt and pepper both sides of all filets liberally and squeeze some lemon on there (till the juice runs down your leg)
Use either fresh vine ripe tomatoes or canned (crush em like a BOSS)
Cover the filets. Add some more salt and pepper and fresh basil.
On top of all that a can of olives (pimento stuffed or black, your choice)
Wrap that tin foil up tight and bake for about 40 minutes.
Serve over rice or even pasta

Blackened Bluefish

Get a cast iron pan red hot on the highest setting your grill can take.
No, it aint hot enough go have another beer.
Ok, now get your scaled filet (skin ON) and salt it up, both sides.
To that some Paul Prudhomme, Emeril SW Bam (or find one on the interweb and make it yourself) season it up real nice.
Let the fish warm up a little to room temp, have a beer that pan probably aint hot enough yet anyway.
OK put some canola oil in the pan… dont start a friggin fire!
Now put the Bluefish SKIN SIDE UP in the pan, let it rock like that for maybe 3 minutes then turn and burn for 2-3 more.
Serve that up with some corn on tha cob and dirty rice.

Broiled Bluefish

Season skinned filets with salt and place them on a lightly oiled piece of tin foil.
Mix up soy sauce and mayonnaise to the consistency and color of a Friendlys Mocha Frappe. Now add a few tablespoons of Horseradish and grind in some black pepper.
Add hot sauce of your choice and to your taste, kick it up a notch or three… dont go to 11
Broil or grill over medium coals for 20 minutes or so.
Serve over steamed jasmine rice.

OK, now the one you probably never even heard of

Fried Bluefish

Oh hells yes FRIED BLUEFISH
Cut the filets up into chunks and put into a bowl of milk.
Let it sit while you get the oil heating up, brown the bread in the oil dont burn it. Use more oil than you think you’ll need so it stays hot hot hot
Drain the chunks well and roll around in corn meal.
Drop into hot oil and fry until golden brown.
Salt and pepper immediately after removing from the oil.
Make a Wasabi soy sauce, serve with cold beer, french fries…maybe get some duck gravy for those fries :smiley:

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Sounds great, thanks.  I might try that fried bluefish in a fish taco or a po’ boy.  Juicy fish, lots of flavor, not for people who don’t like ‘fishy’ fish. I try to remove the blood line to control the fishy taste for those who object.

My baked recipe is Legal Seafood’s Baked Bluefish in Mustard Sauce.  The sauce is 3/4 c. mayo, 1/4 c. dijon, 1/4 c. horseradish, 2 T minced onion, 2 T minced parsley, worcestershire and tabasco to taste.  That’s enough for 2 lbs of fish.  Cut fish in serving portions, spread sauce on top, bake for 15 min at 450F.  Just like at the restaurant.

I thought the idea of mayonnaise on bluefish was weird, but when I was a kid on vacation on Cape Cod, we got a whole bluefish from someone next door who caught a hefty bag full of them.  He said to split it in half, cover it with mayo and bake it until it’s done.  One of the best fish meals I ever had.  You’re right; freshness matters.

3

Mayo is a staple on Bluefish around here as you found out.

I remove the bloodline most of the time myself, not so much due to the taste but the texture.

Fried Bluefish is GREAT in fish tacos, all about the cabbage in a fish taco.

They also make a great live bait!

4

They all sound good.  For the blackened, you do need the cast iron hot like you say.  Just be aware that you will probably have to re-season the pan before you can do regular cast iron cooking.  Getting the pan that hot always seems to do in the seasoning for me.

5

I like going out on a party boat from time to time. Best at night, Loads of fun as you real in bluefish after blue fish.

I like it best cold smoked. Salt it well and then dry it in front of a fan until the skin is dry and kinda shiny. Then smoke it with alder wood no heat for about three hours.

WOW.

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Smoked Bluefish is awesome. I do this other recipe from Legal Seafoods, their smoked bluefish pate.  I get that every time at the restaurant.  Wicked good, as they’d say in Boston.