Three Bluefish Recipes You Need to Try – On The Water
It seems to happen to me at least once a year. I embark on a fishing trip, ripe with enthusiasm, but as is sometimes the case, the action is brutally slow. And then it happens—I catch something weird or unnexpexted. There’s always plenty of ice onboard that could potentially go to waste, so into the box it goes….
Such was the case recently when I headed offshore in search of bluefin tuna. The wind had been howling for the entire week before our trip, so we had no fresh intel on where to start our search. We headed where we thought the tuna should be, but were greeted by a vast, lifeless ocean. There were no whales, no dolphins, and we saw only one bird for every mile we trolled. The only creatures that got us encouraged were some unusually small ocean sunfish. The chat on the radio was dismal; none of the other boats out there had seen many signs of life either, and that sinking feeling you get when you know it “isn’t going to happen” began to set in.
And then it did happen—the long rigger with the ballyhoo popped. The drag barely slipped, and then I saw a fish thrashing on the surface. It was indeed blue, but it wasn’t the bluefin we were after. Bluefish.
Loved by some, hated by others (especially offshore fisherman), the lowly bluefish and I have a complicated relationship. As a young child, it was the species that fueled my passion for “offshore” fishing. When the seas were flat calm, my father would take my brother and me on an adventure several miles off the beach in our rickety old 19-foot Bayliner to chase bluefish. I was 6 or 7 years old at the time, and recall being terrified of the teen-sized blues we trolled up on Hoochie skirts. I was too afraid to handle a rod and reel attached to a gator blue because I feared it would drag me out of the boat and into the sea. I also recall being delighted when one was hauled into the boat, where my job was to bash its skull with a wooden billy club.
Getting back to my tuna trip last week, we did manage to bag a 43-inch bluefin tuna at the end of the day, which saved the trip, but I felt obliged to take home the 12-pound bluefish I had decided to ice. I was raised under the mantra of “You kill it, you eat it,” and it bothers me to see any fish go to waste.
Up until that point, it had been at least four or five years, maybe longer, since I had dined on fresh bluefish. They are simply not as abundant in my area as they once were, and even when I do happen to catch one, I usually have already caught something more palatable.
The following day, I went online and fell down a rabbit hole of bluefish recipes. I was seeking a new preparation that would reinvigorate my taste buds for these oily fish. I had carefully removed every bit of red meat from the thick shoulder portions of the fillets and reserved the thinner tail sections for the smoker. After sifting through dozens of recipes, I finally found one that caught my fancy. It called for an intriguing ingredient, gin.
While I have had more than my fair share of encounters with gin, it never occurred to me to try cooking with it. I found this simple recipe at a website called beyondsalmon.com and I recommend you give it a try. It transformed a big, greasy blue into a memorable meal, and also transformed my hate for bluefish back to love.
Bluefish with Gin and Lime Butter
1 pound bluefish fillets, skinned, red meat removed
1/4 cup red onion or shallot, very finely diced
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lime juice
2 teaspoons gin
2½ tablespoons butter
Salt and pepper
Chopped fresh basil for garnish
Line a broiler pan with foil, hit it with cooking spray, and preheat the broiler.
Thoroughly dry both sides of the fish with paper towels. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Rinse the diced onion in a strainer under warm water. Combine them with lime juice and gin in a bowl and spread evenly over the fish. Top the fish off with pats of butter and broil 4 inches away from the flame until browned, 3-5 minutes, being careful not to burn the onions (check every couple of minutes). If the bluefish is not cooked through by the time the onions brown, bake it at 425 degrees until cooked through. The total cooking time (broiling plus baking) should be about 8 minutes per inch of thickness. Garnish with chopped basil and serve, spooning the juice over the fish.
Broiled Bluefish with Lemon-Garlic-Mustard-Mayonnaise
For whatever reason, I’d say at least half of the bluefish recipes I checked out online included mayonnaise. Interestingly, many also called for broiling the fish. The following night, I prepared the second thick loin section of the fish with this recipe, which I made up on the fly.
1 pound thick bluefish fillet, skin and red meat removed
1 large garlic clove (or garlic scapes), minced
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
Salt & pepper
Fresh parsley, chopped
Mix together the garlic, lemon juice, and mustard in a small bowl. Dry the fish with paper towels and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place the fish in a shallow ceramic baking dish and spoon the mayo mixture over the top. Broil for 6 to 8 minutes about six inches below the heat source. Broilers are fussy and vary greatly from oven to oven. Keep a close eye on it and check the internal temperature once the top just starts to brown. You want it to be around 150 degrees in the thickest part. Finish it in a warm oven if it needs more time. Garnish with the chopped parsley and a lemon wedge.
I’ll be honest, I was a bit nervous about adding the mustard to this dish; like gin, I don’t think I’ve ever used it on fish. But it actually added a touch of brightness that paired nicely with the garlic and the richness of the bluefish. I will make this again.
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention “The World’s Greatest Bluefish Recipe” created by my predecessor Dave “Pops” Masch. It is truly a great dish that I’ve included in this column before.
Smoked Bluefish
I believe oily fish are the best ones for smoking. My top three favorite local specimens are bluefish, mahi, and rainbow trout. I’ve been tweaking my brine recipe for many years, and after making a batch a few days ago, I’m confident I finally have the measurements dialed in.
As far as the wood goes, I prefer something on the lighter side like apple, cherry, or pecan. Hickory produces a more potent smoke and is better suited for fatty meats like pork. Stay away from mesquite because it can be overpowering. I prefer large chunks over chips since they last longer, and don’t overdo it with the smoke. Three or 4 good-sized hunks are all that are needed for a batch of fish.
Many people believe the wood should be soaked in water before getting loaded in the smoker, but don’t bother. Hardly any water gets absorbed. It makes no difference in the final product and is just a waste of time.
Brine
1/2 gallon water
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 garlic cloves, crushed (or 1/2 tsp. garlic powder)
1 tablespoons minced onion (or 1/2 tsp. onion powder)
3 bay leaves
1 8-ounce can pineapple juice
Mix all ingredients together and add to a gallon zip-close bag. Insert the fish, squeeze out as much air as possible, and refrigerate for about 12 hours. (I always leave the skin when smoking fish.)
Remove the fish, rinse well under cold water, and thoroughly dry with paper towels.
The next step may seem insignificant, but it makes a big difference in improving the final product. Lay all the fillets on a baking sheet lined with paper towels, skin-side down, and refrigerate for at least an hour. This dries the outer layer of flesh and results in a nice shiny glaze (called a pellicle) that helps the smoke adhere to the fish.
Now it’s time to smoke! (Don’t forget to add water to your smoker.) A good trick is to cover the grate in the smoker with a sheet of aluminum foil. Poke a bunch of holes in the foil with a skewer to allow the smoke to get through. Give it a quick blast of cooking spray and you’re ready to go.
Smoke the fish at around 225 degrees until it’s done. How long is that? Well, there is no secret number for the time it will take because there are a lot of variables like the outside air temperature, the amount of meat in the smoker, and the size of the fillets. Basically, your eyeballs will tell you when it’s done. The fillets should have a nice glaze to them and be dry to the touch.
I also like to give the fish a thin coating of maple syrup about halfway through cooking. This adds some sweetness and creates a nice, caramelized glaze.
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