So on my recent trip down the Gulf of Mexico fishing the County Pier in Panama City Beach, I caught a mess of bluefish. While my original target species were king mackerel and Spanish mackerel, when they proved to be a bit scarce I chose to keep some of the bluefish. The bluefish (Pomatomus saltatrix) is an interesting species, a pelagic predator that is found all over the world in tropical and subtropical oceans. They can grow up to 4 feet long and weigh 40 lbs. They have a mouth full of scalpel-sharp teeth that are capable of making short work of whatever poor baitfish crosses their path. They are voracious predators and when larger put up a good fight. But when it comes to the dinner table in the US they are looked down on. They have a darker color flesh that is a little greyish pink with a large bloodline, they have a higher oil content kinda like a mackerel. So many people consider them to be too fishy to be worth the effort to eat. But when properly prepped they do make excellent table fare, just don’t expect a while flaky fillet. This is the first of three preparations of bluefish I’m going to be doing, a bit fancier presentation of baked Garlic & Paprika Bluefish served with creamy grits and sauteed squashes.
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Ok, now it’s time to break the fish down. For today’s recipe, we want skin on fillets. While not shown here the first step of prep for bluefish is to bleed it right after you catch it. This will get you the best meat quality. I also recommend you to gut them as soon as possible and keep them cold on ice. So starting here with a gutted bluefish, the next step is to scale the fish. I used the back of my fillet knife, but you can use whatever scaler you like. Just make sure to be thorough with the scale removal, especially around the fins.
Once you get all the scales off the bluefish make sure to hose it, your knife, and cutting board thoroughly. Make sure to get rid of all the scales.
Now with a scaled and clean bluefish it’s time to start the fillet job. The first step there is to take the head off right behind the collars. Run the knife up the body of the fish at an angle from behind the pelvic fins and the pectoral fins up to the top of the head. Then just push back on the head to pop the spine and remove it.
Then start filleting the fish, tracing either the back or belly right along the fins. Keep a relatively flat angle to stay close to the bones. Work along them in long smooth strokes till you hit the spine. Then just work over it and continue.
I chose to push through the ribs and take them with my fillet, but you can work the knife over them instead if you prefer. Take both fillets off the frame and then you can discard the head and frame.
Now to remove the rib cage. I like to make a first cut with the knife edge point up following the ribs to split them from the pin bones and fillet. Then follow along their contour to remove them from the belly flap.
Now the rib cage is gone remove the pin bones from the center line of the fish, with a skin-on recipe like this just cut through the meat on both sides of the pin bones and not the skin. Then pinch the piece of fillet between the knife and thumb to pull it off. Then trim the fillet to your liking. This leaves you with two nice skin-on boneless fillets ready for cooking.
Cook your Catch – Baked Garlic & Paprika Bluefish
Baked Garlic & Paprika Bluefish Ingredients
- Smoked Paprika
- Garlic
- Olive Oil
- Lemon
- Salt
- Skin-On Bluefish Fillets
First, we need to do is prep the paprika and garlic paste. Start by mincing 3 garlic cloves then masing them into a paste using some coarse sea salt.
Add the garlic paste into a bowl with 2 tsp smoked paprika and olive oil. Then zest a lemon and add it to the paste as well. Mix to combine.
Get your bluefish fillets and rub the paste on the meat side only of the fillets.
Place the fillets in a baking tray skin side up, and sprinkle the skin side with some course sea salt. Put them into an oven preheated to 400°F for around 10 minutes. Cook time is variable depending on the thickness of the fillet.
While the fish is baking, prep a couple of sides to serve with the bluefish. I chose creamy grits and roasted squash this time. All you need for the grits is chicken stock, quick grits, and parmesan cheese. Mix it all together and cook to a thick consistency. The squash is just fresh zucchini and summer squash sauteed in hot pan and seasoned to taste.
For plating put down a pile of the squash, then spoon some of the grits next to it. Then place the baked bluefish fillet across the top. Serve with a lemon wedge. Hopefully y’all try this recipe out and maybe start to enjoy eating bluefish.
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