Bluefish grilled12/27/2023 If you wait until the grill is quite hot, the surface of the skin will sear. Ninety percent of the problem with fish sticking is caused by bringing the fish into contact with the grill before it’s hot enough to cause a sharp, immediate sear. The fish should also be brushed with oil, although if the grill is clean that’s not absolutely necessary. In either case, the grill needs to be clean, hot, and brushed with a bit of oil. The same rules apply whether using a grill pan (as we did here) or an outdoor grill. Grilling fish is less of challenge than people imagine. Ken and I are lucky enough to have several friends who fish for both bluefish and striped bass and generously share their catch. They’re incredible fighters, even out of the water and I was glad to have someone with experience get it off the hook for me. I’ve only been fishing twice and the second time I caught a bluefish. Arrange the fish on top and then spoon the remaining agrodolce over the fish. Spoon some of the agrodolce over the greens. if you’re not going to serve the fish immediately, remove it from the grill slightly underdone). Remember to allow for carry-over as the fish will continue to cook off the heat (i.e. Flip the fish and cook on the second side until done, 3 to 4 minutes.The skin should be charred, and the fish should come off the grill easily. Cook the fish, skin side down, until the fish is three-quarters cooked, about 6 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillets and the temperature of the grill. Brush with the reserved 2 tablespoons olive oil. Season the bluefish with salt, pepper and sumac.Cook for 3 minutes, add the zest and orange juice, simmer 10 minutes and remove from the heat. Add the sugar, vinegar, Aleppo pepper or hot red pepper flakes, raisins, capers and olives. Reduce the heat to low, add the garlic and cook just a minute, taking care the garlic doesn’t brown. Add the cipollini or shallots, season with salt and cook 3 minutes. To make the agrodolce heat 1/3 cup of the olive oil in a medium pan over medium-high heat.3 cups baby mustard greens, arugula or other spicy greens.¼ teaspoon sumac (see Jody Notes) or 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest.Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.4 pieces bluefish, 5-6 ounces each, skin on.3 tablespoons pitted Nicoise or Gaeta olives, broken in half.¼ teaspoon Aleppo pepper or hot red pepper flakes.6 cipolline onions or small shallots, about 2½ ounces, peeled and cut into quarters through the root.1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil.“Oh yes,” he says, lighting up at the recollection, although I can’t tell if the pleasure is really coming from his recall of the seafood or a grilled potato that accompanied it. My father, whose memory is not what it once was, will still shake his head at it on a menu, until I remind him that he’s eaten bluefish at our house and and liked it. My mother, who is no longer with us in spirit, remained steadfast in her dislike of fishy fish. It’s also the one I most love to eat cold, and the sweet-sour sharpness of agrodolce is as tasty cold or, really, at room temperature, as it is when warm. To my palate, bluefish isn’t the strongest (mackeral and sardines are more potent), but it is the meatiest. “Mackeral is for cats,” my mother replied at once, not even bothering to comment on the bluefish. After being introduced to bluefish and mackeral as a student in New England, I asked my parents why we’d never had it at home. ![]() Later, after clambering several rungs higher on the ladder of prosperity and moving to the East Coast, we sometimes ate salmon. As a special treat, when dining out, my brothers and I were allowed to order shrimp in a basket. A communal soufflé made with canned salmon, fried filets of bass or trout or summer sunfish – we lived in the Midwest, after all – and an annual smelt fest rounded out my seafood experience. A taste for fish sticks, like a taste for macaroni and cheese, acquired early, gives one’sculinary life direction. Cheap, plentiful, and easily accepting of one of the world’s great condiments, tartar sauce, they were perfect for meatless Fridays in rural Michigan. When I was a kid my primary experience with seafood was fish sticks. And when you’ve gotten agrodolce, a quick sweet-sour sauce, well in hand you can serve it with just about any kind of seafood with a bit of gumption. This week we’re serving Bluefish Agrodolce, an easy easy easy dish. But if I were Neptune, sitting at my right hand, way above the salt, would be bluefish. Bring on the sea urchin roe, mackeral, fresh sardines and all swimming things smoked and pickled. You can keep catfish, but once that’s off the table, I’ll eat everything else. Peter Ryan, of Wulf’s Seafood, cutting a side of bluefish into portions, one of which appears above.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply.AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |