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As I recall when I was a kid they were very oily and fishy tasting, kind of like cuda. If anyone has a good recipie for these please let me know. Ww caught a few this weekend but released them all because of past bad experiences.
Bluefish are excellent if fresh. We caught a bunch a couple of weeks ago. We cooked some filets breading them with House Autry seafood breading and frying in peanut oil. Some of the larger ones we caught we baked in loosly fitting foil with butter and lemon pepper. I think the bad rep Bluefish get is when they aren't fresh.
We tried smoking a few 5 pounders, whole and fillets...
Yuk was the consensus...better to let em go IMHO..
Oily and strong tasting - the smokin made em worse not better - wouldn't recoomend it at all.
This is the best Bluefish I've seen landed, bout 18 pounds I figure, (released)...it came from a school of bluefish downunder - I swear on oath - some of em were 30 pound... [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_eek.gif[/img] [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_cool.gif[/img]
Must have another crack at em one day...see if I can git me a better one! [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]
You notice how they got nasty teeth?
Had a guy fish with me - "Jace" from Oklahoma...nice guy - he caught one, on a fly - just a little one maybe a pound & half, and i said - "hey thats what you'd call a bluefish (we call em tailor), and it's got teeth so don't get your fingers anywhere near it's mouth!"
First thing jace does is hold the Bluefish in one hand and try to prize open it's mouth with his thumbnail on the other hand to git a look at these teeth.
Well - the bluefish obligingly opened it's mouth, and wiggled hard at the same time - slipping thru the hand that was holding it like a bar of soap, and swallowing just about the whole thumb on the other "prying jaw bone hand" in one gulp before closing jaw firmly, and shaking head side to side like a pit bull terrier. [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif[/img] [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_eek.gif[/img] [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_rolleyes.gif[/img]
Jace shouts "yeeeaaarrrr, it's a pirahna, and it's bit me!" with this look of disbelief as he extracts his now bloodied thumb... [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif[/img] [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_cool.gif[/img]
Hmmmm - "we try not to feed these blighters human flesh I quip" - they get a bit of a taste for it! [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img] [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif[/img]
Nice guy Jace - we had a good time fishin together...
Bluefish? For my personall preference, I don't like them, Although they could taste "OK" if the
fillets are soaked overnight in your fridge in a bath of milk or beer. Supposedly that takes the oil out of the fish.
Now smoked Bluefish is terriffic, but it must be smoked using the proper wood-smoke.
1988 Grady White Sailfish 252
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Supposedly, the way to make them taste way better is to "bleed" them as soon as you get them on board. Not sure exactly how this is done, but, I have heard they are pretty good if prepared this way, and they are kept well iced.
I only like the smaller ones, they are less "strong". Just gut and scale them on the boat and keep them on ice. Then bake them whole with head on with lots of salt and butter, filet after cooking and you'll be suprised. The trick is NOT to eat the big ones.
Are you actually catching fish this year? I thought you mostly fed the crabs and drank all the bear.
As Birdman states, bluefish should be immediatley bled or gutted and then put over ice. Be fore warned those things can bleed a lot. Woked a head boat out of NJ one summer. Always did the 7:30 pm til 2:00 am sail. Never understood all those people who paid me $1.50/fish to clean thier catch. These fish had been in a burlap sack for a couple of hours. At that point the only thing those fish were good for was the garden.
Oh- many a fond memory of scrubbing the decks of fish blood and the drunks puke. God - I miss those days. All the money in the world for an 18 year old kid.
The best bluefish (if you can call it that) is bled & filleted imediately like mentioned above. Put the filets on ice and then into a pan with milk and let soak in the milk for a few hours, this really cuts down on the bad taste... A friend of mine sent me this recipe:
Here is a Bluefish Recipe worth trying:
The best recipe i have found for bluefish may be a little complicated.. dig a hole on the beach appx. 1-2 feet deep and build a fire, charcoal can be used. let it burn down to embers. next take your bluefish fillet, season with whatever spices that will float your boat, tightly wrap up in aluminum foil and lay it down on top of the hot coals, then cover with some rock weed and cover with the sand. after appx 45 minutes dig up the bluefish and unwrap.. discard the bluefish and eat the foil..
The small ones are good. I bleed them ASAP, get them on ice, then scale, de-head, and gut them back at the marina. Usually pan-fry them whole using cornmeal (sometimes seafood breader).
A friend and I caught about 40 blues, mid-May in the Hook at Cape Lookout. Threw them all back. The first dat we ran out of bait, I was glad. The second day we ran out of tackle, I was glad. Been a long time since I got that tired fishing. It was GREAT. Smallest was 27" Largest was 36". [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]
I just ate some a couple of nights ago and it was damn good stuff. My friend filleted 'em amd marinated 'em in olive oil and cilantra (sp?) overnight. Next day he just fried 'em, no breading or anything. You can make them taste milder by cutting off the skin and red meat after you fillet them. bon apatite!!! chip
Erik - I've seen so many people from southern waters say how terrible bluefish are that I wonder if water temp and local diet have an effect on them. Bleding is good advice, removing the skin before cooking and cutting out all the dark meat is, imho, even more important. I've probably eaten bluefish cooked at least 50 different ways, here's a simple method that works well to take out the oiliness and "fishiness". Line a shallow baking pan with bread - old or stale is fine, you're going to throw it away, its only purpose is to soak up the fish oil. Coat the bluefish filets with mayonaise, then sprinkle Old Bay, Chef Paul's, or plain old paprika. Bake at 350-375. The mayo will almost all disappear and you won't taste it when you eat it. If you don't find it palatable cooked this way, I guess my theory about warm water and local diet holds true. Whether you decide to eat them or not, I'll second what was said about using bluefish filets for shark bait - they're like candy to Makos.
Hi Erik... There may be an echo in here but, it's all in the preparation when it comes to Blues. I have good luck with 5 - 7 pounders both smoking and saute'...try this one time! Fresh caught, pop the gills at the lower front jaw to bleed them out. Keep them moist but not chilled until they rigor...I keep a few old dish towels aboard to wet and drape over the fish while they're in my motor well. Once they begin to stiffen up a bit, the fillets come off much easier. Bag and chill the fillets on ice. At home, I skin the fillets buy slapping 'em skin side down on newspaper. Pressing firmly with a flat hand, run the fillet knife just above the skin...zip! Remove any red meat left on the fillet. Ready to marinate or cook. I like to dredge the fillets in a beaten egg then saute' in a hot skillet that has butter and garlic slightly browned...~Muniere(sp?), I believe is the term. Same process applies for the smoker only marinate in equal parts Sake, Soy, Dark Molasses for a few hours to overnight...Apple or Cherry wood gives it a real nice flavor.
Try one or both...you won't be disappointed.
Tight one's
I've takin many of those sit in the burlap bag party boat fish home. Take skinless fillets with dark meat removed n buy a 40 of some cheap beer, pour into large bowl, add fillets cover n refrigerate till next day. Get out the aluminum foil n make sheets about 8" longer than fillets, slap on a fillet n add what ever seasonings u like, add half stalk of celery chunks, some onion rings, some chopped garlic. Lift sides n fold together on top, roll up ends n throw on hot barbecue grill for a few minutes until done. Open foil n remove fillet, roll up all the other junk n toss in garbage. No smelly fish cookin in the house n no pans to clean! The only way to cook blue fish! TIGHT LINES!!!
Grew up on the Outer Banks, at time when it was bluefish or nothing. My favorite: Fillet the fish, cut out the oil gland (red meat) and cover the fillet with about 1/2 inch of mayo. Put a thick coating of corn flakes on top and bake until done. Excellent meal if the fish is fresh.
"Everyone should believe in something. I believe I will go fishing" --- Henry David Thoreau
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Tasty bluefish is simple...
Take skinless fillets with red meat removed and place in marinade of Newman's Own Italin dressing and juice from one LIME. (very important) Coat all sides and marinate for about one hour. Grill. Don't overcook - watch very carefully. You will never eat a more delicious fish if prepared this way.
Use the leftovers like you would prepare canned tuna fish. Excellent!
Theres a Sushi place in Provincetown Mass that Smokes Bluefish and puts it in Hand Rolls like Salmon Skin, it's great. They also make a salad with the smoked BlueFish that appeared to be made just like canned tuna but tasted out of this world.
The advice to clean and chill as soon as possible is good. Also try to eat them the same day.
My technique is to fillet leaving skin and scales both on. Place the skin side down in a covered grill and cook on the one side just long enough until a fork goes through the thickest part of the fillet without any resistance.
Cooking only with the skin side down allows the oil to drain down away from flesh and makes for a better tasting meal.
Bluefish 
