Best Creamy Barbecued Bluefish Recipes

WHOLE GRILLED BLUEFISH

Steps:

• Preheat grill to medium.
• Dress fish with oil, and lemon and lime juices. Season with pepper and salt. Be sure to rub all ingredients throughout fish and inside cavity. Stuff inside of fish with lemon wedges.
• Place in fish basket. Cook 10 to 15 minutes per side or until skin is slightly charred. Remove carefully. Serve with lemon.

SUPER SUMMER GRILLED BLUEFISH

Steps:

• Place the fish fillets into a large bowl. Pour in the orange juice, lime juice, lemon juice, olive oil and white wine. Season with salt, pepper and seafood rub. Stir to blend and coat fish. Leave the squeezed lemon and lime halves in the bowl too. Marinate for at least 30 minutes.
• Preheat a grill for high heat. When the grill is hot, oil the grate.
• Place fish fillets on the grill, and discard the marinade. Cook for 4 minutes on each side, or until fish flakes with a fork. Transfer to a serving platter, and remove the dark blue part of the fish before serving.

FAST VIETNAMESE CARAMEL BLUEFISH

Steps:

• Brush fish all over with oil. Remove outer layer of lemongrass stalk and cut stalk into 2-inch lengths. Using the butt of a kitchen knife, pound and bruise stalks all over.
• Place lemongrass pieces, sugar, fish sauce, soy sauce, ginger and black pepper in a large skillet. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, and reduce sauce for 1 to 2 minutes, until syrupy.
• Place fish, skin side-down, in pan. Simmer, basting fish frequently with pan sauce, for 2 minutes; carefully turn fish and continue cooking until fish is just cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes longer.
• Transfer fish to a serving plate and garnish with scallion, jalapeño and cilantro. Drizzle with additional sauce. Serve over rice, if desired.

SMOKED BLUEFISH SPREAD

Steps:

• Scrape fish from skin if needed. Place fish in a food processor; pulse until finely chopped. Combine cream cheese, red onion, dill, lemon juice, sour cream, capers, horseradish and zest; gently stir in fish. Refrigerate, covered, until serving., Serve with crackers, vegetables and lemon wedges. If desired, top with additional red onion and dill.

BROILED BLUEFISH WITH TOMATO AND HERBS

Steps:

• Preheat broiler. Line rack of a broiler pan with foil.
• Put fish skin sides down on foil and sprinkle with pepper and 1/4 teaspoon salt.
• Whisk together mayonnaise, lemon juice, dill, and chives in a small bowl. Spread evenly over fish, then cover with tomato slices, overlapping slightly, and sprinkle with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt.
• Broil fish 3 to 4 inches from heat until just cooked through, 12 to 15 minutes.

ORANGE-SCENTED BLUEFISH

Steps:

• Remove the fish from the brine and pat it dry. Brush it with a mixture of the olive oil and orange zest. Place the fish, skin side down, on the grill away from the coals of a small fire. Add a few chunks of wood to the coals and cover the grill. For bluefish, I prefer a fruit or nut wood such as peach, pecan, apple, or cherry. Orange wood is also a fun choice. Close the air intake to just a sliver and cook for 12 to 15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillet and intensity of the fire. When the fish is cooked, it will have a beautiful rusty hue and the meat will flake under gentle pressure. Gently remove the filets to a platter and serve immediately. I like to remove the skin of bluefish and the underlying darkly colored bloodline just beneath it, as these can have strong flavors that some guests do not appreciate. It also helps to remove some of the toxins that are a concern with bluefish, as they tend to aggregate just under the skin.

SPECIAL OCCASION SMOKED BLUEFISH PATE

Steps:

• Break up smoked bluefish and place in a food processor with cream cheese. Use pulse setting to blend smooth. Mix in prepared Dijon-style mustard and horseradish. Blend to desired consistency. Increase amounts of mustard and horseradish, if desired. Cover and chill in the refrigerator 6 hours, or overnight, before serving.

HOT-SMOKED BLUEFISH

Steps:

• Remove racks from smokehouse and prepare fire (see instructions).
• In a mixing bowl combine all the seasonings except the pepper.
• Brush rack lightly with oil and place fish on the rack, skin side down. (The skin and scales must be left on because they will help hold the fish together, but they are not to be eaten.) Sprinkle fillets liberally with seasoning mixture, about two tablespoons for each fillet. Using a soft-bristled brush, apply the oil to each fillet, thoroughly moistening fish and seasonings. Sprinkle generously with freshly ground pepper.
• Place fish in smokehouse at 160 degrees. After about one-half hour allow temperature to drop to 150 degrees, and then check smokehouse regularly to be sure that the temperature is maintained, at least within the range of 140 to 160 degrees. Smoke for three hours. Then add wood to the fire and bring temperature up to about 200 degrees. Smoke one-half hour longer.
• Serve chilled, sprinkled with lemon juice or accompanied by a mixture of sour cream, horseradish and a dash of tabasco.