Black and Bluefish

With chopper blues making an unusual inshore appearance this spring, you might be looking for a new recipe that will work with fillets that tend to be a bit on the oily side.  One of my favorite recipes for bluefish is borrowed from the Caribbean, where hot and spicy are standard fare.

4 fresh Bluefish Filets
¼ cup Olive Oil
Blackened Spice Mix
2 tbsp. Sweet paprika
2 tsp Onion powder
2 tsp Garlic powder
1 tsp Powdered Cayenne pepper
1 ½  tsp White pepper
1 ½  tsp Black pepper
1 tbsp. Thyme; dried
2 tsp Oregano; dried

Caper Sauce  – combine all ingredients and refrigerate until served
3 tbsp.    Capers  (drained and chopped)
½ C    Mayonnaise
¼ C    Honey
2 tbsp.    Dijon-style mustard

After removing skin, bones and the dark meat that runs down the lateral flank of the fish, cut fillets to approximately 4 x 4 inches.  Coat both sides of the fillets generously with olive oil. After oiling, liberally sprinkle spice mix on both sides of the fillets and place them immediately in a hot, cast iron skillet.  Sear on each side on a high setting until the spice coating on the filet is blackened.  Serve with caper sauce on the side.  Outdoor cooking is recommended due to the “tear gas like” fumes created by the high temperatures and cayenne pepper. If you cook in the kitchen, be sure to have  the exhaust fan over the stove running on high or window wide open.  While true lovers of blackened fish look forward to the peppery bite of the spices, others may prefer a milder spice mix.   If you or someone you are cooking for does not enjoy the heat, simply eliminate the Cayenne from the spice mix.

Serve with Moros y Christianos (aka black beans and rice) and fried plantains for an real taste of the islands.
Bob Jones