Great fish and how to Barbeque or grill???

[The Squire]

Bluefish and Striped Bass and Fluke/Flounder grilling or Barbequeing????

Haven't visited in a while due to loads of fishing here on the North Shore, Smithtown, L.I.

I have a question to you pro's and Novice's out there. I fish for these 3 fish and usually get Blues and Stripers mostly. Blues are very oily and I've tried EVERYTHING to get the oil out of them, dont like em.

However...is there any great way to Grill OR Barbeque a keeper Striped Bass and or Fluke/Flounder???? We're always talking about meats and poultry and brisket I figure what the hay...lol...it's great fishing season from now till November up here, better in the Fall I must say.

So far caught a 28" Blue in June and a 24" at the end of June. I catch and release unless it's a keeper bass or Fluke.

What are some GREAT ways to turn these catches into a great cooking experience outside?

Baked Flounder fillet's Dijon is all I haveinside and in the oven:
4 tbsp's melted butter, 2tbsps Dijon Mustard, 1 tbsps fresh lemon juice, 2 tsb Worcestshires sauce, a little of fresh or dried parsley, lemon wedges. Oven at 450*.

Blend Butter, Worc. sauce, lemon Juice, Dijon Mus., spread mixture on fish in Pyrex baking dish and cook for 7 minutes. AWESOME DISH! use lemon wedges and Parsley as you'd like when dish is OUT of the oven.

I know this works on Fluke but how bout some alternative Grillin' or Barbi' for these fish, guys and gals?

Thanks!

 

[Smokin Gator]

My first choice for the stripers and flounder is to fry 'em. It doesn't get much better than that. We call stipers river chicken down here.

The blues I would head and gut then split down the spine but leave the two sides connected. Lay them out flat on the smoker and smoke until the meat is very firm and almost looks dry. The few blues I have kept I bleed them immediately and then smoke them this way. They aren't bad. What I like better is to use the smoked meat for fish dip. Now that is great stuff.

My absolute favorite flounder recipe is to take a large fillet and put it on a greased backing sheet. Make a blue crab stuffing and put a couple of big spoonfuls on the fillet. Then take two small strips of fillet and lay them on top of the crab stuffing but kind of along the sides so the middle is open. Drizzle some butter and lemon juice along the top. Then bake at 375 until the top is getting a little browned. Top with a bernaise sauce and watch 'em fall all over themselves to get another piece!!!

 

[RevZiLLa]

I had a bunch of mackarel to work with on a trip to Maine once. Same oily problem. Best I could do was to put them into milk overnight to mellow them out.

After a good long soak, cook any way you like. I would try them at 200* in the smoker over apple wood 'till they get to an internal temp of 140*. Still, bluefish is what it is....

 

[qman]

Gator's method on blues is spot-on. When he says bleed them immediately, I am sure he means "like within seconds of boating them". That is the way we always did it.
We would then smoke them as he says, just like we did mullet.

 

[boatnut]

not sure on the blues but I catch a lot of freshwater striper in Lake Cumberland, KY. I always just keep it simple. when filleting, cut out every bit of red meat you see leaving just the white fillets. then simply coat lightly with olive oil and season with lemon pepper, lawry's etc and grill on hot fire. I never fry them.

 

[Ron_L]

I've never tried Blues since they don't seem to do well in Lake Michigan :roll: but Lake trout is an oily fish and they work great in a fish boil. Here's a pretty traditional recipe form Door County, Wisconsin...

http://www.lakemichiganangler.com/recipes/fish/door_county_fish_boil.htm

It may be worth a try.

 

[The Squire]

Thanks all!

 

[BBQchef33]

for blues if u leave them whole, clean them well and then pack them with a quick salsa made with with diced onions, tomatoes, cilantro and lime(w/pulp) and juice and whatever seasonings u want. Cook high heat 325+ about 30-45 minutes. the wife likes them this way..

i prefer to filet them and lay the fillets on a piece of foil and cover with lemon pepper, cilantro(or parsley), a few pads of butter, and a few slices of lime.

After they are 90% cooked, I retain the juices in the foil and gently place the fillets on the grill(I use a grill pan for fish) for a minute or 2. This dries out the oils a bit and changes the texture a bit to a little more crispy/flaky.


Where TF u fishing? I havent caught anything out of the smithtown beaches.. Best Ive done so far is out at baiting hollow for Blacks or Shinnecock for stripers right at the locks. Caught one keeper blue all season out under smiths point bridge, but buddies have had better luck out at JB inlets off the boats.

 

[ibait2fish]

Not familiar with bluefish, personally, but if they are mor than 3-4" thick,
then this should work...
3 methods...

1) Pan seared---used in many fine restaurants...
Heat olive oil in a heaey skillet to smoking.
Place fish in skin side done...3-4 minutes...if thicker, then longer.
flip fish...1 min..
place skillet into a 360 deg. oven...till done...(usually 10-14 min.)
NOTE...this does not work well for thin fillets/fish!
2) grilled/broiled...
Score the skin side of the fish...depending on thickness, the cuts
should be 1/2 to 1 1/2" apart...1/4- 3/4" deep
Grill (medium hot heat) skin side UP
Broil skin side DOWN
Approx..5-6min for a 3-4" thick fish...
The slits are you thermometer...
Lift lid...pull broiler pan, etc...
The bottom of the cuts should show rare/raw...if not back in
flip the fish...
2-4 min it's done...remove to a plate, cover...10min...serve.

3) bake/microwave...
350 deg. oven......just put it skin side down...season...bake untill
the fluid from the fish turns opaque...or...
place the fish in a microwave safe pan...add 1 stick
butter...microwave on high4-6 min (adjust for the size of fish)
let stand for 5.

The whitefish boils I never did like...kinda like toe cheese after a hot
shower...they're better smoked...
Lake trout's a little better, but, again, better seasoned/smoked...
Hope this helps!

 

[Puppyboy]

I've only smoked catfish.

 

[CarbonToe]

I had a bunch of mackarel to work with on a trip to Maine once. Same oily problem. Best I could do was to put them into milk overnight to mellow them out.

Living on the coast, we have loads of fresh Mackerel. Brighton even has a Mackerel Fayre on the last Sunday of May (It was on the 27th this year) where you meet up on the beach and pig out on loads of Mackerel, the nets get blessed and loads of music is played.

The best way of cooking it is over a high heat on the grill. Gut and Clean fish, sprinkle with salt & pepper and grill until cooked. If you don't like the oily texture a good sprinkle with Malt vinegar will calm it down. Just eat the fish in a french stick. Simplicity.

Mind those bones.... :shock: