Baked Bluefish

The first time I encountered bluefish was in the Massachusetts kitchen of my friend Jill. Her famously unflappable son John was practically beside himself with anticipation of diving into one of the fillets his mom had prepared.

I had never heard of bluefish, which are indeed blue, both outside and in. They’re an east coast fish, we don’t have them on the west coast. Their season is short and they spoil very quickly, so you have to get them fresh and eat them right away. Bluefish are considered sport fishing fish because they are so aggressive.

 

Oddly to me, the fish isn’t that popular to eat. Perhaps because if it’s good it’s great, and if it’s off, it’s really rank. In any case, it can be had cheaply. I bought this big fillet for $2.79 a pound. The bill came to $1.89, which is just unheard of for good fish where I live. The fish is an oily fish, so if you like canned tuna, sardines, mackerel, you’ll be right at home with bluefish. Otherwise, stick to cod or sole.

My goddaughter Piper LOVES bluefish.

For this preparation of bluefish, we’ve baked it in foil with lemon, butter, herbs, and a little white wine. The lemon is particularly important to cut the fattiness of the fish. Bluefish is also excellent grilled or smoked. Do you like bluefish? How do you prepare it?

Baked Bluefish Recipe

You can also add a layer of thinly sliced fennel to the fish.

Ingredients

• One bluefish fillet (1/2 pound to 1 pound)
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 3 to 5 very thin slices of fresh lemon
• 3 pats of butter (about a teaspoon each)
• Several sprigs of fresh herbs such as tarragon, thyme, fennel fronds, and/or parsley (or a teaspoon of dried herbs such as Italian seasoning or Herbes de Provence)
• 3 Tbsp dry white wine
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice

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