August Recipe: Chip's Grilled Bluefish

My husband and my birthdays are 6 days apart and for our birthday present this year, my parents took us on a fishing charter out of Norwalk, CT into the Long Island Sound. We had such a good time and learned a lot from Captain Frank. www.judithlynncharters.com/index.html

We fished for fluke (summer flounder), bluefish, lobsters, and crabs. (Unfortunately, the lobster was too small and had to be thrown back.) I was the first one to catch a fish (go me!). It was unfortunately an inch smaller than is allowed, so it went back (bummer! but I still get the title for First Fish! =).

I was really excited to get fluke, as I really like flounder. I wasn't so excited to get bluefish. I remember bluefish as being one of my fav fishes as a child, but made it a few years ago and it just didn't do anything for me. At the end of the fishing trip, we ended up with about 4 lbs. of both. Turned out the bluefish was 10x better! We froze most of the fish and just finished the rest of it last week (October). We used the below recipe found on http://www.recipezaar.com/ on both of the fish and also passed it to my parents, as they had just as much fish as we did!

INGREDIENTS:
1 lb bluefish fillet, with the skin on
3/4 cup Hellman's mayonnaise (not fat free)
1-2 large onions, cut into 1/4 to 1/2 inch slices
2 tsp fresh lemon juice, to taste
pepper
Old Bay Seasoning or cajun seasoning (optional)

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat Grill.
2. Lay pieces of Bluefish, skin side down, on UNGREASED aluminum foil.
3. Allow enough foil to make a package, sealed at the ends and folded at the top, allowing room for fish to steam.
4. Spread mayonnaise over the top of the fish, it should be very thick, if needed add more, the fish should look like a thickly frosted cake.
5. Lay onion rings on top of fish in several layers, sprinkle with seasonings.
6. Sprinkle with pepper and optional spices, drizzle lemon juice over top.
7. Bring together foil and fold to make a seal lengthwise over fish, fold in ends.
8. Remember to keep air space on top of fish.
9. Place fish on preheated grill, close cover.
10. Grill at medium-high heat, about 350-375 for 15 minutes, depending on thickness if fillet.
11. After 15 minutes, carefully open package to check for doneness, you want it just barely done.
12. Fish is done if it is opaque and flakes easily with a fork.
13. Leaving foil wide open, use a sharp knife or two tined fork to make several holes in the bottom of the foil.
14. Without disturbing the fish too much, make a few holes right through the fish and through the foil.
15. Close the cover to the grill and allow the juices and mayonnaise to drip through the foil onto the fire, this will get very smokey but you get that delicate smoked flavor.
16. After a few minutes of "smoking", remove foil and fish by just sliding if off the grill on to a platter or lifting it, foil and all carefully as not to break it.
17. Using a large spatula, gently slide fish off the foil onto a serving plate, the skin of the fish will stay stuck to the foil.

Review: Well, we obviously used the recipe more than once, so we like it! This helped keep the fish moist and flavorful. The recipe says to "frost or ice" the fish in mayo. I actually found this to be way too much mayo the first time around - it just didn't completely "melt" and was still residual, so I cut it down substantially the second time around and just put a thin layer on top. Also, I didn't use the Old Bay Seasoning the first time (didn't have it), but bought it and used it the 2nd time and really enjoyed the flavor on the fish. Captain Frank had skinned the fish when we got back to the dock, so I didn't have the skin on, but don't think this overall affected the fish, except when made on the grill (where it stuck to the foil). The second time I did it in the oven and it was fine without the skin (not burned or sticking to the foil, of course, I think I may have sprayed the foil with cooking spray to avoid this the 2nd time around =). Enjoy!