Often when I'm fishing, people catch bluefish or skate and throw them back. I always run over and ask to keep one or two. Bluefish are quick and easy to fabricate and a delicious dinner to prepare when I get back home from fishing all day.
I prefer simply dredging in seasoned flour and frying pieces in olive oil & butter mixed together. Perfect with cold beer or white wine!

Cooking Bluefish

I've always loved catching bluefish. A lot of people tell me they don't like the taste of bluefish. I think they don't clean the fish properly or simply don't understand how to cook bluefish.

I've actually begun to freeze bluefish, and defrost and cook later in the year. I was pleasantly surprised to learn how good it is after freezing!


All sizes of bluefish are aggressive, give a nice fight and taste great. I remember catching small 'snapper blues' in Maine on crocodile lures-you can deep fry the whole fish- absolutely delicious.

I love to fish on the surf for fluke, when the bluefish come in to the surf, the baitfish cover the beach as they try to swim away from the bluefish. It's wild to fish in this fracas.

Cooking Bluefish

Prep Time: 30 min

Cooking Time: 20 min

Yield: 4 portions


Ingredients                                          

2  qts.          Olive Oil or Butter

1 lb               Bluefish; scaled, cleaned and thoroughly rinsed

1/2 tsp        Kosher Salt                                       

t.t.                Black pepper                 

1 Cup.         AP flour


If breading and frying:

2 ea            Eggs, cracked-whisked

2 Cups      Breadcrumbs, seasoned if you like

2 ea           Lemon, quartered

 

Spicy Bluefish with Peppers 'Warm Salad'

3 Tbsp        Olive oil

4 Tbsp       Red Bell Peppers

4 Tbsp       Bell Peppers

4 Tbsp       Onions

2 Tbsp      Scallions, sliced thinly

2 Tbsp     Cider Vinegar

2 Tbsp     Capers

How to Prepare Bluefish

Step 1

Clean the fish fillets of all blood line, discard; pat dry with paper towels. You can leave whole to pan fry or deep fry, cut in to fillets or cut into 2 inch squares.


Season the with salt and pepper.



Step 2 Fried Breaded Fish

Place the seasoned fish squares in to a bowl and pour the flour over it, toss to evenly coat.

Pour the eggs over the floured fish and evenly coat, using a rubber spatula (or your fingers).


Finally pour the breadcrumbs over the fish and toss, covering each piece with breadcrumbs. You should lightly squeeze each finger so it's covered tightly with the breadcrumbs-add more breadcrumbs if needed. Fry in hot oil until golden brown.





Step 3 Sweating the Peppers and Onions

Heat the oil in a sauté pan, add the peppeprs, onions and garlic, cook for about 5 minutes until lightly browning and softened. Add the vinegar and herbs; season to taste and toss with the fried bluefish pieces. Serve immediately with pluches of cilantro to garnish.







Meunière style

This is a picture of bluefish fillets simply seasoned and dredged in flour, then sautéed in butter.








Pan fried Bluefish

This is a picture of cleaned, whole bluefish seasoned and dredged in flour, then pan frie in oil and butter.

Beginners recipe: Vegetable Stock

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Paella

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Paella is a Mediterranean dish originating in the Valencia region of Spain. It is a humble meal, originally cooked on an open fire. I’ve enjoyed many wonderful paella meals in Spain. In Valencia I had a local paella with rabbit, snails and local beans. Short-grained rice is always used to prepare Paella, there are several great Spanish varieties like Bomba and Calasparra , prized for absorbing the delicious, flavorful stock and flavors of the ingredients without getting mushy. This is important for creating the dish's signature, crusty bottom layer called the socarrat. Paella is all about the rice!

Copy of Beginners Recipe: Breakfast Burrito

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I still remember cooking breakfast burritos with my son Daniel, for volunteer workers at church events—simple, hearty, and made to fuel a long day of service. The workers were always so appreciative. Years later, I served a crowd favorite, nicknamed “The Bacon-ator,” a breakfast superstar inspired by the over-the-top spirit of fast-food indulgence. We had a popular food booth at the local country fair, where we cooked hundreds of breakfast burritos each day-stuffed with Mexican cheeses, extra bacon, fluffy scrambled eggs, and fresh salsa—nothing pre-made, nothing rushed. Every burrito was warm, fresh, and full of flavor. When food is made with love, even the most straightforward breakfast is memorable. 

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