One of my favorite childhood memories was rising with the dawn to go fishing at the Jersey Shore. I got my first fishing rod when I was about 7. It was green fiberglass, and I soon became quite adept at hooking bait, usually minnows or blood worms, casting out and reeling in. "Catch anything" was the phrase used among those who loved to fish off the rocks jutting out into the Atlantic Ocean.
Bluefish, flounder, weakfish and kingfish, which is also known as king whiting or king mackerel, inhabit the waters off the Jersey Shore. These were the fish I first enjoyed straight from the sea.
Bluefish is a meaty, oily fish that adapts to any number of recipes, especially those that contain acid. Thus, citrus juices, tomatoes and white wine enhance the rich flavor of bluefish.
Flounder, either whole or cut into fillets, is still popular and takes pride of place on some restaurant menus, especially fried or prepared Florentine. It has a mild, delicate flavor. When flounder is immaculately fresh and stuffed with jumbo lump crabmeat, it brings smiles all around the dinner table.
Weakfish and kingfish are not as well known as bluefish and flounder, especially outside the mid-Atlantic states. Kingfish has a texture and flavor akin to bluefish and can be used in any recipe that calls for local bluefish.
Don’t be put off by the deep, dark color of raw bluefish. When it is cooked, the flesh turns lighter in color. Bluefish is always sold as fillets because these swimmers are hefty guys.
Only buy bluefish fillets that have a nice sheen. If the fish looks dry, it has been sitting around for a while. Flounder fillets are snow white. Flute flounder fillets are a bit thicker than regular flounder fillets.
Since these fish dishes are so simple to prepare, you don’t need to fuss with the salads or side dishes. You can begin dinner with a platter of sliced fresh mozzarella with roasted red pepper strips, drizzled with extra-virgin olive oil; and a scattering of fresh fragrant basil leaves, along with a sprinkling of kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. A tossed green salad with your favorite vinaigrette, a loaf of bread, corn on the cob, a platter of sliced tomatoes and steamed asparagus round out dinner.
Here are recipes for Jersey bluefish and flounder.
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Bluefish with Mustard Sauce
Ingredients:
1/2 cup Dijon mustard
Juice of 1 lemon
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup dry white wine
1-1/2 pounds bluefish fillets
Lemon wedges to serve with the fish
Directions:
Preheat the broiler.
In a small bowl, whisk together the mustard, lemon juice, kosher salt, pepper and wine. Spray the broiler pan with nonstick spray. Place the bluefish fillets on the broiler pan. Spoon the mustard sauce over the bluefish. Broil for about eight to 10 minutes depending on the thickness of the fish.
Serve with lemon wedges.
Serves four.
Note from Phyllis: You can also bake the bluefish in a 400-degree oven for about 20 minutes. Check for doneness, as all oven temperatures differ.
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Bluefish Proven�al
Ingredients:
4 fat cloves of garlic, minced
3 medium-sized ripe tomatoes, seeded and diced
Small handful pitted black olives such as Gaeta, kalamata or Moroccan, sliced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 cup dry white wine
Small handful Italian parsley leaves, snipped with scissors
1-1/2 pounds bluefish fillets
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
In a small bowl, whisk together the garlic, chopped tomatoes, olives, salt, pepper and wine.
Place the bluefish fillets in a glass baking dish. Spoon the sauce over the fish. Bake for about 20 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish. Garnish the fish with the parsley.
Serves four.
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Flounder Florentine
Ingredients:
2 (8-ounce) bags fresh baby spinach leaves
1 tablespoon olive oil
1-1/2 pounds fillet of flounder
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Hungarian sweet paprika
Lemon wedges to serve with the fish
Small handful Italian parsley leaves, snipped with scissors
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Place the spinach leaves in a bowl and pour hot water over them. Drain well and squeeze out as much liquid as you can. Place the leaves back into the bowl. Add the olive oil and blend well.
Spray a cookie sheet or baking pan with nonstick spray. Place a bit of spinach in the center of a flounder fillet. Wrap the fillet up to form a package. Repeat until all the fillets have been stuffed with the spinach. Place the flounder fillets, seam side down, on the cookie sheet or baking pan. Sprinkle with kosher salt, pepper and paprika. Bake in the oven for about 10 minutes as fillet of flounder is not a particularly thick fish. Check for doneness; you might have to bake the fish five minutes more.
Serves four.
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Fried Fillet of Flounder
Ingredients:
2 eggs, beaten
Panko breadcrumbs for dredging the flounder
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Vegetable oil for frying
1-1/2 pounds flounder fillets, patted dry with paper towels
Lemon wedges to serve with the flounder
Tartar sauce and chili sauce to serve with the flounder
Directions:
Dip a fillet of flounder into the beaten egg. Coat well with panko breadcrumbs. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place the fillet on a large platter. Repeat until all the fillets have been dipped into the beaten egg and coated with the crumbs.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the fillets and fry about three minutes or so on each side. The breadcrumbs will turn golden brown.
Serves four.
Note from Phyllis: Panko are Asian-style breadcrumbs. They provide a nice crispy coating for all sorts of fish and shellfish. Panko breadcrumbs look like shredded coconut and can be found in Asian stores and markets and at Spice Terminal in the Reading Terminal Market.
