Any Suggestions for cooking Bluefish?

Retired RailRoader

I went fishing with a few friends last night and we caught alot of bluefish. Now I have never eaten bluefish but I understand that this is a very oily and gamey tasting fish. I am thinking of rubbing it in lime juice with a coating of either Tsunami Spin or Raging River and then cooking it slow (300) with some alder chips. Any other suggestions or ideas so that I can make this fish tasty for Mrs. RailRoader?

katman

RetiredRailroader,
Your approach ought to work. Another option is to "bake" in the egg with some lemon, sliced tomato and capers. I also like to soak them in a sweet brine (use brown sugar) and then coat with coarse black pepper and slow smoke till the flesh is fairly dry--not jerky dry but very firm. Sprinkle with lemon and eat cold for a great snack with crackers.

Retired RailRoader

katman,
How do you make your brine and how long do you let it soak?

katman

Retired RailRoader,
Sort of depends on the size of the fish and who is going to be eating them. I'm usually not trying to preserve the fish, so I've reduce the salt level in my brine to about 1 heaping cup per gallon to satisfy people who want to minimize salt intake. A lot of people put two cups per gallon or add salt to water "till an egg floats." I add about 1/2 cup brown sugar per gallon. I like about 12 to 24 hours in the brine. Rinse the fish. Sometimes, with skin-on fillets I let them "air dry" (I use a fan to speed up the process) till they sort of get a light skin on the surface. Then I slow smoke indirect. I like to use alder or apple. Pretty sure you have a guru so try to get your temp at the grid at about 185-200. I like mine to get firm enough so that after they are chilled I can pull good sized chunks of fish off the skin. Dill/sour cream (or yogurt)sauce or a little fresh lemon and capers and you have a nice meal.[p]I smoke smaller "snapper" blues whole. I just scale them and cut the gills out before putting them in the brine.

Retired RailRoader

katman,
Thank you very much.

Smokin Joe

RetiredRailroader,
I grew up in NJ and fished for blues as a kid. They are oily, but that is okay. One way to tame the "oil" is to soak the fillets in milk over night or 24 hours. Another way is to cut the brown meat out of the filets (although this does give you many smaller-ish fillets). [p]I haven't had or cooked blues in a while, but pre-egg I would soak in milk (see above), rinse, cook on a (gulp) gas grill (there I said it) - wrapped in foil with some butter, fresh cut pepper, onions and tomatoes and some seasoning. [p]If I have some now I would cook on the egg, raised grid, direct about 300* in a foil boat (not completely wrapped) with seasoning and veggies of choice. Probably throw in a chunk of guava, alder or apple.[p]Good Luck with it! Joe

fishlessman

RetiredRailroader,
ive never cooked chowder on the egg before, but i would make a chowder and see how it goes.