Article by Mary Jock
Baked Bluefish with Tomato and Dill
4 bluefish fillets
1 1/2 TBSP olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Juice of one large lemon
3 tomatoes, chopped
2 stalks celery, sliced thin
2 TBSP dill, chopped
1/4 cup plain dry bread crumbs
Preheat oven to 425-degrees.
Place the fillets on a large baking dish or jelly roll pan.
Brush the fish with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper and lemon juice.
Place the tomatoes and celery on top of the fish.
Sprinkle with dill.
Scatter the bread crumbs evenly over the fish.
Bake for about 16 to 20 minutes or until cooked through.
If the surface needs browning, place the pan under the broiler for a minute or two.
Lobster Roll Pizza
12 oz. roughly chopped cooked lobster
1/2 cup loosely packed flat-leaf parsley leaves, coarsely chopped
2 TBSP fresh tarragon leaves, coarsely chopped
2 small garlic cloves, grated
2 tsp. lemon zest
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice, divided
1 large celery stalk, chopped
1 TBSP celery leaves, divided
3/4 tsp. kosher salt, divided
6 oz. mascarpone cheese
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
Coarse cornmeal
1 pizza dough or Pillsbury pizza crust
2 TBSP unsalted butter, melted
4 oz. mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)
2 oz. Havarti cheese, shredded (about 1/2 cup)
1 TBSP fresh chives, chopped
Place a cast iron pizza pan or a pizza stone in oven and preheat to 500-degrees.
Put parsley and tarragon leaves into a small bowl.
Add garlic, lemon zest, chopped celery stalk and 1/2 tsp. of the salt. Stir to combine and set aside.
Stir together mascarpone cheese, mayonnaise, black pepper, red pepper, lemon juice and remaining 1/4 tsp. of salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
Line a rimless baking sheet with parchment paper and sprinkle with cornmeal.
Place pizza dough on parchment paper and stretch into a 14x8-inch oval.
Brush melted butter over the dough.
Spread mascarpone mixture evenly over dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border.
Sprinkle mozzarella and Havarti cheeses evenly over mascarpone mixture.
Top evenly with lobster.
Carefully slide pizza onto preheated pizza pan or stone and bake in until golden brown, about 10 minutes.
Remove from oven and let stand 5 minutes.
Sprinkle evenly with parsley mixture, chives and celery leaves.
Serve in 8 pieces.
Grilled Weakfish
over Basil
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
2 large weakfish fillets
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 big bunches basil, about 1 lb. total
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 TBSP white wine vinegar
Heat grill, preferably with hardwood charcoal fuel.
Brush grates with a TBSP of olive oil.
Place fillets on a platter and brush both sides of each with 1 1/2 TBSP olive oil.
Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Remove 1/4 cup basil leaves from bunches and chop very fine.
Mix chopped basil and garlic with remaining oil.
Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
When grill is hot, place grates about 4-inches above heat.
Pile remaining basil across grates, covering just enough area to hold fish.
Place fillets, skin side up, on bed of basil.
Allow to cook until most of basil is shriveled and burned, about 5 to 7 minutes. Fillets should be cooked at least halfway through at their thickest point.
Use one or two large spatulas to flip fish fillets off basil, onto their skin side and directly on grill.
Scrape most of burned basil out of the way.
Continue grilling until fish is just cooked through and skin is crisp, 8 to 10 minutes longer.
Lift fillets off grill and transfer them, skin side down, to a serving platter.
Remove any burned bits of basil.
Add vinegar to basil and oil mixture and drizzle over fish.
Serve immediately.
Pan-Seared Tuna with Wasabi-Butter Sauce
6 tuna steaks, 1-inch thick
2 TBSP white wine vinegar
10 oz. white wine
1/4 cup shallots, minced
1 TBSP wasabi paste
1 TBSP soy sauce
1 cup unsalted butter, cubed
Salt and black pepper to taste
1 TBSP olive oil, or as needed
1 cup cilantro leaves, chopped
Combine the white wine vinegar, white wine and shallots in a small saucepan over medium heat.
Simmer until the liquid is reduced to about 2 TBSP.
Strain out shallots and discard. Return liquid to the pan.
Stir the wasabi and soy sauce into the reduction in the pan.
Over low heat, gradually whisk in butter, one cube at a time, allowing the mixture to emulsify. Be careful not to let the mixture boil.
When all of the butter has been incorporated, stir in cilantro and remove from heat.
Pour into a small bowl and set aside.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Brush tuna steaks with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Place in the hot skillet and sear for 2 to 3 minutes on each side or to your desired doneness.
Serve with sauce.
Sea Bass with
Honeyed Apples
4 sea bass fillets
4 apples, peeled, cored and cut into thin wedges
1/2 cup margarine, divided
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
2 cups dried bread crumbs?
1 egg, beaten
Melt 1/4 cup of the margarine in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Fry the apples in the margarine until tender.
Stir in the honey, reduce heat and keep warm.
In a shallow bowl, mix together flour, salt and pepper.
Place bread crumbs in another shallow bowl and egg in a third bowl.
Melt the remaining 1/4 cup of margarine in a large skillet over medium heat.
Dredge the fish in the seasoned flour. Dip in egg and then coat with bread crumbs.
Place the coated fillets in the hot skillet and cook for about 3 to 4 minutes per side. The fillets should be nicely browned and they should flake easily with a fork.
Place fish on a serving dish and spoon the apples with honey over the top of each fillet.
Grilled Striped Bass with Roasted Salsa
For the rub:
2 tsp. pure chile powder
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. granulated garlic
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 striped bass steaks, cut 1-inch thick
Extra virgin olive oil
For the salsa:
4 medium plum tomatoes, cored and quartered
1/2 cup red onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup lightly packed fresh cilantro
1 to 2 jalapeños, stemmed, quartered, and seeded
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
1 TBSP fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp. pure chile powder
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Preheat charcoal grill until ashes are grey.
Mix together the rub ingredients in a small bowl.
Lightly coat the fish with oil and season evenly with the rub. Refrigerate until ready to grill.
In a large bowl, mix all of the salsa ingredients.
Pile salsa ingredients on a large sheet of aluminum foil and then fold in the edges to make a sealed packet.
Place the foil packet with the salsa ingredients directly over the coals and grill until the tomatoes are soft, about 10 minutes.
Remove the packet from the grill, open the foil, and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes.
Pour the contents of the packet into a food processor or blender and pulse just enough to make a chunky salsa.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Clean and oil the cooking grate of the grill.
Place the steaks directly over the coals, cover and let cook for 5 minutes.
Carefully flip the steaks and continue to cook until fish is just opaque in the center, another 2 to 3 minutes.
Remove the fish from the grill and let sit for 5 minutes.
Top steaks with the salsa.
Pan-Seared Flounder with Fried Rosemary and Garlic
2 flounder fillets
1 TBSP olive oil
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
3 rosemary sprigs
Salt and pepper, to taste
Paprika, to taste
Lemon wedges
Heat the olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat.
Add the garlic and rosemary.
Cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. The garlic should be browned.
Transfer garlic and rosemary to a bowl using a slotted spoon. Reserve the oil in the pan.
Sprinkle the fish with salt, pepper, and paprika.
Add the fish to the pan and cook for 3 minutes on each side..
Plate fish and top with even amounts of the garlic and rosemary.
Serve with lemon wedges.
Serves 2.
Grilled Wahoo
with Cherry Tomatoes
2 wahoo fillets
1 small red onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 TBSP olive oil
1 pint of cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1/2 cup white wine
1 lemon, sliced thinly
Salt & pepper to taste
Fresh parsley, chopped for garnish
Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.
Add onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
Mix in garlic and saute for another minute.
Add 2 cups of water, tomatoes, wine and lemon slices.
Bring mixture to a boil.
Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
Add fish to the liquid and cover.
Cook for about 15 minutes or until fish is cooked through.
Remove fish and place in a bowl.
Remove tomatoes and lemon slices and distribute between the bowls.
Cover with foil to keep warm.
Increase heat to high and reduce the liquid, about 5 to 10 minutes.
Pour liquid over fish and serve with parsley.
