Article by Mama Jock
Marinated Sea Bass
3-4 sea bass fillets
½ tsp. red pepper
½ tsp. cumin
1 TBSP. sugar
½ tsp. coriander
3 TBSP. white vinegar
2 tsp. garlic powder
2 medium onions, diced
¼ cup oil
1 (16 oz.) can tomato sauce
Cube fish into 2x2 pieces or smaller.
Mix together the next 6 ingredients to form a paste.
Marinate cubes of fish in this mixture for 1 hour.
Heat the oil in a large skillet. Fry the diced onions until golden brown; add the tomato sauce to the onions and simmer for 10 minutes.
Add fish and marinade. Simmer 15 minutes.
Serves 4.
Poached Striped Bass
1 ½ lbs. striper fillets
¼ cup Vermouth
2 bay leaves
10 peppercorns
Salt
2 TBSP. butter
½ cup cucumber, finely chopped
¼ cup celery, finely chopped
¼ cup onion, finely chopped
2 TBSP. flour
2 TBSP. orange juice
2 TBSP. minced parsley
Bring Vermouth, bay leaves, peppercorns, ½ tsp. salt and enough water to cover the fillets to the boiling point; boil for 5 minutes.
Cut the fillets into 4 serving pieces and add to the boiling water. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes, until fillets flake.
Drain and keep warm on a serving platter.
Melt butter in a frying pan and saute cucumber, celery and onion until soft, but not brown.
Blend in flour, then 1 cup of the poaching liquid.
Just before serving, add the orange juice and season to taste.
Pour over fillets and sprinkle with the parsley.
Serves 4.
Spicy Fried Sea Bass with Garlic Sauce
1 TBSP. spicy chili powder
2 TBSP. minced cilantro
½ tsp. ground coriander
½ tsp. ground cardamom
½ tsp. dry mustard
½ tsp. cayenne pepper
¼ tsp. ground black pepper
1 tsp. salt
1 TBSP. white wine, or rice vinegar, or lemon juice
Peanut or vegetable oil
4 sea bass fillets, skinned and cut in half
2 TBSP. minced garlic
1 TBSP. peeled and minced fresh ginger
1 TBSP. soy-sauce
¾ cup chicken or fish stock
1 cup flour
1 cup warm water
1 TBSP. cornstarch dissolved in ¼ cup stock
Mix together the first nine ingredients in a bowl with enough oil to make a paste.
Spread this over the sea bass and let them sit on a rack while you proceed with the recipe.
Heat ½ inch of oil in a large deep-sided skillet over medium high heat.
Heat 1 TBSP. of oil in a small saucepan, medium low heat; cook garlic and ginger until garlic has some color.
Add soy sauce and stock. Simmer for about 5 minutes and turn off the heat.
When the oil in the skillet is hot, mix together the flour and water forming a paste.
Dip fillets in this batter and place in skillet.
Raise the heat to high and cook fish until crisp.
Heat the stock mixture until boiling, turn down the heat.
Add the cornstarch mixture and stir until thickened.
Serve fish with sauce.
Serves 4.
Flounder Casserole
1 ½ lbs. flounder fillets
Salt and pepper
4 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
2 TBSP. chopped parsley
3 TBSP. mayonnaise
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
2 cups long grain rice
2 cups broccoli, steamed for 5 minutes
1 cup light cream
½ cup chicken stock
¼ cup dry sherry
Dash of red pepper
Salt and pepper
Sprinkle flounder fillets with salt and pepper.
Mix eggs, parsley, mayonnaise and mustard and spread on the fillets.
Roll the fillets and secure with toothpicks.
Combine broccoli and rice.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Place the fish rolls in a buttered dish.
Spoon the vegetable/rice mixture around the rolls.
Mix the cream, stock, sherry and red pepper.
Pour it over the fish and rice mixture.
Cover and bake in a preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes.
If the dish becomes a little dry, add a little more stock.
Serves 4.
Bluefish Fillets in Sour Cream
4 TBSP. butter
1 TBSP. vegetable or olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 TBSP. paprika
Pinch of dried thyme
1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper to taste
½ cup dry white wine
1 lb. bluefish, skin removed
1 cup sour cream
Cooked rice, brown or white
Minced parsley for garnish
Melt the butter and oil in a heavy skillet over medium-low heat.
Add the onion; cook until soft.
Add the paprika, thyme, bay leaf, salt and pepper.
Stir in the wine and raise the heat to reduce the liquid a little.
Add the fillets; cook gently until the fish is white throughout, about 8 minutes.
Turn the heat to low and add the sour cream. Do not boil.
Serve over the rice and garnish with the parsley.
Serves 2.
Flounder with Black Olive Salsa
3 plum tomatoes
1 small can black olives, drained and chopped
¼ cup green onion, finely chopped
3 TBSP. chopped cilantro
1 medium jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped
1 ½ TBSP. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 TBSP. lime juice
¼ tsp. salt
4 flounder fillets, patted dry
½ tsp. chili powder
¼ tsp. seasoned salt
1 medium lime, cut into 4 wedges
Combine first 5 ingredients, 1 ½ tsp. lime juice and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.
Sprinkle both sides of fillets with chili powder and salt.
Heat remaining 1 TBSP. oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
Add fillets; cook, turning once until opaque in center.
Serve with tomato-olive salsa and lime wedges.
Serves 4.
Herbed Tuna Steaks
3 sprigs rosemary, leaves stripped
6 sprigs thyme, leaves stripped
3 scallions
3 TBSP. extra-virgin olive oil
2 center-cut tuna steaks
Salt and pepper
Coarsely chop the rosemary, thyme and scallions.
Transfer to a small bowl and mix with 1 TBSP. olive oil.
Season the tuna all over with salt and pepper and put in a shallow bowl.
Coat with herb mixture on both sides; cover and refrigerate 1 to 4 hours.
Heat the remaining 2 TBSP. olive oil in a large skillet over high heat.
Add the tuna and sear until golden, 2 to 3 minutes per side for medium rare.
Transfer to cutting board and let rest 5 minutes before slicing.
Serves 4 to 6.
Crispy Weakfish Fillets on Mashed Potatoes
2 lbs. starchy potatoes, mashed with 3 TBSP butter and ¼ cup milk and seasoned with salt and pepper
6 TBSP. butter
2 TBSP. olive oil
1 cup flour, seasoned with salt and pepper
4 weakfish fillets, skin on
2 TBSP. minced shallot
1 cup dry white wine or any stock
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
3 TBSP. minced parsley
Keep mashed potatoes warm in low oven or set aside and microwave before serving.
Heat 2 TBSP. of butter and the oil over medium heat in a 12-inch skillet that has a lid.
When the butter melts, dip each fillet in the milk and dredge the skin side in the flour (the top should not be floured).
When the butter foam subsides, place the fillets, skin down, in the skillet.
Cover and cook 5 minutes, undisturbed.
The fillets should be white on the top and a crisp bottom; if not cook for 2 more minutes.
Remove and keep in a warm oven.
Raise the heat; cook shallot, stirring occasionally in the fat remaining in pan until softened.
Add the wine; stir for 1 minute or so.
Stir in the mustard and parsley; cook for 30 seconds.
Add remaining butter; stir until sauce is smooth.
Spoon some mashed potatoes onto a plate, top with fillets and spoon some of the sauce over all.
Serves 4.
Roasted Bluefish Fillets with Eggplant Caponata
2 lbs. eggplant
1 medium roasted red pepper
1 cup olive oil
2 ribs celery, diced
l large red onion, sliced
1 medium zucchini, diced
¼ lb. calamata olives
5 TBSP. capers
2 large fresh tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 TBSP. tomato paste dissolved in ¼ cup warm water
2 lbs. bluefish fillets, skin removed
Salt and pepper to taste
¼ cup red wine vinegar
1 TBSP. sugar
Slice the eggplant into rounds, salt liberally; set in a colander and let drain for 30 minutes.
Pat the eggplant dry; cut into ½ inch dice.
Heat ½ cup oil in a large skillet; cook the eggplant, stirring occasionally, until very tender.
Remove from pan.
Heat another ¼ cup oil in same pan and cook the celery and onion, stirring until limp.
Add the zucchini, red pepper, olives, capers, tomatoes and dissolved tomato paste.
Stir to combine, cover and cook over low heat for 10 minutes.
Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
Brush both sides of the fillets with the remaining oil.
Place them on a baking sheet and season with salt and pepper.
Roast, until opaque throughout, about 10 minutes.
When the eggplant mixture is done, remove from the heat and season with salt, pepper, vinegar and sugar.
Spread it atop the bluefish and serve.
Serves 6.
If you would like to share your favorite seafood recipes with fellow Coastal Fisherman readers, you can email them to Mama Jock at [email protected]. All of Mama Jock’s past recipes can be found at www.coastalfisherman.net.
