Palatble bluefish

[wink_man]

This is a tip I got from a neighbor years ago, and I didn't believe him till I tried it, but he told me so nonchalantly(like doesn't everybody do it), that I tried it.

He always asked me for bluefish fillets(one of the few people I could give them away to), and I said to him one day, don't you find bluefish kinda strong?

He told me the secret to making bluefish palatable is place the fillets in a glass baking pan, and cover them in milk,(yes milk), and put them back in the fridge, prior to preparing whatever way you like to cook them. Let the smaller fillets(fish up to 3-4 pounds), soak for an hour, and the larger ones 2 to 3 hours. The milk takes the bitter oily taste out of them, and they are actually quite good, it surprised me.

Note, do NOT try this with fluke, or any other delicate white fleshed fish. I was so elated on how it worked on blues, that I tried it with fluke one time. The fluke tasted like dried cotton and wasn't even edible. I guess whatever the milk does, it only works on darker strong oily fish. Just thought I would share, and am curious if anyone is aware of this, as I only ever heard it from my one neighbor.
Garry

[Capt. Mike]

Thanks for the tip. 
Will have to try one day. 

[mboy]

That also works well on any gamey type of meat.

[IrishAyes]

I have heard the milk trick.  But I have never tried it.   

[Luna Sea 5]

i heard the same thing... another good way is to make fish cakes out of them..

[IrishAyes]

One of my buddies mades a spread out of bluefish.  Excellent on crackers.   

[wb]

I have heard of using mayo, so maybe something about dairy products? Still can't bring myself to try it tho. Snappers I've had, not too bad.

A friend gave me a good recipe for blues awhile back, sounds good-- involved pouring a nice Chardonnay, carefully roasting up your fav veggies in wine sauce, add bluefish and saute in a little lemon & butter, don't overcook, then season to taste, toss out the fish, and enjoy the veggies while having some more wine.

[IrishAyes]

WB, nice    I heard the same recipe using a plank of wood, then you eat the wook.   

[Flukinator]

I find that if you cut out all of the red meat from bluefish and eat it while it's still fresh, it's not too bad at all.  At least the smaller ones.  I haven't even tried to eat a bluefish over 4 pounds in years.  I also have found that if you plan on freezing any fish with red meat on the fillet (like stripers), cutting the red out before you freeze it helps it maintain a much fresher, less "fishy" taste when you thaw it out snd eat it at a later date.

[ped579]

Milk works good I also heard to use buttermilk. 

I will have to give it a try this coming year.

Paul

[PeggyLee]

somebody says to drink the milk and give the blufish to your Mother in Law.

[IrishAyes]

Or bake it on a plank, toss out the fish and eat the plank!   

[Luna Sea 5]

make it into fishcakes and  you would have no idea your eating bluefish...  Uncle Luna did the experiment and it taste excellent.

[PeggyLee]

Seriously, Joe and Uncle Luna, I have made bluefish fishcakes and they do taste good. Has any body ever frozen the blue fish cakes and how do they taste ? AJ

[Luna Sea 5]

i used frozen bluefish and it still taste great.. I never froze them after I made the cakes.  The good thing is, you have soooo many other things in the fishcake, it recuduces the fishy taste of the bluefish.

[PeggyLee]

thats true.Fishcakes,hotsouce and a cold one.

[ped579]

Now you did it I'm getting hungry.

[Luna Sea 5]

thats true.Fishcakes,hotsouce and a cold one.

EXACTLY

[Treebeard]

All the older Sicillians in my family fight over the Blues I bring home.. My Ma makes it La Parmigiana and even I enjoy them this way..Of course with enough of Ma's tomato sauce, and some good cheese on it, I could probably eat an old sweatsock and enjoy it!

[Luna Sea 5]