Thinking about cooking some blues

[Longtrav]

I normally smoke them but I have fresh fillets. I heard if you cook them within 24 hours and soak in milk it's another story with taste. Is this true? Or should I keep smoking. I know this is about personal taste but I trust your opinions! Thanks

[Snakehead Hunter]

I know soaking in milk will take the fishy taste away. I don't have much experience with blue but I usually do it with catfish, trout.

[Shady]

If they're fresh and under 20" they won't have a fishy taste but if you're worried about it soaking in milk will draw out any strong flavors. Fresh fried is yum. Ive even had blue sashimi... its also a good idea to bleed blues right away after catching

[MetroMan]

I have poached the fillets, and made fish cakes using methods similar to crab cakes, or salmon croquettes. Delicious...made me mad for not trying that sooner.

[Longtrav]

All good ideas! What the recipe for the fish cakes?

[AbuMasgouf]

Masgouf! Blues done Masgouf style are awesome IMHO...

http://www.snaggedline.com/showthrea...Double-Masgouf

[J.A. Veil]

Take skinless fillets from a 1 to 2 lb bluefish. Cook them the same day or no later than one day. Spread olive oil in a baking pan, make sure fillets are covered lightly with olive oil on both sides. Sprinkle some Old Bay and some blackened seasoning on one side. A short time in the oven, broiler or grill and you will have some fine eating.

[Delicious Bass]

The couple times I have cooked blues, I brined them, then slow smoked them with applewood skin on.
I had trouble keeping the temp low. This is important, as otherwise they become too dry.
For the smaller guys and edges that got too dry, I chopped them up and mixed them into cream cheese.
Delicious spread on a toasted bagel or cracker.

IMO, even small blues are "fishy." Some people like that others do not.

[Longtrav]

Ok so I went back to my skin on fillets and removed skin. For some reason it was hard taking the skin off. I soaked in milk and baked. Wow that's good eating. Tasted like a stronger Maui Maui. I'm surprised.

[Cowpokey]

Tasted like a stronger Maui Maui.

LOL, you mean "Mahi Mahi"?

[Longtrav]

My phone loves me. you haven't had the Maui.... Ha

[Cowpokey]

My phone loves me. you haven't had the Maui.... Ha

I have Maui Jim sunglasses...

[MetroMan]

All good ideas! What the recipe for the fish cakes?

With the fillets poached (basically boiled for like 4 minutes), I flake out the meat, just like tuna from a can...

I add a blend of seasonings including old bay, garlic powder, black pepper, onion powder. I also add finely diced onions (when they fry up, they caramelize a bit...giving a sweet taste), and dried herbs like parsley, oregano.

I add an egg as an emulsifier to bind all the ingredients together. I form the fish cakes by hand and coat them in panko bread crumbs. Then I pan fry them till golden brown on each side.


So its a little different than my crab cakes now that I think about it. For my crab cakes I don't add all that extra stuff.

[Frogsauce]

Have to take the head off and guts out of the blue and get it on ice quick, or keep them alive until ready to filet. Any 'fishy' taste/smell in any kind of fish usually comes from not doing that. Or spilling the guts into the meat. Some are worse than others for sure. Catfish mash, peeyeeww!

[JohnE]

The old bay premixed crab cake mix is good stuff also. Might want to try that. My Mom makes better crab cakes than I have ever had in any restaurant and she does use that old bay mix sometimes. She also makes awesome fish cakes with that salted cod stuff. I will try to get her fish cakes recipe, might work well with bluefish if it is fresh.