Pan-Seared Bluefish with Rainbow Chard, Fingerling Potatoes and Oysters

During a recent vacation in the Outer Banks, I went on a fishing trip with my beautiful Angel and her father, Frank.  The charter took us fishing on the Pamlico Sound.  We were fishing for grey trout, flounder, redfish and bluefish. While I enjoy fishing for all of those species, the one that intrigued me the most is the bluefish. 

Bluefish are a migratory, open-water species of fish that can be found in every ocean and in many waterways.  The species goes by different names around the world ... they are called "tailor" in Australia, "shad" in South Africa and by other names such as "elf," "chopper" and "anchoa" in other parts of the world.  Chopper is an apt name for this species, because it has a reputation for being a voracious predator, striking at anything with its triangular, razor-sharp teeth.  Schools of bluefish -- known as "blitzes" -- have been known to relentlessly chase their prey, which includes butterfish, herring, weak fish and croakers.  In the Chesapeake Bay, bluefish feast upon bay anchovies, white perch, American shad, and alewife. 

The best way to catch a bluefish is by handline fishing, although that has proven tricky for me (because I have yet to catch one).  If one were to catch a bluefish, he or she would be greeted by a beautiful creature.  The bluefish has  a large head, compressed body and broad, forked tail.  The color of its skin starts as a greenish-blue and fades to a white tone on its belly.  If you come across bluefish in a store, you should look to see if it was caught by handline, as that is the most sustainable way of catching this fish.  However, Seafood Watch advises that bluefish caught by bottom gillnet or bottom-line trawl are a good alternative, although there are some concerns about by-catch. 

Once you have a bluefish in your hands, the fish provides very meaty fillets that are excellent for cooking.  Bluefish fillets are amenable to many different processes, such as pan-searing, broiling, baking, and even grilling.  They also provide a great palate for a variety of herbs and spices.  

This dish represents an attempt myself to create a special dish for my beautiful Angel. The centerpiece is pan-seared bluefish.  However, there are a few additional elements.  There are fingerling potatoes, which I sliced into coins to facilitate the cooking of the potatoes.  There is rainbow chard, which is wilted in a mixture of butter, oil and white wine.  Finally, there are raw oysters, which are added at the end of the cooking process so that they cook just a little before being served.  (Oysters can quickly overcook and become tough and chewy.)  

This dish truly challenged me, because I do not have formal training and the different elements have different means of being cooked, require different times for cooking and are difficult to put together in one combined dish.  This recipe remains a work in progress and I will tweak it based upon my subsequent efforts.   

PAN-SEARED BLUEFISH WITH RAINBOW CHARD, 
FINGERLING POTATOES AND OYSTERS

A Chef Bolek Original

Serves 2-4

Ingredients:

1 pound of bluefish, cut into even sized fillets

1/2 pint of oysters

1 pound of fingerling potatoes, sliced thinly into coins

1 bunch of rainbow chard, washed, de-stemmed 

1 cup of yellow onions, diced finely

4 cloves of garlic, diced finely
1/4 cup of white wine

5 tablespoons of butter

6 ounces of olive oil

1 bay leaf

Several sprigs of thyme

Salt, to taste

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:
1.  Cook the potatoes.  Heat 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 ounces of olive oil in a pan.  Add the onions and garlic.  Cook until the onions begin to soften, about three to four minutes.  Add the potatoes, bay leaf and thyme.  Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes begin to cook through.  Remove from the heat.

2.  Prepare the fish.  Season the fish with salt and pepper.  Heat 1 tablespoons of butter and 2 ounces of oil in a second pan over high heat. Place the fillet flesh side down in the pan and reduce the heat to medium high or medium.  Make sure that the fish does not stick to the pan.  Cook the fish for about three minutes and then flip the fish so that the fish is skin side down.  Continue cooking the fish until it is cooked through, with the flesh being opaque and the internal temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit. 

3.  Cook the chard.  While the fish is cooking, return the pan with the potatoes to the heat.  Add the remaining butter and/or oil if necessary.  Add the chard and white wine and continue to cook for a couple of minutes.  As the chard begins to evaporate, add the oysters and cook only until the oysters begin to become opaque.  Remove the pan from the stove.

4.  Plate the dish.  Plate each of the dishes with the potatoes and shard.  Place the bluefish over the potatoes and shard, and, the oysters around the bluefish.  Return the pan to the heat on high for a couple of minutes to cook down the remaining pan sauce.  Spoon the sauce over the fish and serve immediately.

ENJOY!

Coriander Sesame Bluefish

While perusing the selection at Southern Maryland Seafood, I saw that they had some really nice, fresh bluefish fillets. The bluefish, Pomatomus Saltatrix, is a game fish found around the world.   In the United States, bluefish migrate up and down the east coast, moving north in the spring and returning south in the fall.  Bluefish can live for up to twelve years and grow to about forty inches long, although the bluefish in the Chesapeake Bay (where I live) usually only reach about twelve inches in length. They are closely related to jacks, pompanos and roosterfish.

Bluefish are truly an interesting species of fish.  The most striking feature of this fish is its razor-like teeth.  Those teeth are often the bane of fishermen, as the bluefish have the ability to strike and steal the bait.  Those teeth also tear into herring, mackerel, anchovies, striped bass and shad, which are part of the bluefish's diet. Indeed, bluefish will strike at most anything, even at things that it would normally not eat, including humans.  The voracious nature of the bluefish, as well as its teeth, have earned the fish the nickname of "marine piranha."  

Personally, I really like to cook with bluefish.  This recipe is a collaboration between myself and Clare's father, Frank.  After purchasing a good sized fillet, we pondered over how to prepare the fish.  Frank suggested that we use Asian flavors, such as sesame oil.  I thought that was a great idea and, together, we made a wet and dry rub incorporating a variety of Asian flavors to use on the fish.  This recipe is excellent and it is definitely one that I will make again.

CORIANDER SESAME BLUEFISH

A Chef Bolek Collaboration with Frank Savage
Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

2 pounds of bluefish fillet, cut into four steaks

1 tablespoon of ground coriander

1 tablespoon of ground onion

1 teaspoon of ground garlic

2 teaspoons of ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon of Sambal Oelek

2 tablespoons of canola oil

2 teaspoons of sesame oil

2 teaspoons of soy sauce

1 teaspoon of ground sea salt

2 tablespoons of sesame seeds

Directions:

1.  Marinate the fish. Mix all of the dry ingredients (coriander, onion, garlic, black pepper, salt) together.  Mix all of the wet ingredients together.  Baste the bluefish steaks with the wet ingredients and then sprinkle the steaks with a good amount of the dry ingredients.  Let the fish stand for ten to fifteen minutes.

2.  Roast the fish.  Heat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the steaks in the oven to cook for fifteen minutes.  Turn on the broiler and finish the fish for about five minutes under the broiler.  

3.  Toast the sesame seeds.  After about ten minutes, heat the sesame seeds in a dry skill on medium high heat.  Toast the seeds.  

4.  Finish the dish.  Remove the fish from the heat.  Sprinkle some of the toasted sesame seeds over the steaks.  Serve immediately.

ENJOY!

Bluefish over Handmade Vermicelli in Lemon Miso Broth with Ginger Carrots

I decided to make original dish inspired by some Japanese flavors, like miso and ginger.  I did not use any recipes for this dish.  Instead, I bought a bunch of ingredients -- including bluefish, lemonsgrass, miso broth, and shiitake mushrooms -- and used a little creativity to come up with a dish.  

This dish has four main components -- bluefish, handmade vermicelli, lemon miso broth, and ginger carrots.  Each component is prepared with basic cooking techniques.  When all of the components are assembled into the dish, the different flavors blend very well and make an interesting dish.  (P.S., the flowers are edible.)

BLUEFISH OVER HANDMADE VERMICELLI IN LEMON MISO BROTH WITH GINGER CARROTS
A Chef Bolek Original
Serves 2-3

Ingredients (for the Bluefish):
3/4 pound of bluefish
3 tablespoons of vegetable oil
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste

Ingredients (for the Lemongrass Miso Broth):
1 packet of miso broth
1 lemongrass stalk, cut into segments and halved
1 teaspoon of crushed red pepper
4-6 shiitake mushrooms, sliced

Ingredients (for the Vermicelli Pasta):
4 cups of flour
6 tablespoons of cool water
(You can use pre-made vermicelli)

Ingredients (for the Ginger Carrots):
1 medium carrot
1 garlic clove
2 tablespoons of ginger, peeled and finely diced
2 tablespoons of vegetable oil

Directions:
1.  Heat a pan on medium high heat.  Add the sliced shiitake mushrooms and saute for 3-4 minutes.  Remove the pan and set the mushrooms aside.

2.  Prepare the miso broth according to the instructions.  Add the lemongrass and heat, but do not boil.

3.  Mound the flour and create a volcano on a flat surface, like a pastry or pasta board.  Add thee tablespoons of water  Add some flour to the water and begin mixing the water with a fork, continually adding flour until the pasta starts to develop.  When the pasta begins to take shape, take it into your hands and continue to add flour.  Once you have the pasta in a ball, begin to knead with the palm of your hands.  Knead the pasta for about eight to ten minutes, adding flour if the pasta seems wet.  Shape the pasta into a rectangle.  Cover in plastic wrap and let sit for about ten minutes.

4.  Using a hand crank pasta machine, begin rolling the pasta using the widest setting.  Run it through a couple of times, and then move to the next setting.  Repeat with each setting until the pasta is a thin sheet.  Cut the sheet into 8 to 10 inch pieces.  Use the angelhair/vermicelli extension and run each piece through.  Hang the pasta to dry.

5.  Heat a pot of water on high until it boils.

6.  Heat a pan on medium high heat with 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil.  Add the bluefish and saute for about five minutes.  Flip and saute for five minutes more.  Flip once last time and check to see that the fish is done (i.e., the flesh begins to flake).

7.  While the fish is cooking, heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil on medium high.  Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute.  Add the carrots and ginger and saute for 3 to 4 minutes.  Add a little more oil if necessary.

8.  As the fish and the carrots are almost finished, add the pasta to the boiling water.  Cook for only two minutes and strain.

9.  To plate, first put the vermicelli in the middle of the plate with the shiitake mushrooms.  Ladle some of the miso broth over the pasta and mushrooms.  Place the bluefish on the plate and then put some of the ginger carrots on top of the fish.

ENJOY!

Brodetto alla Pescarese

This is my take on a classic Italian dish. A brodetto is a seafood stew often prepared by fishermen along the Adriatic sea using whatever fresh fish is available to them. Thus, the fish used in a brodetto almost always varies, and, to add to the complexity, a brodetto may also contain shrimp, mussels, clams and/or calamari.

The spices used in a brodetto also vary from town-to-town and region-to-region. In this recipe, I focus on spices and flavors that are emblematic of Abruzzo -- crushed red pepper and saffron. I do not provide measurements for the spices because I go by taste, adding a little at a time until I achieve the desired taste.

Enjoy.
 
BRODETTO ALLA PESCARESE
(serves approx. 6-8)
A Chef Bolek Original

2.5 pounds of fish, preferably different types (such as red snapper, bluefish, turbot and/or tilapia)
1.5 pounds of shellfish, preferably 16-20 count shrimp
2 cans of whole tomatoes (canned with tomato puree and basil)
2 cans of water
1.5 cups of a dry white wine (preferably a Trebbiano d'Abruzzo)
2 cloves of garlic, diced
1 medium sized shallot, diced
1 large onion, sliced
Crushed red pepper, to taste
Saffron stands, to taste
Dried basil, to taste
Olive oil
Flat leaf parsley, chopped
Sea salt, to taste
Mixed peppercorns, ground, to taste
Baguette, sliced

Pour a little olive oil into a pot and heat to medium. Add the onion and shallots and cook for a few minutes. Then add the garlic. Cook until the onions, shallots and garlic are translucent.

Add the whole tomatoes, water and the white wine. Mix the ingredients together with a slotted spoon, breaking up the tomatoes. Add the crushed red pepper, saffron, dried basil, salt and ground pepper. Continue to mix. This is the base of the brodetto and it should simmer for approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Add the fish and allow the fish to cook for a few minutes. Then add the shrimp. Once the fish and shrimp are cooked through, remove the brodetto from the heat.

Toast the baguette slices and put a slice at the bottom of each bowl. Spoon the brodetto into each bowl and top the brodetto with flat leaf parsley.