CSA Cookbook
Smoked Bluefish Patte (Nantucket Special) - by Nick Alshuk (Lori Stopka's Father)
Prepare a mixture of water, lemon juice, kosher salt, garlic, brown sugar (generous), worcestershire sauce. Some pickling spice may also be added. Cover with saran wrap, let sit in fridge overnight. Make enough brine to cover fish - quantities are 2oz. plus or minus
Remove fish from fridge and lay out on foil. Let sit for approximately 2 hours.
Get smoker ready - coat rack of smoker with olive oil.
After fish starts to dry out (2 hours) put fish on rack skin side down. Smoke for 2 1/2 hours plus or minus depending on size of filet. Push on fish until firm. If fish is mushy, cook it more. After fish is cooked, wrap in saran wrap. If you won't be making the patte right away, you can freeze the fish. It will keep for 2-3 months.
To make the patte, you will need 2 8oz Packages of Cream Cheese (Not Low Fat) for each medium sized filet. Let cream cheese come to room temperature. In a bowl, flake fish with fork. Add 2 tablespoons soft butter, 1 tablespoon of dijon mustard, a pinch of salt (taste fish first, salt may not be needed), a pinch of pepper, shallots or scallions chopped fine, shake or two of worcestershire sauce, 1/2 fresh lemon squeezed in. Add some regular milk to thin (not skim). Mix into a mushy paste. Use the milk to vary the texture.
Put back in fridge for 1 hour before serving it. It will thicken up.
Freezing the patte is possible, try it!! Bluefish never tasted so good!!
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Poach That Bass - Mike Simko
Sometimes that striper you just landed won’t revive. So you take your home to cook. What are your choices? Fry it in a pan? Grill? Baked with a stuffing? Steak it? Why not poach your bass? Poaching is not just for eggs. The following recipe was suggested for use with Chilean sea bass, but I have used the same poach for other firm fleshed fish such as cod and striper. Just keep a few things in mind when cooking your catch. First, when any recipe calls for wine NEVER use cooking wine found on supermarket shelves. Always use a wine that you would want to drink. I use the Kendall-Jackson Calina at about $8 a bottle. It’s cheap, readily available and palatable enough to consume on its own. Next, I prefer Tellicherry peppercorns because of their size and robust flavor, but you can go with whatever you have in the pantry. Lastly, buy fresh herbs. Fresh thyme is available in the produce section of your supermarket. It’s typically sold in clear plastic containers for $2 or so.
Ingredients
1½ cups water
½ cup white wine
1 lemon, juiced
1 onion, chopped
½ celery rib, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped finely
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
4 to 5 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
Combine all ingredients in a saucepan (the lemon is halved, juiced, and then dropped in the liquid) and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer for 8 – 10 minutes so all the flavors meld together. Strain or use chunky the first time. Place your bass fillets (6 – 8 oz. portions) in the simmering poach so that they are not quite covered. Place a loose fitting lid on the saucepan and poach for 6 – 8 minutes. It’s O.K. to be slightly undercooked but never overcooked. After use, strain through a fine mesh and either refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 2 months. I freeze mine in Ziplocs and label the fish used with that poach. Either way, be sure to bring to a boil before reusing.
Bon appetite!
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STRIPED BASS WITH LEMON-ROSEMARY SAUCE*
4 striped bass filets
vegetable oil
1/8 tsp. each salt and pepper
Lemon-Rosemary Sauce
¼ C. olive oil
4 shallots, chopped
2 T. lemon juice
2 tsp. fresh rosemary, chopped
½ tsp. sugar
Veggies
leafy greens
tomatoes, sliced
1. Place all Lemon-Rosemary Sauce ingredients in blender. Mix.
2. Lightly coat fillets with vegetable oil. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Place meat-side down on grill for 4 minutes. Turn.
4. Grill for approximately 3 to 4 more minutes until internal temperature reaches 145° F.
5. Serve immediately on a bed of leafy greens and sliced tomatoes.
6. Pour Lemon-Rosemary Sauce on top.
*From Seafood Grilling Twice a Week, Evie Hansen, 2001
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ITALIAN STYLE STRIPER FILLETS*
Thanks to member Pat Craig for submitting the following recipe! Pat says this is a quick and tasty recipe!
striped bass fillets
water
1 T. baking soda
2 eggs
½ c. milk
Soda crackers, crushed
Italian Seasoning
Garlic Salt
Oil for Frying
1. Soak the fish for ½ hour in enough water to cover, mixed with baking soda.
2. Rinse the fish and pat dry.
3. Beat the eggs with milk.
4. Crush the soda crackers very fine with a rolling pin.
5. Dip the fish in the egg and milk mixture and then the cracker crumbs.
6. Sprinkle the fillets with Italian seasoning and the garlic salt.
7. Brown fillets in skillet in hot oil until done, turning once.
*From Richard Hoag, 1997 North American Fishing Club Member's Cookbook
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SEAFOOD STUFFED STRIPED BASS - Don Florek
1 Whole 12-15 lb. striped bass
1 16 – 20 oz. loaf of white bread, crust removed and cubed
6 tbsp. butter (reserve 3 for top of stuffing)
3 tbsp. olive oil
1 lb. cooked bay scallops
1 lb. cooked small shrimp (71 – 90) count
1 lb. crab meat (can be imitation crab)
1 medium onion, diced
2 stalks celery with leaves, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
¼ c. chopped parsley
Old Bay seasoning
Salt and Pepper
Lemon Wedges
Serves 8 - 10 people
1. Remove scales, gills, and fins (except tail). To remove dorsal and ventricle fins, cut on either side of fin and pull out with pliers.
2. Thoroughly clean cavity of fish.
3. Score each side of the fish (approximately 2 – 3 inches apart).
4. Cut diagonally to the bone. This allows the fish to cook evenly.
5. In a sauté pan, add 3 tbsp. butter and 3 tbsp. olive oil, on medium low heat.
6. Add onion and celery and sprinkle with salt. Sweat until translucent and tender. Do not brown. Turn down the heat as necessary to prevent this.
7. Add garlic and sauté for an additional 2 minutes.
8. Add scallops and sauté 2 minutes.
9. Add bread cubes to pan along with cooked shrimp and crab meat. Season to taste with salt and pepper and Old Bay seasoning. If it looks to dry, add water to get your desired consistency.
10. Preheat over to 425 degrees.
11. Oil the sides of the fish being sure to get some in the score marks on the fish and add salt and pepper. Place fish in roasting pan on a sheet of parchment paper or non stick aluminum foil. If the fish is too large for the pan, the head and/or tail may be removed. The cavity of the fish should be facing up.
12. Pull the parchment paper or foil up the sides of the fish to ensure the fish remains upright. I crumble foil and place it on each side of the fish to keep it in position. If you removed the head, block the opening where the head was with foil or parchment paper.
13. Fill the cavity of the fish with the stuffing and dot with butter. Cover stuffing with foil until the last 20 – 30 minutes.
14. Place fish in the oven for approximately 2 hours or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.
15. Serve with lemon wedges.
16. If there is any fish and stuffing leftover, debone the fish and place in a bowl with the stuffing. Add mayo chopped celery and onion. It make great sandwiches or seafood salad.
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