Bluefish is a unique seafood delicacy that has a polarizing reputation. We at Suvie are big fans of bluefish, and hope to convert you to this strong-flavored fish.
History of Bluefish
The bluefish is the only extant species of the Pomatomidae family. Bluefish can be found throughout the open waters of the world and are mostly found in Florida and later in the year in Massachusetts. Bluefish can also be found as far north as Nova Scotia.
Bluefish migrate around the world; you can find them as far west as Cape Cod and as far east as the Sea of Marmara near Istanbul. They are also sighted far south in the Gulf of Mexico. While the majority of the bluefish migrate from one place to another, there are some bluefish that do not migrate.
Flavor of Bluefish
The taste of bluefish is as “fishy” as you can get. Bluefish has a strong flavor with edible skin. The meat is moist so they need to be cooked or eaten fresh from the ocean or else they tend to go bad fairly quickly. Bluefish are generally eaten raw, baked, poached, or smoked. Little bluefish can be consumed by frying them.
Culinary Benefits of Bluefish
When they are cooked right, bluefish are heavenly and one such recipe we’ll talk about is the Sous Vide Blue Fish with Smoky Garlic Butter. Bluefish are moist and oily so they are not everyone’s cup of tea, but this recipe will change nearly any naysayers’ mind.
In this recipe, the fillet of bluefish is paired with the smoky garlic butter, a squeeze of lemon and some herbs sprinkled on top. The acid and garlic butter really complements the richness of bluefish well.
One recipe you substitute bluefish for is Mackerel Escabeche. Mackerel is another type of strongly-flavored Atlantic fish. You can replace the mackerel with the bluefish in this recipe with little alteration to the overall flavor of the meal. Cook the bluefish fillets on high heat and top it off with vinegar-infused vegetables sprinkled on top to cut through the richness of the fish.
One of the better ways to consume the bluefish is to go the Salmon way and use this Smokeless Smoked Salmon recipe for the bluefish. This nonfussy, easy recipe allows you to mimic the flavors of smoked fish without actually having to smoke it. Once cooked, serve the fish with some bread, cheese, pickles, and dish.
Ways to Store Bluefish
Consume bluefish as quickly as possible, as they have a tendency to spoil. Be sure to ask your fishmonger when the bluefish arrived in stores so you know about how old it is. We recommend keeping bluefish in your refrigerator for no more than 3 days. Be sure to store it in its original packaging over a bowl of ice.
Feature Image: Flickr user Jake Slagle ( CC BY-NC 2.0 )
If prepared correctly, Bluefish isn’t “fishy” at all. Bluefish fillets contain a strip of dark meat where the “fishy” taste (not to mention PCBs, dioxin and heavy metals) are concentrated. This strip must be removed when cleaning the fish.
Bluefish are abundant in the US New England region. They migrate in to the area in May and leave in October. A popular bluefish preparation is smoked bluefish pate, delicious with crackers.
I used to catch, filet and eat these fish on a regular basis. I grew up on the coast of southeast MA and went fishing a lot. They are tasty but not the best thing you can catch in New England. Striped bass, tautog, scup and squeteague are all better eating fish.