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mystique of the bluefish seems to strike as hard and
fast as a giant bluefish taking bait. I know of at least
three contemporary books devoted entirely to bluefish,
and if the archives were searched there are probably
more. My father-in-law, born in East Hampton, New York,
bluefish capital of the world, considers "Blues
by John Hersey to be the best literature ever produced
by western civilization.
Bluefish are familiar to everyone who grew up on the
East coast, and usually it's a love-hate relationship.
The bluefish is a voracious feeder with very strong
digestive abilities and very fatty flesh, this along
with the fact that it starts to deteriorate almost immediately
after death, results in the strong flavors so often
identified with bluefish. But, when properly handled
the bluefish can be sweet, mild and delicious. To insure
fresh flavor the bluefish must be cleaned and iced immediately
after capture.
The bluefish is a migratory species which travels northward
up the eastern seaboard in the spring then heads south
once again in the fall. Anyone familiar with the east
coast fishery has heard of the legendary voraciousness
and superb fighting qualities of the bluefish. In an
early U.S. fisheries report the bluefish was described
as, "an animated chopping machine, the business
of which is to cut to pieces and otherwise destroy as
many fish as possible in a given space of time."
A frenzied feeder, the bluefish has been known to regurgitate
so it could eat more, somewhat like the Vikings of old.
Experienced fishermen know to keep out of range of any
snapping, thrashing bluefish; fingers have been lost
trying to retrieve hooks. Besides being a sportsman's
dream the bluefish is also one of the tastiest fish
found in the ocean. By early June when the bluefish
appear inshore along the north Atlantic coast they are
fat and prime from feeding on schools of baitfish. The
bluefish, which takes it's name from the metallic blue
sheen on it's back may grow to 25lbs, but smaller fish
of the 2-10 lbs. range are usually the best flavored.
As the huge schools of bluefish make their annual migration
up the Atlantic seaboard, smaller schools leave the
migration route to remain near chosen coastal bays and
inlets along the way. By early June when they appear
along the New England coast they are fat and prime from
feeding on schools of herring and other small fish.
June through September is the ideal time to enjoy bluefish.
Bluefish is tender textured with a long and delicate
flake so it must be handled gently. Generally bluefish
has a strong and distinctively rich flavor which stands
up well to assertive ingredients. Acetic ingredients
are often used in bluefish recipes to cut the inherent
oiliness.
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© 2001 Monterey Fish
Market, Inc. All rights reserved.
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