I had not had bluefish in over 20 years since fishing with my father on his boat. The last time I had it, it was fresh caught and grilled as soon as we got back to the dock. I didn’t really enjoy it then, but I was very surprised and happy with how good the bluefish was smoked. There was no fishy taste and the spread was fantastic on a bagel.
Smoked Bluefish and Smoked Bluefish Spread
These smoked bluefish and spread recipes are very easy and the brine and smoke remove all of the unwanted fishy/gamey taste that bluefish is often associated with.
Ingredients
Brine
- 1 qt Water
- 3 tbsp Soy Sauce
- 2 Bay Leaves
- 1 tbsp Pepper Corns
- 1 cup Brown Sugar
- ¾ cup Kosher Salt
- 1 qt Ice
- 3-5 lbs Bluefish Filets
Spread
- 4 oz Softened Cream Cheese
- ½ Small Red Onion
- 1 tbsp Chives
- 3 oz Smoked Bluefish
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
Brine
- Combine all ingredients except ice and bluefish in a pot and bring to a boil to disolve all of the salt and sugar.
- Take the brine off the heat and add ice to cool the brine down.
- Clean fillets and remove any bones.
- Add fillets to cooled brine and refrigerate for 12-18 hours.
Smoking Fillets
- Prepare smoker with a mild wood, I prefer cherry for most smoked fish.
- Smoke at 225°F until the fillets have an internal temp of 120°F.
- Adjust the temp to 160°F-180°F and smoke for 2 hours.
Spread
- Whip cream cheese with a hand mixer.
- Stir in red onion and chives.
- Flake smoked bluefish fillet into the bowl.
- Add pepper and salt to taste.
- Stir to combine.
