# Bluefish "Crab" Cakes



## fishinmama

serves 4-6

1 lb skinless poached bluefish fillets (any basic poaching recipe will do--one follows), cooled so that you can handle to flake meat
1/2 - 1 tsp Old Bay
2-4 Tbls. minced onion
1-2 Tbls. minced green pepper 
couple drops of Worchestershire, if desired
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 c. finely crushed cracker crumbs (saltines or oyster crackers work well)
4 Tbls. mayonnaise
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
salt & pepper to taste, preferably light on salt & a bit heavier on pepper)

Flake Bluefish,(try not to just smash it, but work with it like crabmeat, kepping it flaky) then mix all ingredients together, form into cakes. Fry in oil or melted butter at 350 until light brown -maybe 4-5 min a side--ck for browning to turn. 
-- or bake in 400 oven with a pat of butter on top & a little white wine poured over (no more than 1/4 c., depending on how many cakes you are baking) about 15-20 min

Serve with tartar sauce & lemon wedges. Thats it. nothing else to it.

To insure against any fatty flavor, after poaching bluefish, remove the darker flesh -- its taste is strong -- your cat will love it, but not your diners. Even tho we thoroughly bleed & clean our blues, there is still alittle dark meat you gotta pick out after poaching.

Basic poaching recipe:
2 c. water 
1/4 c. lemon juice
1 sml onion thinly sliced
1 tsp. salt
3 peppercorns
2 fresh parsley sprigs
1 bay leaf

Combine all ingred in a greased frying pan & bring to boil. Reduce heat. Place fillets (cut in workable sizes)in a SINGLE LAYER into hot liquid. Cover & simmer 8-10 min or til fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Carefully remove fish to a platter.
Note: Since you are going to be continuing with the cake recipe you really don't need all those extra flavoring ingred. in the poaching water, sometimes i use em, sometimes not -- they are not crucial to the taste of the cakes & it can be a pain to pick thru all the onion slices & parsley as you are trying to flake the fish for cakes. its up to you.

When i make these cakes i sometimes double or even triple recipe & make enuf cakes to freeze for future consumption - freeze em on a cookie sheet & when frozen solid, wrap em or vacu-seal em -- store in quantities you will be using. 
But if you make alot, make sure you still poach the fish in a single layer --large quantities may require a couple of poached batches (you can reuse the same poaching water)- don't try to cram it all in at once - the single layer thing is important.

The cakes also work well as a stuffing for stuffed flounder.


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## Rockfish1

thanks for the recipe... added it to my cookbook...


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## RuddeDogg

*Same here*

Thanks Mom.....


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## okimavich

Hey Mamma,

Have you tried this with frozen blues? I've got some in the freezer that are waiting for either a hook or a pot. This recipe may be a good alternative if I can get the flesh to stay together.


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## fishinmama

Okimavich -- usually make em up as they are caught, but br-in-law has used my recipe with frozen fillets (thaw before poaching) & then continue -- worked for him


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## okimavich

Great, thanks.


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## Rockstar

my girl's aunt makes these for me, deeelicious. i'm gonna have to try your recipe out sometime.


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## fishbait

Thanks Mama,
Tried this recipe out last night and thought I would add a few pics. I cut down the filets so that I could poach in a single layer.










Here are the cakes ready for a dip in hot oil.


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## okimavich

Mmm. Any leftovers?


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## fishbait

okimavich said:


> Mmm. Any leftovers?


Yep, cooked up 5 of them and froze 3 of them for next time.


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## fishinmama

fishbait said:


> Yep, cooked up 5 of them and froze 3 of them for next time.


pic looks right -- how did you like 'em? they come out ok?


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## fishbait

fishinmama said:


> pic looks right -- how did you like 'em? they come out ok?


They were great. Unfortunately I was missing a few important ingredients, so the next time I make them, they should be even better. The poaching instructions worked perfectly. I don't know what I did wrong on the frying instructions, but i guess i didn't know what the temperature was, so I overcooked my first batch. The second round was much better, since I was watching it instead of reading a book. I think the cooking time was closer to 2-3 minutes before browning, but I have no idea what the temperature was. This is going to be what I do to all large blues from now on. This is the first time I have ever enjoyed eating a blue that big.


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## fishinmama

i always use my electric frying pan, so that i know what the temp is & if they brown too fast without heating thru the middle, you can turn the temp down -- glad you liked 'em -- some ppl like to add minced celery or celery seed/salt too, but daughter doesn't like it & i hate to sit there and watch her pick out all the little celery pieces.

it is definitely a recipe you get better at as you continue to make -- i add extra green & red pepper & pro-rated minced onion too, cuz i like the extra flavor.


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## fishinmama

too late on the edit -- PS -- thaw 'em before you cook 'em


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## Rockstar

Set your fryer at 350 next time... you don't have to worry about frying thorough as the fish is cooked to temperature through poaching. Try searing them in EVOO and baking them next time... I do this with salmon croquettes and crab cakes and they come out great.


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## fishbait

Rockstar said:


> Set your fryer at 350 next time... you don't have to worry about frying thorough as the fish is cooked to temperature through poaching. Try searing them in EVOO and baking them next time... I do this with salmon croquettes and crab cakes and they come out great.


What's EVOO?


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## fishinmama

evoo=extra virgin olive oil


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## fingersandclaws

Somebody been watchin' Rachel Ray?


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## Ryan Y

Ive done it for a long time...Good recipie, I catually like them better broiled in the over friend. I also started tring the luisianne seafood seasoning....MMMMMM


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## Rockstar

didn't Emeril coin that phrase?


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## fingersandclaws

I don't remember TBHWY, but whatever Rachel says, I'm down with that  Something freakishly likable about that chick.


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## fishinmama

read somewhere that the dictionary is going to include EVOO as a word due to Rachel's coinage.


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## Rockstar

thanks for clearing that up mama... doing wonders for my man-pride over here... no really, thanks for pointing that out! 

f&c... it's cuz she's always a fifth deep in vodka  and she constantly mentioning that she's single...


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## okimavich

She's married now and always mentioning how she likes to have dinner with her in-laws.







Yes, I am a closet FoodNetwork addict. -sigh-


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