Serious Eats
The Joys of Bluefish
When I was about two years old, my favorite food wasn’t chocolate, or Cheerios, or anything else expected from a toddler. It was smoked bluefish pâté. During the summer in Massachusetts, when my parents and their friends would sit out on the patio with wine and hors d'oeuvres, I would crawl under the table and sneak off with the pâté—to devour with a spoon, out of adult sight, just me and the tub of seafood spread.
Old habits die hard, and while I'll now give that pâté the dignity of a cracker to rest on, I still have a soft spot in my heart for bluefish. Sure, it’s a bit oily, a bit less delicate than its oceanmates—but shouldn't a fish taste of the sea? I'm of the opinion that it should.
Incoming New York Times restaurant critic Sam Sifton appears to agree, singing the praises of the under-celebrated fish and offering recipes for Bluefish Dijonnaise and, much to my delight, Smoked Bluefish Pâté. Any other bluefish lovers out there? What's your favorite way to prepare it?