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Broiled Bluefish
Split the fish down the back and soak for half an hour in strong salted water. Dry thoroughly with a towel, rub the broiler with salt fat pork or butter before putting the fish in. Broil under a gas flame or over clear hot coals. A medium-sized fish will require about twenty minutes to broil. Broil the flesh-side first, and turn frequently. Serve on a hot platter garnished with cress and lemon, and pour over the fish a little melted butter. Bluefish may also be pan-broiled, by laying it flesh-side down on a well-greased, very hot griddle. When well browned, turn carefully with a pancake turner so as not to break the fish. Serve with Lyonnaise or French fried potatoes.
A straightforward split-and-broil treatment for an oily fish. The instructions hold up well; only the equipment and the timing need translating.
- The brine soak"Strong salted water" is not quantified in the original; a heavily salted soak (on the order of a few tablespoons of salt per quart) is the usual reading. It firms the flesh and draws out some of the blood line that makes bluefish taste strong. The recipe calls only for drying hard with a towel afterward, or the surface will steam instead of brown.
- Twenty minutes is too longTwenty minutes suits coals more than a modern broiler -- A "medium-sized" bluefish here probably means a whole fish of 2-3 lb, split flat. Under a modern broiler at full heat, 4-6 inches from the element, a split fish of that size will likely be done in 10-14 minutes; fillets in 6-8. Many cooks pull it at 130-135F at the thickest point, though standard food-safety guidance for fish is 145F.
- The wire broilerThe broiler -- The original allows either a gas flame or coals, and the rubbing of the "broiler" suggests a wire rack or hinged basket. Under a modern oven broiler, turning frequently is awkward: setting the fish skin-side down on a greased rack or foil-lined sheet and leaving it works better, as the skin protects the flesh and crisps.
- "Salt fat pork"Rubbing salt pork on the grate was a common period way of keeping fish from sticking. Oil or clarified butter does the same job; whole butter, which the original also allows, will burn at broiling heat.
- Flesh-side firstOver coals this sears the cut face before the skin curls. If you are grilling, oil the grate well and give the flesh side 3-4 minutes, then finish on the skin.
- Pan-broilingA cast-iron griddle or heavy skillet, preheated until a drop of water skitters, gives the same result. Press the fish flat for the first thirty seconds so it does not buckle away from the surface.
- YieldA 2-3 lb whole fish serves three to four. Bluefish is best the day it is caught; the oil in it turns quickly, so buy it smelling clean and cook it the same day.