I grew up fishing for bluefish every summer on the Long Island Sound and it’s among my fondest childhood memories. Man do they put up a fight! But it’s only recently that I’ve learned to appreciate them for their culinary potential. Contrary to popular belief, they make a robust fish stock and an absolutely luscious bluefish chowder.
Bluefish have a high oil content which means they’re fantastic to eat when prepared fresh but kind of lousy when frozen. This is probably one of the reasons they’ve never had a high commercial value and have remained mostly confined to recreational fish. They have meaty but tender flesh, rich and light at the same time.
When and Where to Buy Bluefish
Because bluefish don’t freeze well, you can only find them when they’re fresh and in season which is from about June to late Fall on the east coast. The best place to find them is at a fish market that specializes in locally caught fish.
Generally speaking, supermarket fish departments are unlikely to carry bluefish. However, with the demand for more local and sustainable seafood, it is possible that some supermarket fish counters will stock them. I’ve noticed my local supermarket attempting to broaden its local seafood choices in recent years. That’s a VERY good thing.
Be it bluefish chowder or other types ofbluefish recipes, when bluefish are properly prepared, their flavor cannot be surpassed!
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How to Prepare Bluefish for Bluefish Chowder
More than likely, you’ll purchase some bluefish fillets from your local fishmonger. But if they also have whole bluefish available, even better. A bluefish chowder made from bluefish stock will really take your chowder to another level. It’s one of my all-time favorite chowder recipes.
And it’s a total myth that oily fish don’t make good fish stocks! They make awesome broths, robust and full of flavor. Just make sure you never simmer it for longer than one hour. You can learn how to make fish broth here.
Ask your fishmonger to fillet a whole bluefish and give you the head and carcass for the stock. Of course, you can also prepare a whole bluefish yourself. It’s not hard at all. I picked up this beauty from Fearless Fish Market in Providence, Rhode Island…
Yes, they’re called the Fearless Fish Market. Cool name, don’t you think? 🙂 They’re aptly named because they’re truly doing some brave work by selling lesser-known species such as squid, black sea bass, scup, and butterfish.
It’s SO important that we embrace a greater diversity of local seafood. We don’t need to eat imported seafood caught halfway around the world when we have a multitude of sustainable choices from our own shores. If you happen to live in or near Providence be sure to stop by and support them.
I filleted my bluefish like so…
Now if you’ve never filleted a fish, not to worry, it’s quite easy. Here’s a good video for how to fillet a bluefish…
Trust me, I know this is not for everybody. I’m sure some of you are rolling your eyes at the suggestion of filleting a whole fish in your kitchen. If you don’t want to make your own fish stock you can use just water, a light chicken broth, or a combination of water and clam broth. Bar Harbor clam juice is my highly recommended store-bought clam broth product.
More Bluefish and Chowder Recipes to Try
- 5 Bluefish Recipes
- Authentic New England Clam Chowder
- Maine Clam Chowder
- Rhode Island Clam Chowder
- Portuguese Clam Chowder
- Manhattan Clam Chowder
- Long Island Clam Chowder
- Lobster Corn Chowder
- Oyster Chowder
- Mussel Fennel Chowder
- Scallop Wild Mushroom Chowder
- Classic New England Fish Chowder
- Wild Salmon Chowder
- Smoked Haddock Chowder
Bluefish Chowder Recipe
My recipe strives for something more creative than standard fish chowders which rarely go beyond the typical chowder ingredients of onions, potatoes, and cream.
Sweet cherry tomatoes and fresh basil pair really well with the luscious and rich flavors in bluefish chowder, especially because they’re in season in late summer when bluefish season is at its height.
A little tarragon with its anise notes makes it all that more fantastic. By all means, you can use other types of tomatoes such as grape tomatoes or other herbs of your choosing. Enjoy!
Bluefish Chowder with Cherry Tomatoes, Basil and Tarragon
This bluefish chowder celebrates the bounty of summer with the robust taste of bluefish paired with cherry tomatoes and fresh herbs.
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CourseMain Course, Soup
CuisineAmerican
Prep Time15 minutes minutes
Cook Time30 minutes minutes
Total Time45 minutes minutes
Servings4 servings
Calories712kcal
AuthorCraig Fear
Cost$25
Ingredients
- ½ cup bacon or salt pork, diced
- 1 onion diced
- 2 stalks celery diced
- 2 cloves garlic diced
- 3-4 cups fish stock
- 1 – 1 ½ pounds potatoes diced into small cubes or chopped into larger pieces
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 ½ pounds bluefish fillets, whole or chopped into rough pieces
- ½ – 1 ½ cups heavy cream
- ½ – 1 cup fresh basil loosely packed
- ½ – 1 cup fresh tarragon loosely packed
- sea salt to taste
Optional seasonings, to taste
- Salt and pepper
- Lemon juice
- Basil
- Tarragon
Instructions
In a heavy bottom stock pot, render fat from bacon or salt pork over low heat for about 5-7 minutes. When a few TBSPs renders out, raise heat to medium and brown the salt pork or bacon, stirring frequently to prevent burning. Remove the pieces and reserve but leave the rendered fat in the pot.
Add the onions and celery and saute 5 to 7 minutes. If more fat is needed, add 1 TBSP unsalted butter. Add garlic in the last minute.
Add the fish stock and potatoes. Make sure there’s enough stock to barely cover all the vegetables. Add a little more stock or water, if needed. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat, cover the pot and simmer about 10-15 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
Add the tomatoes and simmer a few more minutes. Salt the chowder, to taste.
Turn off the heat and add the bluefish. Cover the pot and let it sit in the heat for 5 to 10 minutes. Push into the whole fillets or chunks with a kitchen utensil until they easily flake apart. Gently break apart the bluefish and mix into the chowder.
Add the heavy cream and herbs and mix well. Taste and add more herbs and seasoning, if desired.
Ladle into individual bowls and add optional seasonings, to taste.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 712kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 54g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Cholesterol: 153mg | Sodium: 939mg | Potassium: 2753mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 4211IU | Vitamin C: 65mg | Calcium: 519mg | Iron: 14mg
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