One of the wonderful perks of living at the Jersey Shore is the abundance of fresh fish available right off the boats. I still find it amazing though that so many of us “locals” have no idea what is fresh caught and what comes to us from other areas of the US or further. The next time you go to buy fish, be sure to ask them what is fresh AND locally caught. For a list of the local fish and their seasons, take a look at ShoreCatch.com.
On my last visit to Point Lobster Company in Point Pleasant Beach, the only choices I had for locally caught were Fluke, Flounder, scallops and crab from South Jersey. There was some gorgeous grouper, but that came from Florida. So, since we were aiming for local Jersey fish, I snagged the Fluke. Fluke is a mild, delicate fish and not really meant for the grill unless you do what I did and cook it in foil.
INGREDIENTS
1 pound fresh Fluke fillet
2 Leeks, cut length wise and rinse thoroughly under running water then sliced thinly cross wise
Saute Leeks and Mushrooms in 2 Tablespoons butter and a dash of olive oil until just tender. They will continue to cook in the foil packets.
Cut the fillet into four equal pieces and lay 2 pieces on top of Heavy Duty Aluminum Foil. You will have two packets with 2 pieces of fish each to grill.
Mix white wine, garlic, 2 Tablespoons butter and lemon juice in glass bowl or measuring cup and microwave for one minute. Seal foil packets at the top and one side. Pour half of liquid into each packet and seal.
Grill on medium – low for approximately 7 minutes. This fish cooks quick. It should flake easily when done.
The end result may not look all that pretty, but it was delicious. Even my best friend the self-proclaimed “fish hater” ate a whole piece and loved it. I realize the recipe calls for more butter than some may want to use, and I think you could safely scale it back by half without sacrificing the flavor. I also had some of the leeks and mushroom mixture left over, about a cup of it. I used it again later on top of salmon.
I hope you’ll give fresh Jersey fish a try throughout the year and please send us your recipes. We’re always looking for new ideas. Remember you can subscribe to just our Recipe updates by using the Subscription box on our Recipe page here: http://www.jerseybites.com/category/recipes/
Deborah Smith is the Founder and Executive Editor of JerseyBites.com. Launched in 2007 as a home for her growing collection of recipes, Jersey Bites soon grew into a hub for all things edible in the Garden State. Deborah is also the owner of Parents With Nannies, Inc. which operates a network of nanny employment websites established in 1999. In her spare time, (Ha) she works as a Social Media consultant and speaker. You can learn more about her services and marketing through social media on her blog www.DeborahLSmith.com
