Big Bend Florida Sportsman Guide

BlueFish Recipes

Blue Balls

Author Chesapeake Troller

 Ok first the story: Growing up fishing the Chesapeake Bay we caught lots of bluefish, and while great fighters, Blues are an oily fish and not as tasty as others. We found a way to use the meat as a crab substitute for crab cakes, or in this case, crab balls. The name just seemed to fit. 

Use about 2 pounds, fileted bluefish or any other fish you want to try. Cut out the dark meat along the centerline, taking care to get as much off as you can. Bring to a very low boil a pan of water with 2 teaspoons of Old Bay seasoning. Parboil the filets until they flake easily with a fork. Remove from pan and drain on paper towels. Take about a tablespoon of Old Bay and mix with the cooked  fish. Add the seasoning, a little at a time while mixing up the fish. 

Take about 3 to 4 slides of bread, trim the crust off and discard. Cut up the bread into cubes about 1/4 of an inch. If the bread is frozen this is a easy step. Mix the now favored fish with the bread cubes and add 2 tablespoons of mayo, 2 teaspoons of parsley, 1 teaspoon of Worchestershire sauce, 1 egg, salt and pepper to your taste. The mixture

should hold together nicely in your hand when you make a ball. Too soupy add some more bread cubes, too dry add some more mayo. Mold the mix into balls about the size of golf balls ans set on wax paper. You can put them in the fridge overnite to blend the favors together. You can also freeze them for later. 

Cook a number of ways: Deep-fry, broil, or fry in oil in a pan. Remember that everything is cooked so you just need to get them to a golden brown for taste. Our favorite was to deep-fry until they float to the top (about a couple minutes), remove and drain on paper towels, and serve with tartar sauce and lemons.