Striped Bass Recipes for All Occasions

Fish taste test! Striper or bluefish?

The stripers are running, the stripers are running!

The stripers were running in record numbers this year, down the Hudson and up into Long Island Sound. Even we caught some keepers this year. What a wonderful treat that was! Here are a few different ways to cook striped bass, in case your luck holds out for multiple catches. These will work for most other fish as well.

No. 1. Cut striper into chunk steaks and season with lemon juice and salt and pepper. Dredge lightly in flour. Fry gently in a mix of butter and oil (butter for flavor, oil to keep the butter from burning). Serve with French fries or rice, and a salad with balsamic vinaigrette.

No. 2. Make a tempura batter out of Bisquick and add a smidgin of McCormick’s Seasonall. Cut bass into chunks and pat dry. Coat very very lightly with corn starch, dip into batter, and then right into a deep fryer till golden brown. Fry some fresh potato chips to go with it. Yum.

No. 3. Clean striper – head it, tail it and gut it. Stuff with vegetables and chourico (Portuguese sausage). Pat dry skin and wrap tightly in tinfoil. Lay on the grill (the fish not you). When done, peel the tinfoil back and the skin will come with it.

No. 4. Cut striper into chunk steaks. Mix 1/2 fresh lemon juice and tsp thyme in Virgin olive oil. Coat steaks completely. Dip steaks in flour. Barbecue on skin side 7 minutes. Turn over two more minutes. Soak corn in bucket of saltwater. Throw on barbecue and shuck after it’s cooked. Use the oil as seasoning for corn. No need for butter.

No. 5. Filet striper and lay filets on a sheet of tin foil. Sprinkle with lemon juice, butter, and seasonings. Lay on a few slivers of vegetables for color and flavor – peppers are usually good for this. Make a closed pouch by folding over the ends and heat on BBQ or in oven for 20-30 minutes depending on thickness of filets and temperature of flame. This technique ensures that you don't lose any precious chunks between the BBQ grates!

Tip: When cool, flush used vegetable oil down the head to lubricate parts and keep it working properly. Use only vegetable oil. Do not flush grease that will harden like butter or bacon fat.

Striped Bass Recipes for All Occasions

What to do with leftover fish? Why fish cakes and fish pie and all kinds of great things you say?