Creamy BBQ Bluefish

Name: Creamy BBQ Bluefish
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 1 1/2 to 2 pounds fillets of bluefish or, if preferred, mackerel; Kosher salt to taste; Ground black pepper to taste; Extra virgin olive oil; 1 medium onion, sliced very thin; 1 medium tomato, sliced thin; 1 tablespoon mayonnaise; 1 1/2-inch by 3-inch by 1/4-inch slab of cream cheese, broken into small pieces; 1 lemon, halved, one half left intact and the other sliced thin; 1 tablespoon butter

Recipe from Jim Goldberg

Adapted by Brett Martin

Creamy BBQ Bluefish — Gordon M. Grant for The New York Times

Total Time: 30 minutes
Rating: 4(94)
Notes: Read community notes

This recipe comes from a longtime fisherman from the East End of Long Island, the husband of artist Annie Sessler (who makes fish prints). He prepares bass and bluefish with recipes from his days cooking for crewmates on long dragger trips.

For these bluefish fillets, you may wonder if all the toppings overwhelm the flavor of this dish. Though hardly Le Bernardin (or the American Heart Association, for that matter), fear not, as the mayo and melted cream cheese offset the oiliness of the fish. —Brett Martin

Featured in: Creamy Barbecued Bluefish Adapted from Jim Goldberg Time: 30 minutes

Learn: How to Grill

or to save this recipe.
Subscriber benefit: give recipes to anyone
As a subscriber, you have 10 gift recipes to give each month. Anyone can view them - even nonsubscribers. Learn more.
Subscribe
Share
Print Options
Include recipe photo

Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

1½ to 2pounds fillets of bluefish or, if preferred, mackerel
Kosher salt to taste
Ground black pepper to taste
Extra virgin olive oil
1medium onion, sliced very thin
1medium tomato, sliced thin
1tablespoon mayonnaise
1½-inch by 3-inch by ¼-inch slab of cream cheese, broken into small pieces
1lemon, halved, one half left intact and the other sliced thin
1tablespoon butter

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

Step 1
Start grill or preheat oven to 450 degrees. Rinse fillets, and pat dry. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Take two large sheets of aluminum foil and curl up the edges, making a tray large enough to hold fish and other ingredients. Rub foil with olive oil.
Step 2
Spread a third of the onion slices on the foil, followed by a third of the tomato slices. Place fillets over tomato and onion layers. Place remaining onion over fillets, and dot evenly with mayonnaise.
Step 3
Dot cream cheese pieces over onions. Squeeze juice of intact half lemon over everything. Remove stray lemon pits. Place remaining tomatoes over onions and fish. Salt again. Lay lemon slices over and around fish.
Step 4
Cover loosely with foil, and place on hot grill or in oven. Cook 12 to 15 minutes, or until fish is cooked through. Remove foil tray from grill or oven, and dot fish with butter. Serve with some of the juices.

Ratings

4 out of 5

94 user ratings

Have you cooked this?

Private Notes

Leave a Private Note on this recipe and see it here.

Cooking Notes

Kiersten6 years ago

Ode to the much loved & hated Bluefish. I love you freshly plucked from the sea but if you lounge more than a few hours you are a tastebud misery. Acidic bits of flavor I implore or your fishyness we will abhor. Summer memories of Fire Island of the cheapest dinner pulled up from the dock pilings

Marilyn6 years ago

Everyone teases me for using cream cheese and mayo as cooking ingredients (including a mayo chocolate cake). This recipe uses both!!
At once!!
It was simply spectacular--tasty, creamy, not at all oily.
Made on the BBQ.
I'd give it 5 stars.

John1 year ago

Did this with Sablefish -- Was delish.

Mary Jo1 year ago

We had a fresh caught Bluefish and fixed half of it using this recipe. My whole family loved it, even the guy who doesn't like most fish.

Herb Burton1 year ago

This is the best bluefish recipe I have ever tried. It looks weird, but trust me, it is great. Just be sure that the bluefish is fresh.

PondAndWoods1 year ago

We made this on the grill last night. Didn't have enough blue fish so I added a cod fillet and a piece of flounder, wondering if they'd be overwhelmed by the flavors. But no! I think next time I'll leave it sit a while longer because the onions would be even more delicious if they were softer. Great marriage of texture and flavor.

Sarah1 year ago

Delicious and eeeeeasy!!! The only problem is that the cooking time seems vastly underestimated—on both the grill and in the oven we needed an extra 15 minutes.

jeremy2 years ago

I found that the cooking time wasn’t close to sufficient on the grill. Great flavors tho. I’m tempted to add some herbs

Rita6 years ago

Great !easy and delicious I had herbed chèvre and used that instead of cream cheese. Don’t forget to get some good bread to sop up the great juices

Kiersten6 years ago

Jordan6 years ago

Works just as well without the cream cheese and mayo. Made it that way with 2 lbs. fresh swordfish. Subbed a lime for the lemon because it was on hand. Turned out great. Don't forget a baguette or something to sop up the sauce!

Marilyn6 years ago

Mike D in NC5 years ago

Mayo Chocolate cake is awesome! One of my Moms staples when I was a kid was a recipe called "Legendary Mayonnaise Cake". It was moist, a little tangy and delicious!

Private notes are only visible to you.