STRIPED BASS

STRIPERS. STRIPED BASS. ROCKFISH (because they like to hide under rocks). It's the fish of many names. My favorite is "Mr. Pajama Pants" (because of their stripes).

Ari Weinzweig is one of the creative forces behind Zimmerman's, a grand yet earthy source of fine foods available online and at its Ann Arbor, Michigan home, as well as a bakehouse and creamery. He's the author of the Zingerman's Guide to Good Eating, a fabulous resource. After picking up a copy of THE OUTER BANKS COOKBOOK, he called to chat about Fish Muddle, the quintessential North Carolina fish stew that was traditionally made during the spring runs of rockfish, as they are more often called on their inland cruise up rivers to spawn where they themselves were spawned. Rockfish, or stripers, then return to the ocean and head up north with the Gulf Stream, only to migrate during late winter, early spring down along the Outer Banks, then turn into our sounds and head up river to repeat the spawning cycle.

Ari wound up recalling our conversation in the introduction to his recipe for NC Fish Muddle in his latest book, Zingerman's Guide to Better Bacon. The connection to bacon? It's a major flavoring in the traditional recipe, and, pigs were slaughtered during colder weather, meaning the bacon was cured just in time to add it to a late spring muddle that was stewed right at the rivers' edge at the fish camps that dotted the shores.

The hubby and I made a road trip two weeks ago to Weldon, a small mill town on the Roanoke River, where at times the small fishing boats are so thick that you can hop from stern to prow all the way across the river. The river was up so high that the rocks that almost dam up the river could not be seen. You can't catch much in muddy water, and the stripers and the shad had yet to arrive, according to the few fishermen lining the banks. After casting with no results for about an hour, we went home empty-handed.

But a quick run to the beach this past weekend netted us a magnificent striper at B & J Seafood on HWY 70 at New Bern. While cleaning him, Ray told us that one of their fishermen had caught this 4-pounder that morning.
Striped bass is a very mild fish, and like most bass, its firm white flesh could use a little more flavor. So I stuffed the cavity with fresh thyme and thinly sliced onions and lemons, with a generous pinch of sea salt and freshly ground pepper. I forgot to slash the flesh on each side, down to the bone, about an inch apart. Some folks also place half a lemon slice in each slash. On the Outer Banks, the fish would then be wrapped with slices of bacon, which I did not have on hand.

So instead I placed more onions, and some bell peppers and lemon slices around the fish, then massaged it with olive oil on both sides, allowing a bit of oil to collect under the fish to keep it from sticking. I sprinkled it with more sea salt and freshly ground pepper.

Notice I placed the fish on heavy duty aluminum foil, which aided clean up, but also, I topped it with another piece of foil and folded the edges together to form a tight seal that would help steam the fish.

Into a preheated 400 degree oven it went, for about 45 minutes.

Perfecto! When the foil top was opened, the flavored steam that escaped was downright sinful. The skin slid off easily. And it was easy, using a spatula and a large fork, to cut pieces of the fish from the top half, down to the backbone, and slide them onto plates. After discarding the backbone, the rest of the fish lifted readily off the other skin. The onions and peppers were soft and succulent, giving the fish a lovely depth of flavor and mouthfeel.

We enjoyed this striper with flavored jasmine rice and a sauvignon blanc.

Now that's a significant "bone to pick." Think we liked it?

There's a tale I like to tell about walking down the beach at Nags Head one late Feb afternoon and seeing a bevy of fishermen casting over and over, dragging up huge stripers on the beach. After watching for a while, I went to look at a huge striper one fellow was putting into his ice chest, which was already full of the big boys.

"This must be pretty exciting," I said to him.

"Ma'am, this is THE most exciting thing I've ever done in my life," he said, with such a great big grin on his face.

"Better than sex?"

"Ma'am, that only last a minute, and this has been going on for hours!" he said emphatically.

STREAKING STRIPERS

Striped Bass are in season.  Stripers, also known as rockfish, head south with the Labrador current, sorta the southbound lane of I-95 for the Atlantic, and  hit the Outer Banks during the colder months of the year.  Except the juveniles, who wanna build up muscle mass before making the trek up north, so they hang out year round, particularly around the bridge pilings at Oregon inlet, which is about as far south, well maybe to Ocracoke, as any of the stripers go.  

And that's because most of them are heading to the Roanoke River, in the NE corner of NC, from whence they came.  Really.  Most return to their birthplace to spawn, or drop off the next generation.  That happens in early spring, creating a fishing frenzy around Roanoke Rapids.

But for now, the stripers are schooling up close enough to the beach to be able to cast to them from the surf, or caught out in the suds of the inlets via boat.  

- That means fresh stripers are in the fish markets. 

-  Scroll down for a delicious RECIPE from THE OUTER BANKS COOKBOOK:  Recipes & Traditions from NC's Barrier Islands. 

Quick Story.  A group of friends and I were walking the beach at Kill Devil Hills one February afternoon, and happened upon a Fishing Frenzy.  Big old stripers, two feet long, just littered maybe 100 yards of beach.  About 30 fishermen were casting, over and over, into the surf, and hauling in over and over, these 20-something pounders. We overheard one guy say his buddy had called him when he saw the stripers breaking, or schooling, from where he was working on a new roof.  Another fellow came running over the dune with his tie tucked into his shirt and dress pants tucked into his boots. 

I said to one guy who was dropping his fish into his cooler, "This looks exciting."

"Ma'am," he says, a big old grin on his face, "I haven't had this much excitement ever in my life.  Nothing could be better than this."

"Not even sex?"

"Ma'am, that lasts for only a minute.  This has been going on for hours."

My girlfriends and I decided he needs to stick to fishing.

RECIPE

BAKED FISH with PARMESAN CRUST, copyright from THE OUTER BANKS COOKBOOK by Elizabeth Wiegand, Globe Pequot Press, 2009.

This recipe comes from Ruth Toth, the retired teacher/chef of the Cafe Atlantic in Ocracoke.  It's one of the most popular items on her menu.  She prefers to use puppy drum, but happily substitutes whatever firm fleshed fish is in season.

  

2 cups freshly grated or shredded Parmesan Cheese

1/4 cup melted butter

3/4 cup mayonnaise

3/4 cup chopped green onions

4 teaspoons minced garlic

1 teaspoon hot sauce

4 large (4 to 6 ounces) fish filets, preferably puppy drum, flounder, trout or stripers (rockfish)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Place aluminum foil over baking sheet or pan.

Mix all ingredients, except fish, together in a mixing bowl.

Spread cheese mixture  evenly over filets, and place in oven.   Baking time will depend on the thickness of the filets, but will take about 12 minutes for fillets 3/4 inch thick.

YIELD:  4 servings

A CLAM JAM

CLAM JAM - A CHOWDER COOKOFF, part of the 25th Anniversary Commemoration of the Christening and Launching of the Elizabeth II, had this Elizabeth judging six different clam chowders put forth by area restaurants.  The rules were simple -the ingredients had to be traditional, and for the Outer Banks, that means just 5 ingredients - clams, potatoes, pork, onions and water.   

Judging is a difficult job.  Blind tastings led us immediately to two very traditional renditions, the winner by Sam & Omie's Dolly Gray Jones, with its balance of pepper, clams and tender veggies.  The runner up, Basnight's Lone Cedar, featured small, whole clams.  The addition of carrots DQed one, and another pushed the envelope with sweet potatoes that overpowered the taste of the clams.  The newly crowned Clam Jam Queen, Dolly, was so pleased - the recipe was her mother's, and it was her mother's birthday.  Trust me, only the food gods rigged that! She promises not to substitute her crown for her motorcycle helmet.

The People's Choice Award went to Poor Richard's.  For five bucks, attendees could taste all of the chowders, and cast their clam shell for their favorite.

LOCALVORES -    Friday evening's reception in the Boat House featured ingredients settlers brought with them or found on Roanoke, including a whole roasted pig, smoked trout, steamed vegetable bundles and champagne - not authentic but at least from the Biltmore Estate.  Ocracoke's own Molasses Creek played their awesome bluegrass music.   

 On Saturday, a replica of the Elizabeth II was launched - and wasn't lost in the strong wind.  The crowd paraded behind the bagpipes and the Queen to the Festival Park, were they tasted the clam chowder and were treated to slices of a huge cake.

                                                                

 

OREGON INLET FISHING REPORT 

Couldn't resist popping into the Oregon Inlet Fishing Center to see what the charter boats were bringing in.  Sunday, the catch of the day was stripers.  Big Boys, 25 to 35 pounds, caught just outside in the wash of the inlet.  One fellow had trimmed the loins from each side of the backbone, a present he's taking to his mother for Thanksgiving.  He hopes she's do it "the traditional way", baking it with bacon, onions and potatoes.  One fish would feed a multitude at that size, and there were several very happy fishermen on the dock.

In THE OUTER BANKS COOKBOOK, you'll find that traditional recipe, as well as a recipe for grilling Striped Bass, a terrific way of preparing this firm but delicately flavored fish with butter, herbs and lemon.  

Basically, what you want to do is to melt butter, parsley, scallions, salt and pepper, and lemon juice together, then brush that mixture over the whole fish or fillets.  Place lemon slices over and/or in the fish.  Then grill, covered, basting occasionally with butter mixture, until fish flakes easily.  Time depends on thickness, and whether filets or whole fish.  Garnish with more thin slices of lemon.