Capt. Bill Vargas’ Striped Bass Crab Cakes
Ingredients
- 2 pounds freshly skinned striped bass fillet
- 2 heaping tablespoons of mayonnaise (low fat or regular)
- 1 heaping tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 whole eggs (or equivalent egg beaters)
- 2 cups Italian flavored bread crumbs
- 1 cup of chopped onions
- 1 cup of chopped green peppers
- 2 tablespoons of virgin olive oil (optional)
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
- add hot red pepper flakes to taste
Preparation & Cooking
Clean fillets, remove all red or dark meat from fillets. Cut the bass into four-inch cubes. Poach until cubes of fish are white and flakey. Approximate cooking time is usually about 10 minutes however it may vary from stove to stove. When the fish is done place into a colander and press out as much water as possible.
While the bass is cooking, sauté your onions in the olive oil, green peppers and celery until they are tender. Once done, set aside in a mixing bowl, combine the mayo, mustard, eggs and sautéed vegetables. Mix in the Old Bay seasoning and hot pepper flakes.
When the fish is done cooking and drained of excess water, mix into the combined ingredients within the mixing bowl. Mix until you have the consistency of crab meat. Then mix in the Italian bread crumbs, not all at once but little by little until the mixture holds its shape for cooking patties. Be careful not to dump too much into fish mixture because it may become too hard.
With the “crab” fish patties, you can either fry them in a virgin olive oil and butter sauce until golden brown, or for the more healthy choice you can bake them. Baking time will vary by oven, the fish is already cooked but the eggs aren’t. Bake for about 30 to 45 minutes at 350 degrees.
Eating
These cakes should never be served hot – allow them to cool down for about five minutes. They taste best when warmed. Many people like to accompany the cakes with either cocktail sauce or tartar sauce. Because the meal is fairly rich, we like to serve with a Caesar salad, a loaf of warm French bread and some fresh steamed vegetables. If you have any leftovers, these cakes are delicious cold on a bun with tartar sauce. They also taste great “nuked” in the microwave.
Captain Dan’s Caribbean Fillet
Ingredients
- Mrs. Dash Caribbean Spice
- 2 Fish Fillets (Works with all fish)
- 1 orange
- 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
Preparation & Cooking
Put one tablespoon of olive oil into a pan on medium heat. Place both fillets in the pan, sprinkle Mrs. Dash’s spice on top of the fillet along with the juice from one half of an orange. Let the fish cook thoroughly and flip the fillets over. Sprinkle more Mrs. Dash’s spice and squeeze one more orange half over the fillets. Let the fish cook thoroughly, and let it sit at low heat until it is ready to serve. You can serve this dish over any type of noodles or rice. Steam the rice with some oranges for a nice sweet taste..
Compliments of the SUNBEAM FLEET – Enjoy!