A salute to the flag

[dmrides]

The other day I went out in search of some stones and got a nice haul of rockfish. I was reminded of two posts from some time back. The first was from some one on BD who said that flag fish are one of his favorite fish in the sea. The second was a post from Yani, where he grilled some whole rockfish that left me drooling on my keyboard. Since I had fresh fish to work with, I figured I would give it a go. If you have not already done this, I urge you to try. It will likely change your views on rockfish.

First, clean the fish really well. I cut the heads off, since it kinds of freaks out my wife. Brush some olive oil on the skin. Sprinkle the cavity with sea salt and fresh ground pepper. Then add some dried or fresh rosemary, thyme, lemon and red onion slices. I used the same preparation for the collars from a red and a bocaccio.

The key is how you grill it. Get the grill piping hot and grill the fish over indirect heat for about 10 minutes per inch, flipping once. I gave the flag about 12 min per side and the collars about 7 min per side.

Maybe it was because I don't get fishing out as much as I used to, so I cherish a meal of fresh fish. Or maybe it was because of the libations. Who's to say? Either way, it was some of the best fish I have cooked.



Here's to tight lines and good eats.

[tacklebox]

That looks like art! WTG! Also looks DELICIOUS!

[JeffB]

That does look good!

[j mo]

Good stuff right there Darren! So what was the verdict? Was it the best tasting in the sea?

Ive heard that about sheepshead- Ill stick to WSB.

[Baja_Traveler]

You'd pay $50 for that plate at the Marine Room, except you got the view earlier when you caught dinner...

Looks awesome.

Darren,

I'm so stoked. I haven't been out as much as I like,
but reading your post and seeing your meal is inspiring.

Hope to see you on the water soon. (save the fish heads for me...)

[steveooo]

Fancy Schmancy! That looks good D

[RobFish]

Oh yeah Big D!
That looks like some tasty vittles right there.

[THE DARKHORSE]

I really like how you set up the photo, too. Great way to do that spread justice. The red makes that white plate pop and each plate stands out.

Very well done.

[dmrides]

Thanks guys. Hope it gave you some new ideas.

Originally Posted by j mo

So what was the verdict? Was it the best tasting in the sea?

The preliminary verdict is that it was damn good. But I am going to need to try some more of that famed WSB you speak of before the final sentencing.

Originally Posted by yani

(save the fish heads for me...)

We'll see. Next time I need to try your fish soup! Thanks again for the inspiration.

[bellcon]

Excellent stuff Darren