Southwestern Style Striped Bass

So I’m just back from vacation in beautiful San Diego, California where I FINALLY had a chance to actually wade into the Pacific!
Unfortunately, I didn’t have a chance to sample any of the seafood and I was OH so tempted, sitting just off the veranda of the Yard House restaurant and spying Sea Bass on the menu…
Still, it’s San Diego and being based in New England, I just couldn’t get enough authentic Mexican cuisine. Also, spending most of my time near the mouth of the Merrimack river, I’m something of a seafood snob (not too proud to admit it) and I really prefer fish just recently flipping about(like, within hours of arriving on my plate). I will return since I never did get around to trying a fresh fish taco.
(Honestly? The idea of a fish taco gave me pause. Not to worry…the spirit of adventure will out!)
But now I’ve returned, and just in time for the Striper Insurgency and, WOW, are they hitting!
One of my favorite things is to go out and catch the fish that I then prepare & serve later in the day & stripers are such a joy in so many ways. The action is ramping (and you can get a sense by visiting the forum at Surfcasters.com) so there are delicacies awaiting in my home waters.
While I await some other prizes (it really has been a wonderful few weeks for your truly), including a top notch Abel fly reel at a dynamite discount price and a stunning G Loomis Crosscurrent fly rod and thinking about all the scrumptious guacamole & salsa dishes I’ve recently enjoyed, I decided to scrounge up some recipes to tie the whole range of experiences together.

Self-caught Stripers Just Taste BETTER! SERIOUSLY, there is nothing quite like preparing fish you’ve brought in yourself… I’ve been doing it since I was a little boy, fishing in the landlocked deep south. Bringing home your catch, then preparing a gift from the Great Spirit & enjoying it, perhaps with your partners from the days outting? There’s little to compare, in my experience.

This one looks really good! Avocado Bass from CDKitchen.com Ingredients: 1 small Ripe Avocado — Coarsely Chopped 1/4 cup Milk 1 tablespoon Lime Juice 1 clove Garlic — minced 1 dash Hot Sauce 2 tablespoons Lemon Juice 1 tablespoon Soy Sauce 1 teaspoon Lemon Rind — grated 1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard 16 ounces Bass Fillets 1/3 cup Fine Dry Bread Crumbs Vegetable Cooking Spray

Directions: (serves 4) Combine the first 5 ingredients in a blender; cover and process until smooth. Set mixture aside. Combine lemon juice and next 3 ingredients in a shallow dish; dip fillets in lemon juice mixture, and dredge in bread crumbs. Place on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 450 F for 7 minutes; turn fillets over, and bake an additional 7 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Transfer fillets to a serving platter, and top with avocado sauce. Seems to me my black olive, maize & cilantro salsa should go well with this, too. A Margarita on the side (crushed ice, some good reposado…mmm, mmm, MMM! Perfect on these sweltering eves.)

Tasty, Tasty, Tasty! I cannot wait to get my hands on this rod & try it out! Stripers on fly tackle are the BOMB & this is one FINE piece of gear! Makes the fish that much tastier.

I can’t wait to try this recipe! If it weren’t for family obligations, I’d hit the water with my spinning gear tomorrow & give it a try!
This coming week for sure. If any of y’all try it before me or have a suggestion, please share your comments with us. Otherwise, I’ll be back post haste to tell you how it was.