Grilled Rockfish topped with Crab Stuffing

One of the traditional dishes of home cooks throughout the Chesapeake Bay region is as simple to make as it should be to catch this time of year. Crabs are in abundance. Rockfish are schooling and fattening up for the cooler months, and if you aren't in a position to catch either yourself, then prices are also going down at the market due to less demand post Labor Day.

One thing we'll do different than most is we will brine the fish before we cook. By puting the fish in a simple brine for a shot period of time, we will bring out the natural flavors of the fish. I brine all of my fish (except catfish and Tuna) before cooking. Try it with this dish. You'll love the results.

So lets get started putting together this easy but delicious recipe;


For the brine:

1 Q. of Water
2 Tbsp. Kosher Salt
1 Tbsp. granulated sugar

For the main dish


2 Rockfish Fillets about 1 pound each. (18-24 inch schoolie fish are perfect here)
3 Tbsp. Butter
1 tsp. Fresh Lemon Juice
Fresh ground pepper to taste

Crab meat topping 
1/2 pound of crab meat
1 Tbsp Mayonaisse
dash or two of dry mustard
1 tsp. of dried tarragon leaves
1/2 tsp. of seafood seasoning

Mix the brine and make sure salt and sugar are dissolved. Place the fillets in the brine and allow to sit refrigerated for at least 15 minutes but preferably 1 hour. Next, mix together all of the ingredients for the crab meat topping and let stand so that flavors can marry.

After 1 hour, remove the fish from the brine, and pat dry with a paper towel. Melt butter and add lemon juice, then brush both sides of the fillet with lemon/butter mixture. add fresh ground pepper.

Coat grill racks with non-stick cooking spray, or use a fish grilling basket. Pre-heat grill to 400 degrees. Spread crabmeat mixture onto each fillet. sprinkle a little extra seafood seasoning op top and grill over medium/low heat for about 15-20 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

Remove from grill, and serve with fresh corn on the cob, slices of tomato, and cilantro lime rice. (recipe posted soon)

Enjoy!