Recipes for Sheephead

Ken Jones

Administrator
Staff member
#1
McClane’s Fish Buyer’s Guide: California Sheephead — (A) Flavor: mild (B) Texture: coarse (C) Flake: small (D) Fat Content: low (E) Odor (Raw): mild (F) Color after Cooking: off white (G) Cooking Methods: poach or steam

Posted by Santa on August 16, 2006

Sheephead — I love Sheephead! Next to Lings it was the primary fish I sought when diving around Santa Barbara Islands. Good white meat. Here's a recipe you can try, besides cooking it anyway you would normally cook fish, it's really versatile. Good luck

Sheephead/Lobster Newburg Surprise

This dish will fool the experts since boiled or steamed sheephead has a taste very similar to lobster or crab. The steamed meat when cold may be eaten with cocktail sauce like lobster. Keep your guests guessing.

Ingredients:

• 1 Sheephead
• 1 can Aunt Penny's White Sauce
* 2-inch cube cheddar cheese
* 2 jiggers white wine or unflavored brandy
* 1 dash Worcestershire Sauce
* 2 dashes soy sauce
* Cracker crumbs

Preparation/Cooking:

• Steam the sheephead 10 to 15 minutes to soften the meat.
• Remove the meat from the bones and cut into 1-inch cubes.
• Combine the white sauce, wine, Worcestershire Sauce and soy sauce in the top of a double boiler and melt cheese into it.
• Place the fish cubes in a baking dish and pour the sauce over them. Sprinkle liberally with the cracker crumbs to keep the moisture in.
• Bake in preheated oven at 350°F for 20 to 30 minutes, depending upon the size of the sheephead.
 

Ken Jones

Administrator
Staff member
#2
Posted by: Ken Jones

Here's a super easy recipe that can be used with sheephead or just about any white-fleshed fish.The only problem for some is that the sauce may seem to overpower the flavor of the fish and we are, after all, discussing fish recipes.

Sheephead Italiano

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 lbs fillets about 1/2 inch thick.
• 1 jar (16 ounces) spaghetti sauce
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil leaves
• 1/24 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Preparation/Cooking:

• Heat oven to 325 degrees
• Cut fish into serving-size pieces. Arrange in 13x9-inch baking pan
• Pour spaghetti sauce over the fish
• Sprinkle with parsley, basil, oregano and pepper.
• Top with cheese.
• Bake until fish flakes easily at the thickest part (20-25 minutes).

Slightly modified from a recipe in Cleaning & Cooking Fish by Sylvia Bashline