Recipe – Redfish on the Half-Shell

Redfish on the Half-Shell (Recipe)

The Red Drum, more commonly known as the Redfish, Bull Red or just Red are some of my favorite saltwater inshore fish to catch and eat. These fish are extreme fighters and bottom huggers which always make for a heavy fight regardless of their size. Redfish are easily recognizable by the large black spot on the upper part of the base of the tail. Many of the redfish I have caught have multiple spots, but few ever have no spot. There are even categories in some fishing tournaments for catching a Redfish with the most spots.

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Redfish are fun to fish for because they will hit on nearly any kind of bait from live to artificial including small crabs being one of the best. You can also ‘glass’ these fish from boat platforms and spot them in the flats and shallow waters by their tails as they stick out of the water. Not only are these beautiful fish fun to catch but they can be extremely tasty for a meal too. I have two favorite ways of cooking and eating Redfish. The first is blackened which is relatively easy – just get a skillet, preferable a cast iron skillet, extremely hot, season the fish with blackening season and throw in the pan for a quick cook, flip once and done!

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The other way requires a little more work but the results are amazing!

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Redfish on the Half-Shell

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-Redfish (fillet the fish leaving the skin & scales on one side)

-2 Lemons
-2 Limes
-Garlic, onion powder, salt, pepper
-Cilantro, green onions
-Favorite Cajun Seasoning
-1-2 sticks of butter
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Get your grill very hot. Mix garlic, onion powder, salt and pepper and season the fish and place in the fridge. Then melt 1 stick of butter in the microwave and mix in the following: juice of 1 lemon, juice of 2 limes, fresh cilantro, diced green onions, and your favorite Cajun seasoning. Now squeeze half of the other lemon on the fish. Pour your butter mixture over the fish and add any extra green onions or cilantro you have on the fillets.

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Place on the grill scale side down. Let cook for 5-7 minutes. Add Lemon slices on top of the fish (you can add tomato slices too) and let cook for another 5 minutes. Your cook time will depend on the thickness of your fillet but will be flaky and white when done.

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*other alternatives include tossing cheese crumbles over the fish when done cooking and letting it melt or using a beer, butter & Worchester sauce mixture to pour over the fish. Get creative with your favorite seasonings, but enjoy!!