Bluefish Salad Sandwich

 Serves 4

• 1 1/4 lb. Bluefish fillet, skinned and pin bones removed
• 3 T or so olive oil
• 1/2 bunch fresh thyme
• 1 T fresh garlic, crushed then coarse chop
• 4 T purple onion, coarse chop
• 1/3 cup celery, coarse chop
• 2 1/2 T Spanish piquillo pimientos or roasted red peppers
• 4 anchovies, chopped (we used Ortiz brand, sold at the market)
• 3 T kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
• 1 1/2 T capers
• 8 slices tomato
• 4-6 slices cucumber
• Romaine or leaf lettuce, enough to pile on each sandwich
• Soft crusted baguette

Vinaigrette

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 T rice vinegar
• 2 t Dijon mustard
• 3 T lemon juice
• 1 t honey

Mix vinaigrette to taste. Pre heat oven to 375º

Add enough olive oil to generously cover bottom of broiling pan or baking dish. (You will use the oil from the pan as part of your salad). Add bluefish to pan and coat with the oil in the pan. Add garlic around the edges and coat in the olive oil. Sprinkle a few thyme leaves on the fish with some salt and pepper. Scatter the rest of the thyme (on the stems) around the edges. Bake fish for 10 min. per inch of thickness or until opaque in the center. Let fish cool a bit at room temp.

Add fish to mixing bowl and scrape garlic and about 1 T of the oil into bowl (don’t add stems from thyme). Add celery, pimientos, onion, olives, capers and anchovies. Slowly add vinaigrette, stir in ingredients gently and stop adding when you’ve hit it just right for your taste. Season with salt and pepper.

Assemble sandwich with lettuce, tomatoes, cukes, and bluefish salad on top. I like a little mayo on the bread and a dash of Tabasco but it’s fine without.