Blackened Cobia

We have fresh cobia this morning, the first fish of the week! This is a unique catch, it is mostly a game fish so we only get a handful. Cobia migrates south to warmer waters in the fall/winter then make the journey back north during the spring/summer. So we catch them on their way by North Carolina.

The meat is truly unlike any other fish we catch – its dense and sweet with a flake like tuna. The fish itself looks almost prehistoric, more like a sturgeon than anything else. The body is round and very challenging to fillet. You can really tell the skill of a cutter by how they do on a cobia.

We love blackening or marinating steaks for the grill. Steaks cook fast so just a minute or two per side depending on thickness. The easiest way I can offer to tell if the fish is done is to poke it with a toothpick, if it goes through easily its done. If it resists, cook another 30 seconds and try again. In the photos below we served the cobia over fresh steamed corn and a cherry tomato, cilantro, lime salsa on top.

For the corn, cut it off the cob – this is easiest to do inside a mixing bowl then no kernels fly off. Then about a teaspoon of butter in a pan, just enough to coat so the corn doesn’t stick. I use clam broth to steam the corn but you can use water or chicken broth. Let that cook for about 5 minutes. Turn the heat off and add 2TB softened butter and 1/2 t Old Bay seasoning. Stir this together to create a sauce, taste and adjust seasonings.

I also served the blackened cobia over a Mexican street corn and that was also incredible. That you would cut the corn off same way, then in a cast iron or heavy bottom skillet heat up a TB olive oil or clarified butter. Toss the corn to coat then let sit for 4 minutes and toss to char the other side, 4 more minutes. Take off the heat and add 1 teaspoon sour cream, 1/2 chopped jalapeno, 1/4c chopped cilantro and mix.