Rockfish is so naturally flavorful and buttery it’s best not to tart it up too much. Our usual recipe was to season the filets with salt and pepper, qive them a quick sear with canola in a hot pan, and to baste the filet after the first flip with an unstinting amount of butter. For fancier occasions, there was the harmonious marriage of the fruits of Chesapeake fall: crab and rockfish. As a fall dish, Crab Imperial takes advantage of the best river crabs of the season, fat, abundant, and (relatively) cheap. The lush creaminess of the Imperial with the firm, sweet, slightly briny flavor of the rockfish is a flavor pairing for kings—rich, robustly autumnal, and quintessentially Chesapeake. Although many versions of a Rockfish & Crab Imperial pairing can be found in local cookbooks and family recipe cards, this is one our family liked, inspired by one from John Shields. Enjoy with mustard, arugula or other spicy fall greens, and pair with a bone-dry white wine.
Ingredients
- 6 rockfish fillets, 6-7 ounces each, skin removed
- Salt and pepper
- Extra-Virgin olive oil for searing
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons green bell pepper diced
- 2 tablespoons red bell pepper
- ¾ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ teaspoon Tabasco sauce
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay or J&O Spice
- 1 pound lump or special crabmeat, picked over for shells
Preparation
To prepare the crabmeat, melt the butter in a small skillet and sauté the bell peppers until soft. Set aside. Combine the mayonnaise, mustard, Worcestershire, Tabasco, pepper, and Old Bay in a small bowl and mix well. Add the sautéed peppers. Place the crabmeat in a mixing bowl and pour the mixture over it. Toss gently with hands. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Preheat oven to 400°. To prepare the rockfish, season both sides of the fillets with salt and pepper. Lightly coat the bottom of a well-heated ovenproof skillet with olive oil. Place fillets flesh side down into very hot skillet and sear for 1 minute. Turn the fish over and sear the other side for 1 minute. Remove pan from heat and flip fish over once again. Divide the crab imperial evenly onto the top each of the fillets.
Place the skillet into the preheated oven and reduce heat to 350°. Bake for about 20-23 minutes. Remove from oven and serve immediately.
