with spicy pickled piparra peppers, sumac onions & toasted Amagansett baguette
Serves 4
For the bluefish
For the sumac onions
For the sandwiches
This isn't mandatory for traditional balık ekmek, but I think it works beautifully with bluefish.
Mix everything together and refrigerate until serving.
Combine the sliced red onion with the sumac, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and parsley.
Massage everything together gently with your hands for about 30 seconds. Let sit for 10–15 minutes.
You want the onions slightly softened but still crunchy.
Cut the bluefish into four portions.
Combine olive oil, lemon zest, cumin, Aleppo pepper, paprika, salt and black pepper. Rub lightly over the fish.
Let it sit for about 10 minutes — don't leave bluefish sitting in lemon juice for long because the acid will begin curing the flesh.
For the best street-food character, use a very hot grill or cast-iron pan.
Cook the bluefish approximately:
3–4 minutes on the first side, then 2–3 minutes on the second, depending on thickness.
Finish with a squeeze of fresh lemon.
Bluefish should be just cooked through and still juicy — overcooking it will intensify its stronger flavors.
Split the baguette portions lengthwise.
Brush the cut sides lightly with olive oil and toast them directly on the grill or in the pan until golden, crisp and lightly charred.
That crunchy bread against the oily bluefish is important.
Spread a thin layer of lemon-garlic sauce on the toasted baguette.
Layer:
lettuce → tomato → hot bluefish → sumac onions → piparra peppers → parsley
Finish with another squeeze of lemon and, if you want, a light drizzle of good olive oil.
Serve immediately.
Because bluefish has much more personality than the mackerel typically used around Istanbul, I'd make the piparra peppers and sumac onions pretty prominent. The acidity cuts through the natural oils of the fish and keeps the sandwich from feeling heavy.
And for filming/plating, I'd leave 2–3 whole piparras visibly cascading out of the baguette, rather than chopping all of them. It will immediately communicate the spicy-pickled component on camera.
Menu description:
Balık Ekmek
Local Montauk bluefish, toasted Amagansett baguette, sumac onions, tomato, parsley, spicy pickled piparra peppers & lemon-garlic sauce.
