Rockfish, the Poor Man’s Lobster🦞

Jan 12, 2025 | Recipes, Living at Arlington Place

I’ve been making random blog posts for years now, this Rockfish (aka Striped Bass) recipe was certainly one of them, and to be honest had been long since forgotten.  But our marketing folks just told me that it has 4000+ views so I thought it best to revisit and refresh to bring this 2009 post up to our 2025 standards.

Rockfish/Stripers are typically a cooler water species though they’ve been caught in the Neuse River year round

First things first… I’m putting the recipe at the top and bottom.  Anyone else get annoyed scrolling for recipes?  I rarely find a need (or the time) to read the fluff that goes along with the recipes, just get me to the good stuff.

 

it’s not much to look at, but I promise it tastes better than it looks

The good stuff:

Poor Man’s Lobster
    • boil a 1/2 gallon of water
    • add 1 cup of sugar until dissolved
    • drop in large Rockfish chunks
    • boil for about 3-4 minutes (or until they float)
    • sprinkle with Old Bay and dip in butter

 

Hook, Line, & Dinner

Here’s a condensed version of the “fluff”… we headed to Maryland to Larry & Diann’s home on Prospect Bay, a stop-over on our way to Baltimore for the Raven’s game.  Larry and Diann are great family friends, and even though they are Northerners, their Southern hospitality is unmatched.  You don’t leave their house until you’re fat and happy.

While the ladies stayed warm inside, Larry took the boys fishing and they landed a hog of a Rockfish!

The header picture is a baby-faced Blair on Larry’s dock, holding our dinner.

They told us they were going to boil chunks of the Rockfish in sugar water?  Sounded strange, but you don’t say no to Larry, he’s 6’11” so whatever he says, goes.

We tried the fish and were shocked, it tasted just like lobster!   Apparently, the sugar in the water tightens up the meat and gives it the consistency of lobster or jumbo lump crab.  Dipped in butter, you would never know the difference.  Or try my butter + old bay + lemon sauce recipe for the ultimate condiment: RECIPE.

Tried and true, Rockfish IS the poor man’s lobster🦞

 

The best (and easiest) Rockfish recipe

Step #1: go fishing with Larry

Step #2: bring a 1/2 gallon of water to a boil and dissolve 1 cup of sugar

Step #3: drop in large, square chunks of Rockfish/Striped Bass

Step #4: boil for a few minutes until the pieces float, remove onto a paper towel

Step #5: dust with Old Bay, squeeze of lemon, and dip in butter (or the butter-lemon sauce)

It still seems like the oddest thing to me, but I’m a believer and this recipe will forever be in my arsenol.  I bet it works with other fish too.

So why is this the most popular blog we’ve ever posted?  Not a clue, but definitely worth a try!