Catch of the Day
by L.A. DiNardi

Add oregano to anything and click close it oreganata! However, using freshly caught striped bass brings a whole new dimension to this scrumptious recipe. After a long day on the boat fishing for your hard earned striped bass, the last thing you want to do is spend hours in the kitchen cooking your fresh catch. Striped bass oreganata is quick, easy and so delicious, it will make a perfect meal at the end of a long albeit fun-filled day.

Creek Chub
Striper Strike Lure

My Favorite

Ingredients You Will Need:

• 8 tbsps. Italian-flavored breadcrumbs – Progresso is a great brand.
• 3 pinches of ground black pepper or 6 turns of the pepper mill
• 4 good size sprigs of fresh oregano, stems removed and chopped
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil (exvoo)
• 1 Lemon
• 4 Striped Bass Fillets (about a quarter of a pound each)
• 2 pinches of Kosher Salt

Directions:

First, preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Fish cooks quickly, and the higher the heat, the easier it is to seal in the flavor and moisture. In a small mixing bowl, put breadcrumbs, pepper, and oregano in and use a fork to mix well. Add 3 tablespoons of exvoo, the juice from half a lemon and stir well into a paste texture. Coat the fillets with exvoo, using a brush. Now scoop out the oreganata and cover the fish evenly. You can use your hands, a spatula or a spoon, whatever works for you.

With the other half of your lemon, cut it up into slices and create a bed for the fish on top of aluminum foil (on a baking sheet or in a baking pan, either is fine). Place your oreganata fillets on the bed of lemon and fold the aluminum foil up to create a spacious tent for the fish to cook inside, leaving a couple of inches of room above the fillets. Cook for about 30 minutes, give or take depending on the thickness of the fillets.

Striper oreganata is best served with a jasmine or basmati rice, sauteed spinach, and a lovely glass of Moscato. Buon appetito!