Back in 1982, we bought a used red bow-rider tri-hull runabout boat which we named the Dizzy Deb. DH and I had many an adventure with that boat, tooting up and down the Mullica River, Great Bay and occasionally out to the Atlantic Ocean. We trailered the boat and used the ramp at a marina on the Mullica. We used squid for bait and sometimes minnows. The turbot is a flat fish with the eyes on the top side like the halibut, flounder and fluke. We mostly caught snapper blues, Summer fluke and sea bass. When we went fishing, DH would clean and fillet the fish we caught at the marina’s cleaning station with the seagulls flying overhead hoping for some tidbits.

DH would often take his employee construction crew fishing on a Saturday several times during the past Summers. One weekend we were packing up the Bronco and hooking up the trailer to go Down the Shore (Jersey lingo for going to the shore). We can always tell when an “out of state” peep is amongst us as they will say they are going to the shore. DH opened the bait well in the bottom of the boat and yelled “Yikes!” (Well, that’s not exactly what he yelled). He and the guys had gone fishing the weekend before and he forgot to clean the bait well out. This caused the bait to ferment in the bottom of the boat in 95 degree weather for a week. He said to me, ” We need to clean out the bait well!!” I said, “We didn’t leave it in the boat!” So with that I went back in the house to get the cooler. He cleaned out the bait well by scooping out the bait and flinging it out of the boat into the yard. So after the boat was nice and clean, DH brought our dog Shammy (lab mix) outside to go with us. I was sitting in the Bronco all ready to go, waiting for DH and the dog. DH left the back passenger door open and called the dog. She came running and jumped into the Bronco! We jumped out just as fast! That darn dog had made a beeline right for the fermented bait and rolled in it! Fortunately just shampoo and water got rid of the stink! There are some peeps in places around the world who ferment fish on purpose for good eating, however the recipe below is not for that.

Ingredients:

• 1 sweet onion
• 1 garlic clove (minced)
• 1 pound mushrooms (baby portabellas)
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/2 cup Caesar salad dressing
• cooking spray
• 1 pound fillet turbot (or halibut)
• 1 tablespoon dill

Directions:

1. Dice onion and place it in a microwave-able dish and cook it for 2 minutes.
2. Stir onion and cook for an additional 2 minutes.
3. Clean mushrooms removing any dirt or grit gently with a damp sponge.
4. Slice mushrooms.
5. Add butter to a skillet on medium heat. After it melts add garlic and saute for 30 seconds stirring constantly, then remove from heat and add to onions.
6. Saute mushrooms for 10 minutes stirring them every minute or so.
7. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.
8. Add onion garlic mixture to mushrooms and saute both for another 10 minutes stirring so they don’t burn.
9. Remove from heat and set aside.
10. Use a baking dish that the fish filet fits in comfortably.
11. Spray baking dish with cooking spray.
12. Place fish in dish and slather it with  1/4 cup Caesar salad dressing.
13. Cover fish with mushroom mixture.
14. Drizzle remaining 1/4 cup of Caesar dressing on top of the mushrooms.
15. Sprinkle dill on top of Caesar dressing and mushrooms.
16. Cover baking dish with aluminum foil.
17. Bake in oven for 20 minutes or until fish is done to desired doneness. (We like our fish medium rare).

Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Cooking Time: 44 minutes

Servings: 6