Fishing enthusiasts have been most fortunate in recent years to be able to avoid the summer "doldrums" because of the plentiful supply of small bluefish. These "cocktail blues" can be found at the mouth of most inlets.

In August the smaller bluefish called "snappers" are even more abundant and can be caught by almost anyone with modest fishing expertise and equipment.

Even though it's a delicate task these small blues and snappers should be filleted and skinned carefully to make the following recipe a success. (This recipe is a variation of a recipe from Ruth Spear's "Cooking Fish and Shellfish Cookbook". 4-6 cloves garlic, finely chopped 3 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley 1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil 10-12 snapper fillets, skinned or 8-10 sm. bluefish fillets, skinned Several drops lemon juice, squeezed on fillets Salt and fresh ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Sprinkle half the olive oil in a cookie sheet or flat pan large enough to hold all the ingredients. Slice new potatoes very thin (about 1/8 inch) and lay flat in the pan, turning them once or twice in the olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and chopped garlic. Bake potatoes in heated oven 8-10 minutes, turning them once. Remove pan from oven and space fish fillets atop potatoes. Cover fish fillets with remaining olive oil, parsley, lemon juice, salt and pepper, and garlic. Return pan to oven and bake entire dish an additional 5-6 minutes. (Be sure fish is cooked but not overly done. Test with a fork. If a fork penetrates fish easily, fish is probably done.)

Serve with a salad of sliced tomatoes, Feta cheese, Greek olives, and your favorite dry white wine.