Fire It Up - Andrew Schloss [129]
1 tablespoon finely grated lime zest
½ teaspoon coarse sea salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
DIRECTIONS:
Combine the brine and fish in a 1-gallon zipper-lock bag, squeeze out the air, and seal. Refrigerate for 3 to 6 hours.
Light a grill for direct medium-high heat, 400 to 450°F.
Remove the fish from the brine and pat dry with paper towels. Discard the brine. Coat the fish liberally with the olive oil.
Mix together the cracked pepper, lime zest, and sea salt, and season both sides of the fish with this mixture.
Brush the grill grate and coat with oil. Put the fish on the grill, close the lid, and grill until the fish looks opaque on the surface, but is still filmy and moist in the center (130°F on an instant-read thermometer), about 15 minutes, flipping halfway through.
Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Remove from the heat and stir in the lime juice.
Using an extra-wide spatula, or two regular spatulas, transfer the fish to a serving platter. Drizzle with lime butter and serve.
RICH, COLORED FISH STEAK
Grilled Mako Shark Steaks with White Steak Sauce
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
Properly handled, shark steak has a firm meaty texture and an ivory-pink pearlesence. It is also one of the mildest tasting fish around. But mishandled or over-the-hill shark meat is repulsive. Sharks build up urea (a protein waste product) to balance the sodium their flesh absorbs from seawater. Once a shark is out of water, the urea starts to break down and forms ammonia compounds, which accounts for the noxiously bad smell of old shark. Look for shark meat that is glistening and odorless. Even a whiff of ammonia is unacceptable.
INGREDIENTS:
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
4 mako shark steaks (about 6 to 7 ounces each), about ¾ inch thick
Coarse salt and coarsely ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
¾ cup White Steak Sauce
DIRECTIONS:
Light a grill for direct medium-high heat, 425°F.
Mix the garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, and oregano in a small bowl. Season the shark steaks with salt and pepper and coat with the garlic-lemon mixture. Set aside for 20 minutes.
Brush the grill grate and coat with oil. Grill until the fish looks opaque on the surface, but is still filmy and moist in the center (140°F on an instant-read thermometer), 4 to 5 minutes per side.
Scatter the parsley over the steaks and serve with sauce on the side.
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KEEP IT SIMPLE:
Replace the steak sauce with jarred tartar sauce or ½ cup mayonnaise mixed with ¼ cup jarred steak sauce, such as A1.
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RICH, MEDIUM COLORED FISH FILLETS
Mahi-Mahi Skewers with Seafood Butter
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
Mahi-mahi is rich and meaty, but it dries out mercilessly when overcooked. One of the best ways to ensure temperature control is to cut the fish into cubes, which cook through as they brown. The cubes are marinated in aromatic sesame oil and lemon, skewered with bite-size tomatoes, and basted with seafood-flavored butter before they hit the grill. The added oil and butter lubricate the fish from the outside as it cooks, guaranteeing that the each grilled morsel remains moist. We suggest serving these skewers on a bed of brown rice or whole-wheat couscous.
INGREDIENTS:
4 bamboo or metal skewers
¼ cup olive oil
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
Zest and juice of ½ lemon
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
¼ teaspoon coarse salt
⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 pounds skinless mahi-mahi steaks or thick fillets, cut into 1½-inch cubes
1 lemon, cut into 8 wedges
16 cherry or grape tomatoes
6 strips bacon, preferably applewood-smoked, cut into 3-inch lengths
⅓ cup Seafood Butter
DIRECTIONS:
Combine the olive oil, sesame oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, parsley, salt, and black pepper in a 1-gallon zipper-lock bag. Add the mahi-mahi, press out the air, and seal the bag. Refrigerate for up to 12 hours.
If you are grilling with bamboo skewers,