For people intimidated by cooking fish on an outdoor grill, the contact grill and the grill pan make grilling virtually foolproof. Even if you’re an experienced fish griller, this chapter will help you expand your repertory with salmon grilled on rosemary branches, shad roe cooked on a George Foreman grill, and a spectacular tuna loin roasted in a countertop rotisserie. With a stove-top smoker you can enjoy home-smoked salmon with bagels, barbecued shrimp, and for something offbeat, scallops with a poppy seed crust.
Here’s a recipe that’s so simple and easy to make, it’s almost embarrassing. It contains only five ingredients, including the fish itself, salt, and pepper, yet it elevates what has become an extremely commonplace fish to an uncommon pleasure. Like most oily fish, salmon is enhanced by acidic sharpness and a touch of sweetness. Here acidic mustard cuts the oiliness of the salmon, while brown sugar reinforces its richness. If you like, you can add a mustard and dill sauce that’s a cinch to put together. SERVES 4
4 pieces salmon fillet (each about 6 ounces; see box on page 231 and Notes)
Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard (see Notes)
Sweet Mustard and Dill Sauce (optional; recipe follows)
CONTACT GRILL: Preheat the grill; if your contact grill has a temperature control, preheat the grill to high. Place the drip pan under the front of the grill. When ready to cook, lightly oil the grill surface. Arrange the salmon on the hot grill at a diagonal to the ridges, then close the lid. The salmon will be done after cooking 3 to 5 minutes.
FIREPLACE GRILL: Rake red hot embers under the gridiron and preheat it for 3 to 5 minutes; you want a hot, 2 to 3 Mississippi fire. When ready to cook, brush and oil the gridiron. Place the salmon on the hot grate. It will be done after cooking 3 to 5 minutes per side.
1. Run your fingers over the salmon fillets, feeling for bones. Using needle-nose pliers or tweezers, pull out any you find. Rinse the fish under cold running water, then blot it dry with paper towels. Very generously season the salmon on both sides with salt and pepper.
2. Spread the brown sugar out in a large shallow bowl, crumbling it between your fingers or with a fork. Brush or spread each salmon fillet on both sides with the mustard. Dredge both sides of each fillet in the brown sugar, patting it onto the fish with your fingertips. Gently shake off any excess brown sugar; the fish should be fairly thickly crusted.
3. Cook the salmon, following the instructions for any of the grills in the following box, until the outside is darkly browned and the fish is cooked through. To test for doneness, press the fish with your finger; it should break into clean flakes.
4. Transfer the salmon to a platter or plates and serve at once.
• I like crisp salmon skin, so I buy fillets with skin, but you can certainly use skinless salmon also. Other oily fish, like arctic char or bluefish, would also be great prepared this way.
• While I like the sharp flavor of a Dijon or Meaux (grainy) mustard, you can also use a sweet honey mustard or a hot mustard from Düsseldorf.
This sweet spicy mustard sauce takes its inspiration from Scandinavia, where mustard and dill are popular seasonings for salmon. It goes great with the sweet mustard-crusted salmon. The recipe may give you more sauce than you need. It makes a great dip for grilled vegetables. MAKES ABOUT 1 CUP
The hardest thing about this recipe is cleaning a contact grill. Do this while it’s hot, using paper towels. Or, if you want to wait until after dinner to clean the grill, reheat it first.
⅓ cup mayonnaise (preferably Hellmann’s)
⅓ cup sour cream
⅓ cup Dijon or Meaux mustard
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
1 tablespoon brown sugar (dark or light), or more to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
Place the mayonnaise, sour cream, mustard, dill, and brown sugar in a small nonreactive bowl and whisk to mix. Taste for seasoning, adding more brown sugar and pepper to taste. The sauce can be refrigerated, covered, for several days.
This is one of the most novel ways I know to prepare salmon and it fairly explodes with flavor, thanks to the insertion of a whole sprig of rosemary into the very heart of the fillet. In addition to the obvious flavor dividend, it looks cool and the preparation time is less than ten minutes. It’s a technique you can apply to a great many grilled foods, from chicken to shrimp to lamb. SERVES 4
4 rosemary branches (see Note)
4 pieces skinless salmon fillet (each about 2 inches wide, 3 to 4 inches long, ¾ to 1 inch thick, and 6 ounces; see box on page 231)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
Lemon wedges, for serving
CONTACT GRILL: Preheat the grill; if your contact grill has a temperature control, preheat the grill to high. Place the drip pan under the front of the grill. When ready to cook, lightly oil the grill surface. Arrange the salmon on the hot grill at a diagonal to the ridges, then close the lid. It will be done after cooking 3 to 5 minutes.
GRILL PAN: Place the grill pan on the stove and preheat it to medium-high over medium heat. When the grill pan is hot a drop of water will skitter in the pan. When ready to cook, lightly oil the ridges of the grill pan. Arrange the salmon in the hot grill pan at a diagonal to the ridges. The salmon will be done after cooking 3 to 5 minutes per side.
BUILT-IN GRILL: Preheat the grill to high, then, if it does not have a nonstick surface, brush and oil the grill grate. Arrange the salmon on the hot grill so that the exposed ends of the rosemary extend off the grate. The salmon will be done after cooking 3 to 5 minutes per side.
FREESTANDING GRILL: Preheat the grill to high; there’s no need to oil the grate. Place the salmon on the hot grill. It will be done after cooking 4 to 6 minutes per side.
FIREPLACE GRILL: Rake red hot embers under the gridiron and preheat it for 3 to 5 minutes; you want a hot, 2 to 3 Mississippi fire. When ready to cook, brush and oil the gridiron. Arrange the salmon on the hot grate at a diagonal to the bars. It will be done after cooking 3 to 5 minutes per side.
1. Strip the leaves off the bottom 4 inches of each rosemary branch (pull them off between your thumb and forefinger) and very finely chop the leaves; you’ll use the chopped rosemary to season the salmon.
2. Run your fingers over the salmon fillets, feeling for bones. Using needle-nose pliers or tweezers, pull out any you find. Rinse the fish under cold running water, then blot it dry with paper towels. Skewer each salmon fillet on the bare part of a rosemary branch through the center of a short side (the idea is to create a sort of kebab). Place the fish on a large plate and brush on both sides with the olive oil. Generously season the fish on both sides with salt and pepper.
3. Place the chopped rosemary and the garlic and lemon zest in a small bowl and stir to mix. Sprinkle the rosemary mixture over the salmon on all sides, patting it onto the fish with your fingertips. Let the fish stand at room temperature while you preheat the grill.
4. Cook the salmon, following the instructions for any of the grills in the box, until it is just cooked through. To test for doneness, press the fish with your finger; it should break into clean flakes.
5. Transfer the salmon to a platter or plates and serve it with lemon wedges on the side. (Note: You’re not meant to eat the rosemary.)
NOTE: Choose a bunch of rosemary with relatively stiff stems. Cut the end of each stem sharply on the diagonal to make a sharp point so it’s easy to insert in the salmon. If the stalks aren’t stiff enough to pierce the fish, make a starter hole with a bamboo skewer.
The easiest way to grate lemon zest is on a Microplane. They’re available at cookware shops.
Around my house we have a saying: If something tastes good sautéed, baked, or fried, it will probably taste even better grilled. Consider Moroccan fried fish with charmoula, a tangy cilantro cumin sauce. Traditionally, small whole fish like sardines are pan-fried or deep-fried. A contact grill gives you a similar crisp exterior and only a fraction of the fat and mess. You’ll also get good results in a grill pan or on a built-in or fireplace grill. I’ve substituted the more popular and readily available salmon fillets for the whole fish (on page 230 you’ll find a Variation using whole sardines). The charmoula here does double duty as a marinade and a sauce. SERVES 4
½ cup fresh cilantro leaves
½ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
½ teaspoon coarse salt (kosher or sea), or more to taste
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon hot red pepper flakes, or more to taste
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, or more to taste
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 pieces salmon fillet or salmon steaks (each 6 to 8 ounces; see box on page 231 and Note)
CONTACT GRILL: Preheat the grill; if your contact grill has a temperature control, preheat the grill to high. Place the drip pan under the front of the grill. When ready to cook, lightly oil the grill surface. Place the salmon on the hot grill, then close the lid. The salmon will be done after cooking 3 to 5 minutes.
GRILL PAN: Place the grill pan on the stove and preheat it to medium-high over medium heat. When the grill pan is hot a drop of water will skitter in the pan. When ready to cook, lightly oil the ridges of the grill pan. Place the salmon in the hot grill pan. It will be done after cooking 3 to 5 minutes per side.
BUILT-IN GRILL: Preheat the grill to high, then, if it does not have a nonstick surface, brush and oil the grill grate. Place the salmon on the hot grate. It will be done after cooking 3 to 5 minutes per side.
FIREPLACE GRILL: Rake red hot embers under the gridiron and preheat it for 3 to 5 minutes; you want a hot, 2 to 3 Mississippi fire. When ready to cook, brush and oil the gridiron. Place the salmon on the hot grate. It will be done after cooking 3 to 5 minutes per side.
1. Place the cilantro, parsley, garlic, paprika, salt, black pepper, coriander, cumin, and hot pepper flakes in a food processor and pulse the machine to finely chop. Add the lemon juice and process until a coarse purée forms. With the motor running, add the olive oil in a thin stream. Taste for seasoning, adding more salt, hot pepper flakes, and/or lemon juice as necessary; the charmoula should be highly seasoned.
2. If using salmon fillets, run your fingers over them, feeling for bones. Using needle-nose pliers or tweezers, pull out any you find (you will not need to do this with salmon steaks). Rinse the fish under cold running water, then blot it dry with paper towels. Pour a third of the charmoula over the bottom of a nonreactive baking dish just large enough to hold the salmon in one layer. Arrange the salmon pieces on top. Spoon half of the remaining charmoula over the fish, then set the rest of the charmoula aside. Let the salmon marinate in the refrigerator, covered, for 2 to 4 hours (the longer it marinates, the richer the flavor will be).
3. When ready to cook, drain the salmon and discard the marinade. Cook the salmon, following the instructions for any of the grills in the box at left, until it is browned and cooked through. To test for doneness, press the fish with your finger; it should break into clean flakes.
4. Arrange the salmon on a platter or plates. Stir the remaining charmoula to recombine, then spoon it on top of the salmon.
NOTE: I like to leave the skin on salmon fillets; it becomes crisp as it grills. But if you don’t care for fish skin, skinless is fine.
VARIATION: You could certainly grill sardines in this manner. Whole gutted sardines will be done after 3 to 5 minutes on a contact grill or 2 to 3 minutes per side on a grill pan, built-in grill, or fireplace grill.
Think about the attributes that make poultry and meat perfect for spit roasting: a compact cylindrical shape to ensure even cooking and enough fat to cook to a crackling crust and baste the meat as it roasts. A whole chicken or duck fits the bill; ditto rib roasts and boneless pork loins. What may not come to mind immediately is fish, particularly salmon. Yet a salmon “roast,” made by tying fillet skin side out, is ideal for spit roasting—it’s easy to stuff; the skin becomes wafer crisp; the fish stays moist; and the finished “roast” makes an impressive centerpiece. This recipe is really “about” the salmon, so I’ve kept the flavoring pretty simple: sliced lemon, fresh basil leaves, salt, and pepper. The recipe looks way more complicated than it really is. You’re talking about maybe ten minutes of preparation time. SERVES 6 TO 8
It’s said that in Colonial New England, salmon was so abundant employment contracts limited how many times each week the cheap fish could be served to indentured servants. The ensuing centuries have brought dwindling supplies and skyrocketing prices. So, when the first large-scale salmon farms began appearing in Maine, the Pacific Northwest, Chile, Scandinavia, and the British Isles by the 1990s, the aquacultured fish seemed like a terrific idea.
Now fish lovers are questioning the quality of farm-raised salmon and whether the bargain is really worth the price. There are three areas of concern: cleanliness, texture, and taste. Consumers are right to be apprehensive about eating salmon from huge farms where the fish are fed chemical-laden food and swim in poorly flushed pens. The salmon are often in such close proximity to each other that the fish must be fed antibiotics to keep them healthy. This has led some wild salmon enthusiasts to call the farmed variety the “chicken of the sea.” The color of the fish is controlled as much by pigment in the food they eat as by any other ingredients in their diet. The confined quarters and lack of exercise produce fish with a flabby texture and bland taste.
On the other hand, farmed salmon is abundant and inexpensive. My local supermarket often sells it for $5 or $6 a pound. Wild salmon has a superior flavor and texture, but it’s a lot more expensive—as much as $12 or $14 a pound. Depending on the salmon’s state of origin (most of it comes from Alaska and the Pacific Northwest), the season is limited.
Even if price and seasonable availability are no object, one is faced with a moral dilemma. Greater demand for wild salmon will inevitably lead to overfishing and dwindling supplies. I personally use wild salmon when I can get it and organic farmed salmon when I can’t. One good source for wild salmon is Legal Sea Foods (see Mail-Order Sources on page 396).
You can also spit roast a piece cut crosswise from a whole salmon (picture a very thick salmon steak). Although it will contain bones, it’s less work to prepare than assembling a salmon “roast.”
Start with a center-cut piece of salmon that’s 8 inches long and about 3 pounds. Season the fish with salt and pepper, then place the lemon slices and basil leaves in the hollow that runs down the center. Tuck one long edge of the salmon inside the other and tie the fish in a tight cylinder with butcher’s string. Skewer the salmon lengthwise on the spit. The cooking time will be the same as that of the salmon “roast.” When you test for doneness, be careful not to touch the spit or a bone with the instant-read meat thermometer.
Carve the salmon crosswise and warn everyone to look out for the bones.
1 large piece boneless salmon fillet with skin (about 8 inches long, 7 to 8 inches wide, and 3 pounds; see box on page 231)
2 medium-size lemons
Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper
12 whole basil leaves, rinsed and blotted dry
Lemon Basil Mustard Sauce (recipe follows)
YOU’LL ALSO NEED:
Butcher’s string
1. Run your fingers over the salmon fillet, feeling for bones. Using needle-nose pliers or tweezers, pull out any you find. Rinse the fish under cold running water, then blot it dry with paper towels.
2. Cut the rind completely off one lemon and thinly slice the fruit crosswise. Using a fork, remove any seeds. Cut the other lemon into 6 wedges for serving and set aside.
3. Cut the salmon fillet in half lengthwise to create 2 pieces that are about 8 inches long and 3½ to 4 inches wide. Cut four 18-inch pieces of butcher’s string. Arrange them on a work surface so that they are parallel and about 2 inches apart. Place 1 piece of salmon skin side down across the strings so that it is perpendicular to and in the center of them. Generously season the meat side of that piece of salmon with salt and pepper. Arrange the lemon slices on the fillet and top with the basil leaves.
4. Generously season the meat side of the remaining piece of salmon fillet with salt and pepper. Place this piece skin side up on top of the first, positioning the thicker end of the top fillet over the thinner end of the bottom piece so the overall thickness of the fish is even. Tie each of the 4 pieces of string together tightly.
5. Cut 2 pieces of string that are about 28 inches long. Loop each piece around the fillets lengthwise and tie them together tightly. Generously season the outside of the fillets with salt and pepper.
6. Place the drip pan in the bottom of the rotisserie. Skewer the salmon “roast” lengthwise on the rotisserie spit. (If the rotisserie has a 2-prong spit, you may need to insert one spit in the top layer and the other in the bottom layer of the “roast.”) Attach the spit to the rotisserie and turn on the motor. If your rotisserie has a temperature control, set it to 400°F (for instructions for using a rotisserie, see page 14). Cook the salmon until it is sizzling, crusty, and dark golden brown on the outside and cooked through, 45 to 55 minutes. To test for doneness, insert an instant-read meat thermometer into the center of a fillet but not so that it touches the spit. The internal temperature should be about 130°F.
7. Transfer the “roast” to a platter and remove the spit. Cut off and discard the strings. Cut the “roast” crosswise into 6 even portions and serve with the Lemon Basil Mustard Sauce and the lemon wedges.
Lemon zest and fresh lemon juice give this mustard sauce a bright, clean finish. The sauce would be delectable with just about any sort of grilled fish, shellfish, chicken, or vegetables. MAKES ABOUT 1½ CUPS
6 large fresh basil leaves, rinsed and blotted dry
1 cup mayonnaise (preferably Hellmann’s)
¼ cup sour cream
1½ teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon dry mustard, such as Coleman’s
1. Roll the basil leaves crosswise into a compact roll, then cut them crosswise into the thinnest possible slices and fluff these with your fingers.
2. Place half of the sliced basil in a nonreactive mixing bowl. Add the mayonnaise, sour cream, lemon zest, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, and dry mustard and whisk to mix. Transfer the sauce to serving bowl(s) and top with the remaining sliced basil.
VARIATION: You probably don’t normally think of pairing ham or cheese with fish, but stuffing the salmon “roast” with thinly sliced serrano ham and Manchego cheese makes an unexpectedly delicious combination. Serrano ham is Spain’s answer to prosciutto (it’s a little sweeter), while Manchego is a firm Spanish sheep’s milk cheese from La Mancha. Both are widely available in the United States. You’ll need about 2 ounces of each; about 8 slices of serrano ham and 4 slices of Manchego cheese.
This is a recipe near and dear to my heart, because I make it once a week. Every Saturday afternoon, I cure a piece of salmon and smoke it in my stove-top smoker. That way, we’re sure to have freshly smoked salmon to go with bagels on Sunday morning. The curing takes about four hours, but the actual preparation time is maybe fifteen minutes. What emerges from the smoker is an amazingly moist, flavorful, hot-smoked salmon that will raise your standards for smoked fish. SERVES 4 TO 6
1½ pounds skinless salmon fillet (preferably a center cut piece; see box on page 231)
1 cup vodka or rum (optional; see Tips)
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
½ cup coarse salt (kosher or sea)
2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon ground coriander
Cooking oil spray (optional)
Bagels and cream cheese or toast points, capers, and sour cream, for serving
YOU’LL ALSO NEED:
1 tablespoon hardwood sawdust
Long before the advent of the stainless steel stove-top smoker in the West, the Chinese practiced the venerable art of smoking—in a wok. The wok remains the smoker of choice for preparing such Chinese classics as tea-smoked duck, and you can use it to smoke a wide variety of other foods, from salmon to chicken to vegetables. You need a wok, ideally one made of heavy-gauge steel, that has a tightly fitting metal or bamboo lid (metal will give you a better seal). You also need a round wire cake rack that fits snugly in the wok and holds the food 2½ to 3 inches above the bottom. And you’ll need some hardwood sawdust.
I have one wok I use solely for smoking, so I don’t bother to line it with aluminum foil. If you want to smoke in your family’s wok, cut out a circle of heavy-duty aluminum foil that’s a few inches larger than the wok and tightly press it into the wok, shiny side up, to line the inside. Place the sawdust in a pile at the bottom of the wok. Set the wire cake rack inside, then put the food you want to smoke on top of it. Place the wok on a wok ring or directly over a burner and heat it to high.
In a few minutes you’ll start to see and smell smoke. When you do, reduce the heat to medium and tightly cover the wok. If the lid doesn’t form a snug fit and smoke starts to escape, roll one or two paper towels into a tube, wet them with water, and use these to plug up any gaps. Smoke the food just as you would in a stove-top smoker, following the directions in the recipe. When it’s done, discard the sawdust and foil. Make sure the sawdust is completely burned to ash—it’s a good idea to douse it with some water. You should never put glowing embers, even faintly glowing ones, in a trash can.
1. Run your fingers over the salmon fillet, feeling for bones. Using needle-nose pliers or tweezers, pull out any you find. Rinse the salmon under cold running water, then blot it dry with paper towels. Place the fish in a nonreactive baking dish just large enough to hold it and pour the vodka, if using, over it. Turn the fillet over. Let marinate in the refrigerator for 20 minutes, turning the fillet twice.
2. Place the brown sugar, salt, pepper, and coriander in a mixing bowl and mix well, breaking up any lumps in the brown sugar with your fingers.
3. Drain the fillet and blot it dry with paper towels. Dry the baking dish. Arrange a third of the sugar mixture in the bottom of the baking dish in the shape of the salmon fillet. Place the fillet on top and cover it with the remaining brown sugar mixture. Cover the baking dish with plastic wrap and let the fish cure in the refrigerator for 4 hours. When it’s properly cured, there will be a pool of liquid at the bottom of the baking dish—the liquid the salt has drawn out of the salmon.
4. Rinse the fish under cold water to wash off all the brown sugar mixture, then blot the salmon dry with paper towels.
5. Set up the smoker (for instructions for using a stove-top smoker, see page 16). Place the sawdust in the center of the bottom of the smoker. Line the drip pan with aluminum foil and place it in the smoker. Lightly coat the wire rack with cooking oil spray, using a paper towel dipped in oil. Place the wire rack in the smoker. Place the salmon fillet on the rack with what was the skin side facing down.
6. Cover the smoker and place it over high heat for 3 minutes, then reduce the heat to medium. Smoke the salmon until cooked through, about 18 minutes. To test for doneness, press the fish with your finger; it should break into clean flakes.
7. Transfer the salmon to a wire rack placed over a plate and let it cool to room temperature, then refrigerate, covered, until ready to serve (salmon prepared this way tastes best served chilled). Serve it with bagels and cream cheese or with toast points, capers, and sour cream. The smoked salmon can be refrigerated, covered, for up to 4 days.
• Salmon sometimes has a fishy flavor, the result of its high oil content. A brief soaking in vodka or another spirit, such as rum, helps remove this. If you like, you can skip this step.
• As for what kind of wood to use for smoking, I’m partial to cherry but any hardwood, from hickory to alder, will do.
“Barbecued” arctic char combines technology and tradition. The recipe starts with a classic rub, applied to the fish to provide that triple blast of salt, spice, and sweetness so characteristic of American barbecue. Its smoke flavor comes from another traditional barbecue ingredient, the sine qua non of Kansas City–style sauce, liquid smoke (for more about liquid smoke, see box on page 179). Add to this the convenience of an indoor grill. But the proof is in the tasting, and this indoor “barbecued” fish has a lot of the smoke and spice of the real McCoy. SERVES 4
Arctic char is a northern cold-water fish with the vivid orange color of salmon and something of the delicate flavor of trout. If you live in the frost belt or the northeast, you can probably find it at your local fish market. Salmon makes a good substitute.
4 pieces skinless arctic char or salmon fillet (each about 6 ounces)
2 tablespoons Basic Barbecue Rub (page 362)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon liquid smoke
Barbecue Vinaigrette (optional; recipe follows)
1. Run your fingers over the fish fillets, feeling for bones. Using needle-nose pliers or tweezers, pull out any you find. Rinse the fish under cold running water, then blot it dry with paper towels. Sprinkle the barbecue rub all over the fish, patting it on with your fingertips. Let the fish cure at room temperature for 10 minutes.
2. Place the olive oil and liquid smoke in a small bowl and stir with a fork. Set the basting mixture aside.
3. Cook the fish, following the instructions for any of the grills in the box at left, until it is just cooked through. To test for doneness, press the fish with your finger; it should break into clean flakes. Start basting the fish with the olive oil mixture after 1 minute and baste both sides at least twice.
4. Transfer the fish to a platter or plates. Spoon the Barbecue Vinaigrette on top, if using, and serve at once.
CONTACT GRILL: Preheat the grill; if your contact grill has a temperature control, preheat the grill to high. Place the drip pan under the front of the grill. When ready to cook, lightly oil the grill surface. Place the fish on the hot grill, then close the lid. The fish will be cooked through after 3 to 5 minutes (if you prefer it pink in the center, cook it a minute or so less). You will need to turn the fish so that you can baste both sides.
GRILL PAN: Place the grill pan on the stove and preheat it to medium-high over medium heat. When the grill pan is hot a drop of water will skitter in the pan. When ready to cook, lightly oil the ridges of the grill pan. Place the fish in the hot grill pan. It will be cooked through after 3 to 5 minutes per side (if you prefer it pink in the center, cook it a minute or so less).
BUILT-IN GRILL: Preheat the grill to high, then, if it does not have a nonstick surface, brush and oil the grill grate. Place the fish on the hot grate. It will be cooked through after 3 to 5 minutes per side (if you prefer it pink in the center, cook it a minute or so less).
FIREPLACE GRILL: Rake red hot embers under the gridiron and preheat it for 3 to 5 minutes; you want a hot, 2 to 3 Mississippi fire. When ready to cook, brush and oil the gridiron. Place the fish on the hot grate. It will be cooked through after 3 to 5 minutes per side (if you prefer it pink in the center, cook it a minute or so less).
Conventional barbecue sauce is too thick and heavy to go with fish, but this vinaigrette couples subtlety and finesse with the smoky sweetness of a traditional Kansas City–style barbecue sauce. MAKES ABOUT ½ CUP
1 tablespoon red barbecue sauce (see Note)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon very finely diced sweet onion
1 tablespoon very finely diced seeded tomato
1 tablespoon very finely diced green bell pepper
Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper
Place the barbecue sauce in a small nonreactive bowl. Gradually whisk in 2 tablespoons of water and the lemon juice, olive oil, onion, tomato, and bell pepper. Season with salt and pepper to taste. The sauce is best made no more than an hour before serving.
NOTE: If you’re feeling ambitious, you can use the made-from-scratch barbecue sauce on page 374 in the vinaigrette. But a good commercial sauce, like KC Masterpiece, will give you fine results too.
I like to think of this dish as a sort of piccata of swordfish sizzled on the grill. It may be the easiest grilled fish you ever make, and if it weren’t so delectable, I’d be hesitant to share such a streamlined recipe. As with most uncomplicated dishes, the ingredients are of the utmost importance. You’ll want ocean-fresh swordfish (the sort caught by harpoon on a day boat, not by a longline trawler), imported Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (the kind that’s sold in a chunk, not pregrated), and real nonpareil capers. SERVES 4
Any number of fish, from steak fish like tuna and salmon to fillets like cod or mahimahi, can be prepared like this swordfish.
4 swordfish steaks (each about ¾ inch thick and 6 ounces)
1½ tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
¼ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons drained capers
Lemon wedges, for serving
1. Rinse the swordfish under cold running water, then blot it dry with paper towels. Lightly brush each swordfish steak on both sides with the olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper.
2. Cook the fish steaks, following the instructions for any of the grills in the box at left, until they are nicely browned and cooked through, rotating each steak a quarter turn after 1½ minutes to create a handsome crosshatch of grill marks. To test for doneness, press the fish with your finger; it should break into clean flakes.
3. Transfer the swordfish steaks to a platter or plates. Stick the butter on the end of a fork and rub it over the top of each steak. Sprinkle the Parmesan and capers over the fish and serve at once with lemon wedges.
CONTACT GRILL: Preheat the grill; if your contact grill has a temperature control, preheat the grill to high. Place the drip pan under the front of the grill. When ready to cook, lightly oil the grill surface. Place the fish steaks on the hot grill, then close the lid. The fish steaks will be done after cooking 4 to 6 minutes.
GRILL PAN: Place the grill pan on the stove and preheat it to medium-high over medium heat. When the grill pan is hot a drop of water will skitter in the pan. When ready to cook, lightly oil the ridges of the grill pan. Place the fish steaks in the hot grill pan. They will be done after cooking 3 to 5 minutes per side.
BUILT-IN GRILL: Preheat the grill to high, then, if it does not have a nonstick surface, brush and oil the grill grate. Place the fish steaks on the hot grate. They will be done after cooking 3 to 5 minutes per side.
FREESTANDING GRILL: Preheat the grill to high; there’s no need to oil the grate. Place the fish steaks on the hot grill. They will be done after cooking 4 to 6 minutes per side.
FIREPLACE GRILL: Rake red hot embers under the gridiron and preheat it for 3 to 5 minutes; you want a hot, 2 to 3 Mississippi fire. When ready to cook, brush and oil the gridiron. Place the fish steaks on the hot grate. They will be done after cooking 3 to 5 minutes per side.
This is the sort of dish a grill pan excels at—simply grilled fish with a vibrantly flavorful compound butter. The pan’s raised ridges give you razor-sharp grill marks (not to mention the charring characteristic of outdoor grilling). Swordfish prepared this way also turns out great cooked on a contact or built-in grill, or cooked in a fireplace. The result is anything but dry, thanks to an herb-scented compound butter that moistens the swordfish as it melts on top. SERVES 4
This recipe should be viewed as an indoor grilling strategy as well as a great dish. Any firm-fleshed or steak fish can be grilled this way and served with a flavored butter—swordfish, tuna, salmon, cod, grouper, or arctic char, to name a few (for that matter, you can grill and serve chicken breasts, turkey, pork or veal medallions, and steaks in a similar fashion).
4 swordfish steaks (each about ¾ inch thick and about 6 ounces)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest (see Note)
1 teaspoon coarse salt (kosher or sea)
1 teaspoon freshly ground white or black pepper
Lemon Basil Butter (recipe follows)
1. Rinse the swordfish under cold running water, then blot it dry with paper towels. Lightly brush each swordfish steak on both sides with the olive oil. Place the lemon zest, salt, and white pepper in a small bowl and stir to mix. Season the fish on both sides with the lemon zest mixture, patting it onto the steaks with your fingertips. Let the swordfish cure for 15 minutes.
2. Cook the fish steaks, following the instructions for any of the grills in the box at right, until they are nicely browned and cooked through, rotating each steak a quarter turn after 1½ minutes to create a handsome crosshatch of grill marks. To test for doneness, press the fish with your finger; it should break into clean flakes.
3. Transfer the fish to a platter or plates. Place 1 tablespoon or a ½-inch-thick slice of the Lemon Basil Butter on each hot swordfish steak and serve at once.
NOTE: The best tool for grating lemon zest (the oil-rich yellow outer rind of the fruit) is a Microplane. They’re available at most cookware shops.
CONTACT GRILL: Preheat the grill; if your contact grill has a temperature control, preheat the grill to high. Place the drip pan under the front of the grill. When ready to cook, lightly oil the grill surface. Place the fish steaks on the hot grill, then close the lid. The fish steaks will be done after cooking 3 to 5 minutes.
GRILL PAN: Place the grill pan on the stove and preheat it to medium-high over medium heat. When the grill pan is hot a drop of water will skitter in the pan. When ready to cook, lightly oil the ridges of the grill pan. Place the fish steaks in the hot grill pan. They will be done after cooking 3 to 5 minutes per side.
BUILT-IN GRILL: Preheat the grill to high, then, if it does not have a nonstick surface, brush and oil the grill grate. Place the fish steaks on the hot grate. They will be done after cooking 3 to 5 minutes per side.
FREESTANDING GRILL: Preheat the grill to high; there’s no need to oil the grate. Place the fish steaks on the hot grill. They will be done after cooking 4 to 6 minutes per side.
FIREPLACE GRILL: Rake red hot embers under the gridiron and preheat it for 3 to 5 minutes; you want a hot, 2 to 3 Mississippi fire. When ready to cook, brush and oil the gridiron. Place the fish steaks on the hot grate. They will be done after cooking 3 to 5 minutes per side.
Compound butters are some of the world’s best condiments for grilled food. They’re easy to make and have a long freezer life, so you can always have some on hand for an impromptu grill session. This compound butter made with lemon and basil is a great way to dress up just about anything hot off the grill. The half cup it makes is twice as much as you’ll need for the grilled swordfish. Freeze it in two batches. You’ll find recipes for three more compound butters on pages 366 and 367. MAKES ABOUT ½ CUP
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
8 fresh basil leaves, rinsed and stemmed
1 clove garlic, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon capers, drained
Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper
Place the butter, basil, garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, and capers in a food processor and process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. If you are using the compound butter immediately, spoon dollops on the grilled fish. If you are preparing the butter ahead, spoon it onto 2 pieces of plastic wrap and roll each into a tight cylinder, twisting the ends of the plastic wrap closed like a Tootsie Roll. Refrigerate or freeze the butter until firm. The flavored butter can be refrigerated for up to 5 days or frozen for 3 months. To use, unwrap the butter and cut off ½-inch crosswise slices.
While it may seem odd to call for unsalted butter and then add salt, the reason is simple—the capers are quite salty, so this keeps the salt in check.
The flavor of sesame is a perfect partner for rich beefy tuna, a combination pioneered by Wolfgang Puck at his groundbreaking restaurant Chinois on Main in Santa Monica and picked up by countless chefs around the country. The nutty crust of black and white sesame seeds is stylishly minimalist, and the dish goes together in no time. I suggest serving the tuna tataki style—seared on the outside, rare inside, with a wasabi sauce for dipping. SERVES 4
You want to buy sushi-quality tuna for this recipe—the sort of fish so fresh you don’t mind eating it rare or raw in the center. And if you want to serve the tuna rare, look for steaks that are at least 1¼ inches thick.
4 tuna steaks (each 1¼ to 1½ inches thick and about 6 ounces)
3 tablespoons Asian (dark) sesame oil
Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup white sesame seeds
¼ cup black sesame seeds, or more white
Cooking oil spray
Wasabi “Cream” Sauce (recipe follows)
1. Trim any skin or dark or bloody spots off the tuna. Rinse the tuna under cold running water, then blot it dry with paper towels. Brush the tuna steaks on both sides with 2 tablespoons of the sesame oil and season them generously on both sides with salt and pepper. Place both the white and black sesame seeds in a shallow bowl and stir to mix. Dredge each tuna steak in the sesame seeds, coating both sides, and patting the seeds onto the fish with your fingertips. Lightly drizzle the remaining 1 tablespoon of sesame oil over both sides of the tuna.
2. Preheat the contact grill (for instructions for using a contact grill, see page 3); if your contact grill has a temperature control, preheat the grill to high. Place the drip pan under the front of the grill.
3. When ready to cook, lightly coat the grill surface with cooking oil spray. Place the sesame-crusted tuna steaks on the hot grill, then gently close the lid. Grill the tuna until cooked to taste, 2 to 4 minutes for rare. Test for doneness using the poke method: A rare tuna steak will be quite soft, with just a little resistance.
4. Transfer the tuna to a platter or plates and serve at once, with the Wasabi “Cream” Sauce drizzled over the top or served on the side.
VARIATION: If you have a grill pan with shallow ridges, like the one made by Calphalon, you can sear the tuna in it. The tuna steaks will be cooked to rare after 2 to 4 minutes per side.
Black sesame seeds are a particular variety of sesame seed—look for them at Japanese markets, natural foods stores, and in the foreign food section of many supermarkets. If you can’t find them, use more white sesame seeds; the tuna won’t look quite as stunning, but the taste will still be fantastic.
Wasabi is commonly but incorrectly described as Japanese horseradish. True wasabi is a member of the mustard family, and this scaly tan root with its pale green flesh, is now being grown in Oregon. Fresh wasabi is expensive and hard to find, but you can probably find wasabi powder at your supermarket or natural foods store. That’s what I call for here. The sauce would be great not only with tuna but also with salmon, swordfish, scallops, chicken breasts, lamb, or steaks. MAKES ABOUT ½ CUP
1 tablespoon cold water
6 tablespoons mayonnaise (preferably Hellmann’s)
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1. Place the wasabi powder in a small nonreactive mixing bowl. Add the water and stir to form a thick paste. Let the wasabi paste sit for 5 minutes.
2. Add the mayonnaise, soy sauce, and lemon juice to the wasabi paste and whisk to mix. The sauce can be refrigerated, covered, for several days.
For a dramatic presentation, spoon the Wasabi “Cream” Sauce into a squirt bottle and squirt decorative zigzags of the sauce over the grilled fish.
Indulge me in a stroll down memory lane. The year is 1984, the place Inman Square in Cambridge, Massachusetts. I’m the restaurant critic for Boston magazine, and I’ve just had my first taste of blackened redfish. My cicerone to the glories of Cajun cuisine is John Silberman, acolyte of New Orleans’ legendary Paul Prudhomme and founder of an unassuming storefront eatery called the Cajun Yankee. The pleasure of eating there was directly proportional to my dread of writing about it, for I knew the moment the review hit the stands a table at his tiny restaurant would become almost as hard to come by as an audience with the pope. Today, of course, some Cajun cooking is so ubiquitous it’s practically a cliché, but I still remember the eye-stinging thrill of my first bite. Silberman now runs a restaurant in Cambridge called Magnolias. His blackened tuna is brilliant cooked on an indoor grill. SERVES 4
Cajun seasoning is widely available, of course, but many commercial brands contain MSG and who knows what else. It’s easy to make your own (see ingredient list); use it to flavor the fish and the tartar sauce.
1 tablespoon coarse salt (kosher or sea)
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 tuna steaks (each 1 to 1¼ inches thick and 6 ounces; see Note)
2 tablespoons (¼ stick) unsalted butter, melted
Lemon wedges, for serving
Cajun Tartar Sauce (recipe follows)
1. Place the salt, garlic and onion powders, paprika, oregano, thyme, black and white peppers, and cayenne in a small bowl and stir to mix. Set the Cajun seasoning aside.
2. Trim any skin or dark or bloody spots off the tuna. Rinse the tuna under cold running water, then blot it dry with paper towels. Brush each tuna steak on both sides with the butter. Set aside 1 tablespoon of the Cajun seasoning for the Cajun Tartar Sauce. Sprinkle about ½ teaspoon of the remaining Cajun seasoning on each side of the tuna steaks, patting it onto the fish with your fingertips. Store any leftover Cajun seasoning in an airtight jar away from heat or light; it will keep for several months.
3. Cook the tuna steaks, following the instructions for any of the grills in the box below, until cooked to taste, rotating each steak a quarter turn after 1 minute on each side to create a handsome crosshatch of grill marks. Test for doneness using the poke method: A medium-rare tuna steak will be gently yielding.
4. Transfer the tuna to a platter or plates. Serve with lemon wedges and Cajun Tartar Sauce on the side.
CONTACT GRILL: Preheat the grill; if your contact grill has a temperature control, preheat the grill to high. Place the drip pan under the front of the grill. When ready to cook, lightly oil the grill surface. Place the tuna steaks on the hot grill, then close the lid. The tuna will be cooked to medium-rare after 3 to 5 minutes.
GRILL PAN: Place the grill pan on the stove and preheat it to medium-high over medium heat. When the grill pan is hot a drop of water will skitter in the pan. When ready to cook, lightly oil the ridges of the grill pan. Place the tuna steaks in the hot grill pan. They will be cooked to medium-rare after 3 to 5 minutes per side.
BUILT-IN GRILL: Preheat the grill to high, then, if it does not have a nonstick surface, brush and oil the grill grate. Place the tuna steaks on the hot grate. They will be cooked to medium-rare after 3 to 5 minutes per side.
FIREPLACE GRILL: Rake red hot embers under the gridiron and preheat it for 3 to 5 minutes; you want a hot, 2 to 3 Mississippi fire. When ready to cook, brush and oil the gridiron. Place the tuna steaks on the hot grate. They will be cooked to medium-rare after 3 to 5 minutes per side.
NOTE: If you want to serve the tuna rare in the center, pick steaks that are at least 1¼ inches thick. Of course, any steak fish, from sword to cod, can be grilled in this fashion, or you could grill Prudhomme’s original choice—redfish.
Why make your own tartar sauce? Well, for starters, you can leave out all the sugar that mars commercial sauces. And you can kick up the spice as hot as your tongue will bear. Any leftover sauce will keep for up to a week in the refrigerator. MAKES ABOUT 1 CUP
¾ cup mayonnaise (preferably Hellmann’s)
3 tablespoons Cajun mustard or Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon minced shallot
1 tablespoon minced pickled or fresh jalapeño pepper
1 tablespoon minced pimiento-stuffed olives
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, or more to taste
1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning (reserved from the Blackened Tuna, page 242)
1 teaspoon Crystal hot sauce, or other hot sauce, or more to taste
Place the mayonnaise, mustard, shallot, jalapeño, olives, lemon juice, Cajun seasoning, and hot sauce in a small nonreactive mixing bowl and whisk to mix. Taste for seasoning, adding more lemon juice and/or hot sauce as necessary.
When tuna became the beef of the ’90s, this tuna dish, handsomely branded with grill marks on the outside, rare and suave within, became the new “steak” au poivre. And no one makes it better than Christian Ville, chef and co-owner of the popular Le Bouchon du Grove restaurant in Coconut Grove. Founded by Christian’s cousin, Georges-Eric Farge, Le Bouchon is the quintessential French bistro—perfect in every last detail, down to the white lace curtains, the zinc bar, and the playing of “La Marseillaise” every time someone celebrates a birthday. As for the tuna, if you like your fish peppery and seared on the outside and sushi rare in the center, this is your ticket. SERVES 4
Green peppercorns are the unripe fruit of the pepper tree. They’re often sold bottled in brine. Look for green peppercorns at specialty food stores. If you buy dried green peppercorns, add them with the wine in Step 1 to soften.
2 tablespoons (¼ stick) unsalted butter
2 shallots, minced
⅓ cup dry white wine
1 cup bottled clam juice or fish stock
1 cup heavy (whipping) cream
1 tablespoon Cognac
1½ teaspoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons drained green peppercorns (see Tip)
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Coarse salt (kosher or sea)
4 tuna steaks (each 1¼ to 1½ inches thick and about 6 ounces)
2 to 3 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
CONTACT GRILL: Preheat the grill; if your contact grill has a temperature control, preheat the grill to high. Place the drip pan under the front of the grill. When ready to cook, lightly oil the grill surface. Place the tuna steaks on the hot grill, then close the lid. The tuna will be cooked to rare after 2 to 4 minutes.
GRILL PAN: Place the grill pan on the stove and preheat it to medium-high over medium heat. When the grill pan is hot a drop of water will skitter in the pan. When ready to cook, lightly oil the ridges of the grill pan. Place the tuna steaks in the hot grill pan. They will be cooked to rare after 2 to 4 minutes per side.
BUILT-IN GRILL: Preheat the grill to high, then, if it does not have a nonstick surface, brush and oil the grill grate. Place the tuna steaks on the hot grate. They will be cooked to rare after 2 to 4 minutes per side.
FREESTANDING GRILL: Preheat the grill to high; there’s no need to oil the grate. Place the tuna steaks on the hot grill. They will be cooked to rare after 3 to 5 minutes per side.
FIREPLACE GRILL: Rake red hot embers under the gridiron and preheat it for 3 to 5 minutes; you want a hot, 2 to 3 Mississippi fire. When ready to cook, brush and oil the gridiron. Place the tuna steaks on the hot grate. They will be cooked to rare after 2 to 4 minutes per side.
1. Melt the butter in a heavy nonreactive saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook until soft and translucent but not brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the wine, increase the heat to high, and bring to a boil. Let boil until the wine is reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Add the clam juice, bring to a boil, and boil until about 1 cup of liquid remains, about 5 minutes. Add the heavy cream, bring to a boil, and boil until slightly reduced, about 3 minutes.
2. Place the Cognac and the cornstarch in a small bowl and whisk until the cornstarch dissolves, then whisk the Cognac mixture into the cream mixture. Bring to a boil and boil for 1 minute; the sauce should thicken slightly. Remove the saucepan from the heat and whisk in the green peppercorns and lemon juice. Season with a little salt to taste. The sauce can be prepared up to an hour ahead and kept in a warm place.
3. Trim any skin or dark or bloody spots off the tuna. Rinse the tuna under cold running water, then blot it dry with paper towels.
4. When ready to cook, lightly brush the tuna steaks with olive oil on both sides and generously season them with salt and pepper. Cook the tuna steaks, following the instructions for any of the grills in the box, until cooked to taste, rotating each steak a quarter turn after 1 minute on each side to create a handsome crosshatch of grill marks. Test for doneness using the poke method: A rare tuna steak will be quite soft, with just a little resistance.
5. Spoon the peppercorn sauce onto a platter or plates. Arrange the tuna steaks on top and serve at once.
Once you wrap your mind around the concept of cooking fish on a rotisserie, there’s no limit to the possibilities. Which brings us to this Sicilian-inspired tuna “roast,” made by spit roasting a garlic and rosemary studded tuna loin in a rotisserie. If you like, you can also add anchovies—the practice of pairing the salty, pungent flavor of anchovies with tuna or roast meat dates back to ancient Roman times, when garum and liquamen, both sauces made from pickled, fermented fish, were widely used as seasonings and condiments. If you like anchovies—or even if you just tolerate them—try them in this roast. I’m sure you’ll appreciate the salty bursts of flavor they impart to the tuna. SERVES 8 TO 10
2 large fresh rosemary sprigs
1 tuna loin (about 4½ pounds)
3 cloves garlic, cut into matchstick slivers
5 anchovy fillets (optional), drained, blotted dry, and cut crosswise into ¾-inch pieces
Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Anchovy Cream Sauce (recipe follows)
YOU’LL ALSO NEED:
Butcher’s string
1. Break the rosemary into 12 to 15 small sprigs, each with 3 or 4 leaves on it.
2. Trim any skin or dark or bloody spots off the tuna. Rinse the tuna under cold running water, then blot it dry with paper towels. Using the tip of a paring knife, make about 36 small holes ½ inch deep in the tuna on all sides, about 1½ inches apart. Gently twist the knife to widen each hole. Insert garlic slivers in one third of the holes, rosemary sprigs in another third, and pieces of anchovy, if using, in the remaining holes (if not using anchovies, use more garlic and rosemary).
3. Cut 4 pieces of butcher’s string, and tie the tuna crosswise tightly in 4 places to give it a compact, cylindrical shape. Season the tuna generously on all sides with salt and pepper and drizzle the olive oil over it, rubbing it onto the fish. The tuna can be prepared to this stage up to 4 hours ahead and refrigerated, covered—indeed, the flavor will be richer if you stud it several hours ahead.
4. When ready to cook, place the drip pan in the bottom of the rotisserie. Skewer the tuna lengthwise on the rotisserie spit. Attach the spit to the rotisserie and turn on the motor. If your rotisserie has a temperature control, set it to 400°F (for instructions for using a rotisserie, see page 14).
5. Cook the tuna until it is browned on all sides and cooked to taste, about 40 minutes for very rare inside, 50 minutes for medium-rare, or 1 hour for medium. To test for doneness, insert an instant-read meat thermometer into the center of the tuna loin but not so that it touches the spit. The internal temperature should be about 80°F for very rare, 85°F for medium-rare, or 90°F for medium (the temperature will rise by about 10 degrees as the tuna rests).
6. Transfer the tuna to a platter or cutting board, remove the spit, and let the fish rest for 5 minutes. Cut off and discard the strings. Slice the tuna loin crosswise and serve with the Anchovy Cream Sauce.
VARIATIONS: Consider jumping food groups—garlic, rosemary, and anchovy taste equally great in spit-roasted beef rib roast or pork loin. For weights and cooking times, see page 38 for beef rib roast and page 92 for pork loin.
• A tuna loin is a cylindrical cut about 8 inches long and 4 to 5 inches in diameter. It’s what tuna steaks are cut from. Your fishmonger or supermarket fish department should have no problem finding you one if you call ahead of time. If you want to serve the tuna rare or medium-rare in the center, buy sushi-quality fish.
• On the West Coast, you can often find small tuna loins that look like half of a pork tenderloin. These can be studded with garlic, rosemary, and anchovies, as described in the recipe at left. Grilled on a contact grill, they’ll be medium-rare after 2 to 4 minutes. Cooked in a grill pan or on a built-in or fireplace grill, they’ll be medium-rare after 2 to 4 minutes per side.
This creamy sauce takes its inspiration from the bagna cauda of the Piedmont in northwest Italy. The name literally means hot bath; actually, it’s a sort of fondue into which raw vegetables are dipped. Don’t be alarmed by the seemingly large quantities of garlic and anchovies—the lengthy simmering mellows the brash flavors of both into an exquisitely silky cream sauce. MAKES ABOUT 1½ CUPS
2 cups heavy (whipping) cream
3 cloves garlic, peeled and gently flattened with the side of a cleaver
4 anchovy fillets, drained and blotted dry
¾ teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
Freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter
1. Place the cream, garlic, anchovies, and lemon zest in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and simmer gently until the cream is reduced to about 1½ cups, 8 to 12 minutes, stirring from time to time with a wooden spoon. Season with pepper to taste.
2. Place the sauce in a blender or food processor and purée until smooth. Just before serving, return the sauce to the saucepan and bring to the barest simmer over medium-low heat. Whisk in the butter. Taste for seasoning, adding more pepper as necessary.
Cod was once America’s most popular fish (not to mention its first commercial export). In recent years, its moist, flaky, delicate white flesh has been passed over in favor of darker, more full-flavored fish, like salmon and tuna. This recipe features cod steaks handsomely seared in a grill pan, served with an aïoli-like garlic sauce called skordalia, a sauce of great antiquity enjoyed in the age of Socrates. SERVES 4
• When grilling in a grill pan, it’s best to keep the seasonings simple. Full-scale marinades have a way of dripping onto the pan between the grill ridges and creating a smoky mess.
• Skordalia can also be made with walnuts instead of almonds.
FOR THE SKORDALIA:
3 slices white sandwich bread, crusts cut off
3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons blanched almonds, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground white pepper
A tiny pinch of cayenne pepper
FOR THE FISH:
4 cod steaks (each about ¾ inch thick and 8 ounces)
1½ tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (preferably Greek)
Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground white pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Lemon wedges, for serving
CONTACT GRILL: Preheat the grill; if your contact grill has a temperature control, preheat the grill to high. Place the drip pan under the front of the grill. When ready to cook, lightly oil the grill surface. Place the fish steaks on the hot grill, then close the lid. The fish will be done after cooking 3 to 5 minutes.
GRILL PAN: Place the grill pan on the stove and preheat it to medium-high over medium heat. When the grill pan is hot a drop of water will skitter in the pan. When ready to cook, lightly oil the ridges of the grill pan. Place the fish steaks in the hot grill pan. They will be done after cooking 3 to 5 minutes per side.
BUILT-IN GRILL: Preheat the grill to high, then, if it does not have a nonstick surface, brush and oil the grill grate. Place the fish steaks on the hot grate. They will be done after cooking 3 to 5 minutes per side.
FREESTANDING GRILL: Preheat the grill to high; there’s no need to oil the grate. Place the fish steaks on the hot grill. They will be done after cooking 4 to 6 minutes per side.
FIREPLACE GRILL: Rake red hot embers under the gridiron and preheat it for 3 to 5 minutes; you want a hot, 2 to 3 Mississippi fire. When ready to cook, brush and oil the gridiron. Place the fish steaks on the hot grate. They will be done after cooking 3 to 5 minutes per side.
1. Make the skordalia: Place the slices of bread in a mixing bowl and add enough warm water to cover. Let the bread soak for 5 minutes, then drain it well in a colander. Hold the bread in your hands and squeeze it well to extract any excess liquid.
2. Place the soaked bread and the garlic, almonds, wine vinegar, lemon juice, and olive oil in a blender (for a smooth sauce, you must use a blender, not a food processor). Run the machine until a creamy purée forms, scraping down the sides of the blender several times with a rubber spatula. Season with salt, white pepper, and cayenne to taste; the skordalia should be highly seasoned.
3. Prepare the fish: Rinse the cod under cold running water, then blot it dry with paper towels. Lightly brush the cod steaks on both sides with olive oil, then season them generously on both sides with salt and white pepper. Crumble the oregano between your fingers and sprinkle it all over the fish. Sprinkle the fish with lemon juice on both sides, patting it onto the cod with your fingertips.
4. Cook the fish steaks, following the instructions for any of the grills in the box, until nicely browned and cooked through. To test for doneness, press the fish with your finger; it should break into clean flakes.
5. Transfer the cod to a platter or plates. Top each fish steak with a dollop of skordalia and sprinkle parsley over it. Serve the lemon wedges and any remaining skordalia on the side.
Da Ivo is the sort of restaurant every visitor dreams of discovering in Venice, with a cubbyhole of a dining room built over a canal. Passing gondoliers float by close enough to reach in the window for a glass of wine. Presiding over this tiny fiefdom is Tuscan-born Natale Ivo, who has lived in Venice since the 1960s. Grumpy and world-weary in the way of many Venetians, Ivo is still passionate enough about his cuisine to pull out a bottle of unfiltered olive oil from his native Tuscany or a pear of supernatural ripeness.
Ivo says he has the only charcoal grill in Venice, and he takes no small pride in it. Ivo uses a technique I’ve never seen anywhere else. He crusts his seafood with bread crumbs (no egg, no batter) prior to grilling. It requires a gentle fire and constant supervision to grill the fish without burning the bread crumbs. Then, the fish is served with nothing more than gorgeous olive oil flavored with garlic and parsley. SERVES 4
For the bread crumbs, Ivo uses untoasted crumbs made from day-old white bread with the crusts cut off. You can make your own by pulsing chunks of stale bread in a food processor.
4 monkfish steaks (each about ¾ inch thick and 6 to 8 ounces)
1 to 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper
1½ cups bread crumbs
Parsley and Garlic Sauce (recipe follows)
Lemon wedges, for serving
1. Rinse the monkfish steaks under cold running water, then blot them dry with paper towels. Lightly brush the monkfish on both sides with olive oil, then season it generously on both sides with salt and pepper. Place the bread crumbs in a wide shallow bowl. Dredge each monkfish steak in bread crumbs on both sides, shaking off the excess.
2. Cook the monkfish, following the instructions for any of the grills in the box at right, until the crumbs are crusty and golden brown and the fish is cooked through. To test for doneness, press the fish with your finger; it should break into clean flakes.
3. Transfer the monkfish to a platter or plates and spoon a little of the Parsley and Garlic Sauce over each piece. Garnish with lemon wedges and serve at once with the remaining sauce on the side.
Monkfish is a firm white fish with a delicate flavor. Its dense consistency makes it perfect for grilling, as there’s little risk of it falling apart. Monkfish is available at many fishmongers, but if you can’t find it, you can certainly use a softer delicate white fish, like halibut or cod—especially if you’re working on a contact grill.
CONTACT GRILL: Preheat the grill; if your contact grill has a temperature control, preheat the grill to high. Place the drip pan under the front of the grill. When ready to cook, lightly oil the grill surface. Place the monkfish on the hot grill, then close the lid. The fish will be done after cooking 4 to 6 minutes.
BUILT-IN GRILL: Preheat the grill to medium-high, then, if it does not have a nonstick surface, brush and oil the grill grate. Place the fish steaks on the hot grate. They will be done after cooking 4 to 6 minutes per side.
FIREPLACE GRILL: Rake red hot embers under the gridiron and preheat it for 3 to 5 minutes; you want a medium-hot, 4 Mississippi fire. When ready to cook, brush and oil the gridiron. Place the fish steaks on the hot grate. They will be done after cooking 4 to 6 minutes per side.
Da Ivo’s simple sauce contains only four ingredients—commonplace ingredients at that. It requires little more in the way of technique than chopping and stirring. Alas, neither you nor I will be able to duplicate Da Ivo’s sauce for love or money. Not unless we could buy the garlic and parsley at Venice’s legendary Rialto Market the morning we plan to make it, and not unless our olive oil, extra virgin and unfiltered, of course, comes from a tiny farm in Tuscany. Garlic and parsley taste different in Italy. Ditto for olive oil. But, if you use the best olive oil and freshest flat-leaf parsley and garlic you can find, your sauce will come close. It’s good with any sort of grilled fish or shellfish, chicken, or veal. MAKES ABOUT 6 TABLESPOONS
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
½ teaspoon coarse salt (kosher or sea)
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (preferably unfiltered)
2 to 3 tablespoons finely chopped, rinsed and stemmed fresh flat-leaf parsley
1. Place the garlic and salt in a small mixing bowl and mash to a paste with the back of a spoon.
2. Add the olive oil and parsley and whisk to mix. Serve the sauce within 30 minutes.
When garlic is less than fresh, it develops a green shoot in the center of the cloves. This can be bitter. To avoid this, cut the cloves in half lengthwise and cut out and discard the green part.
A contact grill is perfect for cooking halibut. Its delicate white flesh is prone to stick to conventional grills, and its fragility makes it challenging to turn. On a contact grill, all you have to do is close the lid. On other grills, oil the grate well (freestanding grills don’t even need that) and use a large spatula for turning the fish. The halibut here is marinated in an East-West combination of ginger, lime juice, soy sauce, and olive oil that’s boiled down to make a sensational sauce. SERVES 4
Halibut is widely available on the West Coast (Alaska is a large supplier), and its popularity is growing on the East Coast. Other fish that would be good prepared this way include striped bass, sea bass, and bluefish.
1 piece (2 inches) peeled fresh ginger
1 clove garlic, peeled
1 to 2 limes
¼ cup soy sauce
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 skinless halibut fillets (each 6 to 8 ounces)
1 tablespoon butter
1. Using a Microplane or a fine grater, grate the ginger and garlic into a nonreactive mixing bowl. Grate the lime for ½ teaspoon of zest and add it to the bowl. Juice the limes: measure ¼ cup of juice and add it to the bowl with the soy sauce, olive oil, and pepper and whisk to mix.
2. Rinse the halibut under cold running water, then blot it dry with paper towels. Arrange the fish in a nonreactive baking dish just large enough to hold it in one layer. Pour the ginger and lime marinade over the halibut, turning to coat both sides. Cover the baking dish with plastic wrap and let the fish marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or as long as 4 hours, turning the fish several times (the longer the you marinate the fish, the richer the flavor will be, but even if you only have a half hour, you’ll still get plenty of flavor).
3. When ready to cook, drain the marinade from the fish, straining it into a saucepan. Bring the marinade to a boil over high heat and let boil until thick and syrupy, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the butter. If you are using a built-in grill, freestanding grill, or fireplace grill, set aside ¼ cup of the boiled marinade for basting the halibut (you don’t baste the fish on a contact grill or in a grill pan). You’ll serve the rest of the marinade as a sauce.
4. Cook the halibut, following the instructions for any of the grills in the box at right, until nicely browned and cooked through. To test for doneness, press the fish with your finger; it should break into clean flakes.
5. Transfer the halibut to a platter or plates and serve at once, spooning the remaining boiled marinade on top.
CONTACT GRILL: Preheat the grill; if your contact grill has a temperature control, preheat the grill to high. Place the drip pan under the front of the grill. When ready to cook, lightly oil the grill surface. Place the halibut on the hot grill, then close the lid. The fish will be done after cooking 3 to 5 minutes.
GRILL PAN: Place the grill pan on the stove and preheat it to medium-high over medium heat. When the grill pan is hot a drop of water will skitter in the pan. When ready to cook, lightly oil the ridges of the grill pan. Be sure the halibut is well drained, then place it in the hot grill pan. It will be done after cooking 3 to 5 minutes per side.
BUILT-IN GRILL: Preheat the grill to high, then, if it does not have a nonstick surface, brush and oil the grill grate. Place the halibut on the hot grate. It will be done after cooking 3 to 5 minutes per side. Baste the halibut one or two times with some of the boiled marinade.
FREESTANDING GRILL: Preheat the grill to high; there’s no need to oil the grate. Place the halibut on the hot grill. It will be done after cooking 4 to 6 minutes per side. Baste the halibut one or two times with some of the boiled marinade.
FIREPLACE GRILL: Rake red hot embers under the gridiron and preheat it for 3 to 5 minutes; you want a hot, 2 to 3 Mississippi fire. When ready to cook, brush and oil the gridiron. Place the halibut on the hot grate. It will be done after cooking 3 to 5 minutes per side. Baste the halibut one or two times with some of the boiled marinade.
Halibut is one of the most appealing fish to grace a table—bone white; mild, even sweet in flavor; with a fine, delicate texture that’s always tender. In the Italian-inspired recipe here, the halibut is grilled sandwiched between thin slices of pancetta and sage leaves, which add flavor, prevent the fish from sticking to the grate, and keep it from drying out. Despite the relatively few ingredients, the halibut explodes with flavor. SERVES 4
10 thin slices pancetta (8 to 10 ounces total; see Note)
4 skinless halibut fillets (each 6 to 8 ounces)
1 bunch fresh sage, or basil for people who don’t like sage, rinsed and stemmed
Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons drained capers
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
5 tablespoons hazelnut oil or extra-virgin olive oil
YOU’LL ALSO NEED:
Butcher’s string
CONTACT GRILL: Preheat the grill; if your contact grill has a temperature control, preheat the grill to high. Place the drip pan under the front of the grill. When ready to cook, lightly oil the grill surface. Place the halibut bundles on the hot grill, then close the lid. The fish will be done after cooking 3 to 5 minutes.
GRILL PAN: Place the grill pan on the stove and preheat it to medium-high over medium heat. When the grill pan is hot a drop of water will skitter in the pan. When ready to cook, lightly oil the ridges of the grill pan. Place the halibut bundles in the hot grill pan. They will be done after cooking 3 to 5 minutes per side.
BUILT-IN GRILL: Preheat the grill to high, then, if it does not have a nonstick surface, brush and oil the grill grate. Place the halibut bundles on the hot grate. They will be done after cooking 3 to 5 minutes per side.
FIREPLACE GRILL: Rake red hot embers under the gridiron and preheat it for 3 to 5 minutes; you want a hot, 2 to 3 Mississippi fire. When ready to cook, brush and oil the gridiron. Place the halibut bundles on the hot grate. They will be done after cooking 3 to 5 minutes per side.
1. Place 2 slices of the pancetta in a small skillet over medium-high heat and fry until browned and crisp, about 3 minutes. Transfer the cooked pancetta to a paper towel to drain, then cut it into thin slivers. Place the slivered pancetta in a small nonreactive mixing bowl and set aside until you make the vinaigrette.
2. Rinse the halibut under cold running water, then blot it dry with paper towels. Place 4 slices of pancetta on a plate or work surface. Place 3 sage leaves on top of each slice of pancetta. Generously season the halibut pieces on both sides with salt and pepper and place one piece on top of each slice of pancetta. Arrange 3 sage leaves on top of each piece of fish, then cover each with a slice of pancetta. Tie the pancetta onto the halibut with butcher’s string, wrapping it around the fish as you would tie ribbon on a gift package (if you are using a contact grill, you don’t need to do this).
3. Using a spatula, carefully transfer the halibut bundles to the hot grill. Cook the halibut, following the instructions for any of the grills in the box at left, until the pancetta is lightly browned and the fish is cooked through. To test for doneness, press the fish with your finger; it should break into clean flakes.
4. Meanwhile, make the vinaigrette: Finely chop enough sage to obtain 1 tablespoon and add it and the capers to the slivered pancetta. Add the vinegar and lemon juice and whisk to mix. Whisk in the hazelnut oil in a thin stream, then season with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Transfer the fish to a platter or plates, remove and discard the string, if using, and serve at once, spooning the vinaigrette on top.
NOTE: Pancetta is Italian pork belly, cured in a way similar to prosciutto. It’s sold in round slices, which are just the right size for sandwiching the fish. Pancetta doesn’t have a smoke flavor like American bacon, a plus when grilling a delicate fish like halibut. However, you could certainly use bacon and still wind up with a very appealing dish.
• If you have a contact grill, cooking the pancetta for the vinaigrette on it before you put on the fish will save you from having to wash a skillet and also greases the grill.
• If halibut is unavailable, turbot, cod, haddock, sea bass, or even salmon can be prepared this way.
Sea bass burst upon the food scene in the United States in the mid-1990s. We were hooked after the first bite. We prized the pearl white flesh and delicate flavor and the way the fish stayed moist no matter how long you cooked—or even overcooked—it. Before long, this once exotic fish from the deep, cold waters off Chile became an American staple. Sea bass is ideal for grilling: It doesn’t fall apart, like so many white fish do on the grill, and it keeps its succulence even when exposed to a high dry heat. The contact grill, which cooks from both top and bottom, is ideal for sea bass. But other indoor grills will work well too. In this recipe, inspired by chef Nobu Matsuhisa of New York City’s legendary Nobu, the mild sweet flavor of the sea bass is reinforced by a sweet miso marinade that doubles as a glaze. SERVES 4
• Mirin is a sweet rice wine, frequently available where you find miso. If you can’t find it, use more sake and a little more sugar.
• Other good fish for this recipe include striped bass, salmon, and black cod.
1½ pounds sea bass fillets
½ cup sake
½ cup mirin (sweet rice wine)
1 cup white miso (see box on page 357)
5 to 6 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
¼ teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
CONTACT GRILL: Preheat the grill; if your contact grill has a temperature control, preheat the grill to high. Place the drip pan under the front of the grill. When ready to cook, lightly oil the grill surface. Place the fish on the hot grill, then close the lid. The fish will be cooked through after 6 to 8 minutes.
BUILT-IN GRILL: Preheat the grill to high, then, if it does not have a nonstick surface, brush and oil the grill grate. Place the fish on the hot grate. It will be cooked through after 4 to 6 minutes per side.
FREESTANDING GRILL: Preheat the grill to high; there’s no need to oil the grate. Place the fish on the hot grill. It will be cooked through after 5 to 7 minutes per side.
FIREPLACE GRILL: Rake red hot embers under the gridiron and preheat it for 3 to 5 minutes; you want a hot, 2 to 3 Mississippi fire. When ready to cook, brush and oil the gridiron. Place the fish on the hot grate. It will be cooked through after 4 to 6 minutes per side.
1. Rinse the sea bass under cold running water, then blot it dry with paper towels. Cut the fish sharply on the diagonal into ¾-inch-thick slices.
2. Place the sake and mirin in a nonreactive saucepan over high heat and bring to a boil. Let boil for 2 minutes to cook out the alcohol. Lower the heat to medium-low and whisk in the miso, sugar, lemon zest, and white pepper. Let simmer gently until thick and creamy, about 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let the marinade cool to room temperature. Pour half of the miso mixture into a nonreactive baking dish just large enough to hold the fish slices in one layer.
3. Arrange the fish slices in the baking dish on top of the marinade. Spoon the remaining marinade on top. Cover the baking dish with plastic wrap and let the fish marinate in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours, preferably for 24.
4. When ready to cook, remove the fish from the marinade with tongs, letting each piece drain a little (it’s OK to have some marinade on the fish). Discard the marinade. Cook the fish, following the instructions for any of the grills in the box at left, until nicely browned and cooked through. To test for doneness, press the fish with your finger; it should break into clean flakes.
5. Transfer the fish to a platter or plates and serve at once.
When potato-crusted sea bass began turning up in American restaurants in the late 1990s it was hard to say which made bigger waves, the bass or the crust. Technically speaking, this fish from the icy waters off the coast of Chile is not a bass (it’s more correctly referred to as the Patagonian toothfish and belongs to the Nototheniidae family), but its mild, sweet flavor is the real deal. As for the crust, the tasty overlapping slices of potato are meant to look like fish scales. You don’t need restaurant-quality sauté skills or artery-clogging doses of butter to prepare this eye-catching dish at home—it just takes a little patience and a contact grill. SERVES 4
1 large baking potato (12 to 14 ounces), peeled
4 pieces skinless sea bass fillet (each about 4 inches long, 3 inches wide, and 1 inch thick)
About 4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter, melted
Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup finely chopped fresh chives (optional)
Cooking oil spray
5 tablespoons heavy (whipping) cream
YOU’LL ALSO NEED:
8 pieces parchment paper (each 6 by 5 inches)
1. Using a mandoline, the slicing blade of a food processor, or a sharp knife wielded with a very steady and precise hand, cut the potato crosswise into very thin (⅛-inch) slices; you should have between 40 and 48. Place the potato slices in a colander, rinse them with cold water, and spread them out on paper towels to dry.
2. Rinse the fish under cold running water, then blot it dry with paper towels.
3. Using a pastry brush, spread a generous ½ teaspoon of butter over a piece of parchment paper to within ½ inch of the edge and sprinkle a little salt and pepper over it. Arrange 4 or 5 potato slices on top of the buttered parchment paper so that they overlap to form an oval that is roughly 5 inches long and 4 inches wide. Spread about ¾ teaspoon of butter over the potato slices and sprinkle 1 teaspoon of the chives on top, if using.
4. Season 1 piece of fish on both sides with salt and pepper and place it in the center of the oval of potato slices. Spread about ¾ teaspoon butter over the fish and sprinkle 1 teaspoon of the chives on top, if using. Arrange 4 or 5 more potato slices so that they overlap to form an oval that covers the piece of fish. Spread about ¾ teaspoon of butter over the potatoes, then place a piece of parchment paper on top. Repeat until all the remaining pieces of parchment paper, potato slices, and fish have been used. Set aside the remaining 4 teaspoons of chives, if using; you’ll use these when making the cream sauce. The potato-crusted fish can be prepared to this stage several hours ahead and refrigerated, covered.
5. Preheat the grill (for instructions for using a contact grill, see page 3); if your contact grill has a temperature control, preheat the grill to high. Place the drip pan under the front of the grill.
6. When ready to cook, lightly coat the grill surface with cooking oil spray. Leaving the potato-crusted fish between the pieces of parchment paper, arrange them on the hot grill and close the lid. Grill until the potato slices are nicely browned and the fish is cooked through, 7 to 10 minutes. To test for doneness, press the fish with your finger; it should break into clean flakes. You may need to cook the fish in more than one batch; transfer the grilled fish, still in the parchment paper, to a 250°F oven to keep warm. If you have cooked all the fish in one batch, transfer it in the parchment to a platter or cutting board, and cover it with aluminum foil to keep warm.
7. Make the sauce: Pour the liquid from the drip pan into a heavy saucepan and place it over high heat. Add the cream and bring to a boil. Let the sauce simmer briskly until it is thick and creamy, about 3 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the remaining chives, if using. It’s unlikely the sauce will need more salt and pepper, but taste for seasoning, adding either as necessary.
8. To serve, peel the top pieces of parchment paper off the potato crusts and discard them. Using a spatula, slide the fish and potato crusts off the bottom pieces of parchment paper and transfer them to a platter or plates. Spoon the cream sauce around the potato-crusted fish and serve at once.
To make them easier to handle, I assemble the potato crusts on parchment paper. Then I top each piece of fish with another piece of parchment and cook it between the pieces of paper. The instructions for putting everything together probably look more complicated than they actually are; you should be able to have the fish ready to cook in less than 15 minutes.
According to Greek mythology, Prometheus gave man the gift of fire in the Caucasus Mountains, which is now where you find the Republic of Georgia. To this day, Georgians love all manner of grilled fare, enhancing their barbecue with an unexpected palate of flavors that includes walnuts, plums and other tart fruits, cilantro, dill, hot peppers, and even molasses made from pomegranates. This recipe features trout stuffed with lemon and dill, served with a creamy walnut sauce fragrant with coriander and garlic, a sort of Georgian pesto. It sounds exotic and tastes terrific—and it’s very easy to make. SERVES 4
4 trout (each 12 ounces to 1 pound), cleaned
Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
16 fresh dill sprigs
1 lemon, sliced paper-thin crosswise, seeded, rind cut off
Georgian Walnut Sauce (recipe follows)
YOU’LL ALSO NEED:
Wooden toothpicks or butcher’s string
1. Rinse the trout, inside and out, under cold running water, then blot them dry with paper towels. Using a sharp knife, make 2 or 3 cuts to the bone in the thickest part of each side of each trout.
2. Season the cavity of each trout with salt and pepper. Drizzle a little olive oil (about ½ teaspoon) in the cavity of each fish and add 2 of the dill sprigs and a couple of lemon slices (set aside 4 lemon slices for garnish). Brush the outsides of the trout with the remaining olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Place a dill sprig on top of each fish lengthwise. Pin the fish cavities shut with toothpicks or tie them closed with butcher’s string (if you are using a contact grill, you won’t need to do this). Let the fish marinate in the refrigerator, covered, for about 15 minutes.
3. Cook the fish, following the instructions for any of the grills in the box below, until cooked through. To test for doneness, press the fish with your finger; it should break into clean flakes. You may have to grill the trout in batches.
4. Transfer the trout to a platter or plates. Spoon a little Georgian Walnut Sauce over each or place dollops of sauce on the side. Garnish each fish with a sprig of dill and a lemon slice and serve at once with the rest of the sauce on the side.
VARIATION: I call for whole trout here, but you could certainly substitute boneless trout fillets or fillets of salmon or arctic char. You’ll need four fillets that weigh about 6 ounces each. Cut a pocket in the side of each piece of fish and stuff the dill and lemon in it, then tie the fillets closed with butcher’s string. The cooking time for fillets will be 3 to 5 minutes per side, or 3 to 5 minutes in all on a contact grill.
CONTACT GRILL: Preheat the grill; if your contact grill has a temperature control, preheat the grill to high. Place the drip pan under the front of the grill. When ready to cook, lightly oil the grill surface. Place the trout on the hot grill, then close the lid. The fish will be done after cooking 5 to 8 minutes.
GRILL PAN: Place the grill pan on the stove and preheat it to medium over medium heat. When the grill pan is hot a drop of water will skitter in the pan. When ready to cook, lightly oil the ridges of the grill pan. Place the trout in the hot grill pan. They will be done after cooking 5 to 8 minutes per side (use a spatula to turn the fish).
BUILT-IN GRILL: Preheat the grill to high, then, if it does not have a nonstick surface, brush and oil the grill grate. Place the trout on the hot grate. They will be done after cooking 5 to 8 minutes per side (use a spatula to turn the fish).
FIREPLACE GRILL: Rake red hot embers under the gridiron and preheat it for 3 to 5 minutes; you want a hot, 2 to 3 Mississippi fire. When ready to cook, brush and oil the gridiron. Place the trout on the hot grate. They will be done after cooking 5 to 8 minutes per side (use a spatula to turn the fish).
Walnuts are one of the cornerstones of Georgian cuisine, prized for their earthy flavor, healthful oils, and ability to make rich, creamy sauces without starchy thickeners. Think of this sauce as a sort of walnut pesto. MAKES ABOUT 1 CUP
1¼ cups shelled walnuts
2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1½ teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon hot or sweet paprika
½ teaspoon coarse salt (kosher or sea), or more to taste
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or more to taste
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, or more to taste
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill
1. Place the walnuts, garlic, coriander, paprika, salt, and pepper in a food processor. Process to a smooth paste, scraping down the side of the bowl several times with a spatula. Add the lemon juice and process to mix.
2. With the processor running, add enough water in a thin stream to form a smooth creamy sauce (you’ll need between ½ and ¾ cup water). Add the dill and process in short bursts just to mix. Taste for seasoning, adding more salt, pepper, and/or lemon juice as necessary; the sauce should be richly flavored. Any leftover sauce can be
I first made a version of this dish on my Barbecue University TV show. I wanted to demonstrate how you could grill whole fish over an open fire, in this case on a charcoal grill without a grate. The secret was to use a fish basket, an ingenious device that lets you turn the basket with the fragile fish inside. Now I’ve transferred the recipe to another sort of grilling basket—the flat wire basket used in countertop rotisseries. The smoky flavor of the bacon cooks right into the fish, giving you that campfire flavor indoors. SERVES 2
• Where can you find fresh trout? If you live up north or in one of the Great Lakes or mountain states, your fishmonger may carry it. When I’m in Miami, I order it by mail (see Mail-Order Sources on page 396).
• I like the look of whole roasted fish, so I cook trout with its head and tail. You can also prepare boneless trout fillets by tying two together. If you want to cook the whole trout on a contact grill or in a grill pan, you’ll find cooking times in the recipe on page 259.
• You’ll get the best flavor if you use an artisanal apple wood–smoked bacon. One good brand is Nueske’s Hillcrest Farm (see Mail-Order Sources on page 396).
2 whole trout (each 12 to 16 ounces)
Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper
1 lemon
6 fresh dill sprigs, rinsed, or 8 fresh basil leaves, if dill is unavailable
4 slices bacon
YOU’LL ALSO NEED:
4 pieces butcher’s string, each about 6 inches long (optional)
1. Rinse the trout, inside and out, under cold running water, then blot dry, inside and out, with paper towels. Season the cavity of each trout with salt and pepper.
2. Cut the lemon in half lengthwise. Cut one half crosswise into paper-thin slices, discarding the ends. Remove any seeds with a fork. Cut the other half lemon into quarters lengthwise to make lemon wedges for serving and set aside.
3. Place the lemon slices and dill sprigs in the cavity of each fish, dividing them evenly between them. Place 2 slices of bacon on a work surface and place a trout on top of each. Place the 2 remaining slices of bacon on top of the fish. If you like, you can secure the bacon to the trout by tying it crosswise with 2 pieces of butcher’s string. Carefully place the bacon-covered trout in the rotisserie basket perpendicular to the spit and close it tightly.
4. When ready to cook, place the drip pan in the bottom of the rotisserie. Attach the basket to the rotisserie spit, then attach the spit to the rotisserie and turn on the motor. If your rotisserie has a temperature control, set it to 400°F (for instructions for using a rotisserie, see page 14). Cook until the bacon is golden brown and the trout is cooked through, 20 to 30 minutes. To test for doneness, insert a slender metal skewer into the center of a trout for 20 seconds: It should come out hot to the touch. Or use the flake test: Press the fish with your finger; it should break into clean flakes.
5. Remove the spit from the rotisserie and transfer the trout to a platter or plates. Remove and discard the string, if using. Serve the trout with the lemon wedges.
VARIATION: You can spit roast or grill fillets of salmon or arctic char using the same flavorings. Start with 2 skinless pieces that are about 4 inches long, 2 to 3 inches wide, and 1 inch thick and weigh 6 to 8 ounces each. Cut a pocket in one side of each and stuff it with some of the lemon and dill. Place each stuffed fillet on a slice of bacon and top each with one of the remaining slices of bacon. Secure the bacon to the fillets by tying them up like a gift package, using butcher’s string. Spit roasted in a rotisserie basket, the fillets will be done after 15 to 20 minutes. Cooked on a contact grill, they will be done after 3 to 5 minutes; in a grill pan, it will take 3 to 5 minutes per side.
When the George Foreman grill came out, it was embraced by college students, retirees, and convenience-seeking and health-minded home cooks. Serious foodies tended to want nothing to do with it. I myself was a skeptic until it dawned on me that the grill’s unique heat configuration—cooking food from both top and bottom simultaneously—might be useful for delicate or easily burned dishes, like shad roe.
The egg sacs of the silvery shad are a great springtime delicacy, coupling the delicate flavor of caviar with the buttery richness of foie gras. Shad roe tends to spatter and even explode when pan fried. A contact grill gives it the requisite crisp exterior without soiling your stove. If you’ve never had shad roe before, you’re in for a revelation, and if you’re already a believer, you’ll be astonished by how easy it is to cook on a contact grill. SERVES 2 AS AN APPETIZER, 1 AS A MAIN COURSE; CAN BE MULTIPLIED AS DESIRED
• Shad roe is in season in February through April and is sold at fishmongers in the mid-Atlantic states and New England. Roe comes with a pair of lobes. One good source is CT River Shad (see Mail-Order Sources on page 396). Try to buy shad roe with both lobes intact.
• If you’d prefer to cook the shad roe in a grill pan, you’ll find instructions in the following Variation.
1 pair shad roe (6 to 8 ounces)
Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper
About ¼ cup flour
4 slices bacon (preferably thick, artisanal smoked bacon)
1 heaping tablespoon drained capers
Cooking oil spray
Lemon wedges, for serving
1. Gently separate the shad roe into 2 lobes (pull them apart with your fingers). Trim off any loose veins or membranes. Rinse the roe under cold running water to remove any bloody spots, then pat the roe dry with paper towels. Generously season each lobe on both sides with salt and pepper.
2. Line a large shallow bowl with paper towels, then spoon the flour into it. Arrange 2 slices of bacon on a large plate. Dip each lobe of shad roe in the flour, coating it on both sides, then shake off the excess. Arrange a lobe of roe lengthwise on top of each slice of bacon. Spoon 1 teaspoon of the capers on top of each lobe of roe, then place one of the remaining slices of bacon lengthwise on top of each. You’ll use the remaining teaspoon of capers as garnish.
3. Preheat the grill (for instructions for using a contact grill, see page 3) if your contact grill has a temperature control, preheat it to high. Place the drip pan under the front of the grill.
4. When ready to cook, lightly coat the grill surface with cooking oil spray. Lift each lobe from underneath (grab the ends of the slices of bacon) and place it on the hot grill, then close the lid. Grill until the bacon is crisp and golden brown and the shad roe is cooked through (it will feel firm when pressed with your finger), 5 to 8 minutes.
5. Transfer the shad roe to plates and sprinkle the remaining capers over it. Serve with lemon wedges.
VARIATION: To cook shad roe in a grill pan, prepare it as described in Steps 1 and 2, then, using 3 pieces of butcher’s string, tie a slice of bacon onto the top and bottom of each lobe. Preheat the grill pan to medium over medium heat—you’ll get the best results if you use a grill pan that has shallow ridges, like a Calphalon. When the grill pan is hot a drop of water will skitter in the pan. When ready to cook, lightly oil the ridges of the grill pan. Arrange the roe in the hot grill pan on a diagonal to the ridges. Place a grill press (see page 303) on top of the roe. The shad roe will be cooked through after 5 to 8 minutes per side. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of capers over the roe before serving it with lemon wedges.
Here’s a grilled rendition of a Vietnamese classic, salt and pepper shrimp (the original is usually deep fried). The mega dose of salt, pepper, and fresh lime juice creates an electrifying and surprisingly complex dipping sauce. It’s the perfect counterpoint to simply grilled shrimp. SERVES 4
FOR THE SHRIMP:
1½ pounds extra-large shrimp in their shells (see Note)
1½ teaspoons coarse salt (kosher or sea)
1½ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
FOR THE SAUCE:
½ cup fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon coarse salt (kosher or sea)
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
CONTACT GRILL: Preheat the grill; if your contact grill has a temperature control, preheat the grill to high. Place the drip pan under the front of the grill. When ready to cook, lightly oil the grill surface. Place the shrimp on the hot grill, then close the lid. The shrimp will be done after cooking 2 to 3 minutes.
GRILL PAN: Place the grill pan on the stove and preheat it to medium-high over medium heat. When the grill pan is hot a drop of water will skitter in the pan. When ready to cook, lightly oil the ridges of the grill pan. Place the shrimp in the hot grill pan. They will be done after cooking 1 to 3 minutes per side.
BUILT-IN GRILL: Preheat the grill to high, then, if it does not have a nonstick surface, brush and oil the grill grate. Place the shrimp on the hot grate. They will be done after cooking 1 to 3 minutes per side.
FREESTANDING GRILL: Preheat the grill to high; there’s no need to oil the grate. Place the shrimp on the hot grill. They will be done after cooking 2 to 4 minutes per side.
FIREPLACE GRILL: Rake red hot embers under the gridiron and preheat it for 3 to 5 minutes; you want a hot, 2 to 3 Mississippi fire. When ready to cook, brush and oil the gridiron. Place the shrimp on the hot grate. They will be done after cooking 1 to 3 minutes per side.
1. Prepare the shrimp: Rinse the shrimp under cold running water, then blot them dry with paper towels. Using kitchen shears, cut the shell of each shrimp lengthwise down the back. Using the tip of a metal skewer or a paring knife, pull out the vein. Place the shrimp in a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle the salt and pepper over them and toss to mix. Add the oil and stir to coat evenly. Let the shrimp marinate in the refrigerator, covered, for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
2. Make the sauce: Place the lime juice, salt, and pepper in a small nonreactive mixing bowl and whisk until the salt dissolves. Divide the sauce among 4 small attractive bowls.
3. Cook the shrimp, following the instructions for any of the grills in the box, until just cooked through. When done, the shrimp will turn pinkish white and will feel firm to the touch.
4. Transfer the shrimp to a platter or plates. Serve the salt and pepper lime juice on the side, for dipping.
NOTE: When you order salt and pepper shrimp in Vietnam, the shrimp come whole, heads on, and a great part of the pleasure of eating them lies in peeling the shrimp and sucking the juices. It’s virtually impossible to buy shrimp with the heads on in most parts of this country, but you can approximate some of the same tactile pleasure by grilling the shrimp in the shells. This has the added advantage of keeping the shrimp extra moist. Of course, if you’re serving this dish to more fastidious eaters, you’ll want to start with peeled and thoroughly deveined shrimp.
Shrimp has a tendency to dry out on the grill. In the West we combat this by basting the shellfish with garlic butter or oil. Asian grill masters use a sweet salty seasoning of honey, sugar, Chinese five-spice powder, and soy sauce. Here these ingredients give shrimp a double blast of flavor—first as a marinade, then boiled down to make a glaze. SERVES 6 TO 8 AS AN APPETIZER, 4 AS A MAIN COURSE
• Sweet Soy Shrimp calls for Shaoxing, Chinese smoky rice wine, which has smoky overtones reminiscent of Scotch whisky and sherry. It is frequently available at Asian markets, natural foods stores, or some supermarkets. Dry sherry and Japanese sake make good substitutes.
• Chinese five-spice powder is a blend of spices, including star anise, fennel, cinnamon, pepper, and cloves. If you can’t find five-spice powder, you can use ¼ teaspoon aniseed or fennel seeds and ¼ teaspoon cinnamon.
1½ pounds extra-large shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 tablespoons sugar
1½ teaspoons Chinese five-spice powder
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
⅓ cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons Asian (dark) sesame oil
1 scallion, trimmed, white part gently crushed with the side of a cleaver, green part finely chopped and set aside for garnish
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds (see Note), for garnish
CONTACT GRILL: Preheat the grill; if your contact grill has a temperature control, preheat the grill to high. Place the drip pan under the front of the grill. When ready to cook, lightly oil the grill surface. Place the shrimp on the hot grill, then close the lid. The shrimp will be done after cooking 2 to 3 minutes. You will need to turn the shrimp so that you can baste both sides.
GRILL PAN: Place the grill pan on the stove and preheat it to medium-high over medium heat. When the grill pan is hot a drop of water will skitter in the pan. When ready to cook, lightly oil the ridges of the grill pan. Place the shrimp in the hot grill pan. They will be done after cooking 1 to 3 minutes per side. Use the boiled marinade sparingly when basting, taking care not to drip a lot of it into the grill pan. After it has cooled down, soak the grill pan in hot water to loosen any burnt-on marinade.
BUILT-IN GRILL: Preheat the grill to high, then, if it does not have a nonstick surface, brush and oil the grill grate. Place the shrimp on the hot grate. They will be done after cooking 1 to 3 minutes per side.
FREESTANDING GRILL: Preheat the grill to high; there’s no need to oil the grate. Place the shrimp on the hot grill. They will be done after cooking 2 to 4 minutes per side.
FIREPLACE GRILL: Rake red hot embers under the gridiron and preheat it for 3 to 5 minutes; you want a hot, 2 to 3 Mississippi fire. When ready to cook, brush and oil the gridiron. Place the shrimp on the hot grate. They will be done after cooking 1 to 3 minutes per side.
1. Rinse the shrimp under cold running water, then blot them dry with paper towels. Place the shrimp in a large nonreactive mixing bowl, add the sugar, five-spice powder, and pepper, and stir to coat evenly. Add the soy sauce, rice wine, honey, sesame oil, and scallion white and stir to mix. Let the shrimp marinate in the refrigerator, covered, for 1 to 2 hours.
2. Place a strainer over a heavy saucepan and drain the shrimp marinade into it. Discard the scallion white. Let the marinade come to a boil over high heat, then boil until thick and syrupy, 3 to 5 minutes.
3. Cook the shrimp, following the instructions for any of the grills in the box at left, until just cooked through. When done, the shrimp will turn pinkish white and will feel firm to the touch. Baste each side of the shrimp once with some of the boiled marinade.
4. Transfer the shrimp to a platter or plates and drizzle the remaining boiled marinade over them. Sprinkle the sesame seeds and scallion greens on top and serve at once.
NOTE: To toast sesame seeds, place them in a dry cast-iron or other heavy skillet (don’t use a nonstick skillet for this). Cook the sesame seeds over medium heat until they are fragrant and just beginning to brown, about 3 minutes, shaking the skillet to ensure that they toast evenly. Transfer the toasted sesame seeds to a heatproof bowl to cool.
This dish fairly crackles with Southeast Asian flavors, although I can’t promise you’ll find this exact rendition in Thailand, Cambodia, or Vietnam. Rather, it’s a combination of Southeast Asian ingredients that makes a quick-to-prepare shrimp you can sizzle on a grill. For an extra layer of flavor, not to mention a fun way to eat shrimp with your fingers, wrap the shellfish in lettuce and mint leaves before dipping them in the sauce. SERVES 4
• The easiest way to finely chop peanuts is in a food processor, but run the machine in short bursts or you’ll wind up with peanut butter.
• Fish sauce is a malodorous but delicious condiment made from pickled anchovies. Look for a brand in a glass bottle, or substitute soy sauce if fish sauce is unavailable or too off-putting.
1½ pounds extra-large shrimp, peeled and deveined
Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
¼ cup finely chopped roasted peanuts
1 tablespoon Asian fish sauce
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 bunch fresh mint, rinsed, shaken or spun dry, and torn into sprigs
1 head Boston lettuce, separated into individual leaves, rinsed, and spun dry
Vietnamese Dipping Sauce (recipe follows)
1. Rinse the shrimp under cold running water, then blot them dry with paper towels. Place the shrimp in a mixing bowl and season them well with salt and pepper, stirring to coat evenly. Add the garlic, cilantro, and 2 tablespoons of the peanuts and stir to mix. Add the fish sauce and vegetable oil and toss to coat evenly. Let the shrimp marinate in the refrigerator, covered, for 15 minutes.
2. Arrange the mint sprigs and lettuce leaves on a platter.
3. When ready to cook, drain the shrimp and discard the marinade. Cook the shrimp, following the instructions for any of the grills in the box on the following page, until just cooked through. When done, the shrimp will turn pinkish white and will feel firm to the touch.
4. Transfer the shrimp to a platter or plates and sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons of peanuts over them. To eat, wrap a shrimp and a couple of mint leaves in a lettuce leaf, then dip it in the Vietnamese sauce.
CONTACT GRILL: Preheat the grill; if your contact grill has a temperature control, preheat the grill to high. Place the drip pan under the front of the grill. When ready to cook, lightly oil the grill surface. Place the shrimp on the hot grill, then close the lid. The shrimp will be done after cooking 2 to 3 minutes.
GRILL PAN: Place the grill pan on the stove and preheat it to medium-high over medium heat. When the grill pan is hot a drop of water will skitter in the pan. When ready to cook, lightly oil the ridges of the grill pan. Place the shrimp in the hot grill pan. They will be done after cooking 1 to 3 minutes per side.
BUILT-IN GRILL: Preheat the grill to high, then, if it does not have a nonstick surface, brush and oil the grill grate. Place the shrimp on the hot grate. They will be done after cooking 1 to 3 minutes per side.
FREESTANDING GRILL: Preheat the grill to high; there’s no need to oil the grate. Place the shrimp on the hot grill. They will be done after cooking 2 to 4 minutes per side.
FIREPLACE GRILL: Rake red hot embers under the gridiron and preheat it for 3 to 5 minutes; you want a hot, 2 to 3 Mississippi fire. When ready to cook, brush and oil the gridiron. Place the shrimp on the hot grate. They will be done after cooking 1 to 3 minutes per side.
Nuoc cham is an electrifying sauce that accompanies virtually all Vietnamese grilling (virtually all Vietnamese food, for that matter). A small bowl of it contains the universe of Vietnamese flavors—the sweetness of sugar, the acidity of fresh lime juice, the musky saltiness of fish sauce, the pungency of garlic, and the heat of fresh chile. For information on fish sauce, see the Tips on page 267. MAKES ABOUT 1 CUP
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons sugar
1 small or ¼ to ½ large carrot, cut into hair-thin slivers (for about ¼ cup; see Note)
¼ cup Asian fish sauce
¼ cup fresh lime juice (from 2 limes)
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 Thai chile or serrano pepper, thinly sliced
1. Place the garlic and sugar in a mixing bowl and mash with the back of a spoon. Add the carrot, stir, and let stand until the carrot softens, about 10 minutes.
2. Add the fish sauce, lime juice, rice vinegar, and ¼ cup of water to the carrot mixture and stir until the sugar dissolves. Divide the sauce among 4 tiny serving bowls, then float some chile slices on top. The sauce is best served the day it’s made.
NOTE: The easiest way to cut hair-thin slivers of carrot is first to shave the carrot into paper-thin slices with a vegetable peeler. Cut the carrot slices into 2-inch lengths. Stack the slices on top of each other, then slice them lengthwise into hair-thin strands.
La Casa del Abuelo (“grandfather’s house”) is one of Madrid’s most atmospheric tapas bars. It’s a tiny storefront with handmade ceramic tiles and a timeworn marble bar where you eat standing up. Since it opened in the early 1900s, La Casa has served only two dishes: gambas al ajillo (shrimp sizzled with garlic, parsley, and spicy guindilla chiles) and gambas a la plancha (shrimp sizzled in the shells on a griddle). The mounds of shrimp shells on the floor attest to La Casa’s popularity—despite the limited menu. A plancha is a sort of griddle, and if you were to place a second hot griddle on top of it, you’d have a contact grill, the inspiration for the recipe that follows. But don’t worry, you can cook a very tasty version using any sort of indoor grill. SERVES 6 TO 8 AS AN APPETIZER, 4 AS A MAIN COURSE
• Casa del Abuelo uses supernaturally sweet Atlantic shrimp, which are cooked and served in the shells. The closest equivalent in the United States would be the sweet shrimp from the coast of Maine or spot prawns from the Pacific Northwest. But even shrimp of lesser pedigree will give you good results.
• The pepper of choice in Madrid is the guindilla, a small, smoky, fiery dried chile. You can substitute dried chipotle pepper or hot red pepper flakes.
1½ pounds extra-large shrimp, peeled and deveined (see Note)
Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
¼ cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
½ to 1 teaspoon crumbled guindilla chile or dried chipotle pepper, or ½ to 1 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (preferably Spanish)
Lemon wedges, for serving
1. Rinse the shrimp under cold running water, then blot them dry with paper towels. Place the shrimp in a large bowl and season them generously with salt and pepper. Stir in the garlic, 3 tablespoons of the parsley, the crumbled guindilla, and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Let the shrimp marinate in the refrigerator, covered, for 15 to 30 minutes.
2. Cook the shrimp, following the instructions for any of the grills in the box at left, until just cooked through. When done, the shrimp will turn pinkish white and will feel firm to the touch.
3. Transfer the shrimp to a platter or plates. If you have used a contact grill, pour any liquid in the drip pan over the shrimp. Drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil over the shrimp, sprinkle the remaining 1 tablespoon of parsley on top, and serve at once with lemon wedges.
NOTE: If you like to peel your own shrimp at the table, leave the shells on and devein the shrimp as described in Step 1 on page 264.
CONTACT GRILL: Preheat the grill; if your contact grill has a temperature control, preheat the grill to high. Place the drip pan under the front of the grill. When ready to cook, lightly oil the grill surface. Place the shrimp on the hot grill, then close the lid. The shrimp will be done after cooking 2 to 3 minutes.
GRILL PAN: Place the grill pan on the stove and preheat it to medium-high over medium heat. When the grill pan is hot a drop of water will skitter in the pan. When ready to cook, lightly oil the ridges of the grill pan. Place the shrimp in the hot grill pan. They will be done after cooking 1 to 3 minutes per side.
BUILT-IN GRILL: Preheat the grill to high, then, if it does not have a nonstick surface, brush and oil the grill grate. Place the shrimp on the hot grate. They will be done after cooking 1 to 3 minutes per side.
FREESTANDING GRILL: Preheat the grill to high; there’s no need to oil the grate. Place the shrimp on the hot grill. They will be done after cooking 2 to 4 minutes per side.
FIREPLACE GRILL: Rake red hot embers under the gridiron and preheat it for 3 to 5 minutes; you want a hot, 2 to 3 Mississippi fire. When ready to cook, brush and oil the gridiron. Place the shrimp on the hot grate. They will be done after cooking 1 to 3 minutes per side.
Here’s a barbecued shrimp that’s worthy of the name, thanks to a mustard and paprika barbecue rub and the hickory smoke from a stove-top smoker. In the style of Buffalo wings, right at the end the shrimp are tossed with a mixture of melted butter and hot sauce. SERVES 4
2 teaspoons sweet paprika
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons coarse salt (kosher or sea)
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon chili powder
¼ teaspoon celery seed
1 to 1½ pounds jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
Cooking oil spray (optional)
2 tablespoons (¼ stick) salted butter
1 tablespoon of your favorite hot sauce (I like Crystal hot sauce from Louisiana)
YOU’LL ALSO NEED:
1 tablespoon hickory sawdust
1. Place the paprika, sugar, salt, mustard, pepper, chili powder, and celery seed in a small bowl and whisk to mix the rub.
2. Rinse the shrimp under cold running water, then blot them dry with paper towels. Place the shrimp and rub in a large mixing bowl and toss to mix. Add the oil and stir to coat evenly. Let the shrimp marinate in the refrigerator, covered, for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
3. When ready to cook, set up the smoker (for instructions for using a stove-top smoker, see page 16). Place the sawdust in the center of the bottom of the smoker. Line the drip pan with aluminum foil and place it in the smoker. Lightly coat the smoker rack with cooking oil spray, or use a paper towel dipped in oil, and place the rack in the smoker. Arrange the shrimp on the rack at least ¼ inch apart. Cover the smoker and place it over high heat for 3 minutes, then reduce the heat to medium. Smoke the shrimp until just cooked, 10 to 12 minutes. When done, the shrimp will turn pinkish white and will feel firm to the touch.
4. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the hot sauce, bring it to a boil, and let boil about 10 seconds.
5. Transfer the shrimp to a bowl or platter. Pour the butter mixture on top and stir to mix. Serve at once, with plenty of cold beer.
• One quick and easy way to devein shrimp is by inserting a metal skewer or the tine of a fork into the rounded part of the back, about ¼ inch deep. Hook the vein on the tip and gently pull to remove it.
• You can also smoke the shrimp on the stove-top in a wok. You’ll find instructions for doing this on page 234.
Randall’s Ordinary, in North Stonington, Connecticut, may not be the oldest inn in North America, but people have been cooking in its massive stone hearth since 1685. Today, you can see how our country’s founders cooked over live fire, for hearth cookery remains the inn’s focal point. It’s still done by chefs in linen shirts and knee britches, using antique gridirons, “spiders” (frying pans with legs to hold them above the coals), reflecting ovens, and turnspits, many of them as old as the inn itself. Hearth-cooked scallops are something of a house specialty, cooked with butter and garlic over a smoky oak fire. If you’ve got a fireplace, by all means grill the scallops in it—the smoke flavor will be remarkable. If you don’t, I’ve modified the recipe so you can cook the scallops on a contact, built-in, or freestanding grill. SERVES 4
CONTACT GRILL: Preheat the grill; if your contact grill has a temperature control, preheat the grill to high. Place the drip pan under the front of the grill. When ready to cook, lightly oil the grill surface. Place the scallops on the hot grill, then close the lid. The scallops will be done after cooking 2 to 4 minutes.
BUILT-IN GRILL: Preheat the grill to high, then, if it does not have a nonstick surface, brush and oil the grill grate. Arrange the scallops on the hot grill so that the exposed ends of the skewers extend off the grate. The scallops will be done after cooking 2 to 3 minutes per side.
FREESTANDING GRILL: Preheat the grill to high; there’s no need to oil the grate. Place the scallops on the hot grill. They will be done after cooking 3 to 4 minutes per side.
FIREPLACE GRILL: Rake red hot embers under the gridiron and preheat it for 3 to 5 minutes; you want a hot, 2 to 3 Mississippi fire. When ready to cook, brush and oil the gridiron. Place the scallops on the hot grate. They will be done after cooking 2 to 3 minutes per side.
1½ pounds large sea scallops
Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper
1½ to 2 tablespoons sweet paprika
4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons minced fresh chives or scallion greens
1 cup dried bread crumbs (preferably homemade)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (optional)
Lemon wedges, for serving
YOU’LL ALSO NEED:
About 4 metal skewers (10 to 12 inches long), or 6 to 8 bamboo skewers (8 inches long)
1. Pull off and discard the small crescent-shaped muscle from the side of any scallop that has one (it’s noticeably tougher than the rest of the scallop). Rinse the scallops under cold running water, then drain them and blot them dry with paper towels. Place the scallops on a plate and generously sprinkle both sides with salt, pepper, and paprika. Thread the scallops onto skewers. (If you are cooking the scallops on a contact grill, you don’t need to skewer them.)
2. Melt the butter in a small frying pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and chives and cook until fragrant but not brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Brush the scallops all over with some of the garlic butter mixture.
3. Place the bread crumbs in a large shallow bowl. Dredge the scallops a few at a time in the bread crumbs to coat the tops and bottoms, gently shaking off the excess.
4. Cook the scallops, following the instructions for any of the grills in the box, until golden brown and just cooked through. When done the scallops will be opaque and feel firm to the touch but just barely; they shouldn’t feel hard.
5. Transfer the scallops to a platter or plates. Pour any remaining garlic butter over them and sprinkle the parsley on top, if using. Serve the scallops at once with lemon wedges.
When buying scallops, look for bright, clean-smelling specimens. Avoid scallops sitting in a pool of milky liquid—they’ve most likely been frozen.
Radio talk show czar Howard Stern is a huge grill buff, running his oversize outdoor Viking gas grill like a race car at the Indy 500. Yes, I appeared on his show, and yes, I gave him a private barbecue class. I’d planned to show him how to make rosemary and prosciutto grilled scallops, but Howard doesn’t eat red meat. He did have some smoked salmon in the refrigerator—the inspiration for these Scallops Howard Stern. SERVES 6 AS AN APPETIZER, 4 AS A MAIN COURSE
1½ pounds large sea scallops (14 to 16)
Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper
12 to 14 ounces very thinly sliced smoked salmon
About 24 fresh rosemary sprigs (each 3 to 4 inches long)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium-size lemon
1. Pull off and discard the small crescent-shaped muscle from the side of any scallop that has one (it’s noticeably tougher than the rest of the scallop). Rinse the scallops under cold running water, then drain and blot them dry with paper towels. Season the scallops lightly with salt, generously with pepper.
2. Cut the smoked salmon into strips just large enough to wrap around the edge of the scallops, about ¾ inch wide and 3½ to 4 inches long.
3. Place a scallop flat on a work surface. Wrap a piece of salmon around the edge, then skewer it through the side with a rosemary sprig (the idea is to pin the salmon to the scallop with the rosemary). Repeat until all the remaining scallops have been wrapped in salmon. Arrange the scallops on a plate or in a nonreactive baking dish.
4. Place the olive oil in a small nonreactive bowl. Finely grate about ½ teaspoon of lemon zest (the yellow oil-rich outer rind) over the olive oil. Add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and stir with a fork, then brush the lemon oil over both sides of each scallop. Let the scallops marinate in the refrigerator, covered, for 15 minutes.
5. Cook the scallops, following the instructions for any of the grills in the box at right, until golden brown and just cooked through. When done the scallops will be opaque and feel firm to the touch but just barely; they shouldn’t feel hard.
6. Transfer the scallops to a platter or plates and serve at once.
CONTACT GRILL: Preheat the grill; if your contact grill has a temperature control, preheat the grill to high. Place the drip pan under the front of the grill. When ready to cook, lightly oil the grill surface. Place the scallops on the hot grill, then close the lid. The scallops will be done after cooking 2 to 4 minutes.
BUILT-IN GRILL: Preheat the grill to high, then, if it does not have a nonstick surface, brush and oil the grill grate. Arrange the scallops on the hot grill so that the exposed ends of the rosemary sprigs extend off the grate. The scallops will be done after cooking 2 to 3 minutes per side.
FREESTANDING GRILL: Preheat the grill to high; there’s no need to oil the grate. Place the scallops on the hot grill. They will be done after cooking 3 to 4 minutes per side.
FIREPLACE GRILL: Rake red hot embers under the gridiron and preheat it for 3 to 5 minutes; you want a hot, 2 to 3 Mississippi fire. When ready to cook, brush and oil the gridiron. Place the scallops on the hot grate. They will be done after cooking 2 to 3 minutes per side.
These poppy seed–crusted scallops come from my stepson, Jake, executive chef of the restaurant Pulse at the Sports Club/LA in Rockefeller Center in New York. Like many revolutionary dishes, it’s astonishingly simple, but the contrast of textures and flavors—the crunchy, nutty poppy seeds, the soft, smooth briny scallops—will take your breath away. The gentle pressure of a contact grill is perfect for pressing the poppy seeds into the scallops. SERVES 4
• On contact grills with deep ridges the poppy seeds have a tendency to fall off the scallops. You can prevent this by placing pieces of parchment paper between the plate of the grill and the scallops.
• The zest is the oil-rich yellow outer rind of the lemon; remove it from the fruit in thin strips with a vegetable peeler.
• For the cheese, use genuine imported Parmigiano-Reggiano.
1½ pounds large sea scallops
2 tablespoons (¼ stick) unsalted butter, melted
Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper
¾ cup poppy seeds, spread out in a shallow bowl
Cooking oil spray
Lemon Cream Sauce (recipe follows)
YOU’LL ALSO NEED:
Parchment paper (optional; see Tips)
1. Pull off and discard the small crescent-shaped muscle from the side of any scallop that has one (it’s noticeably tougher than the rest of the scallop). Rinse the scallops under cold running water, then drain and blot dry with paper towels. Lightly brush each scallop on both sides with the butter. Generously season each scallop on both sides with salt and pepper.
2. Dredge the scallops a few at a time in the poppy seeds to coat the tops and bottoms, gently shaking off the excess.
3. Preheat the grill (for instructions for using a contact grill, see page 3); if your contact grill has a temperature control, preheat the grill to high. Place the drip pan under the front of the grill.
4. When ready to cook, lightly coat the grill surface with cooking oil spray. Place the scallops on the hot grill and gently close the lid. Grill the scallops until just cooked through, 2 to 4 minutes. When done the scallops will be opaque and feel firm to the touch but just barely; they shouldn’t feel hard.
5. Spoon the Lemon Cream Sauce over 4 plates. Place the scallops on top and serve at once.
Do lemon, cream, and Parmesan cheese seem like odd companions for poppy seeds? All are used in cooking—sometimes combined in a single dish—in the Trentino–Alto Adige, in northeastern Italy, where the Italian Alps border Austria. Jake’s cooking tends to be Asian inspired, but he’s ecumenical enough to grab good food pairings from anywhere. The sauce is the perfect accompaniment for his poppy seed–crusted scallops. MAKES ABOUT ¾ CUP
1¼ cups heavy (whipping) cream
4 strips lemon zest (each about ½ by 1½ inches)
⅓ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper
Place the cream and lemon zest in a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat and let simmer briskly until reduced to about ¾ cup, 5 to 8 minutes, stirring from time to time. Remove the strips of lemon zest with a fork and discard them. Whisk in the Parmigiano-Reggiano and let simmer until it melts, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Keep the sauce warm at the back of the stove or in a pan of warm but not boiling water until ready to serve.
Scallops are, perhaps, the sweetest of all shellfish—especially the large, meaty bivalves that are harvested one by one by fishermen in scuba gear and appropriately named diver scallops. So, it’s fitting that the sweet, briny shellfish should be served with a Mexican sweet corn sauce, inspired by a soup traditionally served in Oaxaca. The dish looks great and tastes even better. If it helps timing wise, the sauce can be prepared ahead. SERVES 4
Look for diver scallops at premium fish markets or order them by mail; you’ll find sources on page 396.
1 tablespoon butter
¼ Vidalia or other sweet onion or white onion, coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, raw or grilled (page 373, Step 1), coarsely chopped
5 ears corn (see Note)
¾ cup evaporated milk
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, plus cilantro sprigs for garnish
½ teaspoon sugar, or more to taste
Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground white pepper
1½ pounds diver or large sea scallops
1 tablespoon walnut oil, hazelnut oil, or extra-virgin olive oil
1. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and raw garlic, if using, and cook until soft and translucent, 3 to 4 minutes.
2. If using raw corn, remove the husks. Cut the kernels off the corn cobs, using lengthwise strokes of a chef’s knife, and measure 1½ cups. Set the remaining corn kernels aside for a garnish.
3. Place the corn kernels, cooked onion, cooked or grilled garlic, and the evaporated milk, chopped cilantro, and sugar in a blender and blend until a smooth purée forms. Transfer the corn mixture to a saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Let the corn sauce simmer gently until thick, creamy, and richly flavored, 4 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon. Taste for seasoning, adding more sugar as necessary and salt and white pepper to taste. For a particularly velvety-smooth sauce, pour it through a fine-meshed strainer. (I usually don’t do this, preferring a more rustic sauce.) The corn sauce can be prepared up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated, covered. Rewarm it over medium-low heat, then taste for seasoning, adding more salt and/or pepper as necessary.
4. Pull off and discard the small crescent-shaped muscle from the side of any scallop that has one (it’s noticeably tougher than the rest of the scallop). Rinse the scallops under cold running water, then drain and blot them dry with paper towels. Brush the scallops all over with the walnut oil and season them generously with salt and white pepper.
5. Cook the scallops, following the instructions for any of the grills in the box at left, until just cooked through. When done the scallops will be opaque and feel firm to the touch; they should not feel hard.
6. Spoon the corn sauce onto a platter or plates. Arrange the grilled scallops on top and sprinkle the reserved corn kernels over them. Garnish with cilantro sprigs and serve at once.
NOTE: Grilling the corn will give the sauce an extra layer of flavor. To do this, follow the instructions on page 330 but baste the corn with plain melted butter rather than soy butter. If you’re the sort of person who plans ahead, you may want to do this when you’ve got the grill out for another meal. But if you’re in a hurry, you can make a highly tasty sauce using raw fresh corn kernels.
CONTACT GRILL: Preheat the grill; if your contact grill has a temperature control, preheat the grill to high. Place the drip pan under the front of the grill. When ready to cook, lightly oil the grill surface. Place the scallops on the hot grill, then close the lid. The scallops will be done after cooking 2 to 4 minutes.
GRILL PAN: Place the grill pan on the stove and preheat it to medium-high over medium heat. When the grill pan is hot a drop of water will skitter in the pan. When ready to cook, lightly oil the ridges of the grill pan. Place the scallops in the hot grill pan. They will be done after cooking 2 to 3 minutes per side.
BUILT-IN GRILL: Preheat the grill to high, then, if it does not have a nonstick surface, brush and oil the grill grate. Place the scallops on the hot grate. They will be done after cooking 2 to 3 minutes per side.
FREESTANDING GRILL: Preheat the grill to high; there’s no need to oil the grate. Place the scallops on the hot grill. They will be done after cooking 3 to 4 minutes per side.
FIREPLACE GRILL: Rake red hot embers under the gridiron and preheat it for 3 to 5 minutes; you want a hot, 2 to 3 Mississippi fire. When ready to cook, brush and oil the gridiron. Place the scallops on the hot grate. They will be done after cooking 2 to 3 minutes per side.
Walnut and hazelnut oils are available at specialty food stores. Their distinctive flavors will reinforce the sweetness of the scallops. But olive oil works fine too.