Grilling whole redfish with the scales on allows the fish to cook slowly while remaining tender, moist and intact on the grill. The same treatment lends itself to pompano.
This recipe, somewhat complex, should be prepared stepwise, because each step depends on a previous one.
Ingredients and Recipe
Salsa Verde
- 1 bunch flat-leaf parsley leaves
- 1 cup each basil leaves and chives
- 2 cups extra virgin olive oil
- 2 white anchovy fillets
- 2 Tbsp. each capers, minced garlic and shallots
- 3 tsp. Dijon mustard
- Juice of 1 lemon
Bring a saucepan of heavily salted water to a boil. Prepare an ice bath in a bowl.
Blanch herbs 10 to 15 seconds in boiling water, transfer to the ice bath, remove and squeeze dry in a paper towel.
Puree all ingredients in a blender until smooth. Reserve 4 Tbsp. for slaw dressing.
Wine: a light sauvignon blanc or riesling
Beer: a light wheat beer such as Blue Moon Jon Whittle
Ingredients and Recipe
Redfish
2 full redfish fillets, skin on
Marinate redfish fillets in Salsa Verde for 4 hours.
Prepare:
Herb-Citrus Vinaigrette
- 1⁄2 cup fresh grapefruit juice
- 2 Tbsp. each minced shallot, white wine vinegar, and zest of tangerine
- 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 4 Tbsp. Salsa Verde
- Salt, pepper and honey to taste
Whisk all ingredients except oil and Salsa Verde in a bowl, let sit for 30 minutes, then whisk in oil and Salsa Verde.
Olive Slaw
- 1⁄4 cup sliced green olives
- 2 oranges, segmented
- 2 cups shaved fennel
- 1⁄2 cup Herb-Citrus Vinaigrette
Toss all ingredients together, gently.
Final Prep:
Remove redfish from marinade, pat dry, and season with salt and pepper. Place on grill, scale-side down, at medium-low temperature. Leave fillets scale-side down until thoroughly cooked. While redfish is grilling, prepare:
Herb-Citrus Rock Shrimp
- 1⁄2 pound peeled and deveined rock shrimp
- 1 cup Herb-Citrus Vinaigrette
Sauté rock shrimp until done, then deglaze the pan with Herb-Citrus Vinaigrette and pour over plated redfish fillets. Spoon Olive Slaw on top.
