Fabulicious!: On the Grill (18 page)

Now I know I've been saying that you have to be careful with the high heat when grilling, but that doesn't apply to seafood. Seafood is especially delicate, so that doesn't make sense at first, but let me explain. If you overcook seafood, it's just no good. And since it's delicate, it's very vulnerable to being overcooked. The best way to protect it inside is to get a nice crust on the outside.

Fish meat is flaky, which also means it falls apart much, much easier than chicken or steak. The best way to stop it from sticking to the grill (and leaving clumps behind when you try and flip it) is to be sure that the cooking grate is super clean, so give it a really good scrub with the grill brush. If you grill a lot of fish, get a perforated grill pan to put on the cooking grate because, unlike the grate, you can wash it well between uses. Another trick is to always lightly, but thoroughly, oil the fish.

Once you put your fish on the grill, don't touch it. Don't move it, don't shift it, don't stick your spatula under it to try and loosen it. Instead, let it cook, with the lid closed, over high heat until a thin, golden exterior crust forms on the underside, usually two or three minutes. At that point, the fish will let go of the grill, and you can flip it in one beautiful piece. So don't touch it for a few minutes, until you're sure the crust has formed.

 

Makes 6 servings

Involtini, “rolls” in Italian, is when you wrap a thin piece of meat, usually veal, pork, or seafood, around a stuffing. I love to use easy-to-roll salmon stuffed with crab. Since the salmon has been butterflied, it won't take long to cook. Depending on the price of seafood in your area, this recipe can be kind of a splurge, so you might want to save it for when you have company or a celebration.

Stuffing:

1 cup crabmeat, picked over for cartilage and shells

1 scallion, white and green parts, finely chopped

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon Italian-seasoned dry bread crumbs

½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Salt

Hot red pepper sauce, such as Tabasco

Salmon:

6 skinless salmon fillets (each about 6 ounces)

Extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Lemon wedges, for serving

1.
Preheat the grill for direct cooking over high heat (500°F).

2.
To make the stuffing:
Mix the crabmeat, scallion, mayonnaise, lemon juice, bread crumbs, and Worcestershire in a medium bowl. Season with salt and hot pepper sauce.

3.
To make the salmon:
Place a salmon fillet with the short end facing you. Using a sharp knife, cut the fillet horizontally through its center, reaching almost, but not quite, to the other side. Open up the fillet like a book. Spread one-sixth of the stuffing on one side of the fillet and close the fillet. Repeat with the remaining fillets and stuffing. Lightly brush the fillets on both sides with oil and season with the salt and pepper.

4.
Place the fillets on the cooking grate and close the grill lid. Cook, without moving the fillets, until the undersides are seared with grill marks, about 2 minutes. Carefully flip the fillets (the filling will stay in place), and continue cooking, with the lid closed as much as possible, just until is the other side seared with grill marks and the salmon looks opaque with a hint of rosy pink when flaked in the center with the tip of a sharp knife, about 2 minutes more. Remove the salmon from the grill. Serve hot with the lemon wedges.

 

Makes 6 servings

Wanna know a secret about the delicious creamy lemon-wine sauce that upscale restaurants serve with seafood? It's easy and inexpensive to make at home—and it's not even made with cream! It's actually butter that's very slowly heated until it looks creamy. Make the sauce just before you put the fish on the grill, and keep it warm by placing the saucepan in a skillet of hot, but not simmering water.

Lemon-Wine Sauce:

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons minced shallot

1 cup dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

Finely grated zest of 1 lemon

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Sea Bass:

6 skinless sea bass fillets (each about 6 ounces)

Extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

⅓ cup coarsely chopped pistachios

1.
To make the sauce:
Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the wine, vinegar, lemon zest, and juice. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook until reduced to about 2 tablespoons, 5 to 7 minutes. Reduce the heat to its lowest setting.

2.
One tablespoon at a time, whisk the butter into the shallot mixture, whisking constantly until each addition softens before adding the next. The butter should warm and soften into a creamy sauce, and not actually melt. If the butter looks melted, remove the saucepan from the heat and immediately whisk in another tablespoon of cold butter. It should take about 2 minutes to add all of the butter. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat. (At this point, you may strain out the shallots and lemon zest through a wire sieve into a small bowl, but it won't do any harm to leave them in for a slightly less smooth sauce.) Put the saucepan (or bowl) in a skillet of very hot water over very low heat to keep the sauce warm for up to 1 hour. The sauce should be warm, not piping hot, and it will warm up when it comes into contact with the hot fish.

3.
Preheat the grill for direct cooking over high heat (500°F).

4.
To make the sea bass:
Lightly oil the sea bass fillets on both sides with the oil and season with the salt and pepper. Place on the cooking grate and close the grill lid. Cook until the undersides are seared with grill marks, about 3 minutes. Flip the fillets and continue cooking, with the lid closed, until the flesh in the center looks barely opaque when flaked with the tip of a small sharp knife, about 3 minutes more. Remove the fillets from the grill.

5.
To serve, place a sea bass fillet on each of six dinner plates, and top each with 2 tablespoons of the sauce. Sprinkle with the pistachios and serve hot.

 

Makes 6 servings

Especially when cooked perfectly rare, juicy tuna steaks are just as delicious as a tender beef steak—and much healthier! For the best outcome, get sushi-grade tuna from a first-class fish store. You can cook it beyond medium-rare, but if you do, just don't expect it to be very moist. This pepper-olive relish is not only amazing with the tuna, but you'll also find it works well with pork chops or salmon, on burgers, or even on bruschetta.

Pepper-Olive Relish:

2 red bell peppers, roasted and skinned (see
Grilling Peppers
,
page 178
), cut into ½-inch dice

⅓ cup coarsely chopped pitted Kalamata olives

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh oregano or basil

1 garlic clove, minced

Salt and red pepper flakes

Tuna Steaks:

6 tuna steaks (each 6 ounces and cut 1 inch thick)

Extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1.
To make the relish:
Mix the roasted peppers, olives, lemon juice, oregano, and garlic together in a small bowl. Season with salt and red pepper flakes. Cover and let stand at room temperature for at least 30 minutes so that the flavors can blend. (The relish can be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.)

2.
Preheat the grill for direct cooking over high heat (500°F).

3.
To make the tuna steaks:
Lightly brush the tuna on both sides with oil and season with the salt and pepper. Place the tuna on the cooking grate and cook until the undersides are seared with grill marks, about 2 ½ minutes. Flip the tuna and continue cooking, with the lid closed, until the other sides are seared and the tuna is opaque on the outside with a rosy pink center when cut with a small sharp knife, about 2½ minutes more.

4.
Place a tuna steak on each of six dinner plates, and top with equal amounts of the relish. Serve hot.

 

Makes 6 servings

This tomato-caper salsa goes great with any “strong” fish—such as tuna and swordfish—or “meaty” white fish—such as halibut or this swordfish. You can use grape tomatoes instead, but summer farm stand cherry tomatoes (especially the pretty, multicolored ones) give the dish extra color.

Cherry Tomato–Caper Salsa:

1 pint cherry tomatoes, cut in halves

3 tablespoons finely chopped red onion

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons white or red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons drained and rinsed capers, coarsely chopped if large

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 garlic clove, minced

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Swordfish:

6 swordfish steaks (each about 6 ounces and cut about 1 inch thick)

Extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1.
To make the salsa:
Mix the the cherry tomatoes, red onion, olive oil, vinegar, capers, basil, parsley, and garlic in a small bowl together in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and let stand at room temperature for at least 30 minutes and up to 4 hours to allow the flavors to blend.

2.
Preheat the grill for direct cooking over high heat (500°F).

3.
To make the swordfish:
Lightly brush the swordfish on both sides with oil and season with the salt and pepper. Place the swordfish on the cooking grate and close the grill lid. Cook until the undersides are seared with grill marks, about 3 minutes. Flip the swordfish and continue cooking, with the lid closed, until the other sides are seared and the swordfish is just opaque to the center when cut with a small sharp knife, 3 to 4 minutes more. Remove from the grill.

4.
Place a swordfish steak on each of six dinner plates, and top with equal amounts of the salsa. Serve hot.