Article by Mary Jock
Salt and Pepper Crusted Sea Bass
2 sea bass fillets, with or without skin
1 TBSP olive oil
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
2 tsp. cracked black pepper
Garlic Lemon Butter Sauce
2 TBSP butter
5 cloves garlic, smashed
Juice and zest of one lemon
Preheat the oven to 375-degrees.
Pat the fillets dry with paper towels and let the fillets come to room temperature, which should take about 10-15 minutes. This will help them cook evenly.
Season one side of each fillet generously with 1/4 tsp. of salt and 1 tsp. of cracked black pepper.
Heat oil in a medium-sized cast iron skillet or oven-safe saucepan over high heat for two minutes, or until the oil is shimmering.
Carefully place the sea bass fillets into the skillet, seasoned side down.
Sprinkle a little extra salt and pepper on the exposed tops.
Let the fillets sear over high heat for 2 minutes.
Do not flip the fish. Transfer the skillet into the oven and bake for 8 minutes, or until fish is opaque.
Melt the butter in a small saucepan over moderate heat.
Add the smashed garlic cloves and lemon zest to the butter.
Bring the heat to low and simmer, infusing the butter with garlic, for about 5 minutes.
Add the lemon juice and stir well to incorporate.
Continue to simmer on low for 2 minutes.
Discard the garlic cloves with a slotted spoon.
Plate the fish and drizzle each fillet with a TBSP of the garlic lemon butter sauce.
Pan-Fried Flounder with Capers
4 flounder fillets, skinless
Salt and pepper, to taste
Flour, for dredging fish
2 TBSP vegetable oil
3 TBSP butter, divided
1 lemon, juiced
1 small bottle capers
Wash fillets in cold water and pat dry.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Dredge fillets in flour.
Place oil and 2 TBSP butter in flat, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat until butter melts.
Keeping heat at medium-high, cook fish on 1 side for about 3 minutes, until deep brown and crispy.
Turn fish and cook on second side, about 3 minutes. Turn fish only once.
Remove fish to serving platter.
Turn off heat.
Into hot skillet, whisk in remaining 1 TBSP butter.
Add lemon juice.
Pour in capers, including liquid. Whisk.
Pour thin sauce over fish fillets.
Serve at once.
Grilled Scallops with Lemony Salsa Verde
2 TBSP vegetable oil, plus more for grilling
12 large sea scallops, side muscle removed
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
1/2 lemon (with peel), seeded and chopped
1 small shallot, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
Salt and pepper
1 cup olive oil
3/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
1/4 cup fresh chives, finely chopped
Lemon juice
Prepare grill for medium-high heat. Oil grate.
Toss scallops with 2 TBSP oil on a baking sheet and season with salt and pepper.
Using a fish spatula or your hands, place scallops on grill, flat side down.
Grill, turning occasionally, until lightly charred and just cooked through, about 2 minutes per side.
Combine 1/2 lemon (with peel), shallot and garlic clove. Season with salt and pepper.
Let sit 5 minutes.
Stir in 1 cup olive oil, parsley, cilantro and chives.
Season with salt, pepper and lemon juice, if desired.
Serve scallops topped with lemon salsa verde.
Lemon Cajun Flounder
4 flounder fillets
1 lemon
Cajun seasoning
Old Bay seasoning
Onion powder
4 TBSP butter, melted
Wash & pat dry flounder fillets and place on a foil-lined baking sheet.
Squeeze the juice of half a lemon over fillets.
Sprinkle top of fish generously with cajun seasoning, Old Bay seasoning and onion powder.
Cover and let sit in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
Drizzle butter over fish.
Cut lemon into thin slices and place over fish.
Broil on high for about 5 minutes.
Fish is ready when it flakes easily with a fork.
Grilled Wahoo with Tomatoes and Olives
2 wahoo fillets
Canola oil
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tsp. olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 (14.5 oz.) can diced fire roasted tomatoes
1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted and diced
1/2 cup manzanilla olives, pitted and diced
Heat the grill to high.
Brush both sides of the fillets with canola oil.
Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Place fish on the grill and immediately turn the dials to low. Close the cover.
Grill until cooked through, about 4 to 6 minutes per side depending on the thickness of fish fillets.
While the fish is grilling, heat the olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat.
Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
Add the tomatoes and olives and cook until heated through.
Plate fish on plate and spoon sauce over it.
Serve.
Grilled Shrimp with Honey Garlic Sauce
1/4 cup olive oil, plus more to grease the cooking grates
1 TBSP honey,
1 TBSP garlic, minced
1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt,
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. lemon zest
1/2 tsp. lime zest
1 tsp. paprika, sweet or smoked
2 lbs. shrimp, peeled, deveined, tail on, 16/20 count
2 TBSP unsalted butter, melted
1 TBSP cilantro, minced
1 lemon, cut into wedges
2 limes, cut into wedges
In a large bowl whisk together olive oil, honey, garlic, salt, black pepper, lemon zest, lime zest and paprika.?
Add shrimp to the bowl and toss with the marinade until evenly coated.?The shrimp should marinate for at least 30 minutes before adding to the grill for maximum flavor.?
Thread the shrimp on skewers, about 5 per stick.?
Preheat grill over high heat. ?
Reduce heat to low.
Grease the cooking grid with a small amount of oil.?
Add the shrimp skewers and close the lid.?????
Cook shrimp until no longer translucent with a lightly charred surface, about 2 to 3 minutes on each side.?
Transfer shrimp to a serving platter and brush with melted butter on both sides.?
Garnish shrimp with cilantro and serve with lemon and lime wedges.
Grilled Lime Marinated Mahi-Mahi
2 mahi-mahi fillets
2 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
2 TBSP fresh ginger, minced
1 TBSP garlic, minced
2 TBSP lime juice
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 TBSP honey
2 TBSP dry red wine
1/8 tsp. cayenne
Salt and pepper
Cooking spray
Whisk all of the marinade ingredients together.
Put the mahi-mahi in a glass dish or a zip lock bag and pour the marinade over the fish. Make sure that the marinade is evenly distributed over the mahi-mahi.
Refrigerate and shake bag occasionally.
Marinate 4 hours.
Spray the grill with cooking spray to prevent sticking.
Preheat the grill to 475-degrees.
Take the mahi-mahi out of the marinade and put on a rack to let some of the marinade drain off.
Place the mahi-mahi on the grill and grill for 4 minutes. Flip fillets and grill for an additional 2 to 4 minutes, depending on how thick the fillets are.
Remove from grill and place on platter.
Serve hot.
Tuna Steaks with Lemon Caper Sauce
4 tuna steaks
3 TBSP drained capers
1 1/2 TBSP lemon juice
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
8 TBSP olive oil, divided
Light the grill or heat the broiler.
In a small glass or stainless-steel bowl, mash the capers with a fork.
Stir in the lemon juice, parsley, 1/2 tsp. of the salt, and 1/4 tsp. of the pepper.
Add 6 TBSP of the oil.
Coat the tuna with the remaining 2 TBSP oil.
Sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 tsp. each of salt and pepper.
Grill or broil the tuna for 3 minutes.
Turn and cook until done to your taste.
Serve the tuna topped with the sauce.
Spicy Shrimp Pasta
12 oz. spaghetti
Kosher salt
2 TBSP olive oil
2 TBSP unsalted butter
1 large shallot, finely chopped
1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 lb. cherry tomatoes, halved
1 lb. cooked large shrimp
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp. lemon zest, finely grated
Lemon wedges, for serving
Cook spaghetti in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until al dente.
Drain, reserving 1 cup pasta cooking liquid.
Meanwhile, heat oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Cook shallot and red pepper flakes, stirring often, until shallot is softened, about 2 minutes.
Add tomatoes and cook, stirring often, until tomatoes are soft and juicy, 5 to 8 minutes.
Add shrimp to skillet and toss to coat.
Add pasta and 1/2 cup reserved pasta cooking liquid. Season with salt and pepper.
Cook, tossing constantly and adding more reserved pasta cooking liquid as needed, until sauce thickens and coats pasta, about 2 minutes.
Serve pasta topped with lemon zest and with lemon wedges alongside for squeezing over.
Tito’s Vodka Strawberry Lemonade
1 3/4 cups sugar
8 cups water
1 1/2 cups lemon juice
1 1/2 oz. Tito's vodka
4 oz. lemonade
5 fresh strawberries, sliced
Prepare lemonade by combining sugar and 1 cup of water in a small saucepan.
Bring to a boil and stir to dissolve sugar.
Refrigerate until cool.
In a pitcher, combine syrup, lemon juice and remaining 7 cups of water.
Lightly muddle strawberries into a glass.
Add Tito's vodka, lemonade and ice.
Stir and garnish with a lemon or strawberry.
