Fresh Fish Recipes

Whole Roasted Fish with Maine Lobster, Charred Corn, and Summer Tomatoes

For Lobster
1     bunch cilantro, removed from stems, rough-chopped
¼ c.      lime juice
¼ c.      chardonnay vinegar
1 c.     extra-virgin olive oil
1     1 1/4 lb. Maine lobster, cooked, cooled, removed from shell, tail cut in half
2      summer tomatoes, sliced, seasoned with salt, pepper, extra-virgin olive oil
2     avocados, halved, seed and skin removed, cubed
2     ears of corn, charred on the grill and removed from the cob
Kosher salt
Cracked black pepper
Fleur de sel

Whisk together cilantro, lime juice, chardonnay vinegar, and extra-virgin olive oil and season with kosher salt to taste. Place lobster meat, avocado, and charred corn into a bowl and spoon some cilantro vinaigrette over. Season with kosher salt and cracked black pepper and stir to combine. There should be an even coating of vinaigrette, but it should not be soupy. Fan marinated summer tomatoes on a large plate and arrange the lobster salad over the tomatoes. Keep chilled until the fish is ready to serve. Sprinkle with fleur de sel and cracked black pepper, place the whole grilled fish over the salad, and serve.

For the fish
1     2 lb whole fish (black bass or red snapper)
12     sprigs cilantro, leaves removed and chopped, stems reserved
3     limes, 1 thinly sliced, 1 cut into 8 wedges, 1 cut in half
1     tbsp. whole cumin, toasted in a dry pan and roughly ground in coffee grinder
Extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt
Freshly ground white pepper

Place fish in sink and scale using a scaler or the back of a knife, scaling from the tail toward the head. Rinse the fish under cold water. Rinse out the body cavity thoroughly. Lay on kitchen towel and pat dry inside and out.  Using scissors, remove the fins and gills from the fish. Starting just behind the head and working toward the tail, use a sharp knife to gently score the skin (be careful not to cut too deep into the flesh), making about 5 cuts per side about 1 inch long and parallel to one another.

Stuff half of the cilantro stems and lime slices into the body cavity. Poke toothpicks through the bottom of the belly to securely close (it will take three toothpicks evenly spaced along the opening). Using your hands, evenly coat the fish lightly in olive oil. Generously season the fish with sea salt and sprinkle with ground toasted cumin.

Lay out a sheet of foil twice as large as the fish. Lay a second piece on top of the first the same size. Drizzle some olive oil onto the foil and spread out with your hand. Lay the fish in the center of the foil. Spread the reserved cilantro stems over the fish and scatter the lime wedges. Create a pouch with the foil by bringing the long edges together and folding them securely four times. Fold the ends closed.

Place the pouch in the center of a 425-degree oven or a hot grill. The fish will take about 16 minutes to cook. Remove from the heat and allow to sit for 3 minutes. Carefully open the pouch (it’s full of steam!). Drizzle with olive oil, squeeze the halved lime over the fish, and sprinkle with sea salt and chopped cilantro.  Place on the prepared lobster salad.