March 21, 2016

Grilled Lime Herb Fish with Truffle Oil

Name: Grilled Lime Herb Fish with Truffle Oil
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 8 min
Yield: 4 people
Ingredients: 4 - 8- ounce fillets (for grilling be sure you use a fatty or moderately fatty fish -- we used pompano If at all possible leave the skin on.); 3 Tablespoons vegetable oil; Salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste; 1 Tablespoon of dried Italian seasoning blend; 2 Limes (halved); 2 Tablespoons chopped parsley; Truffle oil for drizzling or use extra virgin olive oil

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Grilled Lime Herb Fish with Truffle Oil was the recipe we had been wanting to make for dinner, all we had to do find was catch the fish. After hours of fishing, a nice sized pompano volunteered to be the star for our recipe. He was perfect. A firm-fleshed fish we could first season with an Italian herb blend, salt and pepper, toss on the grill, then finish with a light squeeze of fresh lime juice and a sprinkle of truffle oil. Perfectly delicious!

Let me tell you about the day Mr.Pompano decided to “take the bait”. We had almost given up hope of seeing a fish at the end of the fishing line. The shore was thick with fog — you couldn’t even see the line. But, all of a sudden, a mighty hungry pompano, determined to grab the shrimp on the hook, gave a strong jerk and tried to make a fast getaway.

My Honey didn’t need to see the line to know that there was a strong fish at the end of it. His rod had bent almost in half. The pompano was fighting mad and he wasn’t about to give up his food. Pompano are very strong fish and they don’t cry uncle easily. In the end, my Honey reeled him in to the shore and let him “cool off” over our ice pack in the cooler.

It’s best to cook fish as whole as possible. The flesh of the fish is low in collagen –which is the protein — but the skin and bones are loaded with it. When the fish is cooked with the skin and/or bones, the collagen melts into the flesh. Another plus for leaving the fish as whole as possible is that there is less chance of overcooking. When Honey cleaned the pompano for our grilled lime herb fish he left the skin on but removed the bone. He also removed the blood vein that runs through the flesh.

The type of fish ideal for grilling is the fatty fish or the moderately fatty fish. A fatty fish, for example, would be pompano, mahi mahi, sardines, wahoo, carp, mackerel. A moderately fatty fish would be tilapia, salmon, swordfish, tuna, trout, walleye. There are a lot more in both groups, so before grilling, I’d make sure it wasn’t a lean fish. A lean fish benefits from a wet-cooking method such as poaching or steaming as we did with our Cod with Mushrooms, Garlic, Vermouth or our Mediterranean Cod. Flounder is another fish that Honey catches often and that is considered a lean fish so we never grill it. The Grilled Lime Herb Fish with Truffle Oil recipe is ideal for any of the fatty or moderately fatty fish. Tasty yet simple.

I know there are a lot of people who don’t care for fish: either because it tastes “fishy” or they only eat the fish stick variety and don’ care to experience fish dishes. The type of fish and the method of preparation is essential for enjoying a delicious fish meal. We added the truffle oil as a finishing touch because we already had some of the dark and light truffle oil . I am really glad we decided to sprinkle it on because it gave the fish a rich earthy taste. If you don’t have any truffle oil, don’t worry the recipe will still be delicious, try adding just a touch of olive oil. The recipe for Grilled Lime Herb Fish with Truffle Oil takes little time to prepare and grill and it’s healthy for you — believe me, you won’t be disappointed!

Tutti a tavola è pronto!

Un caro saluto e alla prossima.