Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
Crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
Heat the oven to 350°F. Spread the almonds out on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for about 10 minutes, stirring them once or twice and rotating the pan occasionally if they are browning unevenly. When they are fragrant and light gold in color, transfer to a plate to cool completely.
Finely chop the nuts and transfer to a medium bowl. Add the parsley, lemon zest, and juice, then gradually whisk in the olive oil. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and, if desired, crushed red pepper flakes.
Grilled Giant Flatfish Stuffed with Peppers, Onions, and Herbs
The age-old challenge when grilling fish is how to prevent it from sticking. Personally, I don’t care if it sticks a little as I remove it from the grill, but I will admit it looks prettier if it doesn’t. The solution when you are grilling a whole stuffed fish is to use a very large, flat grill basket; line up a pair of large baskets, side by side, or put the fish between two jerky racks. You can rig them together using wire and a pair of pliers. The juiciness of the fish and the drama of its char-grilled look is worth the trouble.
You need a fairly large fish so the peppers and onions have time to cook. Fluke, halibut, or turbot are all good candidates. The ingredients and timing below are for a 5½-pound fish, the smallest size I recommend for this method.
To serve, cover a table with several thicknesses of brown paper, lay the whole fish on it, drizzle with olive oil, and invite your guests to dig in. SERVES 6 TO 8
1 red onion
2 lemons
1 pound red and green frying peppers, sliced very thin
6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 whole flatfish (see headnote), 5½ pounds cleaned weight, at room temperature
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
About 2 cups extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
2 cups dry white wine
Heat a grill over a medium fire. Thinly slice the red onion on a mandoline, then thinly slice the lemons on it. Combine the onion, lemons, peppers, and garlic in a bowl, tossing well.
Lay a length of foil on a work surface. Rinse the fish inside and out, pat it dry with paper towels, and lay it on the foil with the top (thicker) side up. Trace a line with your finger down the center of the fish to locate the backbone and then, with a sharp knife, cut down the length of the bone. Insert the knife between the flesh and the backbone, and carefully separate the flesh from the small bones to make the first of four pockets. Repeat on the other side of the backbone to make the second pocket on that side of the fish.
Salt and pepper the pockets. Distribute one-quarter of the sliced vegetables and garlic inside each pocket, along the whole length. Drizzle the vegetables with olive oil and a little of the white wine and season with salt and pepper. Pat the pockets closed and brush the skin generously with olive oil. Use the foil to carefully turn the fish over onto a board, without losing any stuffing. Then make two other pockets on this side of the fish and stuff with the remaining vegetables.
Cut 3 or more slits deep into the fins and several inches apart so you can slide lengths of butcher’s twine through them. Cut the same number of lengths of twine, double the width of the fish with at least 6 inches left over. Slide a piece of twine beneath the center of the fish, bring up the ends through the slits on either side, and tie them together just tightly enough to hold the pockets closed. Coat the skin of the fish with olive oil again.
Open a very large grill basket, or two of them side by side, or lay out one of two large jerky racks (see Note) and brush well with oil. Lay the fish on top and close the grill basket(s), or cover with the second oiled rack. Secure the baskets or racks with wire or butcher’s twine.
Lay the enclosed fish top side down on the grill, douse it through the rack with half the remaining white wine, and grill for about 15 minutes, or until the fish is crisp and brown on the bottom—the aroma will alert you when that side is almost done. When the thickest part of the flesh on the bottom side has just turned opaque, turn the basket(s) or racks over on the grill and douse the other side of the fish with the remaining white wine. Grill for another 15 minutes and check for doneness: The flesh should be pearly and opaque and should release easily from the bone but should still be very moist, with an internal temperature of about 140°F. Carry the enclosed fish to the paper-lined table and open the basket(s) or remove the top rack.
To serve, lift portions of fish and vegetables off the bone with a spatula onto plates. Serve with olive oil on the side for drizzling.
NOTE: A pair of Camp Chef jerky racks (see Some Important Tools) works very well for a large fish like this.
Grilled Dover Sole with Parsleyed Boiled Potatoes
Dover Sole, by the Alexander III Bridge over the Seine.
Flatfish, whether the lordly Dover sole or the more economical flounder and other family members, present a challenge to many grillers. Indoors, it’s not practical to cook more than one whole Dover sole. Outdoors, on a big grill, you have room to do as many as you can fit. SERVES 1
About ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 whole Dover sole, about 1¼ pounds, cleaned
3 fingerling or other small potatoes, boiled in their skins and kept warm
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 scallions, trimmed and chopped
Lemon wedges
Heat a charcoal grill or a large ridged grill pan big enough for the fish over medium-high heat. Brush a large plate with olive oil and keep it handy. Brush both the fish and the grill or pan generously with olive oil. When the oil starts to smoke, set the fish on the grill or pan and cook, without moving it, for about 7 minutes. Lift the tail end slightly to check it. If the fish is nicely marked and crisp on the bottom and lifts easily from the grill, it is ready to turn. If not, give it a minute or so more. Carefully slide a wide sharp-edged spatula or the bottom of a tart pan under the fish, to lift it with as little damage to the skin as possible, and, in one quick motion, flip the fish over onto the plate. Brush the grill or pan with more oil, then slide the fish back onto the grill and cook the other side for another 5 minutes or so, until the skin is crisp and the fish is cooked through.
While the fish is cooking, tear the potatoes into 2 or 3 pieces each.
Transfer the fish to a platter and surround with the torn potatoes. Season the fish and potatoes with salt and pepper, scatter the parsley and scallions over them, and drizzle with olive oil. Serve with lemon wedges.
NOTE: Do not refrigerate the potatoes. Boil them gently while the fish is cooking, or if you have to do them before going out to the grill, keep them at room temperature.
The boatmen in Chubut, Patagonia, brought in some fish, and I cooked them on this homemade rig that one of the local fishermen made for me.
Hake Steaks a la Plancha with Fried Potatoes and Garlic
Fish steaks—we call them postas—are thick enough to develop a crust but still stay juicy, especially next to the bone. Here they are served with seared lemon slices with sage and crisp potatoes in garlic-flavored oil. Merluza blanca (hake) from the Patagonian coast is ideal for this preparation, but any firm-fleshed white fish, such as halibut, striped bass, or redfish, will be fine. SERVES 4
2 lemons
About ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
8 large fresh sage leaves, roughly torn into pieces
Fleur de sel
Freshly ground black pepper
2 Idaho (baking) potatoes, well scrubbed
4 hake steaks, about 8 ounces each and 1 inch thick, or 2 halibut steaks, about 1 pound each and 1 inch thick
Slice the lemons ⅛ inch thick on a mandoline; set aside. Combine ¼ cup of the olive oil with the minced garlic in a small bowl.
Heat
a chapa or two large cast-iron griddles over high heat. Coat the surface generously with olive oil. Distribute the lemon slices evenly over the surface and scatter the torn sage over them. Season with fleur de sel and pepper. The lemon slices will brown up quickly, in a minute or two. Transfer them to a plate and set aside.
Meanwhile, slice the potatoes ⅛ inch thick on the mandoline; set aside.
Coat both sides of the fish with the garlic oil and set it on the hot surface. When it is golden brown and crisp on the bottom, about 4 minutes, transfer to a separate plate. (The second side will be cooked after the potatoes go on.)
The chapa will now be nicely seasoned with garlic, lemon, and oil. Wipe away any small bits that look as if they will burn. Add about a tablespoon more oil, and when it shimmers, add the potatoes in a single layer (cook them in batches if necessary and keep them warm in a low oven), adding more oil as needed. When they are crisp and golden brown on one side, turn them, making room for the fish, and place the hake cooked side up next to them. Cook for another 2 or 3 minutes, until the fish has just turned opaque but is still very moist and the potatoes are tender. Transfer the steaks to a platter as they are done, arranging them in the center. Arrange the lemon slices on top and the potatoes around them. Serve immediately.
Slashed-and-Stuffed Black Sea Bass with Potatoes, Leeks, and Mushrooms
Slashed and stuffed loup de mer, also known as branzino. In America, it’s hard to find large branzino, and it’s usually farmed. If you prefer wild fish, as I do, sea bass is the way to go. (See recipe on page 193.)
I often cook with this slash-and-stuff method when I catch wild brook trout on The Island. When I came across some lovely large branzino in Paris, I gave them the same treatment on my traveling grill. The slashes holding the sliced red onions and lemon become islands of complementary flavor in the midst of the mild flesh of the fish.
I made this recipe last year in the tiny place de Furstenberg in Saint-Germain-des-Prés. When I first worked in Paris, I used to spend whole afternoons there in the Musée Delacroix, in the former home of the great Romantic artist. I would have loved to have served this to him. Maybe he would have left a little sketch of it on a napkin. SERVES 4
1 whole black sea bass, about 4 pounds, cleaned
About ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
2 lemons
1 red onion
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 or 4 large sprigs of flat-leaf parsley, torn
1 cup mixed pitted green and black olives, roughly chopped
Heat a charcoal grill over medium heat. Using a sharp knife, make 4 or 5 diagonal slashes on each side of the sea bass. Brush generously all over with the olive oil.
Slice the lemons very thin on a mandoline, and do the same with the onion. Stuff the lemon, onion slices, and parsley into the slashes in the fish. Season with salt and pepper.
Grill the fish slowly on the first side, without moving it, for about 25 minutes, until it is nicely browned and crisp on the bottom and the tail lifts easily, without sticking. Carefully slide two spatulas underneath it and flip it to cook the other side, about 15 minutes more. When the flesh has turned opaque at the thickest part of the bone, it is done. Transfer to a platter, scatter the olives over it, and drizzle with olive oil. Serve immediately, with the potatoes, leek, and mushrooms.
Potatoes, Leek, and Mushrooms
6 small potatoes
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 leek, white part only, thinly sliced
1 very large shallot, minced
12 ounces cèpes (porcini) or other mushrooms, cleaned, trimmed, and sliced about ⅓ inch thick
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
salt and freshly ground pepper
¼ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, roughly chopped
Cover the potatoes with cold water in a saucepan and bring to a low boil. Cook gently for about 5 minutes, until half cooked, and drain. Peel the potatoes, slice about ¼ thick, and pat dry.
Melt half the butter with the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the leek and shallot and sauté until translucent, about 6 minutes. Add the potatoes, mushrooms, thyme, and bay leaf and cook for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon to redistribute the vegetables and make sure they are not sticking. Add the remaining butter as it is absorbed.
When the mushrooms and potatoes are tender and slightly browned, season to taste with salt and pepper, stir in the parsley, and serve.
NOTE: It is not practical to grill fish of this size indoors.
Prawns, Sardines, and Anchovies a la Plancha with Zucchini, Swiss Chard, and Minted Yogurt
This is a spectacular dish and as flavorful as anything you can make. I often encourage people to eat more little fish, like sardines and anchovies. We must stop eating only fish at the top of the food chain, or soon they will all be gone. And the little ones are so delicious. They are strong flavored, so here I balance them with a creamy, minty yogurt sauce and a side dish of chard and zucchini.
Use head-on prawns or shrimp if you can find them—they are more flavorful. The trick here is the placement of the shrimp, sardines, and anchovies on the chapa so they will all be ready at the same time. The anchovies are tiny, so they are arranged around the outside, which is cooler. Since seafood cooks very quickly, have the mint sauce chilled and the vegetables ready before you start grilling. SERVES 4
FOR THE SEAFOOD
12 prawns or jumbo shrimp
Extra virgin olive oil for brushing
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 fresh sardines, about 8 ounces, cleaned
12 fresh anchovies, about 8 ounces, cleaned
FOR THE MINT YOGURT SAUCE
1 cup fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
1 cup Greek yogurt
FOR THE ZUCCHINI AND CHARD
2 small zucchini, trimmed
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
8 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 large shallot, thinly sliced
2 ounces pancetta, chopped
12 large Swiss chard leaves, stems and tough center stalks removed and leaves sliced crosswise into thin strips
To clean the prawns or shrimps, using kitchen shears, make a shallow cut into the back of each shell where it meets the head to locate the black digestive tract. Then cut down the length of the shell and pull out the strip with your finger or the tip of a knife, leaving the shell attached. Rinse under cold water and pat thoroughly dry.
To make the sauce, stir the chopped mint into the yogurt in a small bowl, mixing well to combine. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.
To prepare the zucchini and chard, using a mandoline, slice the zucchini lengthwise into thin ribbons, laying them out on paper towels to keep them separated; pat them dry before cooking.
Heat a chapa or a large cast-iron griddle over medium heat. Add a tablespoon of olive oil and sauté the garlic and shallot, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside. Wipe off the hot surface with a paper towel to remove any remaining bits of garlic or shallot. Add the pancetta, with another tablespoon of oil, and sauté for 2 minutes to start rendering the fat. Carefully stir in the zucchini ribbons and cook for several minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pancetta is crisp and the zucchini is lightly browned. Transfer to the bowl with the garlic and shallot and stir gently.
Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the hot surface and sauté the chard for a minute or two, until it softens. Add the zucchini mixture and stir gently to combine with the chard, then return to the bowl until ready to serve.
Heat the clean chapa or two large cast-iron griddles over high heat for at least 5 minutes. Open out the prawns, shell side down, flattening them with a spatula to keep them open. Brush them on both sides with olive oil and season with salt and p
epper. Pat the sardines and anchovies dry and brush them with olive oil.
Brush the chapa generously with olive oil. When the oil shimmers, set the prawns shell side down about an inch apart on the chapa or on one griddle; if your griddle is small, do this in batches. Cook for about 4 minutes, or until the shells are a golden pink and crisp and the flesh is almost opaque. Using tongs, turn the prawns and quickly gild the other side to finish cooking. Transfer to a serving platter.
Meanwhile, arrange the sardines, also about an inch apart, elsewhere on the chapa or on the second griddle. Cook for 2½ minutes, or until they are crisp and browned on the bottom. Turn and cook for about 2 minutes on the other side, adding more oil if necessary, until the flesh is opaque and will separate easily from the bone. As soon as you turn the sardines, arrange the anchovies around the edges of the chapa or the griddle. The anchovies will cook in about 1 minute per side. As the fish is done, arrange on the serving platter with the shrimp. Meanwhile, reheat the zucchini and chard in a small skillet.
Heap the zucchini and chard on the platter and serve immediately, with the mint yogurt sauce.
Surf and Swine
Surf and Swine with Eggplant a la Plancha with Cherry Tomatoes and Anchovies (page 213).
I have always been struck by the affinity between seafood and ham, bacon, or sausage. One day, in the shadow of the old abandoned Lighthouse of the Lions just off the coast of Chubut, Jorge Kriege brought us some gorgeous escrofalo, a pumpkin-seed-shaped fish. I slashed them, stuffed some prosciutto into the incisions, and threw them on an oiled chapa. Topped with olives and capers, the result was piquant, salty, smoky, and, of course, fishy. Any fish this size will work. SERVES 4
1 whole sea bass, about 1¾ pounds, cleaned
4 thin slices prosciutto, torn in half
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
⅓ cup mild black olives, pitted
Mallmann on Fire Page 11