Poissons & Crustacé/Fish & Shellfish - BBQ Bistro: Simple, Sophisticated French Recipes for Your Grill (2015)

BBQ Bistro: Simple, Sophisticated French Recipes for Your Grill (2015)

CHAPTER 13

POISSONS & CRUSTACÉ

FISH & SHELLFISH

Lobster Tail with Pernod Butter

Grilled Scallops with Fennel, Red Pepper, and Lemon-Tarragon Vinaigrette

Bistro Tuna

Skate Wing with Browned Butter and Capers

SIDEBAR: Herb-Grilling Fish

Wood-Grilled Local Trout

Planked Cod with Dijon Mustard-Mayonnaise Slather

Vermouth Smoked Salmon with Juniper Berries

Grilled Salmon with Avocado Crème Fraîche

SIDEBAR: French 75

Grilled Monkfish with Rouille

Grilled Halibut with Roasted Red Pepper Aioli

Grilling fresh fish is the essence of fast French food, but grilling it requires a little savoir faire.

First, select the freshest fish. Look for whole fish with clear, not cloudy, eyes, or fresh fillets that have a fresh, briny aroma and a firm, not mushy, texture.

The rule of thumb for grilling fish fillets or steaks is 10 minutes per inch (2.5 cm) of thickness over a hot fire. That means that a fish fillet—usually about ¾ inch (2 cm) in the thickest part—will need to grill for about 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Some fish, like tuna in Bistro Tuna (page 189), taste best at rare or medium-rare, so the time on the grill is less. A very meaty fish like monkfish in Grilled Monkfish with Rouille (page 198) might take a little longer to get done.

It is better to oil the fish so it doesn’t stick to the grill grates rather than oil the grill grates. Oiling the grill, then starting the fire, causes the oil to burn. When the oil burns off, the fish can stick to the grill grates.

Wire grilling baskets are great for grilling whole fish like Wood-Grilled Local Trout (page 192). You can grill fish fillets directly on the grill grates as in Grilled Halibut with Roasted Red Pepper Aioli (page 199), or grill tender fish fillets on a perforated grill rack.

On most fish fillets, there is a skin side (a darker side where the skin is or used to be) and a flesh side, which is lighter in color. Start grilling the fish flesh-side down, and then turn them over to the skin side. This helps the fish fillet hold together better during grilling.

Planking allows you the most effortless way to grill fish—it will have an aromatic flavor but no grill marks. Planked Cod with Dijon Mustard-Mayonnaise Slather (page 193) is so simple, you’ll want to try this method for lots of other fish.

LOBSTER TAIL WITH PERNOD BUTTER

THE LIQUEUR PERNOD DATES BACK TO 1805 WHEN IT WAS FIRST DISTILLED WITH star anise and several herbs. To serve it as a drinking beverage, do as the French do and add cold water to it (similar to a pastis) or mix it with club soda. The slightly anise and tarragon-like flavor of Pernod Butter is delicious basted on the lobster tail.

SERVES 4

Pernod Butter

½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 tablespoons Pernod liqueur

2 tablespoons dried tarragon

4 (8-ounce/230-g) rock lobster tails

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

Prepare a medium-hot fire in your grill.

For the Pernod Butter, combine the butter, Pernod, and tarragon in a bowl until smooth. Set aside.

Cut the top membrane from the lobster tails and discard. Loosen the lobster meat from the shell and brush with room-temperature butter.

Place the lobster tails on the grill grates, cut-side down, and grill for 2 to 3 minutes or until they have grill marks. Turn the tails and grill until done, 7 to 9 minutes. The lobster meat will be opaque and the shell will be charred. Serve with the extra Pernod Butter.

VARIATIONS:

Serve the hot grilled lobster with other butters like Lemon-Herb Butter (page 104) or Tarragon Butter (page 106). Or make extra lobster to chill and serve the next day as a cold lobster salad with Hollandaise Sauce (page 35) or White Truffle Aioli (page 31) on the side.

GRILLED SCALLOPS WITH FENNEL, RED PEPPER, AND LEMON-TARRAGON VINAIGRETTE

SEA SCALLOPS ARE THOSE LUSCIOUS LARGE SCALLOPS THAT YOU FIND ON JUST about every fine dining restaurant menu. With this dish’s eye-popping presentation and flavor, you won’t believe how easy it is to make. We got the original idea from California chef John Ash and took it from there. Each serving is for three large sea scallops, so buy more if you desire a larger serving.

SERVES 4

1 large fennel bulb (8 ounces/250 g), trimmed, quartered, and sliced ¼ inch (0.5 cm) thick

2 large red bell peppers (6 ounces/175 g each), cored, seeded, and cut into strips

About 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for brushing

Kosher or sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

12 large sea scallops, 1½ to 2 inches (4 to 5 cm) in diameter

¾ cup (175 ml) Lemon-Tarragon Vinaigrette (page 26), prepared

Tarragon sprigs, for garnish

Prepare a hot fire in your grill.

Oil a grill wok or perforated grill rack. Toss the fennel and red pepper strips with the olive oil in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Place the vegetables in the wok or on the grill rack. Grill for about 10 minutes, turning the vegetables every few minutes until they are scorched and tender. Transfer the vegetables to a platter. Brush the scallops on both sides with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill the scallops directly on the grill grates for about 3 minutes per side or until they are opaque but still a little translucent in the center.

To serve, divide the fennel slices and pepper strips among four plates, place three scallops on each plate, and drizzle with Lemon-Tarragon Vinaigrette. Garnish with fresh tarragon sprigs and serve immediately.

BISTRO TUNA

TWO PANTRY RECIPES ARE INCLUDED IN THIS SIMPLE QUICK-TO-GRILL TUNA. THE truc is to make the peppercorn rub first, then you have the peppercorns ready to use in the beurre blanc. Tuna is usually served rare to medium-rare, so if you like yours more done, you’ll need to grill it longer. Swordfish would be a great substitute for the tuna. Be careful not to overcook swordfish or it becomes tough and dry. Make the Three-Peppercorn Beurre Blanc while the grill is heating up and keep it warm over a pan of hot water until you finish grilling the tuna.

SERVES 4

4 (6-ounce/175-g) tuna steaks, 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 recipe Three-Peppercorn Rub (page 23), prepared

2 lemons, halved

1 (12-ounce/175-g) package mixed fresh baby greens

1 recipe Three-Peppercorn Beurre Blanc (page 39), prepared and kept warm

Prepare a hot fire in your grill.

Lightly brush the tuna steaks with olive oil. Spread about 2 tablespoons of rub on a plate and lightly press both sides of the tuna steaks into the peppercorns.

Grill the tuna for about 3 minutes per side for rare. (Note the short cooking time; tuna will toughen if overcooked.) Place the lemons on grill, cut-side down, when you turn the tuna, and grill them for 3 minutes until warm and slightly charred.

Serve the tuna over the greens, squeezing the lemons over the tuna, and then spoon the Three-Peppercorn Beurre Blanc over the tuna.

SKATE WING WITH BROWNED BUTTER AND CAPERS

SKATE IS DELICIOUS, AND THIS IS THE CLASSIC WAY TO SERVE IT. SKATE HAS A TENDENCY to get sticky, so use a perforated grill rack and let it heat up as the grill heats up. Bistros tend to serve boiled potatoes with this dish—something to soak up all that delicious beurre noisette—but why not grill fingerlings along with the skate and have the best of both worlds?

SERVES 4

⅔ cup (150 g) unsalted butter

4 (8-ounce/250-g) skate wings, cleaned and skinned

2 lemons, halved

¼ cup (50 ml) olive oil

1 pound fingerling potatoes, rinsed and patted dry

Kosher or sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons capers

2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

Prepare a hot fire in your grill.

While the grill is heating up, make the browned butter. In a small saucepan, heat the butter over medium heat until it foams and turns a rich nutty brown. Remove from the heat.

Place the skate wings and the halved lemons on a large platter and liberally coat the fish with olive oil. Toss the fingerling potatoes with about 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large bowl and season with salt and pepper.

Grill the fingerlings in a perforated grill basket or an aluminum pan with holes in it. Place over the hot fire and close the grill lid. After about 3 or 4 minutes, open the grill and toss the potatoes. Close the lid again and repeat the tossing in about another 3 or 4 minutes. Cook until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork. Transfer to a serving platter and arrange around the perimeter of the platter. Grill the skate wings until they just begin to flake when tested with a fork, 4 to 5 minutes on each side. At the same time, grill the lemon halves, cut-side down, for about 3 minutes until warmed through and lightly browned.

Transfer the skate to the middle of the serving platter, season with salt and pepper, and sprinkle on the capers and parsley. Place the grilled lemon halves on the platter, too.

Drizzle the browned butter over the skate, squeeze one of the lemon halves over the fish, and serve immediately.

HERB-GRILLING FISH

In seaside towns in the south of France, grilling fish over dried stalks of wild fennel perfumes the air—and the fish—with a sweet herby flavor. If you want to be very authentic, you can grow wild fennel in your garden from seed. Seeds of Italy at www.growitalian.com offers the Mediterranean wild fennel known as finocchio selvatico, which produces flavorful leaves and seeds but does not bulb as the vegetable fennel does. You can also use dried stalks of lavender, thyme, rosemary, lemon balm, lemon verbena, or sage.

To herb grill, prepare a hot fire in your grill.

For a charcoal grill, put the five to six dried herb stalks directly on ashed-over coals and replace the grill grate.

For a gas grill, crumble up the dried herb stalks and place them in a metal smoker box or make an aluminum foil packet (with holes punched in it so the smoke can escape). Place the smoker box or foil packet near a burner.

When you see the first wisp of smoke, put the fish fillet on the grill grates, close the lid, and grill 3 to 4 minutes without turning. Lift the lid, quickly turn the fish, and grill for 3 to 4 minutes more with the lid closed or until the fish is done to your liking.

Herb-grilled fish is delicious served with Hollandaise Sauce (page 35), Béarnaise Sauce (page 36), Mustard-Cornichon Beurre Blanc (page 38), Food Processor Aioli (page 29), or Rouille (page 198).

WOOD-GRILLED LOCAL TROUT

THERE ARE FEW RECIPES QUITE AS SIMPLE AND DELICIOUS AS THIS ONE. WHOLE trout are stuffed with butter, lemon, and herbs, and then grilled over aromatic wood. Use a fish basket, or a wide fish spatula, or two grill spatulas to turn the fish on the grill grates. You can fillet the cooked fish in the kitchen before serving or serve intact and let diners remove the skin and bones.

SERVES 4

Suggested wood: Apple, maple, or oak

4 whole trout, cleaned (about 12 ounces/375 g each)

½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, melted

2 lemons, thinly sliced

1 cup (30 g) mixed fresh herbs, such as basil, parsley, dill, and chives

Kosher or sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Prepare a medium-hot fire with a kiss of smoke (page 15) in your grill and add your desired type of wood.

Open each trout like a book and brush with butter. Arrange the lemon slices and herbs on one side and season with salt and pepper. Close the trout and brush the exterior with butter. Place the fish on a baking sheet to take out to the grill.

When you see the first wisp of smoke from the wood, transfer the fish from the baking sheet to the grill grates. Close the lid and grill for 25 to 30 minutes, turning the fish every 8 minutes, until the fish is opaque and flakes easily with a fork.

VARIATION:

Omit the butter and wrap each fish in bacon or pancetta, securing the meat with toothpicks.

PLANKED COD WITH DIJON MUSTARD-MAYONNAISE SLATHER

PLANKING FISH OR SHELLFISH IS ONE OF THE EASIEST, MOST FOOLPROOF WAYS TO grill seafood. The fish won’t fall through the grill grates, and you don’t have to turn it. This technique is perfect for delicate fillets like turbot, flounder, tilapia, or sole. You can plank almost any fish or shellfish, but for the best outcome, choose varieties that are not more than 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick, so that you get more flavor from the wood underneath. For maximum flavor, the flesh should touch the wood plank, so purchase skinless fish or skin it yourself. With planking, as with grilling, the thickness of the fish (measured at the thickest part) determines the timing. A ¾-inch thick (2 cm) fillet will take 25 to 30 minutes using this indirect method. The slather ensures that you’ll have a flavorful moist fish.

SERVES 6

One 15 × 6½ × 8 inch (37 × 16 × 20 cm) cedar or alder grilling plank, soaked in water for at least 1 hour

One ¾-inch-thick (2 cm) skinless cod fillet, 1½ to 2 pounds (750 g to 1 kg)

1 cup (250 ml) Dijon Mustard-Mayonnaise Slather (page 28), prepared

Zest and juice of ½ lemon

Prepare an indirect hot fire in your grill.

Compare the length of the plank with the length of the cod fillet and trim the cod to fit the plank, if necessary. Place the cod on the prepared plank and spread the mustard slather over the top and sides, sealing the edges to the plank.

Place the plank on the indirect side of the grill. Close the grill lid and cook for 15 minutes. Turn the plank 180 degrees and close the lid again. Cook for another 15 minutes until the fish begins to flake when tested with a fork in the thickest part, about 30 minutes total. Serve the cod right from the plank sprinkled with the lemon zest and drizzled with the lemon juice.

VERMOUTH SMOKED SALMON WITH JUNIPER BERRIES

VERMOUTH IS A FORTIFIED WINE THAT IS ALSO GENTLY AROMATIZED AND FLAVORED with herbs and spices. Noilly Pratt was the first pale, dry vermouth made in France, and it’s the classic vermouth to use for a martini. Since you’ll have a bottle for this recipe, serve it as an aperitif on the rocks with a twist of lemon, or whip up a batch of martinis to serve while you tend the fish. The salmon comes out tender, moist, and smoky. Serve it simply with grilled asparagus and classic Hollandaise Sauce (page 35).

SERVES 4

Suggested wood: Alder or oak

¼ cup (50 ml) gin or vodka

¼ cup (50 ml) dry white vermouth

¼ cup (50 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1 tablespoon prepared horseradish

½ teaspoon hot sauce

1 garlic clove, minced

2 tablespoons juniper berries, plus more for garnish

1 salmon fillet (1½ to 2 pounds/.75 to 1 kg), skin on or off

1 lemon, sliced, plus more for garnish

6 sprigs fresh dill, plus more for garnish

Prepare a medium-low indirect fire with a kiss of smoke (page 15) in your grill and add your desired type of wood. (Replenish the wood chips as necessary.)

In a small saucepan, combine the gin, vermouth, lemon juice, butter, horseradish, hot sauce, garlic, and juniper berries and bring to a boil. Set aside.

Place the salmon in an aluminum pan large enough to hold the fish. Place the lemon slices and sprigs of dill on top of the salmon. Pour the vermouth baste over the salmon and cover with foil.

Place the salmon on the indirect side of your grill, close the lid, and smoke for 1 hour. Remove the foil and smoke until the salmon is opaque and begins to flake when tested with a fork, about 15 to 30 minutes more.

Serve the salmon on a platter garnished with more lemon slices, fresh dill, and juniper berries. It is tasty warm or cold and would make wonderful smoky salmon tartines with a dollop of Smoked Garlic Aioli (page 29).

GRILLED SALMON WITH AVOCADO CRÈME FRAÎCHE

WHEN FRESH SALMON IS IN SEASON, GRILL A WHOLE FILLET TO SERVE WITH this lime-and-cilantro-scented sauce. It’s always better to under-grill fish than to overcook it. You can always put the fish back on the grill or pop it in the oven to finish, but a dry and overcooked fish can’t be rescued. With a platter of fresh tomatoes or one of our bistro salads, this is healthy eating or cuisine minceur, the BBQ Bistro way.

SERVES 6 TO 8

1 salmon fillet (3 to 3½ pounds/1.5 to 1.75 kg)

Olive oil for brushing

Kosher or sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Lime slices and cilantro sprigs, for garnish

1 recipe Avocado Crème Fraîche (page 33), prepared

Prepare a hot fire in your grill.

Brush the salmon with olive oil, then season with salt and pepper. Place on a baking sheet and take out to the grill.

Grill the salmon, flesh-side down, for 3 to 4 minutes. Using two grill or fish spatulas, loosen the salmon from the grill grates and carefully roll it over, so the skin side is down. Grill for another 3 to 4 minutes, until it just begins to flake when tested with a fork in the thickest part. Serve the salmon on a platter garnished with lime slices and cilantro sprigs. Pass the Avocado Crème Fraîche separately.

FRENCH 75

Cocktails anyone? We couldn’t have an American grilling book with a French flair without this classic drink created at the New York Bar in Paris in 1915, which later became Harry’s New York Bar. The kick you get from this drink was said to feel like being shelled with a French 75mm field gun. Half fill a cocktail shaker with a jigger of gin, 1 teaspoon simple syrup, juice of half a lemon, and cracked ice. Shake vigorously and pour the liquid into a champagne flute and top with chilled Champagne. Bombs away!

GRILLED MONKFISH WITH ROUILLE

THICK AND MEATY, MONKFISH HAS BEEN CALLED “POOR MAN’S LOBSTER” FOR GOOD reason: It has a similar texture without being as sweet. It is very easy to grill since it doesn’t fall apart on the grill like other flaky fin fish, but you do need to make sure it is cooked all the way through or it can be rubbery if undercooked. Here it’s paired with rouille, the classic Mediterranean garlic and saffron mayonnaise. The rouille can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Be sure to serve some crusty French bread that’s been heated up on the grill to dredge in the extra rouille. Why not grill a few other vegetables along with the fish and then enjoy those with the rouille as well?

SERVES 6 TO 8

Rouille

4 garlic cloves

4 large egg yolks, at room temperature

¼ teaspoon saffron threads

¼ teaspoon kosher or sea salt

¼ teaspoon ground red pepper

1 cup (250 ml) extra-virgin olive oil

2½ pounds (1.25 kg) skinless monkfish fillets

Olive oil for brushing

Kosher or sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Rouille, combine the garlic, egg yolks, saffron, salt, and pepper in a food processor and process until smooth. With the motor running, through the feed tube, gradually add olive oil in a steady stream until the mixture thickens. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Prepare a medium-hot indirect fire in your grill.

Brush the fish with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Grill the fish for 12 minutes per 1 inch (2.5 cm) of thickness, turning every 3 or 4 minutes, until the fish is lightly charred, cooked through, and tender. Slice the monkfish at an angle and serve each portion with a dollop of Rouille.

GRILLED HALIBUT WITH ROASTED RED PEPPER AIOLI

AGRILLED HALIBUT FILLET MAKES A GREAT PRESENTATION ON A PLATTER. Remember to grill for 10 minutes per 1 inch (2.5 cm) of thickness, turning only once. The Roasted Red Pepper Aioli is quick to make using store-bought mayonnaise and keeps in the refrigerator for about 1 week. You can use store-bought roasted peppers in a jar, roast your own, or make use of your Grill Pantry (page 37). To roast peppers, preheat your grill to high. Grill whole peppers until blackened, blistered, and tender. Place peppers in a brown paper bag and close the top. Set aside for about 5 minutes until cool. Slice peppers open to remove the core and seeds. Rub excess char off the skins. Use immediately or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

SERVES 6

Roasted Red Pepper Aioli

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 (6-ounce/175-g) red bell pepper, grilled or roasted (about ½ cup/125 ml from a jar)

1½ cups (375 ml) mayonnaise

1 to 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 pounds (1 kg) skinless halibut fillet

Olive oil for brushing

Kosher or sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 lemons, halved

Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, for garnish

For the Roasted Red Pepper Aioli, purée the garlic, pepper, and mayonnaise in a food processor until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and stir in lemon juice to taste. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Prepare a hot fire in your grill.

Lightly brush the fish with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Place the fish, flesh-side down, on the grill. Grill for 10 minutes per inch (25-cm) of thickness, turning once, until the fish is opaque and flakes easily with a fork.

Grill the lemon halves at the same time, cut-side down, for about 5 minutes or until nicely browned.

Place the halibut fillet on a platter and surround with grilled lemon halves. Spoon the pinkish-tinged aioli down the center of the fillet, and then sprinkle with bright green parsley.