Grilled Fish Redux

Written by Rosemary Mantini | 10 August 2010

Now that you've become an expert at grilling all kinds of fish, you're going to need a few fish sauce recipe to keep handy. My favourite way of having grilled fish is to first marinate it in a mixture of olive oil, lots of herbs and a little garlic. About a half hour or so before I lay the fish on the grill, I'll sprinkle it with salt and pepper. Then, I cut a lemon or lime in half, squeeze out the juice (to be used in lemon- or limeade, or a different marinade altogether) and toss the half of the citrus in with the charcoal. As the fish grills, the heat of the charcoal forces the lemon or lime rind to release its wonderful aroma. The refreshing citrus flavours permeate the fish without ever having to come in contact with the acids inherent to both lemon or lime. Try that trick with oranges, too.

Once the fish is cooked and has been infused by all the wonderful flavours of the marinade and the citrus rind, make up a salsa-type side to enjoy with it. There are probably hundreds of possible combinations of vegetables, fruits, herbs and spices that would work exceptionally well with any kind of fish. The beauty of these sauces (yes, I use the two words -- salsa and sauce -- interchangeably) is that they're typically very bright and colourful, and they're the perfect way of using all of the in-season produce now available.

The fish sauces below are super quick to prepare and often utilize ingredients that are readily on hand. Whip them up while the fish is cooking. Or, let the fish rest, tented with foil, while you focus all of your attention on the sauce. Make up a few different ones that showcase the different colours of the season so that your friends and family can experiment with different flavour combinations.

Tomato Salsa

Cracked Pepper Aioli

Grapefruit Beurre Blanc

Macadamia Pesto

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