Benin Style Grilled Striped Bass Recipes

GRILLED STRIPED BASS

Steps:

• Combine oil, lemon juice, thyme or oregano, garlic, and pepper in a large shallow bowl. Add fish to marinade, and turn to coat; cover with plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator 30 minutes.
• Heat a grill or grill pan over medium-high heat. Remove fish from marinade, letting excess drip off. Place on grill, skin side down, and season with salt. Grill until skin is lightly browned and starting to crisp. Carefully turn fillets, and cook until well browned and cooked through (center will be opaque), 5 to 6 minutes. Garnish with chives and lemon wedges, if desired. Serve hot or at room temperature.

GRILLED STRIPED BASS WITH LIME GINGER BROTH

Steps:

• Make ginger juice with the 3 inch knob of fresh ginger by grating it into a thin cotton kitchen towel or piece of cheesecloth, then squeeze the juice into a bowl (you want 2 tablespoons); set aside.
• In a medium saucepan, bring the wine to a boil and cook for about 2 minutes; add vegetable stock, ginger juice, mushrooms, and ginger matchsticks.
• Cook for 3 minutes, then strain the broth back into the saucepan, reserving both the broth and the solids; set aside.
• Blend the butter into the broth with an immersion blender; return reserved solids to broth, along with 2 tablespoons lime juice (any extra can be saved for another use), scallions, cilantro, cayenne, and lime zest; cook for 2 minutes then remove from heat.
• Preheat a grill to medium high; season bass pieces with salt and pepper, drizzle with olive oil.
• Place bass skin side down on grill and cook 2 minutes, rotate a 1/4 turn and cook 3 minutes; flip and cook until flesh is easily flaked with a knife, about 3 to 5 minutes.
• Remove fish to a large oval platter, reheat broth and vegetables, then pour it around the fish; garnish with fresh cilantro sprigs.

GRILLED STRIPED BASS WITH TOMATOES AND OLIVES

Steps:

• Prepare a grill or grill pan for medium-high heat; lightly oil the grill grates.
• Toss together the olives, parsley, vinegar, tomatoes and 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large bowl. Season lightly with salt and generously with pepper and toss again; set aside until juicy.
• Meanwhile, brush the fish on both sides with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill the fish, skin side up, until it has strong grill marks and releases easily from the grill, about 5 minutes. Rotate it about 45 degrees to create a crosshatch pattern and continue to grill for another 3 minutes. Turn the fish over and cook until just opaque throughout and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the side registers about 135 degrees F, 5 minutes more. Transfer to a cutting board.
• Using the natural seams of the fish as a guide, cut into 4 pieces. Put a slice of bread on 4 serving plates. Top with a piece of fish and spoon the tomato mixture and its juices over the top.

GRILLED STRIPED BASS WITH FIRE-ROASTED ONIONS AND PEPPERS

Steps:

• Preheat a grill to medium high.
• Sprinkle the fish fillets with salt and pepper. Divide the onions, peppers, and garlic into 6 portions. Place a mound of onions, peppers, and garlic in the center of a 12-by-24-inch sheet of aluminum foil. Drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Place a portion of the fish on top, sprinkle with 1 tablespoon parsley and add 1/4 cup of the wine. Fold the foil into a packet and seal it on all sides. Repeat with packets for the remaining fillets.
• Place the packets on the grill, seam up, and cook until the fish is opaque, about 15 minutes. It is best to test the cook time with the one packet, as cooking time varies grill to grill. Carefully open the packets and serve with lemon wedges.

SPICY STRIPED BASS

Steps:

• Sauce: Saute the garlic, scallions, ginger, and the habanero chili in oil in a saucepan. When browned, add the remaining ingredients and cook for 5 minutes.
• Bass: Grill the Striped Bass. Depending on the thickness of the filets and the heat of the fire, grill for 8 to 10 minutes.
• Pour sauce on the bass filets. Garnish with chopped scallions.

MARINATED GRILLED STRIPED BASS

Steps:

• Combine olive oil, lime juice, lime zest, cilantro and garlic in a large shallow bowl.
• Add salt and pepper to taste.
• With the tip of a paring knife, make three diagonal slits through the skin of each filet.
• Place the fish in the marinade and turn to coat the fish.
• Cover and refrigerate at least one hour.
• Light a charcoal grill or turn a gas grill to medium high.
• Place the bass on the grill and cook for about 8 minutes on each side, or until the fish flakes easy.

BROWN BUTTER STRIPED BASS WITH LIME AND CILANTRO AIOLI

Steps:

• Set up a grill for cooking with direct and indirect heat. If using a charcoal grill, build the coals on one side only. If using a gas grill, heat one side only.
• Make the aioli: In a mixing bowl whisk together the mayo, cilantro, garlic, lime zest and juice. Season with salt and pepper and set aside. (If serving the fish later in the day, let the aioli chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.)
• Pat the fish dry with paper towels, then sprinkle with salt. Brush a cast-iron pan with 1/2 tablespoon butter. Place the fish, skin-side down, in the pan and place the pan on the direct heat side of the grill. Cook until the skin is crisp and has released from the pan, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip the fish and add the remaining 2 1/2 tablespoons butter. Move the pan to the indirect heat side of the grill. Let the butter melt and lightly brown, then baste the fish for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the lemon juice and continue basting for another minute. Close the lid of the grill and cook until the fish is cooked through, about 3 more minutes. Remove from the grill and spoon the remaining brown butter in the pan over the fish. Serve with the aioli, cilantro and lime wedges.

GRILLED STRIPED BASS

Steps:

• Prepare grill. Pat fish dry and season generously inside and out with salt and pepper. Grill fish on a well-oiled rack set 5 to 6 inches over glowing coals 8 to 10 minutes on each side, or until just cooked through in thickest part.
• Serve fish with chimichurri sauce.