Blackened Red Snapper

Dave DeWitt Leave a Comment

Chef Paul Prudhomme made blackened fish popular. Although very tasty, trying to prepare this dish in a home kitchen can set off smoke alarms within a two-mile radius. It is much easier to do on the backyard grill, where only your immediate neighbors will think your house is on fire. A number of fish fillets work well in this recipe, including redfish, sea bass, or grouper.

Ingredients

  • 4 (6-ounce) red snapper fillets
  • 2 tablespoons melted butter or margarine
  • 4 tablespoons barbecue or Cajun dry rub
  • Garnish: Chopped fresh parsley
  • Sliced lemons

Instructions

Brush the fish with the butter and rub in the dry rub so that the fish is evenly coated. Cover and allow to sit for an hour at room temperature to allow the seasonings to penetrate.

Oil the barbecue grill so that the fish will not stick. When the fire is hot, place the fish skin side down and grill for 3 to 5 minutes or until the rub starts to blacken.

Turn the fish and sprinkle a little lemon juice on the cooked side to keep it moistened. Again, cook for 3 to 5 minutes.

Garnish with chopped parsley and serve with the sliced lemon.

Genuine, Authentic, South of the Border Chile Rub

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Yeah, right. Okay, this is our spin on Mexican flavorings that would work on goat, as in cabrito, pit roasted goat. Can’t find goat at Winn-Dixie? Use this rub for either grilling or smoking beef, pork, and lamb.

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons ground ancho chile

  • 2 teaspoons ground chile de arbol

  • 2 teaspoons ground chipotle chile

  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano, Mexican preferred

  • 2 teaspoons onion salt

  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin

  • 1 teaspoon powdered garlic

Instructions

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Store any unused rub in a sealed container in the freezer.

Thai Lemon Grass Marinade

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Lemon grass makes a nice houseplant and a continuous supplier of lemony stalks–simply root a stalk in water and then plant it in a pot. Put it in partial sun and it will grow and separate. This marinade is excellent with chicken and fish. Warning: the marinade tastes so good your will want to drink it. Go ahead, call it lemon grass tea. Use this marinade for poultry, fish, or pork, or as a dressing for a salad. Dave serves it over noodles and calls it a pseudo-curry.

Ingredients

  • 1 stalk lemon grass

  • ½ cup coconut milk

  • 8 Thai chiles, stems removed, chopped (or substitute 4 serrano chiles)

  • 2 ½ tablespoons lime juice, fresh preferred

  • 3 tablespoons brown sugar

  • 1 shallot, sliced

  • 1 tablespoon fish sauce

  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce

  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

  • 1 teaspoon grated ginger

Instructions

Cut off and discard the green top of the lemon grass and the root end, leaving about a 6-inch stalk. Remove any tough outer leaves, cut the stalk into 1-inch pieces, lightly pound the stalks with the knife handle to release the flavor .

Combine the lemon grass with the coconut milk in a saucepan and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. Do not let it boil. Remove from the heat and strain. Discard the lemon grass and reserve the milk.

Place all the ingredients, including the milk, in a blender or food processor and puree until smooth.

Your Basic Beer Sop or Mop

Dave DeWitt Leave a Comment

This is an all-purpose sop that can be used with any meat or poultry. It’s purpose is to keep the meat moist during the smoking process and to give the cook something to do during the long, boring, smoking process. Use a little sop mop to coat the meat.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup vegetable oil

  • 4 bottles good Mexican beer, such as Dos Equis

  • Juice of 2 lemons

  • 1 large onion, chopped

  • 1 clove garlic, minced

  • 2 tablespoons vinegar

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

  • 3 tablespoons commercial hot sauce of choice

Instructions

In a large saucepan, combine all of the ingredients, reserving two of the bottles of beer. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 20 minutes. Use the sop to baste any meat, but especially beef, and drink the reserved bottles of beer while you sop.

Texas Chilipiquin BBQ Sauce

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The wild chiles called chiltepins in Mexico and the Southwest are known as chilipiquins in Texas. We always have some of the berry-like pods available because we grow them as perennials, but they’re difficult to find in markets. So substitute any pequin or small, extremely hot chile. This is a finishing sauce for grilled or smoked beef, chicken, or pork to be applied before serving or served on the side.

Ingredients

  • 1 onion, chopped

  • 2 tablespoons butter, margarine, or vegetable oil

  • 3 cloves garlic, minced

  • 2 cups catsup

  • ½ cup cider vinegar

  • 1/3 cup brown sugar

  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice

  • 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

  • 3 teaspoons crushed chilipiquins, or other small, hot dried chiles

  • 2 teaspoons dry mustard

  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • Salt to taste

Instructions

In a small skillet, saute the onion in the butter until soft. Add the garlic and saute for 2 minutes.

Combine all the remaining ingredients in a saucepan and whisk to blend. Bring to a boil over high heat and bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.