Spicy Chile Sablefish

Sablefish, in my opinion, is a great fish for the BBQ. It is one fish where cooking it longer makes is more tender, like the brisket of the sea. It has a high quantity of fat so much that it will flare when put on the grill and it doesn’t dry out like Salmon or Halibut which should be cooked to medium rare. I usually order my Sablefish from Lummi Island Seafood, as well as salmon, halibut and spot prawns.

Sablefish is a perfect fish for Asian style recipes e.g. Teriyaki, Miso marinades. Following is one I created with some nice spice.

Ingredients

• 2 4 to 6 oz Sablefish portions with skin on, always skin on since the fat is under the skin
• 2 – 3 heaping Tbls Spicy Chili Crisp, stop in at your local Asian store. Brand I get is Laoganma
• 1 heaping Tbls red miso paste
• 1 Tbls honey, can add more but watch when cook since it will burn
• 2 Tbls Tamari or low sodium soy sauce

In a bowl / container large enough to hold the fish, toss in all ingredients. Use a whisk or spoon to mix together. Add the Sablefish and let sit for at least 1 hour. Make sure all side are coated and you might stir it occasionally. I usually let it sit out covered on the counter.

Start the grill. A medium hot fire is best, you want the grill temp to be 325 – 350F with the lid closed. I prefer charcoal and will add some wood chunks for smoke just before putting the fish on. Make sure clean off the grates to remove any leftover debris.

Once the fire is ready, toss the fish on skin side. The fish might flare because of the oil in the marinate. Close the lid and let sit for 5 mins. Check the fish and brush on more marinade. Let the fish cook for another 5 mins. If not done, brush on a bit more marinade and let sit again. The fish is done when it is flaking and the marinade is bubbling.

Tip:

I always buy frozen fish, unless I am near the coast or source. The reason is that frozen will be fresher. I live in MN so there is no way to get a fresh fish from the sea that is not already some days old. Frozen fish, specially Salmon, Halibut, Sablefish, etc, are often frozen at sea on the boat so at peak quality. The one issue to look for with frozen fish is that if you thaw it and the flesh is not firm then the fish was frozen while it was in Rigor mortis. The fish is safe to eat but not it the best condition. When thawing, I always remove it from the package and thaw in the refrigerator or on the counter covered. Before cooking I wrap the fish in paper towel to remove extra water.

If you need to clean you grill grates here is a simple method I learned. Create a hot fire, place a piece of foil on top of the grates and close the lid. Let cook for 30 to 60 mins, you see smoke This will burn off all the gunk like an oven’s cleaning setting. Be careful if you are doing this on a gas grill that typically will have grease build up, the hot fire will ignite the grease. I avoid gas grills! I often will do this after I have finishing cooking on my charcoal grill.