Key West Kitchen With Kerry Shelby
Tasty, tangy tomatillos, a perfect match for Key West fish
With our incredible variety of fresh fish here in Key West, I spend a lot of time looking for ways to dress it up, make it a little different and enhance its flavor. One of my favorite treatments is a simple sauce made with tomatillos, those odd-looking little cousins of the tomato. Tomatillos are members of the nightshade family and the fruit is covered by an inedible, dry husk. Their texture is firm, much like a young green tomato, but they have an unusually tangy flavor that makes them quite different.
As with most fruits and vegetables, roasting them first concentrates and deepens their flavor. This easy recipe produces a three-layered taste treat, with fresh fish, a sweet honey-mustard glaze and, finally, a tomatillo sauce with some heat provided by hot peppers. The flavors bring out the best in the fish without hijacking its naturally fresh taste. I like this sauce with firmer fish like wahoo, cobia or grouper, maybe even swordfish, but it can work with any seafood.
Grilling these hearty, firmer fish is easy and this sauce is a perfect foil for the smokiness that the grill imparts. Wahoo is seldom found in restaurants, even here, so if your fishmonger has some, by all means get it and treat yourself or you and your guests to this truly local fish. I highly recommend using a local Keys honey that can be found in our local groceries.
I was recently in Argentina and absolutely fell in love with Torrontes, their signature white wine. It is just full-bodied enough to match up perfectly with this smoky, tangy dish. I recommend an ice cold, dry martini while grilling to prepare the palate and the soul for this excellent dinner, but then I recommend that for most everything!
Grilled Wahoo with Honey Mustard Glaze and Tomatillo Sauce
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and light a charcoal grill.
Remove the husks from about a pound of tomatillos and toss them with several unpeeled whole garlic cloves and a stemmed jalapeno (I leave seeds in because I like the heat). Toss with good olive oil and roast until charred and tender, about 30 minutes. Cool slightly. Squeeze the garlic from its husk and coarsely chop tomatillos and jalapenos. Toss with lime juice and cilantro, and season with salt and pepper.
Combine equal parts of local Keys honey, paprika and Dijon mustard to form a glaze for the fish. Liberally brush over both sides of the wahoo filet and toss them on the grill. Leave the fish alone for a few minutes until it gets good and hot and releases the flesh from the grill, about four or five minutes. Flip the fish and cook on the other side for just a minute or two until the fish feels firm to the touch.
Plate the fish and top with tomatillo sauce. Serve just as it is or over creamy polenta, rice or orzo.
Serves 4
Wine pairing: A substantial white wine, such as an Argentine Torrontes or a California Chardonnay.
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