With this spell of hot weather, grilling  has come to the fore. Here’s a recipe that is not your usual grilling scene. No steak, no burgers, no hotdogs. Instead we have fish fillets.  For the recipe given we used perch fillets. But any firm-fleshed fillets can be used: haddock, turbot, cod, even red snapper fillets. But not fillet of sole. It’s too fragile for grilling. Also, for those who like a heartier dish, you can also use fish steaks with this recipe. Just be cognizant of the cooking time:. for fish steaks, grill 10 minutes per inch of thickness.

For richer flavor, the fish needs to be marinated in a mixture that combines all the ingredients given. The longer it marinates, the better the flavor. It could be one hour. But we’ve discovered that the best  is three hours or longer.

So, light up the grill, whether charcoal or gas, and enjoy.

LEMON-GARLIC GRILLED FISH FILLETS

Ingredients:

2 pounds fish fillets
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1/4 cup olive oil
3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 tablespoons fresh basil, minced
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
Lemon wedges

Instructions:

  1. In a covered bowl or large zip-lock bag, combine all ingredients. Mix well. Add fish fillets to the marinade and refrigerate 3 hours. While in marinade, turn fillets several times.
  2. Preheat grill, and brush grill grate with salad oil.  Place fillets on grill, and cook 5-6 minutes, turning once. Fish is done when it it close to the point of flakiness. Remove from grill and serve with lemon wedges.
    Yield: 4-5 servings.