Whole Grilled Achiote Striped Bass With Spicy Pickled Red Onions Recipes

Steps:

• Put the onions in a medium bowl. Combine the vinegar, sugar, coriander, 2 teaspoons salt and a few grinds of pepper in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook until the sugar dissolves, about 1 minute. Pour the mixture over the onions, cover and set aside until cooled to room temperature.

Steps:

• In a large jar, add sliced onions and about 2 teaspoons of salt. Cover and shake well. To the jar, add a splash of olive oil, cover, and shake again. Repeat with a splash of lime juice.
• Add a pinch of salt to the sliced habanero, then add to jar. Add remaining olive oil, lime juice, two big pinches of salt, and two big pinches of oregano. Shake one more time to fully combine. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, but preferably 24, before using. (Store for up to two weeks in lidded jar in refrigerator.)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.
• Trim the fins from the fish, rinse and pat dry. Set aside.
• Rub the bottom of a roasting pan with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Place 1/2 of the parsley, dill, lemon and onion in the center of the roasting pan. Make sure that this mound of aromatics is high enough to prevent the fish from touching the bottom of the pan. Rub the fish inside and out with 1 tablespoon of the oil. Season the fish inside and out with the salt and pepper and lay on the bed of aromatics. Place the second half of the aromatics on top of the fish and drizzle with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Cover the roasting pan tightly with aluminum foil and cook for 30 to 35 minutes or until the fish reaches an internal temperature of 120 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer. Remove from the oven and allow to sit for 10 minutes before transferring whole to a platter lined with the additional fresh parsley. Serve immediately.

Steps:

• For the pickled red onions: In a medium saucepan over high heat, add the vinegar, sugar, peppercorns and 2 tablespoons salt. Mix well and add the beets and onions. Once it comes to a boil, stir to dissolve the sugar and salt then remove from the heat. Allow to cool then cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to overnight.
• For the grouper: In a small bowl, add the orange zest, juice, olive oil, ground achiote and cumin. Mix well to combine, then pour the marinade into a large resealable plastic bag. Add the grouper filets and seal the bag tightly, squeezing out any excess air from the bag. Gently mix around so the marinade coats the fish well. Refrigerate for 45 minutes.
• Clean the grill grates and preheat a grill to medium-high heat.
• Arrange 2 banana leaves to form a cross. Remove one piece of grouper from the marinade and place in the center of the leaves. Season with 4 to 5 turns freshly ground black pepper and 1 teaspoon salt. Wrap the fish up tightly in the banana leaves by folding over one flap at a time, alternating each side so they overlap. Secure the last folds of the leaves together with toothpicks to hold in place. Place the banana leaf-wrapped grouper on the grill, and cook until the leaves turn bright green and begin to char around the edges, 5 to 6 minutes per side. Remove from the grill and set aside.
• To serve, cut open the banana leaves to expose the fish, add a large spoonful of Spicy Grilled Corn Salsa and garnish with the pickled red onions, chopped scallions and cilantro.
• Preheat a grill to medium-high heat.
• Place the corn on the grill and cook until well charred all over, 5 to 6 minutes per side. Drizzle the poblanos and fresnos with olive oil and season with 5 to 6 turns freshly ground black pepper and 1 teaspoon salt. Place the chilies on the grill and cook until lightly charred on all sides, 3 to 4 minutes. Place the chiles into a bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap and allow to steam for 3 to 4 minutes.
• Hold a corn cob upright in a large mixing bowl. Using a chef's knife, cut off the kernels and let them fall into the bowl. Repeat with the remaining corn. Set aside the kernels. Discard the cobs.
• Remove the skins from the chiles. Mince the fresnos, dice the poblanos and add them to the bowl with the corn kernels. Add the red onions, scallions, lime zest, juice, garlic, agave and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Stir to combine and season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Steps:

• Combine marinade ingredients in a glass or ceramic baking dish. Whisk to combine. Using a sharp knife, score several diagonal lines along the length of the fish, down to spine, on either side. Marinate 1 hour in the refrigerator. After marinating, preheat grill or broiler. Meanwhile, prepare salsa: Preheat the broiler. Place the tomatoes, garlic, chilies and onion on a baking tray. Tuck the garlic underneath the vegetables to avoid blackening.
• Broil, turning frequently, until well charred, 15 minutes. Set aside to cool. Transfer roasted ingredients to a food processor fitted with the metal blade or blender and puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Whisk in the olive oil and add the avocado. Set aside. Blanch greens in a large pot of boiling, salted water, just until the water returns to a boil. Refresh with iced water and drain. On a large baking sheet, arrange greens, overlapping to form 2 rectangles as long as each fish and more than twice as wide. Place each fish in the middle of each rectangle and wrap with greens so that only the head and tail are exposed. The dampness will make them cling.
• Transfer fish to grill, reserving marinade. Cook 7 to 8 minutes per side, until greens, head and tail blacken. It will take 2 spatulas, one at the head and one at the tail, to turn fish. Don't be concerned about greens sticking. To test for doneness, try to pull out a dorsal fin from the top of the fish. If it slides out easily, the fish is done. To serve, place whole fish on a serving platter. Using a dull knife and soup spoon, scrape off any remaining skin and remove fins. Cut along spine first and serve the top fillet. Lift tail, insert knife between bones and flesh, and run it along length. All (or most) bones should easily lift out. Repeat for second fish. Serve with the salsa.