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Fish Shish-Kebab
JUICE OF I LEMON I PIECE LEMON PEEL 1/2 CUP CLARET I BAY LEAF I TEASPOON SALT BRANCHES OF DRIED BAY LEAVES 1/4 TEASPOON PEPPER Cut fish 21/2-inches square and 1-inch thick. Marinate 2 hours in a sauce of the lemon, lemon peel, wine, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Then put the pieces on skewers, arranging them so the skin lies between each 2 pieces of flesh. Grill, turn frequently, and when just done, toss a bundle of bay leaves with their branches on the fire. The bay goes up in smoke, giving its delightful flavor to the fish, as well as a pleasant odor to the camp.
This charming ceremony, which greatly whets even an outdoors appetite, can be used with just as good results in the case of a whole grilled fish. The fish cooks of Marseilles, where there's much dining al fresco along the wharves, borrowed this dish from the Near East, and in Marseilles the herb used is often sage instead of bay, for sage grows wild in the vicinity, and is dried for the table by all the country folk-but don't try American sage brush, unless you like the strong, acrid taste of it, so different from European or cultivated sage.
A marinated skewer with an aromatic finish: the bay branches thrown on the coals at the end are the point of the dish, not a garnish.
- Quantity of fishThe ingredient list gives the marinade but no weight of fish. The volume of marinade here suits roughly 1.5 to 2 lb of firm fillet, enough for four skewers.
- Which fishCubes 2.5 inches square by 1 inch thick need a fish that holds together on a skewer: swordfish, tuna, monkfish, halibut or thick mackerel. Cod, sole and other flaking whitefish will fall into the fire.
- Keep the skin onThe instruction to set skin between each two pieces of flesh is what protects the cut faces and bastes them as the fat renders. Cut so each cube carries a strip of skin, and thread through the skin as well as the flesh.
- ClaretSimply dry red bordeaux, or any dry red. Half a cup with the juice of one lemon is a sharp marinade; the recipe's two hours is about as long as you would want with this much acid.
- Grill heat and timeCook over hot coals or a well-heated grill, turning every minute or two. Cubes of this size should be done in roughly 6 to 8 minutes and are best pulled while the centre is barely opaque.
- The bay smokeUse dried bay branches or a good handful of dried bay leaves, thrown on at the very end so the fish sits in the smoke for under a minute. Fresh bay steams rather than flares. On a gas grill, put the leaves in a foil packet or a smoker box and close the lid.
- Sage substitutionIf following the Marseilles variant, use dried culinary sage, Salvia officinalis. The warning in the text is sound: American sagebrush is Artemisia, an unrelated and bitter plant.
- YieldAbout four servings as a main course, with bread and something acidic alongside.