Grilled Wolf Fish with Fresh Thyme on Mediterranean Vegetables
Perch or other lean fresh-water fish could stand in for the wolf fish fillets that Autrian chef Herbert Danzer sears for this dish. Danzer adds parsley potatoes and a Mediterranean vegetable mixture — zucchini, tomatoes, and black olives — and an herbed sauce to the simply prepared fish.
Ingredients
- Parsley Potatoes
- Red Potatoes - 12, small, new
- Unsalted Butter - 1/4 cup (1/2 stick)
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- Parsley Leaves - 6 to 8, stemmed and minced
- Wolf fish fillets - 8, (alt. perch or other lean fresh-water fish)
- Salt to taste
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Olive Oil - 4 tablespoons
- Mediterranean Vegetables
- Olive Oil - 2 tablespoons
- Zucchini - 1 medium, diced
- Tomato - 1 large, skinned and diced
- Black Olives - 16, halved and pitted
- Fresh thyme sprigs - 1, stemmed
- Salt to taste
- Sauce
- Olive Oil - 1/3 cup
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- Basil leaves - 2, chopped
- Rosemary Sprigs - 1, stemmed and chopped
- Thyme Sprigs - 1, stemmed and chopped
- Salt to taste
- Garnishes
- Lemons - 2
- Dill - 4, small pieces
- Thyme Sprigs - 4
Instructions
To prepare the potatoes: Tourne the potatoes: peel, then trim and carve into uniform football shapes. Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the potatoes and return to a boil. Cook until the potatoes are tender, 10 to 14 minutes. Drain and set aside. Just before serving, melt the butter in a medium saute pan over medium heat and add the potatoes. Toss to coat; let the potatoes reheat all the way through. Season to taste with salt and pepper and toss with the parsley.
To prepare the fish: Score the skin of the fillets to prevent curling. Sprinkle the fish fillets with salt and lemon juice and set aside for 5 minutes. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and place the fish in the hot oil. Sprinkle the fish lightly with flour on both sides, spanking off any excess. Sear until browned on the first side, about 1 minute, then turn and sear on the other side for another 1 to 2 minutes. Remove and set aside; keep warm.
To prepare the vegetables: Heat the oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the zucchini and brown, tossing to brown all sides. Add the tomatoes, olives, and thyme; toss. Season to taste with salt.
To prepare the sauce: Whisk the olive oil and lemon juice until emulsified. Whisk in the herbs. Set aside.
To make the lemon garnish: Cut a zig-zag line through the skin around the equator of a lemon. With a sharp knife, extend each line of the cut to the center of the lemon, then pull the lemon in two, creating two halves with zig-zag edges. Repeat with the other lemon.
To serve: Mound vegetables in the center of each warmed serving plate. Lay two fish fillets against the vegetables on each plate. Place three parsley potatoes on the one side of each; place a lemon half and dill sprig on the other side. Whisk the sauce to combine well, then spoon over the fish. Garnish each with a sprig of fresh thyme.
