“Fishzilla” aka Snakehead

Ok, so it’s not the prettiest looking fish in the world but it sure is tasty! Last night we grilled the legendary “Fishzilla” otherwise known as Snakehead or Channidae in Latin.

Lots of controversy surrounds this gilled menace.  In the US State of Maryland, it wreaked havoc on fresh water ecosystems by climbing swiftly to the top of the food chain (Nat Geo article) You’ve just gotta have some fish that’s as tough as that!

In Asia, the docile and fun loving snakehead is a bit of a delicacy in countries like Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia. Often found trudging around in filthy drainage ditches, the snakehead has progressed and is now commercially farmed across the region.  They were also the cheapest fillets I found at the fish monger the other week as well.  Right, that said we embarked on a reminder to this little fishy that WE are at the top of the food chain around here!

Preparing the fish:

• 200g snakehead fish fillet, sliced thickly (2 fillets)
• 5 teaspoons plain yoghurt
• 3 teaspoons prawn paste
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar

Spicy Dipping Sauce:

• 1 teaspoon prawn paste
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1 red chili padi, chopped

Fish Topping:

• 1 tablespoon fresh dill
• 2 stalks spring onion, cut thinly
• 1 red chili padi, sliced
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1 tablespoon roasted peanuts

The preparation for this dish is very easy and took less than half an hour from start to finish.  In fact, the basmati rice that I cooked up with this fish took longer.  Set your grill up for direct heat and stabilize the temperature at 400 degrees F.

Now while you’re waiting for the grill to settle, prepare your fish marinade by combining the yogurt, prawn paste and sugar in a bowl. Mix it well and ensure a nice creamy light brown consistency. From there you simply add your fish fillets to a zip top bag and then pour the marinade inside.  Squish it around a bit to ensure an even coating then let it sit f0r about 15 minutes.

You can also prep your dipping sauce ahead of time by simply combining the ingredients listed above and you’re done.

The fish goes directly on a lightly oiled grill for 7 minutes per side over medium heat.  Flip and check that your fish is cooking properly and leave it on a while longer if you think it’s not cooked through all the way.  Here’s a great little guide to use if you’re not sure about grilling fish: click here

OK, let’s assume that the fish has achieved a lovely golden brown apperance and is ready for serving.  Plate your fillets and then with a clean hand, top each fillet with the topping and then drizzle the remaining lime juice on top. Add some basmati rice to the side and you’re done.  Snakehead on a plate!

The result tonight was interesting.  Not the best fish we’ve ever grilled but certainly the most unique.  The texture of the snakehead was more like chicken though it kept all of its moisture.  The marinade really helped a lot and the red chili kicked up the heat factor.  All in all, a great and simple meal that we’d try again…perhaps with another white fish.

Overall Heather Rating: 7/10

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Grilled Tuna with Salsa Verde

Winner of this week’s “Oh My Gosh, that was an INCREDIBLE dinner Award” goes to page 119 of the BGE cookbook and the recipe “Grilled Tuna with Salsa Verde!” Here’s a little sampler from the book to get you interested:

“Grilled tuna, salsa verde, and pureed navy beans are combined in this wonderful rustic dish. Salsa verde, also known as green sauce, is a provincial Italian condiment made with green herbs – parsley, basil, and oregano – which gives the sauce it’s bright green colour. The dish is bumped up a notch by setting the tuna on a bed of navy bean puree…”

I would highly recommend using the salsa verde for any type of dipping sauce – one of our favorite Italian restaurants in Singapore called “Valentino’s” uses this type of salsa verde to accompany fresh bread and water as you choose your meal for the evening… I think they also add toasted pine nuts which would quite possibly blow the roof off this salsa verde and make it legendary!

Here are the ingredients and instructions you’ll need to make the BEST grilled tuna ever! Serves 4:

Salsa Verde:

• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 cup of firmly packed fresh basil leaves (I used the herbs from our garden for the first time!)
• 1 cup of firmly packed fresh parsley leaves
• 1/4 cup of firmly packed fresh oregano leaves
• 2 tbs capers
• 1 tbs Dijon mustard
• 1 cup of EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
• salt & pepper to taste

Place the garlic, basil, parsley, oregano, capers, mustard, and olive oil in a food processor and pulse for 30 seconds – season with salt & pepper and set aside. Place the tuna steaks in a resealable plastic bag – pour half the salsa over the tuna, seal the bag and marinate for the next 30 minutes. Don’t forget to keep the remaining salsa verde for later!

Bean Puree:

• 1 (15oz) cans of beans, drained and rinsed (we didn’t have navy beans so I swapped them for garbanzo beans – delicious substitute when in a pinch!
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 1/2 cup cream
• 4 tbs unsalted butter
• salt & pepper to taste

Place the beans, garlic and cream in a saucepan on low heat for about 15 minutes. Pour the beans in your trusty food processor bowl , add the butter and pulse until the beans are pureed and smooth. Season with S&P if need be – I actually didn’t add any additional salt as the beans were quite salty to begin with…just a touch of fresh pepper did the trick.

The Tuna:

• Remove your tuna steaks from the plastic bag containing half the salsa verde – discard the sauce
• Season the tuna with salt & pepper and place it on the grid (set at 450 degrees F) Remember to oil the grid as well as the tuna will stick to a grill that’s not well oiled.
• Close the lid on the BGE and cook for 2 minutes – flip and repeat – this will get you perfectly done medium rare tuna.
• Make sure when you flip the steaks, put them on a different section of the grid so you get nice, deep sear marks!

Plating is simple and fun – simply spoon a larger dollop of the bean puree on the centre of your plate, place the tuna steak directly on top and drizzle the remaining salsa verde on the tuna. We also served this with bacon wrapped asparagus which gave the dish a really nice salty balance.  Heather was in heaven when she tried this dish and truth be told, so was I.  A definite keeper and a recipe we’d love you to try as well!  Have fun and enjoy! R&H

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