I have grilled so much fish lately I’m starting to get adventurous. Strike that–perhaps bored would be more accurate.
I like halibut in restaurants, so I wanted to try it at home. And I was bored with plain old fish with lemon and lime juice. So I went rummaging around in the kitchen, looking for something non-citrus that I could turn into a sauce/garnish/flavor element. I was wanting sweet, buttery, nutty, . . .
What I came up with: pickled bing cherries, sauteed for a couple of minutes in a splash of olive oil. I poured in a bit more of the pickling juice from the jar, and reduced it down. Then I tossed in a handful of toasted, salted cashews, and stirred them around to coat in the sticky-sweet juices.
I marinaded the halibut for about half an hour in a little bit of the pickling juice from the jar, then grilled it following the same method I’ve been using. To serve, I put each piece on a plate and topped it with some of the syrupy cherries and cashews.
I have to say, of all the fish I’ve cooked in the last few weeks, this was by far my favorite. The combination was perfect–sweet, fruity, spicy, nutty. I’ve been trying to think up riffs on the theme (I know not everyone has pickled cherries hanging out in the refrigerator, although they’re super-easy to make, so everyone should . . .). Peaches sauteed in a dry white wine. Blueberries in balsamic vinegar. Blackberries in raspberry vinegar. Fresh figs in a splash of orange juice. Any kind of nut you have on hand. Maybe a sprinkle of brown sugar, to caramelize things.
You’re looking for a bit of fruit, balanced with a bit of sharp or savory, and nuts for salt and fat. Get inspired.