Saturday, July 10, 2010

Delicious Fish: Fish Grilled in Corn Husks

I was looking through some food blogs the other day when I stumbled upon this little goody. I don't know what it was about this recipe, but it elicited that OhMyGodIHaveToMakeThat response.

Maybe it was the fact that a week of 100+ degree days had me going to all kinds of lengths in order to avoid turning on the oven. I had previously learned the hard way, while making delicious blueberry bars, that keeping the oven on for any amount of time can cause the already over-taxed air conditioner to fall so far behind that there is no longer any hope of keeping the house cool. I don't even want to think about what the electricity bill is going to look like.

Therefore, I've been looking for recipes that can be cooked in a skillet, in the toaster oven, or better yet, on the grill. This, with some freshly made pesto-tossed quinoa, was perfect. Plus, it just sounded fun.

The original authors of the recipe used salmon, which sounds absolutely delicious, but I had some flounder in the freezer that I needed to use up. As I put it to Nick, "I have some old fish that I should probably use." Now doesn't that sound appetizing?

The original authors also added butter to the mix, which I decided to forgo because of the vast amounts of butter that I had recently consumed, due to my blueberry bar addiction. Otherwise I left the recipe pretty much intact, although part of the reason I like this recipe so much is because of its adaptability.

You could add all kinds of vegetables, herbs, and spices, and you could use all kinds of fish. Even shrimp would work well. I particularly like the idea of adding some basil and/or parsley to the mix, or maybe some smoked paprika or fresh garlic.

My parting words of wisdom: do not, while attempting to get a picture of these fish husks, put the fully-cooked packets back over the direct heat. The dried-out corn husks will catch fire, and you'll find yourself swatting at them and hoping that you're not about to burn your house down.

You should check out the pictures on the original site--they're much better than mine, and I doubt they caught their dinner on fire. Plus, that grilled fennel is pretty high on the what-to-make-next list.

Flounder Grilled in Corn Husks
(Adapted from Another Pint Please...)

  • 4 ears of corn
  • 1/2 red bell pepper, finely diced
  • 3 tsp capers, rinsed
  • 1/4 cup finely sliced scallions
  • 4 6-ounce pieces flounder
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper
When shucking the corn, attempt to keep the husks intact, and set them aside. Cut the kernels off of the ears of corn, and in a medium bowl, mix them with the red pepper, capers, and scallions. Take 4 6-ounce portions of flounder and place them in the corn husks, and season with salt and pepper.

Spoon the corn mixture on top of the fish, and tie the husks closed. You'll likely have some corn mixture left over. You can eat it raw along side the fish, toast it in a skillet or in the toaster oven (or oven), or put it in a cast iron skillet or other flame-proof vessel, and place the skillet on the grill while the fish cooks.

Cook the fish in the corn husks for 6 minutes over direct heat, and then 6 minutes over indirect heat. Carefully untie the husks, scoop out the filling, and enjoy. Meal can also be served left in the husks.


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