Fish and fresh herbs

The summer grill party is one of the most beloved of summer gastronomic experiences. We fire up the grill, people gather round impatiently, and on go the burgers, the hot dogs, the spareribs, the chicken breasts, the steaks. But why not take your grilling game up a notch this year?
Taking on a challenge can mean grilling something you don’t usually try, working with a theme, or grilling something big that needs attention and then to be carved, such as a whole half turkey breast on the bone with its skin. There’s an amazing taste if you’ve never tried. It comes off the grill and you slice it like a big ham. One could go the non-simple direction, such as stuffed roll-ups of veal scallopini or spit-roasted meat.
For a themed meal, grill something from a particular cuisine, or paired foods, or something historical, or foods of the same color or cut, or mixed grills. In the recipes below the theme is three kinds of fish steaks and three kinds of fresh herbs. Choose three kinds of firm fleshed fish steak and pair them with a fresh herb for grilling. Here are three that work.

Grilled fish with oregano, chile and olive oil
If there is one thing I miss since I moved to California, it’s bluefish, which we can’t get here. Bluefish is a dark-fleshed Atlantic fish when raw that is excellent grilled over a hot fire for a few minutes. When the “blues are running” as they say in New England or Long Island, grills come out and people make all kinds of things with bluefish: bluefish balls, bluefish fritters, bluefish pate, bluefish grill. If you’re elsewhere in the country, then you’ll want to use mackerel, bonito, yellowtail, mahimahi, or angelshark. Note in the recipe that you are using fillets, not steaks, and the fillet needs its skin on.
Prep and cooking time: 25 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, mashed to a paste in a mortar
4 tablespoons finely chopped fresh oregano leaves
1 dried red chile, crumbled
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 ½ pounds bluefish or bonito fillets (about ¾ inch thick)

Directions
1. Prepare a hot charcoal fire or preheat the gas grill on high for 15 minutes.
2. Lightly brush the grill with some olive oil. Stir together the remaining olive oil, garlic, oregano, chile, salt and pepper. Coat the bluefish with this mixture and lay skin side down on the grill.
3. Grill for 5 to 6 minutes while basting occasionally. Carefully flip the fish with a spatula and grill another 5 to 6 minutes, basting some more. Remove to a platter and serve.

Grilled salmon with tomato relish and mint
The grilled salmon gets a treatment of salsa cruda, a raw sauce made of tomato, garlic and mint that can be made quickly in a food processor, which whips it into a froth very quickly. Serve the sauce on the side or spooned on top of the salmon.
Prep and cooking time: 30 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients
6 ripe plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and drained of water
½ cup loosely-packed fresh mint leaves
2 garlic cloves
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 ½ pounds salmon fillet, in 4 pieces
Directions
1. Preheat a gas grill on high for 20 minutes or preheat a broiler or prepare a charcoal fire.
2. Place the tomatoes, mint leaves, garlic, and olive oil in the food processor and run until the salsa is frothy, 30 to 45 seconds. Season with salt and pepper and stir.
3. Season the salmon with oil, salt, and pepper on both sides and place skin side down on the grill. After 4 to 5 minutes, flip with a spatula and grill for another 3 to 5 minutes depending on the thickness of the fish. Serve immediately with the salsa.

Grilled sword fish with fresh orange juice and fresh thyme
This preparation is inspired by the way they would cook swordfish in Sicily. Swordfish is very popular in Sicily as they are found in the Straits of Messina and elsewhere around Sicily. The firm flesh of swordfish is perfect for grilling.
Prep and cooking time: 1 ¼ hours
Yield: 2 servings
Ingredients
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Juice of 2 oranges
1 bay leaf, crumbled
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
Two 5-ounce swordfish steaks, ¾ inch thick
3 tablespoons fresh thyme and thyme sprigs for garnish
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Directions
1. Prepare a hot charcoal fire or preheat a gas grill on high for 20 minutes.
2. In a ceramic or glass baking pan, swish the olive oil, orange juice, bay leaf, and garlic until mixed. Place the swordfish steaks in the marinade and coat with the thyme and salt and pepper and leave for 1 to 2 hours.
3. Grill the swordfish on the hottest part of the grill and grill until almost springy to the touch, 6 to 8 minutes in all, basting with the leftover marinade and turning carefully only once. Remove from the grill and serve.

Fish

.Shadowed by the rivers, fresh fish is essential and intrinsic to the culinary heritage of the food-obsessed Bengali community. What is most impressive is the sheer diversity of fish preparations that are different and distinct from almost any other part of India.
On the Bengali table, fish is cooked together with the assortment of regional specialties indigenous to the wet, fertile region replete with greens, citrus and coconuts. Coconuts are plentiful and a much-loved ingredient-and for Bengali people, almost anything tastes better with some coconut.
When cooking with fish, all parts of the fish are used-from the head to the tail. Different treatments and preparations are used for different parts, showcasing the various tastes and textures. Fastidious Bengali home cooks like to shop for fish daily, usually in the early morning, returning home proudly with the catch of the day and tales of how they managed to get it before it was all gone.
Fish can take diners from starters to the main course without any problem. A traditional meal often commences with an assortment of vegetables and small shrimp, and fish heads or tiny fish are usually added to regular vegetable dishes to add a touch of sweetness, boost the protein and transcend the ordinary into something festive or more formal.
Fish heads are a coveted part of the fish, because their rich omega-3 fatty acid content is associated with promoting intelligence. Although it’s not as popular as it once was, a true Bengali household will reserve the fish head for the children or a new son-in-law. Adding it to lentils elevates it to a celebratory dish.
Needless to say, a fish head cannot be savored without using your hands, so to this end Bengalis enjoy eating fish by gently separating the bones from the flesh.
Curries are, of course, the mainstay of the table, and these range from gentle, nigella-scented vegetable and fish stews to common fish curries enriched with pungent mustard, creamy coconut, rich yogurt and sometimes even lemon.
To showcase the diversity of cooking fish for the Bengali table, here are four traditional but simple recipes that are practical enough for everyday meals.
Gandhoraj Maach (Bengali Lemon Coconut Fish)
This delicate fish dish is traditionally made with the Bengali lime, called Gandhoraj. I have adapted this recipe using lemons and Kaffir lime leaves, offering a delicate and simple dish perfect for spring and summer.
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Total time: 55 minutes
Yield: Makes 4 to 6 servings
Ingredients
1 cup freshly grated coconut (about ½ regular coconut)
1 cup hot water
1 piece fresh ginger, 1 ½ inches long, peeled
1 or 2 green chilies
½ teaspoon turmeric
3 fresh lemons
2 Kaffir lime leaves, thinly sliced
¼ cup coconut milk
1 teaspoon nigella seeds
2 to 3 dried red chilies
3 tablespoons plus 1 tablespoon chopped coriander
2 pounds halibut or any other firm-fleshed fish
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
Banana leaves (if available) for steaming
Directions
Place the freshly grated coconut in a blender with the hot water and blend until smooth.
Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve.
Return the coconut mixture to the blender, with the liquid strained off. Add in the ginger, green chilies and turmeric and blend until smooth. Pour the mixture into a mixing bowl.
Zest 2 of the lemons and add the zest to the coconut mixture. Cut one of the zested lemons in half, remove the seeds and squeeze in the juice. Set aside the other zested lemon and thinly slice the third lemon for garnish.
Add the Kaffir lime leaves to the coconut milk and stir well.
Stir in the nigella seeds, red chilies and coriander leaves. You should end up with a pale yellow sauce flecked with nigella and coriander. Salt the fish, then add it to the coconut milk mixture and mix well.
Heat the oven to 300 F and prepare a large baking dish with about 2 inches of water.
Line a heat-proof casserole dish with banana leaves and pour in the fish mixture.
Cover with a piece of foil and bake for about 20 to 25 minutes, until the fish is cooked through.
Cool slightly, remove and taste the sauce. It should be smooth and gently tangy. Depending on your preference, add in a little more lime juice.
Garnish with the remaining coriander and the lemon slices and serve hot, ideally with steaming rice.
Macher Muro Diye Moong Dal (Yellow Split Lentils With Fish Head)
Recipe from “The Bengali Five Spice Chronicles.”
This traditional recipe-a festive dish reserved for special lunches-is adapted from my mother’s culinary collection. I recently discovered my fish seller will cut fish heads into two or four parts for me, which is very helpful for a large fish head you only want to use part of. I realize the fish head is not for the uninitiated. If you want, you can add in sliced boiled eggs sautéed with spices instead of the fish head.
Prep time: 15 to 20 minutes
Cook time: 35 minutes
Total time: 50 to 55 minutes
Yield: Makes 6 servings
Ingredients
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable or mustard oil
1 medium fish head (preferably from a whitefish)
2 teaspoons turmeric
2 teaspoons salt
¾ cup dried split yellow lentils (moong dal)
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper powder
½ teaspoon cumin powder
½ teaspoon coriander powder
1 teaspoon sugar
Juice of 1 lime (optional)
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
Directions
Place 1/3 cup oil in a wok and heat over medium flame for about 2 minutes, until very hot and almost smoking. Rub the fish head with half the turmeric and half the salt and place in the oil and fry over a steady, medium-low flame until nice and crisp, turning once during cooking, about 10 minutes.
While the fish head is cooking, place the lentils in a heavy-bottomed pan and dry roast lightly until they turn very pale golden and are very aromatic.
In a separate saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons oil on medium-low and add the onion and ginger. Sauté for about 5 minutes, until the onion wilts and begins to curl and crisp lightly on the sides.
Add the cayenne, cumin, coriander, sugar, roasted lentils, 3 cups of water, the remaining 1 teaspoon salt and remaining 1 teaspoon turmeric. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 15 minutes, until the lentils are almost cooked through.
Break the fried fish head into 2 to 3 pieces (it should break quite easily if you have cooked the head right) and lower into the lentils. Simmer the lentils with the fish head for another 10 minutes, gently breaking the fish head further until the pieces are fairly small.
Squeeze in some lime juice, if using, and sprinkle with the cilantro before serving.
Chingri Badha Kopir Ghanto (Curried Cabbage With Potatoes and Shrimp)
Recipe adapted from “The Bengali Five Spice Chronicles.”
The first time my mother visited me after I had moved to the U.S. was when I was graduating from business school. Mom stayed with my lovely host family-the first Americans who made me feel like family. She wanted to thank them for their hospitality by cooking for them one evening, and one of the items she made was this cabbage. Noticing they liked coleslaw, my mother felt this would be a good transition. She was spot on. To keep this recipe completely vegetarian, you can use green peas instead of shrimp.
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Total time: 45 minutes
Yield: Makes 4 servings
Ingredients
For the shrimp:
½ pound medium shrimp, shelled and deveined
½ teaspoon turmeric
¼ teaspoon red cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup oil
For the cabbage:
1 red onion, thinly sliced
1 medium potato, peeled and cubed
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon turmeric
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
1 teaspoon cumin powder
½ teaspoon coriander powder
1 or 2 bay leaves, broken into pieces
2 green cardamom pods, lightly bruised
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper powder
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tomato, finely chopped
3 cups finely shredded green cabbage
Directions
Toss the shrimp with the turmeric, red cayenne pepper and salt and set aside.
Heat the oil in a medium wok or skillet on medium heat for about 1 minute, until very hot. Add in the shrimp and cook in batches (if needed) for 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the shrimp from the oil and set aside.
In the same wok or pan, add the onion slices and sauté, stirring well, until they wilt and turn a very pale gold. Add the potato, salt and turmeric and lower the heat and cook for about 2 to 3 minutes. Cover and cook for another 5 minutes, until the potatoes are almost done and a nice golden yellow color.
Add the ginger, cumin and coriander paste and cook for another 5 minutes.
Add the bay leaves, cardamom pods and cayenne pepper and mix well. Then add the sugar and tomato and stir well.
Add the cabbage and the cooked shrimp and mix well. Cover and cook for about 7 minutes, until the cabbage is fairly soft. Mix well and cook till dry.
Taste and adjust seasonings before serving.
Chingri Bhuna (Shrimp in a Spicy Caramelized Onion and Tomato Sauce)
Recipe from “The Bengali Five Spice Chronicles.”
A bhuna is a preparation of fish or meat in a thick, dry tomato-based sauce. This style of cooking, particularly using shrimp, is a Bangladeshi or East Bengali tradition. As with other foods, in this style of cooking, the generous use of green chilies is essential. This recipe is for my cousin Sharmila, who enjoys this dish and often asks for it.
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Total time: 40 minutes
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Ingredients
1 ½ pounds shrimp, shelled and deveined
½ teaspoon turmeric
1 ½ teaspoons salt, divided
3 tablespoons oil
1 large red onion or 2 medium red onions, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 or 3 bay leaves
1-inch cinnamon stick, broken into pieces
2 green cardamom pods
2 cloves
½ teaspoon sugar
2 tomatoes, cut into eighths
1 tablespoon Greek yogurt
4 green chilies, coarsely chopped into small pieces
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
Directions
In a bowl, mix the shrimp with the turmeric and 1 teaspoon of salt and set aside.
Heat the oil in a wok or skillet on medium heat for about 30 seconds. Add the onions and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until softened and pale golden at the edges.
Add the ginger and garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add the bay leaves, cinnamon stick, cardamom pods and cloves and stir and cook for 2 minutes.
Add the sugar and remaining ½ teaspoon salt and mix well. Add the tomatoes and cook for 4 minutes, until they soften and begin to turn pulpy.
Add the seasoned shrimp and continue to simmer until the sauce dries out and the oil resurfaces on the sides.
Stir in the yogurt and cook for 2 minutes, then stir in the green chilies and cook for 1 minute.

Bangali Fish Dishes

.
On the Bengali table, fish is cooked together with the assortment of regional specialties indigenous to the wet, fertile region replete with greens, citrus and coconuts. Coconuts are plentiful and a much-loved ingredient-and for Bengali people, almost anything tastes better with some coconut.
When cooking with fish, all parts of the fish are used-from the head to the tail. Different treatments and preparations are used for different parts, showcasing the various tastes and textures. Fastidious Bengali home cooks like to shop for fish daily, usually in the early morning, returning home proudly with the catch of the day and tales of how they managed to get it before it was all gone.
Fish can take diners from starters to the main course without any problem. A traditional meal often commences with an assortment of vegetables and small shrimp, and fish heads or tiny fish are usually added to regular vegetable dishes to add a touch of sweetness, boost the protein and transcend the ordinary into something festive or more formal.
Fish heads are a coveted part of the fish, because their rich omega-3 fatty acid content is associated with promoting intelligence. Although it’s not as popular as it once was, a true Bengali household will reserve the fish head for the children or a new son-in-law. Adding it to lentils elevates it to a celebratory dish.
Needless to say, a fish head cannot be savored without using your hands, so to this end Bengalis enjoy eating fish by gently separating the bones from the flesh.
Curries are, of course, the mainstay of the table, and these range from gentle, nigella-scented vegetable and fish stews to common fish curries enriched with pungent mustard, creamy coconut, rich yogurt and sometimes even lemon.
To showcase the diversity of cooking fish for the Bengali table, here are four traditional but simple recipes that are practical enough for everyday meals.
Gandhoraj Maach (Bengali Lemon Coconut Fish)
This delicate fish dish is traditionally made with the Bengali lime, called Gandhoraj. I have adapted this recipe using lemons and Kaffir lime leaves, offering a delicate and simple dish perfect for spring and summer.
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Total time: 55 minutes
Yield: Makes 4 to 6 servings
Ingredients
1 cup freshly grated coconut (about ½ regular coconut)
1 cup hot water
1 piece fresh ginger, 1 ½ inches long, peeled
1 or 2 green chilies
½ teaspoon turmeric
3 fresh lemons
2 Kaffir lime leaves, thinly sliced
¼ cup coconut milk
1 teaspoon nigella seeds
2 to 3 dried red chilies
3 tablespoons plus 1 tablespoon chopped coriander
2 pounds halibut or any other firm-fleshed fish
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
Banana leaves (if available) for steaming
Directions
Place the freshly grated coconut in a blender with the hot water and blend until smooth.
Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve.
Return the coconut mixture to the blender, with the liquid strained off. Add in the ginger, green chilies and turmeric and blend until smooth. Pour the mixture into a mixing bowl.
Zest 2 of the lemons and add the zest to the coconut mixture. Cut one of the zested lemons in half, remove the seeds and squeeze in the juice. Set aside the other zested lemon and thinly slice the third lemon for garnish.
Add the Kaffir lime leaves to the coconut milk and stir well.
Stir in the nigella seeds, red chilies and coriander leaves. You should end up with a pale yellow sauce flecked with nigella and coriander. Salt the fish, then add it to the coconut milk mixture and mix well.
Heat the oven to 300 F and prepare a large baking dish with about 2 inches of water.
Line a heat-proof casserole dish with banana leaves and pour in the fish mixture.
Cover with a piece of foil and bake for about 20 to 25 minutes, until the fish is cooked through.
Cool slightly, remove and taste the sauce. It should be smooth and gently tangy. Depending on your preference, add in a little more lime juice.
Garnish with the remaining coriander and the lemon slices and serve hot, ideally with steaming rice.
Macher Muro Diye Moong Dal (Yellow Split Lentils With Fish Head)
Recipe from “The Bengali Five Spice Chronicles.”
This traditional recipe-a festive dish reserved for special lunches-is adapted from my mother’s culinary collection. I recently discovered my fish seller will cut fish heads into two or four parts for me, which is very helpful for a large fish head you only want to use part of. I realize the fish head is not for the uninitiated. If you want, you can add in sliced boiled eggs sautéed with spices instead of the fish head.
Prep time: 15 to 20 minutes
Cook time: 35 minutes
Total time: 50 to 55 minutes
Yield: Makes 6 servings
Ingredients
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable or mustard oil
1 medium fish head (preferably from a whitefish)
2 teaspoons turmeric
2 teaspoons salt
¾ cup dried split yellow lentils (moong dal)
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper powder
½ teaspoon cumin powder
½ teaspoon coriander powder
1 teaspoon sugar
Juice of 1 lime (optional)
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
Directions
Place 1/3 cup oil in a wok and heat over medium flame for about 2 minutes, until very hot and almost smoking. Rub the fish head with half the turmeric and half the salt and place in the oil and fry over a steady, medium-low flame until nice and crisp, turning once during cooking, about 10 minutes.
While the fish head is cooking, place the lentils in a heavy-bottomed pan and dry roast lightly until they turn very pale golden and are very aromatic.
In a separate saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons oil on medium-low and add the onion and ginger. Sauté for about 5 minutes, until the onion wilts and begins to curl and crisp lightly on the sides.
Add the cayenne, cumin, coriander, sugar, roasted lentils, 3 cups of water, the remaining 1 teaspoon salt and remaining 1 teaspoon turmeric. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 15 minutes, until the lentils are almost cooked through.
Break the fried fish head into 2 to 3 pieces (it should break quite easily if you have cooked the head right) and lower into the lentils. Simmer the lentils with the fish head for another 10 minutes, gently breaking the fish head further until the pieces are fairly small.
Squeeze in some lime juice, if using, and sprinkle with the cilantro before serving.
Chingri Badha Kopir Ghanto (Curried Cabbage With Potatoes and Shrimp)
Recipe adapted from “The Bengali Five Spice Chronicles.”
The first time my mother visited me after I had moved to the U.S. was when I was graduating from business school. Mom stayed with my lovely host family-the first Americans who made me feel like family. She wanted to thank them for their hospitality by cooking for them one evening, and one of the items she made was this cabbage. Noticing they liked coleslaw, my mother felt this would be a good transition. She was spot on. To keep this recipe completely vegetarian, you can use green peas instead of shrimp.
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Total time: 45 minutes
Yield: Makes 4 servings
Ingredients
For the shrimp:
½ pound medium shrimp, shelled and deveined
½ teaspoon turmeric
¼ teaspoon red cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup oil
For the cabbage:
1 red onion, thinly sliced
1 medium potato, peeled and cubed
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon turmeric
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
1 teaspoon cumin powder
½ teaspoon coriander powder
1 or 2 bay leaves, broken into pieces
2 green cardamom pods, lightly bruised
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper powder
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tomato, finely chopped
3 cups finely shredded green cabbage
Directions
Toss the shrimp with the turmeric, red cayenne pepper and salt and set aside.
Heat the oil in a medium wok or skillet on medium heat for about 1 minute, until very hot. Add in the shrimp and cook in batches (if needed) for 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the shrimp from the oil and set aside.
In the same wok or pan, add the onion slices and sauté, stirring well, until they wilt and turn a very pale gold. Add the potato, salt and turmeric and lower the heat and cook for about 2 to 3 minutes. Cover and cook for another 5 minutes, until the potatoes are almost done and a nice golden yellow color.
Add the ginger, cumin and coriander paste and cook for another 5 minutes.
Add the bay leaves, cardamom pods and cayenne pepper and mix well. Then add the sugar and tomato and stir well.
Add the cabbage and the cooked shrimp and mix well. Cover and cook for about 7 minutes, until the cabbage is fairly soft. Mix well and cook till dry.
Taste and adjust seasonings before serving.
Chingri Bhuna (Shrimp in a Spicy Caramelized Onion and Tomato Sauce)
Recipe from “The Bengali Five Spice Chronicles.”
A bhuna is a preparation of fish or meat in a thick, dry tomato-based sauce. This style of cooking, particularly using shrimp, is a Bangladeshi or East Bengali tradition. As with other foods, in this style of cooking, the generous use of green chilies is essential. This recipe is for my cousin Sharmila, who enjoys this dish and often asks for it.
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Total time: 40 minutes
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Ingredients
1 ½ pounds shrimp, shelled and deveined
½ teaspoon turmeric
1 ½ teaspoons salt, divided
3 tablespoons oil
1 large red onion or 2 medium red onions, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 or 3 bay leaves
1-inch cinnamon stick, broken into pieces
2 green cardamom pods
2 cloves
½ teaspoon sugar
2 tomatoes, cut into eighths
1 tablespoon Greek yogurt
4 green chilies, coarsely chopped into small pieces
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
Directions
In a bowl, mix the shrimp with the turmeric and 1 teaspoon of salt and set aside.
Heat the oil in a wok or skillet on medium heat for about 30 seconds. Add the onions and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until softened and pale golden at the edges.
Add the ginger and garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add the bay leaves, cinnamon stick, cardamom pods and cloves and stir and cook for 2 minutes.
Add the sugar and remaining ½ teaspoon salt and mix well. Add the tomatoes and cook for 4 minutes, until they soften and begin to turn pulpy.
Add the seasoned shrimp and continue to simmer until the sauce dries out and the oil resurfaces on the sides.
Stir in the yogurt and cook for 2 minutes, then stir in the green chilies and cook for 1 minute.