Colorful skewers of grilled fish and vegetables epitomize the summer grilling season. I steep the fish for these skewers in a fresh herb and lemon marinade that brings out its flavors and slide on bonus lemon slices that become caramelized and slightly sweet when grilled. Crisp, lightly charred sweet pepper and onion contrast the soft cubes of fish in a refreshing meal.
Thin fish fillets are best grilled flat, but cubes from thicker cuts of firm fish hold together on skewers. My fanciest variation uses halibut pieces, which Flathead Fish and Seafood Co. sets aside when cutting restaurant-ready portions and sells by the pound. As a more affordable option, I might pick up Pacific cod loin, monkfish, striped bass or mahi-mahi.
Fish absorbs marinade easily, and acidic lemon juice starts to change the fish cubes’ texture if they stay in a marinade too long. Plan on no more than an hour of marinating time, but you can get away with as little as 15 minutes.
I typically discard this lemon and herb marinade once I’ve pulled out the fish, because boiling it long enough to safely reuse alters its bright flavor. If you want extra marinade to baste the fish or to season accompaniments like steamed rice, cooked quinoa or a green salad, make a second batch.
The vegetables don’t need to be marinated for this recipe; if you decide to do so, make a separate batch of marinade so that they don’t have prolonged contact with the raw fish. The pepper, onion and lemon present a rainbow of color when alternated with the herb-coated fish, and the vegetables remain quite crisp when the fish is done. Thread the vegetables on separate skewers if you want to cook them until soft and fully charred, or pair fish-only skewers with Veggie Shish Kebabs with Garlicy Marinade and its wider range of slow-to-cook vegetables.
Marinated and Grilled Fish Skewers
Makes 8 skewers
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, minced
2 teaspoons fresh mint, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
12 ounces firm fish, cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 large red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch squares
1/4 large red or sweet onion, separated into individual leaves
1/2 lemon, halved and sliced
In a container with a lid, combine the garlic, cilantro, mint, cumin, salt, pepper, lemon juice and olive oil. Shake the marinade until it emulsifies, and then pour it over the fish cubes. Refrigerate the fish for up to one hour, turning the cubes occasionally.
If using bamboo or wooden skewers, submerge them in water for about 20 minutes. Thread the fish onto the skewers, alternating the fish cubes with the onion, pepper and lemon pieces and leaving room at each end for turning. Lay the skewers on a hot oiled grill and cook for about eight minutes, turning often, until the fish is just cooked through and lightly charred. Serve immediately.
Julie Laing is a Bigfork-based cookbook author and food blogger at TwiceAsTasty.com.