INGREDIENTS
- Atlantic bonito fillets (boneless)
For 1 kg (2.2 lb) of fish:
- 12 g sea salt (preferably fleur de sel)
- 1 g black peppercorns
- 1 g curry powder (the ingredients are listed below)
- 0.5 g oregano
- 1 small bay leaf
- 1 medium ripe tomato
- 1 long green pepper (medium-sized)
- Sweet long red peppers
- 1 medium onion
- 1 tbsp vinegar
- 25 ml extra virgin olive oil
For serving:
- Salt and oregano
- Olive oil lemon dressing
For curry powder:
- 200 g coriander
- 15 g turmeric
- 10 g mustard seeds
- 5g black peppercorns
- 5 g cumin
- 5 g wild cumin
- 5 g fenugreek seeds
- 5 g ginger
- 3 g mace spice
- 7 g smoked paprika
- 10 g onion powder
- 7 g garlic powder
- 2 g cayenne pepper
- 3 g dried basil
PREPARATION
You’ll need a large Atlantic bonito fish that weighs more than 1.5 kg (3.3 kb). Ask your fishmonger to fillet it and remove all the bones. Cut the fish into 5x5 cm pieces and place them in a large vessel. Prepare the herbs and the spices. Add the salt and the spices to the pieces of fish. Mix gently to avoid splitting. Then, drizzle the fish with a little vinegar. Blend the tomato, the long green pepper, and the onion in the blender. Add the pulp to the fish and mix gently one more time. Finally, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and mix one last time. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours before skewering the fish.
COOKED ON amber.q A
COOKING
Before threading the pieces onto the skewers, light your charcoal grill. Pile up the charcoals inside the fire cabin of your grill. Place kindling on top (alcohol-soaked cotton) and light them. The charcoals will be lit in 25-35 minutes, easily, quickly, and without smoke. When the charcoals are fully lit, spread them inside the fire cabin. Grill on medium-high heat.
While waiting for the charcoals, mix salt and oregano (2 parts salt, 1 part oregano), and prepare the olive oil lemon dressing (2 parts olive oil, 1 part lemon juice). Then, skewer the pieces of fish. First, thread a piece of sweet long red pepper (5x5 cm) onto the skewer. Then, add a piece of fish. Thread fish and sweet long red peppers alternately onto the skewers. Finish by adding a piece of sweet long red pepper. Grill on rotation (ideally). The Atlantic bonito spit-roast will be ready in less than 20 minutes when the internal temperature reaches 60-65°C (140-150°F). Remove the skewers from the grill, and wait for 5-6 minutes until the fish cools down a bit. Remove the pieces of fish from the skewers. Add the mixture of salt and oregano, and pour the olive oil lemon dressing over the fish. It pairs perfectly with chilled white wine.
The flavor is amazing, and the grilled fish is surprisingly juicy. Good company and good wine are a must for this fine appetizer.
Happy grilling everyone!
