grilled cobia 2 ways

So! As I mentioned yesterday, our pal Elliott was nice enough to bring over some fresh cobia from his successful fishing adventure for us to grill (Thanks again, dude!). He brought over enough for us to have 2 big pieces each, with a couple left over (hello, lunch the next day). With a pretty hefty amount of fish to grill, we tried it 2 different but very complimentary ways. Both are incredibly simple and delicious, and I promise you’ll want to snag yourself some cobia to give these recipes a try!

INGREDIENTS:

8 pieces of cobia, approx. 3 oz each (sizes vary), skin on
2 tbsp olive oil
juice of 1 lemon

Rub:
1 tbsp kosher salt
1 tsp black pepper
zest of 1 whole lemon
3-4 sprigs of thyme (leaves only)

Basil Pesto Sauce:
2-3 cups packed fresh basil leaves
2 garlic cloves
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
1/2 cup grated Parmesan (or Romano) cheese
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1.5 tbsp lemon juice
salt & pepper to taste

STEPS:

1. Get that grill fired up! If you don’t have one, a grill pan on the stove-top will work as well. While you’re waiting, get the pesto started. In a food processor, blend together the basil, garlic, pine nuts, cheese, lemon juice and salt/pepper. Scrape down the sides if necessary. Then, with the food processor running, stream in the olive oil and blend until well combined. Most recipes don’t call for the lemon juice, but you want this pesto to be on the thinner side for the top of the fish, rather than a more traditionally thick pesto. Cover and store in the fridge for 20 minutes or so to allow the flavors to get to know each other.

{To store the pesto after you use it on the fish, pour it into an airtight container, drizzle the top with a little bit of extra virgin olive oil to coat the top and keep it from turning brown, cover, and leave in the fridge up to a week, or freeze for up to 6 months.}

2. Cobia time. In a small bowl, combine all ingredients for the rub.

3. Drizzle the cobia filets with a little olive oil, and, well, rub the rub onto the fish. Rocket science, I tell you. Let it sit for a few minutes before putting it on the grill, just to help the rub permeate the fish a tad. Permeate…? Not sure I’ve ever used that word here before. Hmm.

Try to stop yourself from eating it just like this. It looks good enough to do it.
4. Grill time! Place the fish skin side down on the grill, and cook for 12-15 minutes, depending on how hot your grill is and how thick the filets are. But, grill it skin side down the whole time. Cobia have a fairly thick skin, preventing the fish from drying out in the grilling process.
 I MEAN COME ON. I had to swat my own hand away from trying to eat this straight off of the grill.
5a. Once the fish is done, it will flake very easily with your fingers a fork. Now it’s time to serve 2 different ways. First – the simple route. Top with a little drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, a quick squeeze of fresh lemon juice, and a dusting of chopped fresh thyme.
5b. Or, spread a little of that basil pesto across the top. The extra lemon juice really goes a long way here, and the pesto packs a real punch.
OR…. Have both! That’s what all 3 of us did. Served alongside some grilled corn and a refreshing Greek quinoa salad, this was definitely a delightful summer meal. (PS – I will make a link to the quinoa salad on the Recipes page asap. Don’t know why I didn’t think of that earlier because it’s delish…)
… And then there was that time that we all became members of the clean plate club… With the exception of the cobia skin and the corn cob, of course.
I’m hungry.

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