Porgy Fillets With Pickled Jalapeño-Herb Sauce
Dane Sayles, the chef of East Hampton Point in New York, believes porgies can take strong flavorings, so he adds spicy pickled peppers and their pickling liquid to his herb marinade. He also whizzes in some tahini, which smooths the emulsified mixture. At his restaurant, he blanches the herbs (drops them in boiling water for 10 seconds, then plunges them into ice water before draining) to help fix their color. It's something you can do as well and should remember the next time you make pesto.
- Total:
- Serves: 4 persons
Ingredients
- ½cup packed mint leaves
- ½cup packed basil leaves
- ½cup packed flat-leaf parsley leaves
- 1tablespoon sliced pickled jalapeños plus 3 tablespoons pickling liquid
- ½tablespoon tahini
- ½cup grapeseed oil, plus more for cooking
- Salt and black pepper
- 4skin-on porgy fillets (about 8 ounces each; see Tip)
- 2lemons, 1 juiced, 1 cut into wedges
Instructions
Step 1
Place the mint, basil, parsley, jalapeños with their pickling liquid and the tahini in a food processor. Process until the herbs are finely minced. With the machine running, slowly add the oil. Season with salt.Step 2
Place fish fillets in a single layer in a shallow dish. Season all over with salt and pepper. Spread the herb mixture on both sides. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours.Step 3
Heat a large skillet over medium-high. Add enough oil to lightly and evenly coat the bottom. Wipe the marinade off the fish back into the dish and place the fillets skin side down in a single layer. Cook until the skin releases easily from the pan, about 5 minutes. Turn the fillets and cook until starting to brown along the edges, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter. Pour out and discard the liquid in the skillet and set the pan over low heat (no need to wash). Add lemon juice and marinade left in the marinating dish. Stir well until heated through. Spoon pan juices over fish and serve with lemon wedges.