Last time I was at the SeeWee, an old-school seafood restaurant outside Charleston, I had an incredibly good plate of grilled grouper with fresh tomato salsa. Not only was the fish superfresh and perfectly cooked, but the salsa, a rough mix of vine-ripe tomatoes, white onion, and cilantro, was so simple and bright that it enhanced the flavor of the fish perfectly without overpowering it. I was so fond of it that I’ve been re-creating it at home ever since. It’s just the sort of light, fresh supper you want in the dead of summer.
Recipe information
Yield
serves 4 to 6
Ingredients
Salsa
Fish
Preparation
Salsa
Step 1
Combine the tomatoes, onion, cilantro, lime juice, and olive oil in a bowl, season with salt and pepper to taste, and stir to mix. The salsa can be made up to 2 days in advance and refrigerated in an airtight container until ready to serve.
Fish
Step 2
When ready to cook the fish, prepare a hot fire in a charcoal or gas grill and let the coals burn to gray ash with a bright red glow; if using a gas grill, heat the grill on high. Oil the grill grates.
Step 3
Place the fillet on a plate, skin side down, and rub the olive oil on the fleshy side. Sprinkle with the cilantro and season with salt and pepper to taste, pressing lightly to adhere.
Step 4
Place the fish, flesh side down, on the grill and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillet. The fish will start to turn white around the edges and release from the grill easily when it is ready to be turned. Flip the fillet over onto a piece of aluminum foil on the grill. Cover the grill with the lid or cover the fish with another piece of foil and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes, until cooked through and flaky.
Step 5
Remove the fish from the grill, place on a large serving platter or divide evenly between individual plates, and serve warm, topped with lots of fresh salsa and lime wedges for squeezing over the fish.
