After a few weeks in a brine of salt and lemon juice, lemons develop an appetizing, lightly pickled taste. Brian makes Moroccan-style preserved lemons at the winery and keeps a stash on hand to use in recipes like this one. The seasoned butter would complement swordfish, sole, shrimp, or salmon, or you could dollop it on steamed mussels or clams. For this dish, Brian slathers the butter on the grilled fish served over Frank Stitt’s Field Pea and Corn Salad (page 64), but wilted spinach would be an appealing accompaniment, too.
Recipe information
Yield
serves 6
Ingredients
Preserved Lemon Butter
Preparation
Step 1
For the preserved lemon butter: Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and mix with the back of a spoon until smooth.
Step 2
Prepare a hot charcoal fire or preheat a gas grill to high. Season the fish on both sides with salt and white pepper. Brush on both sides with the olive oil and place on the grill, skinned side up. Cook for about 2 minutes, then rotate the fillets 90 degrees with tongs and cook for 2 minutes longer. Turn the fish skinned side down and cook for 2 minutes, then rotate 90 degrees and cook until the fish just flakes, about 2 minutes longer.
Step 3
To serve, divide the salad among 6 dinner plates. Top with the fish. Immediately slather some of the preserved lemon butter on the hot fish, dividing it evenly. The butter will melt on contact. Serve immediately.
Step 4
Enjoy with Cakebread Cellars Napa Valley Chardonnay or another full-bodied, silky white wine.
