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GRILLED REDFISH 'ON THE HALF-SHELL' WITH MAÃŽTRE D’HÔTEL BUTTER

The title of this recipe comes from the cooking method, which calls for grilling only on one side, with the scales and skin side down. The benefits are increased succulence and flavor. Baking or broiling does not achieve the same results, since the heat source must come from the bottom. Hickory chips will impart sweetness, although mesquite and other woods suitable for grilling can be substituted. Soaking the hickory will increase the smoky flavor.
For 6 servings

Advance Step: Prepare the recipe for mâitre d’hôtel butter (below)

Special Equipment
• An outdoor grill
• Hickory (or your favorite) wood chips
• A broad, large, and sturdy spatula
• A heat-proof platter, if grilling the fillets in batches

INGREDIENTS

For the fish
• Salad oil (not olive oil) for brushing onto the grill rack and fish fillets
• 6 redfish fillets with skin and scales still attached on one side, each 6 to 8 ounces, neatly trimmed, including removing the “belly” if still attached
• 1 tablespoon Creole seasoning
• A few tablespoons of dry white wine, if grilling in batches
• 1 recipe mâitre d’hôtel butter (below)
 

Directions

Clean the grill rack with a wire brush and preheat it until it is hot. Then add wet or dry hickory or other wood chips. Brush the rack with a thick wad of paper towels saturated in salad oil, holding the paper towels with long-handled tongs so you don’t burn yourself.

Place the fillets skin down on a work surface. Make sure the skinless sides are free of any loose scales. Brush the skinless sides with salad oil, and season each fillet evenly on the skinless side with 1/2 teaspoon Creole seasoning.

Once the grill is ready, place the fillets directly on it, skin side down, and cook until they are done, about five to eight minutes. The cooking time will vary according to the heat of the grill and the thickness of the fillets. (Watch closely so the fish does not overcook.) Do not turn over the fillets. Use a broad, large and sturdy spatula to lift each fillet from the grill at least once while cooking so it doesn’t stick excessively. To test for doneness, insert the tip of a knife into the thickest part of a fillet to separate the flesh a little to assess if it’s cooked all the way through.

If cooking the fillets in batches, transfer the cooked fillets, skin side down, to a heat-proof platter placed in a warm spot, and drizzle the fillets with white wine to keep them moist while grilling the remaining fish.

Serving Suggestion
Once all the fillets are cooked, serve immediately, skin side down on heated dinner plates. Top the fillets with rounds of mâitre d’hôtel butter, using a total of 1 to 1½ tablespoons of butter for each serving.  

Notes
Recommended alternate species: pompano, salmon, sea bass
If you’d like the fish to have a smokier flavor, soak the wood chips for at least four hours, or according to package directions, before grilling. Drain the chips just before using, but leave them dripping wet and add them after the fire is hot.
 

MAITRE D’HOTEL BUTTER
   In its classic French version, beurre maître d’hôtel contains simply butter, chopped parsley and lemon juice. But many New Orleans cooks like to add a few personal touches, such as garlic, thyme, shallots and even Herbsaint, the anisette liqueur that originated in the city.
   Compound butters can provide a delightful finishing touch to an almost limitless number of dishes, especially grilled fish and poultry, and meats cooked in various ways. They also come in handy for finishing simple sauces and whenever you want to add a little extra flair to vegetables and starches.
   Maître d’hôtel butter, like all compound butters, can be shaped into a log and rolled in parchment paper and plastic for storage in the refrigerator or freezer. When needed, it is sliced as you would slice a log of cookie dough.
For about 9 tablespoons

Ingredients

• 1/4 pound unsalted butter, left at room temperature until very soft
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh thyme leaves
• 2 tablespoons minced Italian (flat-leaf) parsley leaves
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1½ teaspoons minced shallots
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions
Combine all ingredients together in a medium-size mixing bowl, whisking until well blended.

Serving Suggestion
Use immediately, or roll in waxed or parchment paper into a log that is about 5 inches long and 1¼ inches in diameter, then wrap the log snugly in plastic wrap. The butter will keep in the refrigerator for up to two weeks, or frozen for up to two months.
 

Recipe from RALPH BRENNAN’S NEW ORLEANS SEAFOOD COOKBOOK by Ralph Brennan with Gene Bourg, photography by Kerri McCaffety (Vissi d’Arte Books; March 2008; $45.00/hardcover)
www.ralphbrennancookbook.com