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Poppy Brownlee, wife of the editor-in-chief of Salt Water Sportsman, John Brownlee, has served up food to more hungry, tired fishermen at her home in Islamorada, Florida, than most restaurants in the Keys. Here’s her recipe for a delicious shrimp dish.
Tasty Shrimp
5 lbs. fresh shrimp/unpeeled 2 cups olive oil 6 cloves garlic/chopped 3 tbsp. salt 3 tbsp. pepper Juice of 4 lemons and 4 limes 1 1/4 cup dry vermouth
1. Heat oil in large skilet, saute garlic.
2. Add shrimp, salt, pepper, lemon and lime juice.
3. When shrimp begin to turn pink, add vermouth, stir, remove from heat. (Let guests peel their own damn shrimp.)
4. Serve with hot, crusty bread for dipping in sauce, a salad of your choice and perhaps a chilled glass of chardonnay.
Jason Y. Wood, Yachting‘s Executive Editor, is no stranger to the grill. As an angler and self-proclaimed gourmet, he’s familiar with what it takes to turn the bounty of the ocean into a delicious meal. Here are two of his favorite methods of preparation.
Ceviche
Filet of fresh fish, skinned and deboned as needed, and chopped into fine ¼-inch dice (any type of fish will do, from flounder to snapper to dolphin, even tuna) 12 limes 1 red bell pepper, diced 1 Bermuda Onion, finely diced 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped Bunch of fresh cilantro, leaves picked and chopped Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1. Place fish, pepper, onion, garlic, and cilantro in large Ziploc bag.
2. Cut limes in half and start squeezing the juice into the bag until the contents are covered with the lime juice.
3. Refrigerate for at least four hours, preferably overnight, to allow the acid of the lime juice tenderize and cook the fish. It’s done when the fish loses its translucence and becomes opaque, just as when fish is cooked with heat.
4. Spoon the mixture into a bowl, season with salt and pepper, and serve with hearty crackers, baguette slices, or pita bread wedges as a cocktail-hour hors d’oeuvre.
Chef’s tip: For a spicier ceviche, substitute a seeded, chopped jalapeño for half of the bell pepper, and add five dashes of Tabasco or other hot sauce.
Fish in Foil
Cruisers often have access to fresh fish, be it snapper or grouper from reefs around remote anchorages, dolphin picked up from a line trolled astern, or fresh-caught fillets sold from a cooler on the dock. This method of cooking-essentially steaming-will not overpower the flavor of the fish, some of the freshest one can eat, and makes clean-up a snap. Be sure to follow all local fishing regulations and licensing requirements.
Four 6-ounce fresh fish fillets, boned (snapper, grouper, dolphin, haddock-any firm, white-fleshed fish will do) 2 fresh lemons 2 cups dry white wine or dry vermouth 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil bunch of fresh parsley, leaves picked and chopped Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees or light the grill and set it to “high.”
2. Lay three lemon slices in the center of a one-foot-square piece of aluminum foil. Lay fish on top of lemon slices. Fold up edges of foil, forming a pouch.
3. On top of the fish, add ½ cup of white wine, ½ tablespoon of olive oil, a handful of parsley, and salt and pepper.
4. Place three more lemon slices on top of the fish, then fold over the top of the foil two times, being careful not to puncture or tear it, to form a snug envelope.
5. Repeat steps 2 through 4 with the remaining fillets of fish.
6. If using the oven, lay the foil envelopes in an oven-proof baking dish and place in the preheated oven. If using the grill, carefully place the foil envelopes on the grill and close the lid. The fish should be done in 25 minutes.
7. Place pouches on plates with boiled potatoes, and serve with salad of local fruits. Open carefully, it’s hot in there.
