If you’re looking for a simple, delicate fish dish for National Heritage Day (a.k.a. Braai Day), then we have just the thing for your braai grid. The flavour of this fish is honoured by the herbs rather than overpowered, and the dish as a whole complements a quality Sauvignon Blanc beautifully. Leftovers will give salads or sandwiches a tasty twist the following day.
We paired our yellowtail with Steenberg’s 2017 Sauvignon Blanc; a gem from the Constantia Valley. It was a beautiful match!
Foil-Braaied Yellowtail with Steenberg Sauvignon Blanc
serves 4
INGREDIENTS:
- 1-1.5 kg butterflied Yellowtail, freshly (and sustainably) caught
- 2 Tbsp fresh origanum, roughly chopped
- 1 clove garlic, roughly chopped
- 1-2 lemongrass sticks
- 100g butter
- salt & pepper
- 2 mielies, chopped in half
DIRECTIONS:
- Get the braai going. (Take a moment to enjoy the nostalgia that comes with the aroma of a freshly lit fire.)
- In a bowl, mash the butter with a fork until soft. Add the chopped garlic and origanum and work into the butter until combined.
- Cut 2 rectangles of foil large enough to fit the fish on with about 5cm of extra room all around.
- Place one of the pieces of foil – shiny side up – onto a large chopping board or plate, and put the butterflied fish in the centre with the skin side down.
- Keeping about a quarter (at least 4 dollops) of the herbed butter back for the mielies, spoon heaped teaspoonfuls of butter onto the fish; 6-8 spoonfuls evenly placed along the body of the fish. Season with salt and pepper.
- Slice lemongrass lengthways and place on the fish.
- Cover the fish with the second piece of foil – shiny side down – and fold the edges of the top and bottom pieces together, at least twice, to end up with a sealed rectangular foil parcel.
- Place the fish parcel on the braai. After about 10 minutes, place the mielies on the braai, directly onto the grid. Keep turning the mielies to brown them evenly.
- Give them another 10 minutes; remove the mielies and the foil parcel and check that the fish is cooked. It should be white all the way through, and still nice and soft. With Yellowtail it’s best to err on the side of caution; rather take it off too soon and return to the coals, than risk drying it out.
- Put the herbed butter on the mielies while they’re hot. Serve fish and mielies with a colourful salad, and glasses of chilled Steenberg Sauvignon Blanc.