Grilled garfish fillets with cucumber and anchovy salsa

Garfish must be super-fresh and given close attention when cooking. The sweet, lean flesh goes well with simple flavours that won't dominate.

Credit: Ben Dearnley

• serves

  4

• prep

  10 minutes

• cook

  5 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 12 whole garfish, filleted (about 100 g/3½ oz fish per person)
• 40 g (1½ oz) butter, melted

Cucumber and anchovy salsa

• 1 large Lebanese (short) cucumber, peeled, seeds removed, very finely diced
• 1 large vine-ripened tomato, blanched, peeled, seeds removed, very finely diced  (see note)
• 1 tbsp drained baby capers  in vinegar
• 2 white anchovies, diced
• 1 tbsp finely shredded flat-leaf (Italian) parsley
• lemon oil, as required)
• good pinch of sea salt

Instructions

To make the salsa, combine the cucumber, tomato, capers, anchovies and parsley in a bowl, then mix thoroughly. Add a good splash of lemon oil and the salt, then toss gently.

Preheat an oven grill (broiler) to high.

Lay the garfish fillets on a baking tray, skin side up. Brush the fillets with the butter. Place under the hot grill and cook for 1 minute.

Transfer the fillets to serving plates, arranging them in a star pattern layered one on top of another. Spoon the salsa over the top and serve.

Note

• To blanch a large tomato, cut a small cross in the base. Using a spoon, lower it carefully into boiling salted water for just 10 seconds. Remove the tomato and plunge it into iced water for 20 seconds. Gently remove the tomato from the iced water and peel  – the skin should come off easily.

Recipe and image from Australian Fish and Seafood Cookbook by John Susman, Anthony Huckstep, Sarah Swan, and Stephen Hodges (Murdoch Books, HB, $79.99). Photography by Ben Dearnley.

Read more on  how to buy the freshest fish here.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.