Smoked or grilled snoek

🐟 Southern Atlantic snoek grilled with lemon and herbs, or gently reheated if already smoked.

Ingredients

• 🐟 1.2 kg fresh snoek fillets, skin on, or already-cooked smoked snoek
• 🍋 2 lemons: zest of one and juice of both
• 🧄 3 garlic cloves, finely grated
• 🫗 3 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil
• 🌿 2 tablespoons chopped parsley and 1 tablespoon chopped coriander
• 🧂 1/2 teaspoon black pepper; no salt at first
• 🌶️ 1/2 teaspoon sweet or smoked paprika, optional
• 🧅 1 red onion, thinly sliced, to serve
• 🥒 1 cucumber or 2 tomatoes, for an optional salad
• 🧂 Salt to adjust after cooking; smoked snoek may already be salty

Preparation

Ask the fish seller to identify the snoek species and origin. Check that it is fresh and kept cold. Pat fresh fish dry and keep smoked fish separate from ready-to-eat food.

Mix the juice of one lemon, its zest, garlic, oil, pepper, paprika and half the herbs. Reserve the second lemon for serving.

For fresh snoek, brush the flesh side with the mixture and marinate in the refrigerator for no more than 15 minutes. Long acidic marinating firms the flesh.

Preheat a clean grill to medium-high heat. Lightly oil it and place the fillets skin-side down. Close the lid if using a barbecue.

Grill without moving for 6 to 8 minutes, depending on thickness, then turn carefully and cook for 4 to 6 minutes. The fish should flake and reach 63°C at its center.

For cooked smoked snoek, carefully remove bones and gently reheat pieces on oiled foil or in a moderate oven until hot. Do not treat it like raw fillet or salt before tasting.

Remove from heat, rest for 3 minutes and check again for bones. Add remaining herbs and lemon; taste before adding salt.

Serve with onion and fresh salad. Use clean utensils for cooked fish and do not return it to the raw-fish plate.