SUPERBLY HERBY GRILLED OPAH OVER CHEESY ZUCCHINI RICE WITH LEMON BASIL CREAM SAUCE

Seafood|Ciao Bella|Sides|Superbly Herby

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Ingredients

The Cheesy Zucchini Rice:

2 cups shredded zucchini, packed

3 teaspoons salt, divided

1 cup raw rice, cooked to package directions

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon Dish off the Block Ciao Bella Italian Spice Blend

2 tablespoons lemon juice

6 tablespoons butter, softened, divided

½ cup panko breadcrumbs

¼ cup grated parmesan cheese

The Lemon Basil Cream Sauce:

2 cups heavy cream

¼ teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon lemon zest (about 1 lemon)

2 tablespoons lemon juice (about 1 lemon)

¼ cup fresh basil leaves, chiffonade (plus more leaves for garnish)

The Grilled Opah:

2-2 ½ pounds opah* steaks (or other firm fish like swordfish, Chilean sea bass, halibut, etc…)

½ cup flour

3 tablespoons Dish off the Block Superbly Herby Spice Blend

3-4 tablespoons olive oil

Lemon wedges for serving

Instructions

To make the cheesy zucchini rice, preheat oven to 375 degrees and coat a small baking dish (12” x 8” or similar size) with non-stick spray.

Place the shredded zucchini in a colander and toss it with 1 teaspoon of the salt. Let it drain in the sink for 30 minutes to release some of the moisture. Press most of the remaining moisture out with paper towels and place the zucchini in a large bowl.

Add the rice, onion, cheddar cheese, remaining 2 teaspoons salt, black pepper, Italian seasoning, lemon juice, and 3 tablespoons of the butter to the bowl with the zucchini and mix until everything is well combined. Place this mixture in the prepared baking dish.

Melt the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter in a small saucepan and add the panko crumbs. Cook, stirring until they are lightly browned. Stir in the parmesan cheese and spread this mixture evenly over the top of the casserole.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown and bubbly. Keep warm until you are ready to serve.

To make the lemon basil cream sauce, place the cream, salt, zest, and lemon juice in a medium saucepan. Bring a to a boil and then reduce to a low boil. Let cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally until the sauce thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Stir in the basil just before serving.

Preheat your grill** to 400-450 degrees and make sure your grates are scrubbed clean and lightly oiled so the fish will not stick.

Pat the opah steak dry with paper towels. Combine the flour and Superbly Herby in a large ziplock bag and shake to combine. Add the steaks, one by one and shake to full coat them. Place them on a cutting board and drizzle with olive oil on both sides. Place the on the hot grill and cook for 2-3 minutes on the first side until grill marks form. Note, the fish will release easily from the grill when it is ready, so gently push the edges with a spatula to see when it is ready to flip. Cook for an additional 2-3 minutes on the other side until it is just cooked through and a fork slides easily in and out of the center of the fish. Note that fresh opah can be eaten raw so you do not want to overcook for maximum flavor and moisture. You can even serve medium rare and it is delicious!

Serve the fish over the cheesy zucchini rice and drizzle with the lemon basil cream sauce.

*Opah is the only known fully warm blooded fish and can be found all over the world although we don’t see it that often for sale in the Northeast, so it was a real treat to have it here on Block Island. Now, I will be forever in search for more! It’s very commonly served in Hawaii and other areas in the Southern hemisphere. They are big fish that average about 100 pounds and 3 feet in diameter.

Opah is caught year-round, but most often between April and August. The inconsistent supply is due to the fact that opah does not school and is not easily harvested in large quantities.

One opah consists of seven different cuts from three different parts of the fish: top loin, mid loin, center loin, back tail, belly, abductor, and adductor. All parts are rich in fish oils, protein, Omega-3, selenium, and vitamins. The top, mid, and center loins are a light pink color and run along the backbone from the eye to the tail and are the most tender parts. The back tail and belly are two salmon-pink cuts from the side portion of the fish, which is slightly more stringy at the top and fatty towards the bottom. Both of these larger portions turn white when cooked and have a rich, creamy taste and firm, fatty texture, similar to swordfish. The abductor and adductor, found underneath the abductor, is the dark red cheek meat found underneath the pectoral fin on either side. Their taste is similar to raw tuna, but both lean muscles cook like beef or pork and can easily be used as a substitute. All cuts can be served raw or cooked.

**Note – the fish can also be pan seared in olive oil if you don’t have a grill or prefer pan searing.