RAGIN’ CAJUN GRILLED OPAH OVER SUMMER SUCCOTASH

Seafood|Ciao Bella|Ragin Cajun|Sides

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Ingredients

The Succotash:

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves, chopped

1 medium to large zucchini, chopped into ½-¾” dice

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon Dish off the Block Ciao Bella Italian Spice Blend

4 ears corn, kernels cut off (reserve the cobs)

1 cup edamame or lima beans

3 cups cherry or grape tomatoes, cut in half

¼ cup heavy cream

The Grilled Opah:

2-2 ½ pounds opah* steaks (If you can’t find opah, other firm fish like swordfish, Chilean sea bass, halibut, etc… are perfect for this preparation also)

2-3 tablespoons Dish off the Block Ragin’ Cajun Spice Blend

3-4 tablespoons olive oil

Lemon wedges for serving

Instructions

To make the succotash, heat the oil in a large deep skillet over medium high heat. Add the onions, garlic, and zucchini to the pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 6-8 minutes until the zucchini is tender and begins to lightly brown. Add the salt, pepper, and Ciao Bella Italian spice blend to the pan and cook for 1 minute more stirring to combine.

Add the corn kernels to the pan and then ‘milk’ the cobs by using the back of your knife and pushing it down from top to bottom on the cobs to release the moisture and any remaining pieces of the kernels from the cobs. This adds tons of delicious corn flavor. Toss to combine.

Add the edamame and tomatoes to the pan and cook for 2 minutes more tossing, tossing, tossing. Add the heavy cream and cook for 3-4 minutes more until everything is coated in the creamy sauce and the tomatoes start to soften. Keep warm until you are ready to serve.

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 steaks dry with paper towels. Rub the Ragin’ Cajun seasoning all over the steaks on both sides to coat. The more you use, the spicier the fish will be. Place the seasoned steaks 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 succotash and squeeze the lemon over the top.

*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 for this dish.