Learning to Cook

I have always been surrounded by wonderful cooks and bakers. While this has been delightful for my taste buds, I always wondered if I would ever be able to cook like them. When I lived in Brazil, I was forced to learn how to cook because the ingredients at my disposal were so different. The experience was, at first, frustrating. But, once I began to experiment, the world of cooking opened up to me. My recipe box is now brimming, and I thought others might be interested in trying some of the recipes I have found. I haven’t tried them all yet, but I plan to in the future! I hope you enjoy, and please feel free to add your own suggestions/comments.

Saturday, January 17, 2009

Grilled Halibut with Grilled Red Pepper Harissa


Ingredients

1 red jalapeño chile
1 garlic clove, peeled
4 5- to 6-ounce halibut or mahi-mahi fillets
2 large red bell peppers, quartered lengthwise, seeded
Olive oil for brushing plus 1/4 cup
2 teaspoons ground cumin, divided
2 teaspoons ground coriander, divided
1 lemon, halved

Preparation

Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Thread jalapeño and garlic clove onto metal skewer. Brush jalapeño, garlic, fish, and red bell peppers with oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sprinkle fish with 1/2 teaspoon cumin and 1/2 teaspoon coriander. Grill fish, bell peppers,jalapeño, and garlic until vegetables are tender and charred and fish is just cooked through, about 4 minutes per side for fish and 8 minutes per side for vegetables. Grill lemon, cut side down, until charred, about 3 minutes. Transfer fish to plate and tent with foil to keep warm.

Peel charred parts of skin from bell peppers and cut stem from jalapeño, and transfer to blender, discarding peel and stem. Add garlic clove, remaining 1/4 cup oil, 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin, and 1 1/2 teaspoons coriander to blender. Process until coarse puree forms. Season sauce generously to taste with salt and pepper.

Place 1 fish fillet on each of 4 plates. Squeeze grilled lemon over. Spoon sauce over fish and serve.

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