Spring is striper time out here on the West Coast (out East too!) and, in addition to being a really sporty fish to chase around with rod and reel, they’re damn tasty.
Striper flesh is firm and white — it’s a really a user-friendly fish that takes well to many cooking styles. While rolling striper chunks into beer batter and dropping them into a boiling cauldron of cholesterol is a my favorite way to cook it up, a much more artery-friendly approach is to grill it Asian style.
Scott “The Sporting Chef” Leysath, co-host of the popular cable show HuntFishCook shows us how…
Grilled Soy and Sesame Striper
Of course, the best thing you can do to make your fish taste great is to immediately bleed and ice it after bringing it aboard. At the fillet table, be sure to remove the dark flesh on the backside of the meat, which carries a strong fishy flavor. Also, try to keep only smaller males in the 4- to 10-pound range and let the big females go!
This recipe calls for 4 fillets in the 6- to 8-ounce range, which are just about exactly what you’d get off a couple 6-pound schoolies. You’ll also need:
•1/4 cup soy sauce
•2 tablespoons sesame oil
•2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
•2 tablespoons sesame seeds, lightly toasted in a skillet over low heat
•2 green onions, minced
•2 garlic cloves, minced
•2 limes, juice only
“Combine the marinade ingredients and whisk them together to blend everything,” he says. “Next, place your fish into a baking dish or Zip-Loc bag and then pour the marinade over the fillets. Cover or zip and then let the striper marinate in the fridge for 30 to 60 minutes.”
Once you pull the fish out of the marinade, Leysath says you need to place it on a hot oiled grill.
“Cook the fish for 3 to 4 minutes on one side and then flip it over and cook for another 3 or 4 minutes,” he said. “You want to pull it off when it is just cooked – don’t over do it.”
Before you take the fish off the grill, give it a good dousing with the marinade and you’ll be in business. Serve it up with some rice and stir-fried veggies and get your grub on!
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