One
of the very nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop
whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating.
~Luciano Pavarotti and William Wright, Pavarotti, My Own Story
And one of the biggest pleasures is to stop whatever it is we are doing and devote the time and attention to eating in the company of friends, with wholesome conversations and some fine wine! This time a group of girls that got together on my small terrace went for even finer sparkles of chilled prosecco while the fish was being prepared for the grill and the conversations carried us to the dusk.
Even at the time when I was a devoted meat eater, I always chose fresh fish over steaks. There is something heavenly about the fish when it is prepared in the simplest way and you can almost sense the smell of the ocean!
The fishmonger had some beautiful doradas to offer when I was having my friends over a few weekends back - this fish returns amazing taste with little efforts put in to prepare it.
Ingredients:
* Doradas* Lemon
* Fresh thyme
* Salt'n'pepper
* Bell pepper for garnish
* Lamb lettuce
* Rucola
* Cherry tomatoes
* Cucumber
* Truffle oil (may be substituted with extra virgin olive oil and balsamico)
One of my friends also brought pitted black olives and prepared the marinate - superb starter accompanied with fresh ciabatta!
Once the doradas were cleaned, I put several sprigs of fresh thyme, lemon slices and salt and pepper inside. Grilling took only 5-7 minutes per each side of the fish.
The bell peppers are best grilled plain. Cut the insides out, throw on the grill until the skin turns black. Once tender, remove the skin and serve as the garnish to the fish with salad - lamb lettuce and arugula mixed with cherry tomatoes, cucumbers and drizzled with truffle oil or olive oil and balsamico.
Voila! :)
Wine pairing:
Principe de Viana - Spanish light and neutral Chardonnay (2010), compliments the tenderness of the fish and the sides, not overpowering either of the tastes.
For those who enjoy the wines somewhere in between the dry and semi dry tastes, will definitely appreciate the mix of refreshing Verdejo vines and the subtle sourness of the Sauvignon Blanc in the Spanish Calinda (2010).
Bon appetit!
