"Give a man a fish and he'll eat for a day. Teach him how to fish and he'll sit in a boat with a fishing pole and drink beer all day." Lorena McCourtney, 'Invisible'
It was Friday - a day when most of the groceries stores in town get fresh fish. A few friends recommended a new fishmonger - selling frozen goodies as well as fresh fish once a week. For those that live somewhere close by the sea it may sound unbelievable, but yes - we do need to plan our meals in accordance to fishmongers' schedules.
And then what happens - I go there on a Friday, when the fish comes in (luckily for the first time not in the morning, when everything arrived) and seeing the whole assortment, I want everything! Octopus, crab, lobster, scallops, cod, mackerel, muscles... Luckily I wasn't hungry and managed to control myself - ended up "just" with halibut, cod and octopus.
Ingredients:
* Cod
* Grape vine leaves in brine
* Baby carrots
* Lemon
* Provence herbs
* Salt'n'pepper
* Olive oil
A fairly quick and hassle free preparation. Fish wrapped in leaves make neat packages perfect for stove top or outdoor grilling.
Cut cod into pieces - small enough to be wrapped in grape vine leaves. Place on a leaf, sprinkle with salt and fresh ground pepper, add a thin slice of lemon and wrap. Grill for 4-5 minutes per side, depending on size of fish. Halve baby carrots and add to the grill.
Fish wrapped in leaves remains moist and it adds extra flavor. If grilled on an outdoor grill over coals, the leaves may char a bit but they will still taste delicious.
Optional - garlic and caper butter sauce.
Ingredients:
* 4 tablespoons butter
* A few garlic cloves finely chopped
* Zest of 1 lemon
* 1 tablespoon of capers
* 1 tablespoon of finely chopped fresh parsley
* A few drops of fresh lemon juice
Melt the butter, stir in all of the ingredients, add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Serve with the fish.
Bon appétit!
