No dogs were harmed in the making of this meal! 

I found this great new fishmonger called Hooked a little while back. Everything there is fresh and sustainably caught, and the people know what they’re talking about. One day, I was looking at all the choices — every last one of which was gorgeous — and having trouble making up my mind. “How would you like to try something you’ve never had before?” they asked. Music to my ears! This is how I ended up with this beautiful piece of fish and no recipe in mind. No worries! That’s what the internet is for, right? So I poked around in the fridge when I got home, looking for something I already had the ingredients for so I wouldn’t have to go back out to the grocery store. This recipe was perfect for a new (to me) fish. It sounded tasty, but not likely to overpower the flavor of the fish. The fishmonger had assured me that it could handle a bold sauce. The only thing I didn’t have on hand was a habanero pepper. That was okay, I did have a bottle of Off-the-Hook Homemade Jalapeño Hot Sauce and thought that would do nicely as a substitution. The meal was a win-win: We loved both the fish and the sauce. Win-win-win if you want to count the fact that it wasn’t just delicious, but healthy, too!

I had never heard of Opah before. It made me think of My Big Fat Greek Wedding, and it sounded fun. Opa! It’s also known as Hawaiian Moonfish, Moonfish, and Akamanbo. I’ve read that it got the name Moonfish because it’s round and silvery when viewed from the side. My fishmonger said it’s because of the large round spots on the skin that resemble moons. No matter what you call it or why, it’s delicious! And it couldn’t be easier to cook. According to https://www.hawaii-seafood.org/wild-hawaii-fish/moonfish-opah/ (where you can also see a picture), Opah is caught all year but is most plentiful from April through August. If you can’t find any, try substituting swordfish or tuna. 

The recipe I found on Food and Wine calls the dish “Grilled Fish With Sauce au Chien.” Why? From what I’ve read, the sauce originated in the French Antilles, where a popular knife brand was “Chien.” There’s a fair amount of fine chopping, or mincing, especially if you’re feeding several people. The story goes that the sauce is named for the knife. It’s as good an explanation as any, I suppose. Oh, I know plenty of cultures eat canine flesh. But just look at that face! Nope, never on my menu. But chopped veggies & herbs? Any day!

Ingredients:

1 pound (454 g) fresh Opah (may substitute swordfish or tuna)

¼ cup (30 g) flour for dredging*

1 small bunch fresh parsley

1 small bunch fresh chives

4 small sprigs fresh thyme

3 tablespoons minced onions

1 small clove garlic, minced

¼ teaspoon Off-the-Hook Homemade Jalapeño Hot Sauce (or your favorite hot sauce)

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 lime

¼ teaspoon salt 

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

*I weighed my flour before and after dredging and found I actually used only 7 g, so that’s what I used in calculating the nutrition info. It’s hard to dredge evenly with such a small amount, though, so I do recommend starting with more than you need.

Preparation:

1.) Preheat the grill on high. Chop the parsley for one heaping tablespoon. Snip the chives for ¾ teaspoon. Strip the leaves from the thyme sprigs and mince finely for ⅛ teaspoon.

2.) Combine the herbs, chopped onions, minced garlic, hot sauce, and oil in a small bowl. Juice the lime for 1 tablespoon and add it, too. Season with salt and pepper to taste (I used ¼ teaspoon of each). Mix well. The sauce will keep a day or two in the fridge if you’d like to make it ahead of time. 

3.) Dredge the fish in the flour. Shake off any excess. 

4.) Lightly brush the grill with oil. Grill the fish about 4 to 5 minutes per side, or until the internal temperature reaches 145 °F (62.8 °C) on a meat thermometer. Transfer to a serving platter and top with the Dog Sauce. Serve immediately.