Seafood always seems to taste much better at the beach… I think it’s a combination of wickedly fresh ingredients, minimal treatment and fuss, and the bracing clean air that heightens taste buds and all the other senses that make eating by the seashore such a memorable event. We ate far too much over the past few weeks, so a simple dish like this talakitok (jack) sprinkled with olive oil, lemon, salt and pepper and wrapped in fresh banana leaves and grilled over a charcoal flame was a welcome ode to the simple and the sublime.
We prepared the fish this way twice while at the beach on holiday. Once wrapped in foil, with a bit of sliced mild chillies as a base under the fish to add zing and prevent sticking to the foil, and another time wrapped in banana leaves and secured with toothpicks. Cook for some 14+ minutes depending on the size of your fish and heat of the grill, and serve as is or with a dipping sauce of vinegar, soy or anything that suits your fancy.
Need I say more? :)
26 Responses
MORE! =) Gosh, it’s barely six in the morning and I am craving seaside fare such as the above! I gotta go on a holiday! Happy monday!
Marketman naman, naman!!!!
That looks really yummy, especially with freshly cooked rice. I love the platter, MM! May I ask where you got it?
Angela, the platter was a gift, so I am not sure where it was purchased, possibly Williams Sonoma?
MM you never fail to make me smile! :) The last photo did!
perfect dish to start the year with a low-carb diet!
this looks delish…i love wrapping fish in banana leaves before grilling. just makes it more fragrant and best part is you lower the risk of it getting charred but you still have that smoky essence.
looking at the photos…I can only say “kung mangarap ka’t magising”….yum…looks so real i was about to get some patis and lemon and rice…
sublime “detox” food after holiday food coma hehe
that sure looks yummy!!!
Haha, that last photo certainly sez it all! YUM!
Grilled fish – my fave! Never tried talakitok though – wish they had it here in Canada.
i never knew it was that easy to cook Talakitok… will have to try that soon
skeletoned
Cherryo: They have frozen talakitok at Asian stores even Superstore has it. It is called Jack trevally. Sometimes at T and T, they have fresh ones…most likely came from Florida.
i just bought talakitok from Lulu supermarket and will probably fry it. It is so difficult to grilled fish here because we are staying in a flat. The neighbors might complain hehe
But the picture looks so delicioso!!!
poor doggies–nothing left for them..even the heads were decimated…hehehe
The only way to attack this meal is kamayan!! Delish, MM!
Yummmm! This is the best way to eat fish & seafood – fresh off the sea, simply grilled – no fuus, no muss.
BTW – MM – Reynolds Aluminum has a product that’s been out in the market for a while – maybe 3 years – a non-stick Quick-Release (on one side) foil. I love this foil. I throw it over the grill – poke a few holes & anything you put on it just slides out easily when done. Of course, I use it in the oven for roasting & grilling, too. I line the pan with a heavy duty foil (to minimize clean-up) & then I put a layer of the Quick-Release foil on top of it. The Q-R only comes in 12″ width. I can’t remember the price per foot or per roll – but I believe not much more than the heavy duty foil. Worth the added convenience!
hmmm… grilled fish for dinner sounds good for tonight! many years ago,
i’ve eaten this fish wrapped in banana leaves soaked in coconut milk broth….
yummy!
I always have banana leaves available (kept in the freezer) for use in grilling, wrapping or lining. Its a lot less expensive than parchment paper and I think safer than tin foil. This Christmas I wrapped the rellenong manok which I gave away as presents in banana leaves before wrapping them in tin foil. It made it look more native and “green”. I wish a product from the Phil. can be made out of banana leaves to take the place of tin foil. With the current rage of going green this will be a hit. UP Los Banos folks are you listening/reading?
Thanks BettyQ and happy new year to you all! Has anyone tried cooking fish with a olive oil, honey and balsamic vinegar marinade or dressing? Pahingi naman ng recipe please.
Interesting BEFORE and AFTER photos :)
kawawa naman ang pusa, walang natira
Cherryo; when making marinades with acid and used for fish…you have to be careful that you don’t overdo it or the acid such as balsamic vinegar will cook the fish…a few hours will suffice. May i suggest grilling/barbecuing the fish fillet and just use a reduction of balsamic vinegr with honey (to suit your taste) with a splash of olive oil to finish it off as a glaze?
BettyQ: Yum!!! That is exactly the recipe I was looking for…. can’t wait to try it.