I spotted this incredibly fresh looking, large jack or talakitok at the Nasugbu market a couple of weeks back, and immediately engaged the vendor in a light bargaining chatter and bought it. This is very closely related to what I normally refer to as a talakitok, but there are some slight differences… most notably, the shape of the head. We also enjoyed a fish like this purchased at the Coron market a year or more back, here, and photographed here. Technically, I think this is known as a member of the “Jack” family, or in Australia, referred to the “Trevally” family, this particular one likely a Diamond Trevally as oppossed to the more commonly sold onion or blue trevally. Here is another link to a less rounded talakitok, another close relation, and yet more cousins, here. They all taste very similar, which is, delicious when fresh.
The more brilliant the fish, the less you do to it. With that in mind, I laid a large piece of foil on a table. Topped it with a large piece of parchment paper. Added some thinly sliced red chillies (the bigger ones not as hot as siling labuyo), added some good olive oil, salted and peppered the fish (guts cleaned out), added more parchment paper and foil on top, sealed the edges and “grill-baked this in a hot barbecue with cover on for some 18-20 minutes. I use parchment paper on top of the foil as foil can sometimes stick to the fish/meat, particularly if there is some acid in your marinade, like say lemon juice or kalamansi. Brought straight to the table and it was PERFECT. Just add a squeeze of lemon if you desire. The meat was moist, flavorful and the essence of the sea. So incredibly easy to make. :)
12 Responses
You are absolutely right! The freshest the fish the less it needs any herb enhancers. Most of the time common table salt and pepper will do their magic work in the fish with a drizzle of oil and a good dipping sauce of one’s choice and of course kaldero of piping hot rice and I’m ready to call it a day!
thanks for the tip of using parchment paper along with the foil. i find it frustrating to end up with grilled fish that looks unappetizing when served because portions have stuck to the foil.
Would also do well if it was grilled in between banana leaves and then wrapped in foil. You wouldn’t have to fuss with the burned leaves but still have the aroma of the banana leaves, and preserve the juice of the fish. Yummmmmo…!!!! BTW, your picture of the fish has the impression that it is smiling if you look at it at a different perspective.
diwata08: your way of grilling is definitely a winner! try adding slices of chili(on the fish) and stuff the fish with lemongrass and see how it goes.
Faced with such a fantastic dish…first words out of my mouth would be…’akin ang ulo ha?’.
the translucent fish eye looks scary!!!!
My nephews went fishing last Sunday and took home several legal ‘pan-sized’ trevally. Inun-unan for my mother and the rest were deep fried with soy sauce and lemoncito. I think the smaller fish is preferable to the big ones; smaller fish is juicier, sweeter and tender.
my kind of food…fresh…quick & simple…but tasty nonetheless…
I’d say even the fish is happy with the way it was cooked- it has a big smile on its face! haha
Is that the way to prevent the grilled fish from drying out — by wrapping it with foil? Also, how do you ensure you don’t end up with a partially-uncooked grilled fish like bangus if it’s big? Is it okay to just pop the foil every so often and check the inside?
I liked the way moroccan prepare a fish fry, its full of ingredients not familiar to me but they are quite delicious, i dont know how they called this ingredients in english but one-“cumin” and chilli powder some powder they called it camoon and which i suspected to be the cumin-with black powder,coreander, mint leaf and few tree barks!..but they tasted perfect….
Enclosing the fish makes it easier to cook and is great fop infusing flavours of any herbs/spices, but you miss out on the wood smokey flavour, which is particularly enchanting with fish.
A fish holder, which consists of thin grills enclosing the fish, well oiled is a neat solution, which also enables easy turning of the fish.
I put any seasonings in slits, in the belly and along the back, and choose the wood carefully.