Fish Kebabs on the Barbie– by Leon ‘The Pontoon Chef’ Sines

Summer-time. Hot days and warm offshore currents which means increased activity of pelagic species cruising the waterways off southeast Queensland. This is good news for anyone who enjoys fresh local seafood on the barbie - mahi mahi, yellowfin tuna and wahoo are usually in abundance between late November through to March each year.

As any angler will tell you, the most satisfying way to enjoy a feed of these “speedsters” is to catch them yourself. This usually involves trolling lures behind a boat offshore. Not everyone has a suitable boat or the right gear to do this, though, so the next best option, if you like fishing that is, is to tee up a couple of mates and book a fishing charter.

There are many good operators that can take you fishing for either a half or full day - just make sure when you book you tell them what type of fishing you want to do. For this type of fishing, I also like to stick to boats that take no more than six people. From previous experience, I’ve found that too many people on the boat makes things “busy” when the fish are on.

The best way to find a good and reputable charter company in your area is to search the web and created a short list of local operators. Then head to your local tackle store and ask the staff there who they might recommend for this style of fishing.

Failing all that, just head to your local seafood outlet and see what they have to offer. If none of the above species are available, ask for a fish with a firm flesh such as red emperor, coral trout or barramundi – all local fare in Queensland and Australia.

Now you have your fish, what do you do with it? During summer I love to cook fish kebabs on the barbie for the family. We love these as they’re simple, really tasty and good fun. Perfect for a Sunday afternoon after being out on the water (or any time for that matter).

So here’s a simple recipe I’ve concocted over the years to suit my family’s taste. The best thing about this recipe is you can modify the ingredients and be as adventurous as you like. Don’t be afraid to add different types of seafood such as prawns, mussels or baby octopus. The recipe makes approximately 15 Kebabs and feeds three to five adults… depending on how hungry you are!

INGREDIENTS

• 1kg of thick, firm fish fillets, deboned and skinned (any of the above species are suitable)
• 15 cherry tomatoes
• 2 medium onions - cut into wedges
• 1 small pineapple – skinned and cut into chunks
• 80mls of extra virgin olive oil
• Juice of two large lemons
• Juice of two limes
• 2 cloves of garlic - crushed
• 1 knob of ginger – (about the size of half an egg) grated or finely chopped
• 1 small chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
• 4 sprigs of fresh coriander – roughly chopped
• Handful of fresh basil leaves – roughly chopped
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to season
• Bamboo skewers for kebabs
• Extra lemons and limes to serve

METHOD

1. Soak bamboo stick in cold water for at least one hour – this stops them burning on the BBQ

2. Pat fish fillet dry with paper towel and then cut into evenly sized pieces of approx 2cm cubes. Place in bowl, cover and refrigerate

3. Combine, extra virgin olive oil, lemon and lime juice, crushed garlic, grated ginger, chopped coriander and basil and finely chopped chilly in a mixing bowl and stir.

4. Add fish pieces and mix together thoroughly, then cover with clingfilm and refrigerate for 20 minutes. Remove from fridge, toss and mix through again, and refrigerate for another 20 minutes. Try not to marinate the fish for more than an hour as the acidity in the lemon and lime juice starts to cook through the fish pieces.

5. While the fish is marinating, cut up the onion and pineapple into pieces similar in size to the fish. Keep the cherry tomatoes whole.

6. Remove the fish from the fridge and the bamboo skewers from the water. Then thread the fish, pineapple, cherry tomato and onion wedges onto a bamboo skewer in preparation for cooking. Try and evenly divide all the ingredients onto the skewers so you have different tastes on each skewer. Keep the leftover marinade for cooking.

7. Heat a BBQ plate (not the grill) on medium heat for at least 5 minutes, then apply a fine layer of cooking oil onto the plate (I like to use extra virgin olive oil). Wait another 2-3 minutes until the oil heats and then place your fish kebabs onto the hotplate.

8. As they are cooking, brush the kebabs with the left over marinade. Once you’ve done this, season lightly with sea salt and ground black pepper to taste.

9. Watch the edges of the fish - as the flesh becomes white near the centre of the kebab, turn and cook the other side. I find this usually takes about 3-5 minutes depending on how hot your BBQ plate is.

10. Continue to cook the kebabs on the other side for about 2-4 minutes until the fish is cooked through. Just check the flesh around the centre where the kebab skewer is to make sure it’s cooked right through. Don’t overcook the fish otherwise it will become dry and flaky.

11. Once done, remove from the hotplate and let stand for approx three minutes before serving on a platter garnished with fresh lemon & lime wedges.

Don’t forget an ice-cold Australian beer or two to wash it all down - may I suggest Beez Kneez, a refreshing light malt wheat beer from the Matilda Bay Brewing Company as a suitable compliment!

Until next time - Goodonya!

Leon

The Pontoon Chef.