Grilled Rockfish BLTA
Your new favorite lunch - bite into a juicy piece of local rockfish with smoked bacon, tomatoes, romaine, smashed avocado, Mama Lil's pickled peppers, and tartar sauce, served on a herb butter-crusted hoagie with fries. This sandwich is a favorite of our staff and regular guests!
TIME: 30 minutes
MAKES: 1 sandwich per person
FROM YOUR PANTRY
• 2-4 tbsp oil for cooking
• Salt + pepper to season
IN THE KIT
• Rockfish
• Bacon
• Fresh Tomato
• Romaine
• Avocado-Cilantro Sauce
• Mama Lil’s Pepper Aioli
• Herb Butter
• Hoagie Bun
• French Fries
• Ketchup
STEPS
Take the herb butter out of the refrigerator so that it can warm up to room temperature.
Cook the fries: Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees. Toss the fries in a little cooking oil and spread them out on a thin baking pan in a single layer. Use multiple baking pans if necessary. When oven is ready, bake fries for 15 minutes. Stir well, then bake another 10-15 minutes until crispy and golden.
Season the fish on both sides with salt and pepper.
Cook the fish: you can grill or pan-sear. At the restaurant, we grill it.
To Grill: Heat your grill or grill pan until it is 450-500 degrees. You want it very hot, so you get a good sear without overcooking the fish – the grill marks are great flavor! Add the fish to the grill, making sure to place portions at a 45-degree angle to the grill slats so you get nice marking (you want to see a diamond crosshatch pattern on the fish when you’re done). Cook for 2 minutes, then rotate each piece 90 degrees and cook another 1-2 minutes. Flip and repeat for the other side. You want to cook the fish all the way through.
To Pan-Sear: Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat with 2 tbsp olive oil. You may need more oil if your pan is not seasoned fully or if you are not using a nonstick pan. When the oil is shimmering but not smoking, add the fish portions, being careful to avoid sticking to the pan. Shake the pan gently as you add each portion to make sure it has enough oil between it and the pan – this will ensure a proper sear without sticking. Cook for 2-3 minutes, then flip, gently shaking the pan again as you place the raw side down into the oil. You can add a splash more oil at this point if the pan needs it. You want to cook the fish all the way through.
5. While the fish is cooking, warm and crisp the bacon. Heat a medium nonstick pan or grill to medium-high heat. Add the bacon strips and cook for a few minutes on each side until they reach your desired crispness. Remove from pan and place on paper towels to drain excess oil.
6. After the bacon is finished, toast the buns. Butter the cut side of the hoagie buns with the herb butter and add to the grill or pan you used for the bacon, cut side-down. Once they’re crisp to your liking, remove from the heat and set aside.
7. To assemble - drizzle avocado-cilantro sauce on both halves of the bun. Top the bottom side with romaine, tomato slices, and your grilled fillet. Finish with bacon, a drizzle of the Mama Lil’s pepper aioli, and the top bun. Cut in half and serve with fries and ketchup.
Enjoy!
