GRILL FISH!

dear shoppers, When we kiss summer goodbye, the steaks & burgers kiss the grill. So it's been for generations.

But why not shake things up this holiday weekend by grilling some of the flappingly-fresh fish our favorite fishmonger brings to market each week?

Afraid to grill fish?

You're not alone. Will it fall apart if I use a marinade? Should I grill skin side down? Do fillets stand up to the heat of the grill?

This article in Bon Appetit unveils the best kept secret to acing grilled fish: make escabeche.

Escabeche is a classic Spanish preparation in which you sear fish (or meat) , then marinate it in a vinegary sauce loaded with aromatic herbs and spices. You can serve it cold or at room temperature. Marinating the fish post grilling helps it keep its integrity during cooking. And the marinade adds an element of texture and interest to anyone who isn't thrilled about eating "just plain fish."

 While the Bon Appetit recipe calls for red snapper any skin-on white fish will work for escabeche as long as it’s super fresh.

The basic formula for any escabèche marinade is oil, an acid and aromatics.

It’s uber simple which is why it lends itself to countless variations. Experiment with different vinegars and lemon, grapefruit or other citrus juices and aromatics like garlic, fennel, chiles, and capers.

To cook the fish, rub the fillets with olive oil, salt and pepper and place them skin-side down over a medium grill. (Make sure your grill is clean). After about  four to five minutes, the fillets should be opaque around the edges with crisped skin that should slide right off the grates. Then cover the fish with the marinade and let it seep anywhere from two to four hours making sure to ladle it over the fish once in while.

In this Food and Wine recipe Chef David Swain uses Spanish mackerel and the marinade consists of shallots, garlic, carrots and red wine vinegar. The fish is pan fried here but grilling would also work (smoky grilled mackerel is one of my faves). Before serving, the dish gets a dollop of tapenade. As you can see,  you can let your imagination run wild...

Can't be bothered? MOMO Dressing is here this week with their ginger and sesame dressings that are just waiting to dress up your fish for you.

Please welcome a new guest vendor: Christiane's Backstube - purveyors of classic German and Austrian desserts with a modern, and LOCAL sensibility. They will be selling Christiane's famous Black Forest Cake Squares, ,an updated version of Linzer Torte made with organic hazelnuts and Apfelstreusel made with local apples, natch.

Speaking of apples - the Honey Crisps are here a bit early this year. Get 'em while you can. I'm guessing they will be the first market ingredient to disappear this weekend.

And, with school back in session, small Red Jacket juice bottles are great for the lunchbox or an after-school heat quencher, mixed with cold seltzer.

Music is MILTON and yoga with Michele Rafferty starts at 9:45 tomorrow. AND the school calendars will still be available at the market.

Finally, Mayor Swiderski will be putting out a "Talk to the Mayor" table tomorrow.

See you at the market!

Pascale