Barbecued John Dory with pistachio, preserved lemon & caper salsa

SERVES 4

4 x 180g fillets of John Dory (or other white-fleshed fish), skin on lemon wedges, to serve

PISTACHIO, PRESERVED LEMON & CAPER SALSA

1 cup (140g) unsalted pistachios, lightly toasted in a dry frying pan and coarsely chopped

1 tablespoon salted capers, rinsed, drained and finely chopped

½ preserved lemon, flesh and pith removed, rind finely chopped

½ teaspoon mild chilli flakes (or salsa macha chilli paste)

½ cup (125ml) extra virgin olive oil juice of 1 lemon

1 cup (30g) coriander leaves

1 About 30 minutes beforehand, remove the fish from the fridge and let it come to room temperature.

2 PISTACHIO, PRESERVED LEMON & CAPER SALSA Put the pistachios, capers, preserved lemon and chilli flakes in a bowl. Stir in the olive oil and lemon juice, then fold through the coriander leaves. Give it a grind of pepper, then check the seasoning – you probably won’t need salt with all the salty elements here, but add a little if you think it needs it.

3 Heat the barbecue to hot and clean the grill bars. Brush the fish with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Put on the grill, skin side down, and cook for 3 minutes, then carefully turn the fish over and cook for a further 2–3 minutes, depending on thickness. Don’t let it overcook.

4 Place the fish on four plates and spoon over a generous amount of Salsa, then place a lemon wedge on each plate and serve.

Variations

Swap pistachios for almonds or macadamias, or fold some chopped green olives through the Salsa.

Another sway of cooking John Dory fillets is to place them, skin side up, under a hot overhead grill until the skin is crisp and the flesh is just cooked, turning once. John Dory is also a great fish to cook whole.