Monday, August 22, 2011

Tequila Sunrise Broiled Fish

A tequila sunrise is slightly retro cocktail of orange juice, tequila, and a splash of grenadine. Why not use it as a marinade? The white fish soaks up the tart, sweetness of the orange and the hint of tequila. I wanted to balance the sweetness with heat, so I added a chopped jalapeno pepper, which did the job nicely. Since the fish doesn't marinate for very long, this dish comes together quite quickly and isn't in the oven for long, which is good for a hot summer day when you don't want to heat up the whole house for an hour. I could also see this as a good marinade for chicken, although you could leave the chicken in longer. I made this version as a quick weeknight dinner party for my girlfriends and it was a hit. We'll have to do it again soon, except maybe I will limit myself to less than 12 Chocolate Mint and Strawberry Mojitos next time. Oh well.
Tequila Sunrise Fish
Ingredients:
1 orange
1/4 cup tequila
1 tsp. grenadine
1 jalapeno pepper
Olive oil
Salt

1. Lay the fish in a shallow dish that just fits them without too much extra room. Sprinkle with salt. 2. Juice the orange and put the juice into a small bowl.
3. Finely chop the jalapeno and add to the bowl. I removed the seeds first, but it you want extra heat, keep some seeds.
3. Add the tequila, grenadine, and about 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper.
4. Pour the mixture over the fish and let marinade for 15 minutes up to 1 hour. Since there is acid in the orange juice, it will slightly "cook" the fish. You don't want to leave it on too much more than an hour or so because the acid will break down the proteins too much and your fish will be mushy.
5. Spray a baking dish with non stick spray and place the fillets on the pan. Drizzle lightly with olive oil. I poured most of the peppers and about 2-3 Tbs. of marinade over as well to keep the fish moist.
6. Broil the fish in the oven for 15-20 minutes (depending on the thickness of your fillets) until they flake apart easily and are opaque, which means they are fully cooked.
7. Serve with light side dishes for a very bright summer dinner.

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