By Week 440. Year 9. Tommy is 42. The Fourth of July cookout on Claycut Drive — the annual institution, the neighborhood gathering, the brisket or the hog or the ribs on the pit and the thirty or forty people in the driveway and Carl at the door and the sparklers at dusk. Colette (15) in high school, painting. The summer is loud and hot and full.
Made smoked ribs this week — the kind of food that fills the house with the smell of Louisiana and the knowledge that whoever walks through the door is walking into a home where the stove is on and the food is ready and the welcome is unconditional. The meal was the day. The day was the meal. Both were good. The roux keeps turning.
We had ribs on the pit and thirty-some people in the driveway, but it’s the grilled fish sandwiches that keep showing up at our cookouts — light enough for the heat, bold enough to hold their own next to everything else on the table. When you’re feeding a neighborhood and Carl’s at the door and the sparklers are still an hour away, you want something that comes off the grill fast and lands right every time. This one does both.
Grilled Fish Sandwiches
Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 10 min | Total Time: 25 min | Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 4 firm white fish fillets (tilapia, cod, or mahi-mahi), about 6 oz each
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
- 4 sandwich buns or hoagie rolls, toasted
- 4 leaves romaine or green leaf lettuce
- 4 slices tomato
- 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup tartar sauce or remoulade
- Lemon wedges, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the grill. Heat an outdoor grill or grill pan to medium-high heat. Lightly oil the grates to prevent sticking.
- Season the fish. Pat fillets dry with paper towels. Brush both sides with olive oil, then sprinkle evenly with garlic powder, smoked paprika, onion powder, salt, black pepper, and cayenne if using.
- Grill the fillets. Place fish on the hot grill and cook 4–5 minutes per side, flipping once, until the fish is opaque throughout and flakes easily with a fork. Do not move the fish until it releases naturally from the grates.
- Toast the buns. During the last 2 minutes of cooking, place buns cut-side down on the grill until lightly toasted and marked, about 1–2 minutes.
- Build the sandwiches. Spread tartar sauce or remoulade on both sides of each bun. Layer with lettuce, a grilled fish fillet, tomato, and red onion slices.
- Serve immediately. Plate with a lemon wedge on the side and pass extra sauce for the table.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 390 | Protein: 36g | Fat: 11g | Carbs: 34g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 620mg