Grilled Halibut Steak with Corn & Mango Salsa

The heat of summer has definitely set in. With triple-digit temperatures forecasted for the upcoming week, there is no looking back! When it is this hot, I definitely like to eat light and fresh.

The hot weather takes me back to my Italy days, when I lived in a third-story apartment that was over a century old and without air conditioning. The town sat along the Po River, and when summertime hit, temperatures would climb to 90 degrees and 80 percent humidity. Are you sweating yet?? I would set the alarm early and open the apartment up to allow the cool evening air to circulate throughout. My apartment had these amazing windows that went all the way to the floor, so you can imagine how welcoming those cool morning breezes were. Once the heat would start to creep in, I would close up the apartment, pull the shades down – I even put the beach towels over the shades to black out the sun even more – and my “cave days” began.

The heat certainly affected the lifestyle of the local Cremonese people. As the cool evenings set in, we would escape the overheating kitchens and sit outside to enjoy our meals “al fresco”, underneath the beautiful Venetian blue skies. I fell in love with this part of the Italian culture. I hope you enjoy this recipe while sitting outside and enjoying the evening with family and friends.

My menu this week includes fresh, seasonal ingredients – grilled halibut steaks served with roasted corn and mango salsa fresca, and accompanied by fresh greens, couscous, or any vegetable in season to complete the meal.

The thicker cut of the halibut steak is a great choice because it can stand up to the heat of the fire or charcoal grill, especially when it’s time to flip it over! Grilling the mango and corn allows for a deeper flavor to develop once incorporated with the ingredients of a salsa fresca.

The beauty of this dish is that it is versatile. If you don’t have a grill, you can make the salsa fresh and cook the fish in a pan on the stove or in the oven. I highly recommend enhancing the flavor and texture by grilling on your Bull BBQ. If you cook the fish on the grill, most of the ingredients can be cooked at the same time. Also, you take what little mess there is outside and keep the kitchen nice and cool, and most importantly, clean!

Tips from the Chef for properly cooking the halibut steaks:

Make sure your grill is nice and clean. This will ensure a beautiful grilled piece of fish. Preheat the grill for at least 5 minutes on high heat. Once hot, use the Bull Dual Handle Mega Monster Brush, and your grill will be residue free and ready to go.
Oil the grill grates before cooking. I like to use olive oil and a clean kitchen rag. Once the grill has preheated, wipe the entire surface with the oiled rag to ensure a nonstick surface.
Once you put the fish down on the hot grill, do not touch or move it. This will allow for clean grill marks on your fish. Once the fish has gone from opaque to translucent and it’s time to flip the fish, I highly recommend the Bull Vineyard Rosewood Handle Spatula or the Bull Soft Grip Handle Spatula. Using a wide spatula allows you to get under the entire filet and flip it with ease and control.

Ingredients

Salsa

2 pieces corn, yellow or white, shucked and rinsed under water
1 large, ripe, firm mango
3 roma tomatoes, small dice
½ small white onion, cleaned, small dice
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
¼ cup cilantro, washed, minced
1 serrano pepper, deseeded, minced
salt to taste

Halibut

4 pieces thick cut halibut steaks
½ cup evoo
Kosher salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Cook Time & Servings

Prep time: 30 mins
Cook time: 8 mins
Serves: 4

Instructions

For the salsa: Turn the grill on high heat.
Cut the mango down, flat sides, to get two large pieces. With a peeler, carefully remove the skin of the mango. Or, watch this video for a fun trick and works every time for me!
Shuck the corn. Rinse and clean under water.
Brush the mango and corn with olive oil, and season with salt.
Grill the corn and mango for 6-10 minutes, rotating to assure grill marks on all sides.
Prepare the remaining salsa ingredients and place into a bowl.
Once cool, cut the kernels of corn off the cob and transfer into the bowl with the salsa ingredients.
Cut the mango into small dice and add to the salsa. Let it sit for at least 30 minutes in order to infuse all the flavors of the salsa.
For the fish: Follow the tips from the chef to preheat and season the grill.
Brush the fish with the evoo and season with salt and pepper.
Cook the fish over the high heat, until the opaque color of the fish turn translucent, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Carefully flip the fish using the Bull spatula and let it cook until the filet is firm and starts to slightly flake, approximately another 4 to 5 minutes.