July 8, 2001 – The lazy days of summer bring time for fishing — from the rocks, from the docks, in a tournament or for pure enjoyment — as well as opportunities for relaxing over a restaurant meal. Either way, it's fresh fish on the plate that makes for the ultimate dinner delight.
Of the nearly five hundred species of fish that swim in waters surrounding the Virgin Islands, the most popular for eating include tuna, wahoo, dolphin (a fish also known as mahi-mahi, and not to be confused with the mammal dolphin), snapper, grouper, yellowtail, hind, old wife and king mackerel — also called kingfish.
Traditional cooking methods call for boiling the fish and serving it in a sauce made of butter, onions, tomatoes, garlic and green seasonings, or for deep frying it. If you are fishing in the annual Bastille Day Kingfish Tournament on July 15 on St. Thomas and looking for a new — and fast — way to prepare your catch, try the recipe below:
Nutty-Cheese Crusted Kingfish Steaks
1/2 cup chopped peanuts *
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/4 cup chopped scallions, including green tops
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 teaspoons fresh snipped chives
6 kingfish steaks, cut 3/4-inch to 1-inch thick
3 tablespoons fresh lemon or lime juice
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Combine peanuts, cheese, butter or margarine, scallions, mayonnaise and chives in a mixing bowl. Set aside.
Place kingfish steaks in a single layer in a lightly greased 13×9-inch baking dish. Pour lemon or lime juice over fish and sprinkle with pepper.
Broil fish steaks for 6 to 8 minutes (depending on thickness) or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Remove fish from oven and spread nut and cheese mixture across top of steaks. Broil fillets an additional 2 to 3 minutes or until cheese is lightly browned and bubbly.
* For variations in taste, substitute chopped cashew nuts or slivered almonds for the peanuts.
Makes 6 servings. Per serving: 432 calories, 26 grams fat (54 percent fat calories), 102 mg cholesterol, 538 mg sodium.
Food note: King mackerel can be a source of ciguatera toxin, which affects the neurological system. Ciguatera comes from an organism that attaches itself to algae around tropical coral reefs. Unfortunately, it is all but impossible to detect in fish before eating. If after eating fish you develop symptoms of ciguatera poisoning — nausea, a tingling sensation all over, the inability to differentiate hot from cold — see a physician immediately.
Nutrition note: Recent studies suggest that the omega-3 fatty acids found in all fish — and in highest concentrations in mackerel, salmon and herring — may help relieve rheumatoid arthritis, lower blood pressure and even protect against some forms of cancer.
