Southwestern Grilled Walleye With Tortilla Sauce

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Southwestern Grilled walleye With Tortilla Sauce

Marco

The sweet taste of walleye is the perfect complement to the spicy flavors of the Southwest. If you like fiery food, increase the cayenne in both the marinade and the spice rub. The tortilla sauce is a wonderful addition, but if time is short, the recipe is excellent without it. Serves six.

Fish. . .

6 walleye fillets, about 5 ounces each

Marinade . . .

zest and juice of 1 lemon

1/3 c. lemon juice

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3 tsp. salt

1 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 1/2 c. buttermilk

Spice rub . . .

1 tbsp. chili powder

1 1/2 tsp. each, ground coriander and salt

1 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. each, cayenne, dried oregano, freshly ground black pepper

Tortilla sauce . . .

1/4 c. olive oil

2 lg. garlic cloves, minced

1 med. onion, chopped

3 stalks celery, chopped

1 lg. jalapeno, seeded, stemmed, and minced

1 lg. tomato chopped

1 1/2 tsp. chili powder

1/2 tsp. cumin

2 c. chicken broth

1 c. unsalted tortilla chips, crushed

2 oz. each Monterey Jack and cheddar cheeses, grated

commercial tomato salsa

For the marinade, place all of the ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk until blended. Pour half the marinade in a flat non-reactive dish. Lay the fillets flat in a single layer. Pour the remaining marinade over the fish. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.

For the tortilla sauce, heat the olive oil in a pot over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add the garlic and sauté for several minutes, until fragrant. Add the onions, celery, and jalapeno and continue to cook, stirring frequently until the onions are transparent. Add the spices and cook another two to three minutes.

• Stir the chopped tomato into the mixture, then add the chicken stock and stir well. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat slightly, and cook for 10 minutes.
• Add the tortilla chips, reduce the heat to medium low, and cook for approximately 20 minutes until the chips become soft.
• Add the cheese and stir until blended. This is a thick sauce. If you need to thin it, add additional chicken stock. Keep the sauce warm until ready to serve.

For rub, in a small bowl, combine all of the spices and blend well. Just before grilling, remove the catfish from the marinade. (Discard the marinade.) Sprinkle both sides of the fillets liberally with the spice mixture and rub it onto the fish. Grill over medium-high heat for about 4 minutes per side or until the fish becomes opaque in the thickest section.

Place a heaping 1/3 cup of the tortilla sauce on each plate and top with the grilled fish. Top each fillet with a tablespoon of your favorite commercial tomato salsa.