Grilled Bonito Food

SMOKED BONITO

Steps:

• Dissolve the salt an sugar in the water. Soak the bonito fillets in this brine, in the fridge, for 4 to 12 hours; 8 hours is my sweet spot.
• Remove the fish from the brine and set on a rack over a tray, skin side down. Let these rest, uncovered, in the fridge up to a day or two, but at least 1 hour. You can also let them rest at cool room temperature in a breezy place, like under a ceiling fan or near an open window, for an hour or two.
• Get your smoker ready. I prefer alder wood here, but any fruit wood is nice, too, apple and cherry especially. Slick the skins of the bonito with some oil and lay them on the smoker grates. Smoke over low heat, as low as you can go, for up to 3 hours, or until they are nicely bronzed. I set my Traeger at 165F for this.
• Remove the fish from the smoker and let cool to room temperature before vacuum sealing and storing. They will keep in the fridge a week, and up to a year in the freezer. Or, eat them hot!

GRILLED BONITO

Steps:

• Butterfly the fish.
• Brush the flesh with the oil and grill on the barbecue or under the grill for 8-10 minutes. Remove from the heat.
• Mix the garlic, chilli and lime and sprinkle on the fish.
• Serve immediately with a fresh salad and new potatoes.

CHARRED SPICED BONITO TACOS

Steps:

• Light the grill. In a medium-sized, nonreactive bowl, toss the fish with lime juice, 1/4 cup olive oil, and Chipotle Rub. Cover, refrigerate, and let marinate about 1 hour. Oil grill and cook fish over a hot fire until lightly charred and medium-rare (it should still be pink in the middle), about 3 minutes.
• In a warm bowl (so fish does not cool too much), shred fish. Taste for seasoning and sprinkle with a little more Chipotle Rub and lime juice, if needed. Top with radish and scallion and serve warm with salsa and tortillas.