We don’t know how it went for you this summer, but we had a great time in the backyard this year. The result is that we are a few kilos heavier. Perhaps it is wise to do something about that in the coming months.
At the fishmonger, we saw some nice cod fillets. We had an excellent idea for that. It was almost noon, so it became a sandwich. Grilled cod on a soft roll is perfect for a light lunch. We added a nice pico de gallo and dill mayonnaise. The latter is not really light, but you should not overdo it.
You can make the dill mayonnaise and pico de gallo well in advance and keep in the fridge. The flavors only get better. By the way, there are many recipes for pico de gallo. As long as it contains tomatoes and some fresh herbs, you can experiment with this. We added fresh cilantro and fresh dill this time. Some people don’t like cilantro. It’s strange, but some people don’t. They can use parsley instead.
The dill mayonnaise is not really diet-friendly, but you could replace the mayonnaise with Greek Yoghurt. Of course, it tastes different, but it’s a lot lighter.
We season the cod fillets with a lemon pepper rub. For this, we ground dried lemon peels in the blender. That is an excellent base for fish herbs. These fillets were nice and thick, so they could use a good layer of rub. Otherwise, you will need a thin layer. Afterward, you can always sprinkle a little more on the fish if the taste disappeared after grilling.
When grilling fish, especially without skin, your grill must be clean and hot before you put the fish on it. Of course, the fish is provided with a little olive oil before grilling, but a clean grid is essential.
Cod is a flakey fish and gets more flakey during grilling. To make turning more effortless, we placed the fillets in a fish clamp. Nothing worse than that your fish falls between the grates in the coals.
The sandwich is very straightforward. We use a soft tip for the sandwich. In the Netherlands, we are spoiled with great bread and rolls. Start with a large dollop of dill mayonnaise. Then the grilled cod and you finish with the pico de gallo. Serve them right away as they cool down quickly.
Ingredients
- 400 grams of cod fillet
- olive oil
- 4 soft rolls
For the lemon pepper dry rub
- 1 tablespoon finely ground lemon zest
- 2 teaspoons of coarse salt
- 1 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon of onion powder
- 1 teaspoon of garlic granulate
For the Dill mayonnaise
- 4 tablespoons of mayonnaise
- zest of half a lemon
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp chopped dill
- 1 clove of pressed garlic
- a few drops of tabasco
- a little bit of black pepper
Pico De Gallo
- 15 cherry tomatoes
- 1 clove of garlic pressed
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp chopped cilantro
- 1 tbsp chopped dill
- 1 tsp lemon juice
Instructions
- Make the dill mayonnaise and pico de gallo by merely stirring everything together. Put it in the fridge until the fish is grilled.
- Prepare a grill with 2 zones. One to grill and the other to place your fish when it is going too fast.
- Mix everything for the lemon pepper dry rub. Spread some olive oil over the cod fillet and sprinkle the fish with the dry rub. Place the fillet in a fish clamp.
- Brush the grid clean and wipe it with a paper towel with a little olive oil.
- Grill the cod on both sides to a core temperature of 60°C (140F). If it goes too fast and threatens to burn the fish, you can slide it to the cooler side.
- Cut the rolls and start with a generous spoonful of the dill mayonnaise. Then the grilled cod fillet and a little pico de gallo. Serve while it’s hot.