This elegant yet incredibly easy preparation uses almost all the parts of a pineapple to yield tasty fillets of bass or snapper. The pineapple’s peel acts as a buffer against the direct heat of the grill, preventing overcooking and keeping the fish moist, and its flesh becomes a tasty salsa that brings home the island flavors. The plating of the fish, right on the pineapple “planks,” is dramatic and fun.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 45 min |
| Active: | 25 min |
| Yield: | 4 servings |
Ingredients
- 1 ripe pineapple
- One 2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled
- 1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more for brushing
- 2 ripe plum tomatoes, seeded and diced
- 1 small orange bell pepper, finely chopped
- 1 medium jalapeno, chopped (seeded, for less heat, if desired)
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
- Kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon honey
- Four 6-ounce skinless fillets bass or snapper
Instructions
- Prepare a grill for medium-high heat. Cut the top from the pineapple and discard. Cut the sides off to make 4 flat planks. Finely dice the pineapple flesh (discard the core) and put it in a medium bowl.
- Finely grate the ginger and add half to the bowl with the pineapple; reserve the rest. Add the cilantro, oil, tomatoes, bell pepper, jalapeno, lime juice and onion to the diced pineapple. Season with 1/4 teaspoon salt, then toss well and refrigerate while you make the fish.
- Stir the soy sauce and honey together with the remaining ginger in a small bowl. Brush the fish with oil and sprinkle lightly with salt. Brush the tops (the flesh side) of the pineapple planks with some of the soy sauce mixture and place the fish fillets on top of the planks. Brush the remaining soy sauce mixture on the tops of the fillets, folding the thinner part of the fillets under if needed to fit on the plank.
- Place the pineapple planks on the grill, cover and cook until the fish is just cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve the fish on the planks topped with some of the salsa. Serve the remaining salsa on the side or reserve to serve with chips.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 4 servings |
| Calories | 384 |
| Total Fat | 11 g |
| Saturated Fat | 1 g |
| Carbohydrates | 40 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 5 g |
| Sugar | 29 g |
| Protein | 33 g |
| Cholesterol | 136 mg |
| Sodium | 1165 mg |
Reviews
I made this using red snapper. Everything was very good, but the pineapple under the fish was very hard to eat. The salsa was fabulous! Next time I will cut off the outer part of the pineapple and then cut slices to put under the fish. That way you get the pineapple in the salsa as well as some grilled pineapple to enjoy!!!!!! Definitely a make again dish!
Silly question but do you eat the pineapple it was cooked on and if so did it a fishy taste at all?
This was delicious and using the pineapple planks on the grill worked perfectly to keep the fish moist. I agree with the previous reviewer about how much salsa it makes, I only used about 1/4 of the pineapple and adjusted the other ingredients accordingly and still had some leftover. I used tilefish, thicker portions. I will definitely make this again, if only to use the pineapple planks to cook fish but the salsa was delicious also.
The pineapple seemed to keep the fish extra moist and the marinade was tasty. The planks made for a nice presentation. My pineapple wasn’t sweet so that may have affected the salsa which was quite tart and needed sugar. The onions and cilantro, which I cut back on, overwhelmed the rest of the ingredients. This makes a lot of salsa so if you don’t want it for something else, I’d cut the recipe in half.
Fresh tasting, moist, and absolutely delicious! Used fresh black cod and cooked 15 minutes on medium on my gas grill..
Absolutely delicious!!!! Very easy to make and beautiful!!!!
I made this in the oven but had to mess with it to get it to work. I cooked it at 350 covered in foil. I think I would do 400 next time. The salsa was great and I also served it with a gremolata. Any could side ideas? I am not clear that pineapple planks added anything to final cooking however.
Never made the fish. The salsa was divine! I made the dressing with 2 Tbl each soy sauce & maple syrup. Oh mama! Yummy.
Same comment as anonymous–any one have suggestions for successfully doing this in the oven?–We don’t all have grills. Maybe broil?
Also, could this be done with pieces of chicken?
Can this be adapted for cooking on/in the stove?