Opakapaka! Opakapaka!

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We may be speaking too soon, but I think summer may be here or at least it felt like it last night.  Nothing beats coming home and finding that it is warm enough to sit on the deck, enjoy a glass of wine and not have to pull on your cable knit sweater. No, we do not live in the North Pole, it is true we live in San Francisco.  No one may realize that it is usually freezing cold most of the summer and this year it seemed to stick around longer than normal.  I was dying for it to be warm enough out so we could lounge around the grill and make Opakapaka! Opakapaka!

When we do see the sun, we do not talk about “how hot” it is, we appreciate it and we don’t curse it, instead, we get in the mood for summertime foods. Tonight it was going to be fish! Opakapaka was looking good at the market, so brought it home. Opakapaka is a very dense Hawaiian snapper. I normally do not see it at the market, in fact, the last time I did see it was in Hawaii and that on my dinner plate.

I usually prefer to grill my dinner especially when it is warm enough to enjoy the deck; but, I was not sure about grilling this cut as with normal snapper it usually falls between the grates on the grill. Instead, we opted to bake it, using a standby fish recipe.  I wrapped the opakapaka in foil and seasoned it lightly with a nice white burgundy, a little butter, sea salt, and fresh ground pepper, and lots of lemon zest. It came out ultra moist and very flavorful. The fish is dense so it flaked nicely.  I did make a citrus salad with a secret dressing and served the two together – it was a marriage made in heaven!

Pour yourself a glass of cold white wine, but not too cold, pull up a chair, and Opakapaka!

More Healthy Fish Recipes to Make

Fish Fillets with Warm Tomato Olive Vinaigrette 

Grilled Black Cod with Herbed Butter

Roasted Chilean Sea Bass with Baby Asparagus

Recipe:  Opakapaka! Opakapaka!

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. of Opakapaka, if you can find it or you can just halibut, snapper, or cod
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 2 T. butter diced into small pieces
• 1 Lemon – Zested
• Salt and Pepper to taste

How To:

1. 1. Heat oven to 400 degrees.
   2. Clean fish and pat dry.  Lay on top of a piece of foil.
   3. Drizzle wine over the top.  Season with salt and pepper, top with diced butter and lemon.
   4. Wrap shut, leaving room between the top of the foil package and fish.  Place on a baking sheet.
   5. Put into the oven and bake for about 15 – 20 minutes, depending on the thickness of your fish.
   6. Take out of the oven.  Let sit about 5 minutes, cut into serving sizes.
   7. Serve.
   8. Eat.