Mediterranean Fish Kebobs

We have a fascination with Kebobs. It must be our primal instincts that make us savor the thought of our meal being skewered and cooked over an open fire. You can take a protein, add some vegetables and seasonings, wrap it in foil and cook it over an open fire but it is not the same. The kebob is beautiful raw, it’s beautiful while it’s cooking, and its flavor far exceeds its beauty.

In this recipe, I used salmon but don’t stop there. You can use halibut, swordfish, seabass, cod. Any firm thicker fish will work perfect. The important part is to have chunks large enough to allow plenty of time for the vegetables to cook as well. If you use too small of a portion of meat or fish, the protein will inevitably turn out dry and tasteless.

Marinating is like putting a fancy dress on the kebob. Without something showy, it’s just another kebob. I used a simple marinade of lemon juice, oil, thyme, parsley, and red pepper flakes (to give it that extra zest of flavor).

Then came the grilled garlic pita bread. It’s starting to seem more like a Greek fish gyro now. So, why not top it off with a cool cucumber dill sauce. I am never quite sure where my ideas are going to lead me. This recipe seems to have led me to an exotic island in the Mediterranean.

Now, what to serve with it. I am pretty much committed to a Mediterranean theme; I might as well keep going. Orzo pasta seemed like a perfect partner but maybe just a little too heavy. Why not partner that pasta with equal amounts of spring mix to lighten it right up. I tossed it in a light vinaigrette dressing with feta and oregano. Then added tomatoes, celery (for crunch), kalamata olives and top it with a little more feta. I can’t say you’ll feel like you just visited Greek Town but you’ll find these recipes light and refreshing, accentuating the attributes of every ingredient.

This recipe serves 4-6 people. I prepared 4 skewers each with 8 ounces of fish. You could reduce the portions of fish to 6 ounces per skewer (using 3 chunks of fish per skewer) and add more vegetables. So instead of using 2 pounds of fish, you could use 1 ½ pounds of fish if you were serving 4 people.

I listed the recipes in the order I created them. Most of them can be done ahead. There is a little bit of chopping and whisking to be done but to me that is part of the fun!

Click here to see the recipe for the Orzo Salad with Mixed Greens.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Mediterranean

Keyword halibut, kebob, salmon

Servings people

Ingredients

Cucumber Dill Sauce

2 cup English Cucumber peeled, seeded and sliced thing, 1/2 a cucumber
1/2 cup Sour Cream
1/2 cup Yogurt
1/2 teaspoon Lemon Zest chopped
3 tablespoons Lemon Juice fresh
2 teaspoon Dill fresh (1 teaspoon if using dried)
2 Scallion sliced
1 teaspoon Sea or Kosher Salt

Fish Kebob Marinade

1/4 cup Lemon Juice fresh
1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 teaspoon Sea or Kosher Salt
1/2 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
2 teaspoons Garlic minced
2 teaspoons Fresh Thyme choppped
1 tablespoon Fresh Parsley chopped

Fish Kebobs

4 9 inch skewers
2 pounds Salmon, Halibut, Sea Bass, Cod or Swordfish cut into 16 chunks of equal size, the pieces can be folded over
8 slices Zucchini 1/2 inch thick
8 slices Summer Squash or Patty Pans 1/2 inch thick
4 slices Lemon 1/4 inch thick

Grilled Garlic Pita Bread

4 Pita Bread
Garlic Infused Olive Oil

Instructions

Cucumber Dill Sauce

Combine the sour creams and yogurt. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, dill and salt. Mix well. Fold in the cucumbers and the scallions. Set to the side. Can be made a day or two ahead.

Fish Kebob Marinade

Whisk the lemon juice, olive oil, salt and redpepper flakes until salt has dissolved. Add the garlic, thyme and parsley. Set to the side until 30 minutes before you are ready to grill the kebobs.

Fish Kebobs

Soak skewers for 30 minutes. Per skewer: Fish, Yellow Squash, Zucchini, Fish, Lemon (folded in half), Fish, Zucchini, Yellow Squash, Fish.
30 minutes before grilling, cover fish kebobs with marinade.
Heat grill to 450 degrees. Clean grates thoroughly and coat with oil. Grill kebobs for 10-12minutes. Turn halfway through the process. Only turn if the fish lifts from the grill grates. If they don’t release, wait another minute or so.

Grilled Garlic Pita Bread

Rub pita bread with infused garlic oil. If you don’t have infused garlic oil, light coat with pita bread with olive oil and sprinkle with granulated garlic.
Once you have turned the fish kebobs, put the pita bread on the grill and cook for a couple minutes (or until you have grill marks). Flip the bread and grill for a couple more minutes.

To Serve

Place pita bread on a dinner plate. Place fish and grilled vegetables on pita bread and top with Cucumber Sauce. Serve Orzo Salad on the side.