I like Orange Roughy because it is very mild tasting and has a soft but substantial texture. I haven't had if for a long time and now I remember why. It is expensive and not widely available.
Orange Roughy fish are reknown for the long lives. Some apparently live to 150 years!
However, this means they mature late in life and the population, if overfished, are slow to recover. There have been fishing bans and management practices put in place since the late 1980s. Today New Zealand operates the largest orange roughy fishing operations.
Next time I will probably go for another white fish, cod or tilalpia would work just as well.
You can grill this fish on the grill or pan fry it. I made a garlic, lime oil and let it steep for an hour or so and brushed it on while cooking. The salsa you can serve cold or room temperature on the side to brighten up and add flavour. I used mango and strawberries. I also saw some lychees in my vegetable deparment so I snapped them up. They are optional if not readily available.
Wine Pairing
I would serve this with one of my favourite white wines- Muscadet Sevre et Maine. These crisp white wines come from the Loire Valley in France and are made from the Melon Blanc grape. They are clean, crisp and dry - a perfect accompaniment to a fish dish. And as an added bonus - very respectable examples can be had in the $15 range.
Pinot Grigio or a fruity rosé would work too.
Orange Roughy with Mango Lime Salsa
Ingredients
- 4 white fish filets about 24 ounces total
- 2 Tbsps olive oil
- 1 large clove garlic pressed
- 3 limes ( juice of 3 and zest of 1)
- 1 mango diced
- ½ cup strawberries diced
- 5 lychees optional
- ¼ cup sweet red pepper diced
- ¼ cup red onion diced
Instructions
- Combine olive oil, garlic and juice of 1 lime. If it is convenient let the mix sit for a while to allow the flavours to steep. If you don't have time to steep it just use it as is.
- Clean and dice fruit and red pepper. Stir fruit with the juice of 2 limes.
- Cook fish on medium high heat, brushing with the garlic, lime olive oil. Cook about 3-4 minutes per side. When fish is opaque it is done. Do not overcook or it will become dry and tough.
- Serve with fruit salsa. Garnish with lime zest.
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