When it comes to coffee, I am a one-cup-in-the-morning kind of gal.
Oh sure, there’s the occasional scoop of coffee ice cream or espresso-flavored tiramisu at the end of the evening. And even maybe some coffee-infused barbecue sauce now and then on smoked pork or chicken.
But coffee on fish?
Say what?
Having tried it now, I swear by it.
By happenstance, I came across a recipe in the New York Times for “Coffee-Rubbed Grilled Fish” when I was planning to grill a couple of branzino for dinner.
It’s a recipe from Oregon home-cook Rashad Frazier that was adapted by cookbook author and food writer Nicole Taylor. It was pegged as a Kwanzaa dish, but it will turn any day you serve it into a celebration.
Just grind a few teaspoons of coffee. You can even use decaf like I did.
Mix it with onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne, cumin, brown sugar, salt, and ancho chile powder. I was out of the latter, so I subbed in Aleppo pepper flakes instead that I ground finely. The recipe calls for 2 teaspoons of cayenne, but you can decrease that for less heat. I used 1 teaspoon and even that had an ample amount of warmth.
Coat the branzino with vegetable oil, then pat the coffee rub all over the fish, inside and out. Do remember to score the fish first, which I — ahem — forgot to do. Should you also be remiss, the fish will still turn out flavorful, just more so if it does indeed have those slashes to work the rub in deeper.
Grill the fish about 5 minutes per side, and dinner is done.
The skin turns crispy and the flesh so moist and flaky. The taste is deeply earthy, smoky, and just a touch bitter in the best of ways like coffee is. There’s a boost of umami and a tickle of spiciness.
It’s such a simple rub, but it adds so very much.
The recipe states that two branzino serve 4. But if you’re like my husband and I, it may only serve two, with one whole fish a piece because it is just that good.
Coffee-Rubbed Grilled Branzino
(Serves 2 to 4)
2 whole fish (1 to 1½ pounds each) such as branzino, gutted and scaled (see Notes)
2 teaspoons medium-ground coffee
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons ground cayenne (see Notes)
1 teaspoon ancho chile powder or Aleppo chili powder
1teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste
3 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more for greasing the grill
Lime wedges, for serving
Prepare an outdoor grill or heat an indoor grill pan to medium-high, ensuring the grates are very clean. Using a sharp knife, score the fish with four diagonal slashes through the skin on both sides.
Mix the coffee, onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne, ancho, cumin, brown sugar and 1 teaspoon salt in a small bowl. Pat the fish very dry with paper towels, then drizzle with the oil and rub over the skin. Sprinkle the coffee rub all over the exterior and cavity of the fish and massage the seasoning into nooks and crannies.
Oil the grill grates or pan. Place the fish on the hot, greased grates, and cover, if using a gas grill. Grill, turning once, until skin is browned and crisp and the flesh is opaque, 5 to 6 minutes per side. The crisped skin should naturally release from the grate when turning and removing the fish. If it doesn’t, let it sit until it does. If it’s still stuck, carefully pry the skin off the grate with a spatula. Season to taste with salt, and serve right away with lime wedges.
Tips: Other whole fish, such as rockfish, snapper and bass, work here too, as do other varieties and cuts, such as catfish or salmon fillets or tuna steaks. Increase the cooking time for bigger fish and decrease for fillets and steaks. The fish is done when the outsides are browned and the flesh opaque.
For less heat: Reduce the cayenne to 1 teaspoon.
Adapted further from a Dec. 23, 2020 New York Times recipe from Rashad Frazier that had been adapted by Nicole Taylor