A summer-perfect pescetarian dinner from the NYC hotspot
At New York City’s Hemlock, seasonal vegetables—done creatively—take top billing, with proteins providing mere support. Take this summery grilled bluefish dish, which proffers a unique presentation of turnips. “We like to use each vegetable in multiple ways and the mustard flavor in turnip tops really mellows and turns sweet when grilled,” says chef Diego Moya. “The bottoms are peppery and sweet and look great on top of the crispy skinned fish.”
Below, three of Moya’s go-to grill recipes for warm summer nights:
Grilled Bluefish with Roasted Turnip Top and Raw Turnip Bottoms
Ingredients:
2 five-ounce portions of skin-on bluefish
Olive oil
Sea salt
1 bunch of Japanese turnips
Lemon juice
Directions:
Season bluefish liberally with oil first and then sea salt. Over high heat, grill fish fillet until mostly cooked through. Turn delicately onto aluminum foil to finish cooking. While fish is cooking, grill half of tops until charred. Toss raw and charred with sliced bottoms and lemon juice. Garnish fish with turnips.
Grilled Asparagus with Chopped Raw Asparagus Tops and Torn Herbs
Ingredients:
6 stalks of medium thickness asparagus
Salt
Lemon juice
Soft herbs
Directions:
Using both hands, click asparagus towards the base of the vegetable to tell where exterior becomes woody. Cut the rest at a similar point. Reserve bottoms. Finely mince bottoms of asparagus until fibers aren't apparent. Season with salt and lemon juice. In the same bowl, roughly tear soft herbs and season with more lemon juice. Grill asparagus across the grates until charred but not overcooked. Serve asparagus and garnish with chopped tops and herbs.
Grilled Radishes with chopped Raw Radish Tops and Caramelized Lemons.
Ingredients:
One bunch of large breakfast radishes
2 lemons
Olive oil
Sea salt
Directions:
Cut radish bulbs in half lengthwise. Reserve tops; clean in two changes of water. Roughly chop radish tops and reserve in a large bowl. Grill radishes and lemon until charred and cooked through. Place radishes in bowl and season with olive oil, juice of grilled lemons and sea salt.