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Grilled Cobia with Herb Butter

Category: Florida Seafood & Fish Yield: 4 servings (scale 2/4/6/8 in the app) Prep 15 min Cook 10 min Total 25 min Method: GRILL Main: cobia

Cobia is a firm, mild fish that holds together well on the grill. A pat of lemon-herb butter melts over each hot fillet as a simple sauce. Scale the people count in the app to 2, 4, 6, or 8 — ingredients adjust from this base of 4 servings.

Open interactive cooker (change people count)

Food safety

Grill cobia to 145°F or until opaque and it flakes easily with a fork. Keep the herb butter refrigerated until serving and use a clean platter for the cooked fish. Scrub lemons before zesting and rinse herbs under running water.

Allergens: fish, milk

Equipment

  • outdoor grill or grill pan
  • wide metal spatula
  • small mixing bowl
  • knife
  • cutting board
  • instant-read thermometer

Ingredients (for 4 servings)

  • 1.5 pounds cobia fillets, about 1 inch thick
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 4 tablespoons butter, softened
  • 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon fresh chives or green onion tops, finely chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 1 lemon, cut into wedges

Directions

  1. 1. Scrub the lemons under running water before zesting and cutting. Rinse the herbs and chop finely.

  2. 2. Mash the softened butter with the parsley, chives, garlic, lemon zest, and a pinch of the salt. Cover and refrigerate until serving.

  3. 3. Heat the grill to medium-high, clean the grates, and oil them well.

  4. 4. On a board used only for raw fish, pat the cobia dry. Rub with the oil and season with the remaining salt and the black pepper.

  5. 5. Grill the fish 4 to 5 minutes without moving it, then flip with a wide spatula and grill 4 to 5 minutes more.

  6. 6. The fish is done when it is opaque and flakes easily with a fork, or reaches 145°F in the thickest part.

  7. 7. Move to a clean platter, top each fillet with a spoonful of herb butter, and serve with lemon wedges.

  8. 8. Chill leftovers and any remaining herb butter within 2 hours (1 hour if the room is above 90°F).

Skill taught

Grilling firm fish fillets without sticking and finishing with a compound butter.

Affordable substitution

Use frozen mahi-mahi or swordfish steaks thawed in the refrigerator overnight, or tilapia cooked in a grill basket.

Optional variation

Use fresh dill or cilantro in the herb butter instead of parsley.

Leftovers & storage

Cool and refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours (within 1 hour if above 90°F). Store at 40°F or below. Reheat to 165°F until steaming hot.

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