Cuban Mojo & Grilled Whole Yellowtail Snapper

Besides being a Florida Keys favorite, Cubans love yellowtail snapper. I thought that for this week’s recipe a Cuban Mojo might be great with grilled yellowtail.

Mojo is a Latin garlic citrus table sauce that is served with many foods. Great on meats, veggies, fish,  it’s kind of a Latin vinaigrette. It’s made with sour oranges (available at Latino groceries) but you can mix fresh OJ and lime juice with good results. The intense, garlicky, sour citrus flavor worked perfectly with the sweet flavor of the yellowtail. The sauce has plenty of flavor so we didn’t marinate the fish. We just basted it with a little olive oil, salt and pepper.

For the Mojo
1/3 cup olive oil
8 to 10 cloves garlic, minced
2/3 cup sour orange(available at Latino grocery stores, or equal portions fresh orange and lime juice)
1/2 tsp cumin seed (roasted in a pan, then ground with a mortar & pestle, if possible)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Heat the olive oil in a deep saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant and lightly toasted. Just about 30 seconds should do it.

Add the sour orange juice, cumin and salt and pepper. Bring to a rolling boil. Taste and balance seasoning.

Cool before serving. Mojo is best when served within a couple of hours of making, but it will keep for several days in a tightly sealed container, in the refrigerator.

For the Fish
Whole yellowtail snapper, scaled, gutted & gilled
Olive oil
salt & pepper

Score the sides of the fish, baste with a little olive oil and season with salt & pepper. Cook over a hot, well-oiled grill for several minutes a side (internal temperature should read just over 120 degrees. Remove the fish from grill, transfer to serving platter, and garnish with fresh mojo (which has been cooled) before serving with fresh crusty bread.