Grilled ratatouille will use up all your vegetables while adding a tasty contrast to white- or light-colored fillets and steaks. Photo by Tom Schlichter.

Recipe by Felicia Scocozza

This is a great summer recipe to use up all your summer vegetables. It incorporates eggplant, summer squash, tomatoes and peppers; the highlights of late-summer gardens. Match it up to any light-fleshed fish. We chose mahi for this recipe but ratatouille goes great with sea bass, porgy, fluke, triggerfish, snapper, grouper, striper or even redfish.

Fresh picked veggies really do make a difference with this dish so harvest from your garden or hit the local farm stand if possible. Ratatouille can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator. It’s best served at room temperature or slightly warmed over the hot grilled fish. Pair this meal with a crisp Pinot Grigio to add more elegance. This recipe serves 4 to 6 people.

Grilled Ratatouille

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cooking Time: 12 to 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 10 metal or wooden skewers (if using wooden, pre-soak in water for 30 minutes)
• 1 medium eggplant cut into ½-inch cubes
• 2 yellow squash sliced down the center and then cut into ½-inch thick slices
• 2 green zucchini, cut same as yellow squash
• 4 bell peppers, yellow, orange or red, cut into ½-inch cubes. (Mix in hot peppers to taste if you like, cut into ½-inch cubes.)
• 1 medium red onion cut into half-inch chunks
• 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, any color or combination you like
• 3 cloves garlic, separated
• ¼ cup plus two tablespoons olive oil, separated
• + 1 tsp. salt, separated
• 1 ¼ tsp. black pepper, separated
• 1 ½ tsp. dried Italian seasonings, separated
• Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1 tbsp. fresh chopped parsley
• 1 tbsp. fresh chopped basil
• Pinch of salt

Preparation:                                                                        

1. If using wooden skewers, pre-soak in water for at least 30 minutes.
2. Put chopped eggplant, peppers, squash, zucchini and onions in a large bowl.
3. Put tomatoes in a separate bowl.
4. To the squash and eggplant mixture add ¼ cup of olive oil, 1 tbsp. salt, black pepper, 1 tsp. Italian seasonings and 2 cloves of grated garlic, and crushed red pepper flakes if desired. Set aside.
5. To tomatoes add 2 tbsp. olive oil, 1 tsp. salt, ¼ tsp. black pepper and ½ tsp. dried Italian seasonings and a pinch of red pepper flakes if desired. Toss.
6. Preheat grill to medium-high.
7. Slide tomatoes on one set of skewers, remaining vegetables on separate skewers.
8. Grill medium-high for 6 to 10 minutes on each side until nicely caramelized.
9. Remove skewers and slide all vegetables into a large bowl.
10. Add parsley, basil and pinch of salt to vegetables.
11. If not making too far ahead, let sit at room temperature while preparing fish.

Mahi

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cooking Time: 5 to 8 minutes

Ingredients:

• 5 lbs. mahi fillets or steaks (about 6 fillets or small steaks)
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 tsp Old Bay, cHarissa or seafood flavoring to taste
• Pinch of salt and pepper
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges

Preparation:

1. Brush mahi lightly with olive oil
2. Sprinkle with seafood flavoring, salt and pepper to taste.
3. Set grill medium-high, and cook for 5 to 8 minutes each side depending on thickness of the mahi.
4. Plate mahi and top with each fillet or steak with 2 heaping tbsp. of ratatouille. Reserve unused ratatouille for leftovers (it’s great over pasta).

Note: Unlike baking, cooking is not an exact science. Readers are encouraged to adjust and modify these recipes to their own tastes.