Fish With Grilled Salsa Verde

Preparation

1. Step 1

   Light a grill. (If you are lighting charcoal, use plenty of it.) Season the fish with the cayenne, salt it liberally and return it to the refrigerator. When the grill is hot, cook the tomatillos, jalapeño and onion slices, taking them off the heat when they are soft and charred. Remove the skin and seeds from the jalapeño and roughly purée it with the tomatillos in a blender or food processor. Transfer to a serving bowl. Chop the onion slices and stir them into the salsa verde with the cilantro. Season well with salt.

2. Step 2

   When the fire has burned down to a medium heat (if you are using gas, simply turn down the flame), oil the fish and the grate. Grill the fish flesh side down first, turning once, until cooked through. The time will vary depending on the kind of fish and the heat of the fire but should not take more than 10 minutes. Thin the salsa with ¼ cup water until the consistency is more like Thanksgiving gravy than applesauce, and pass the bowl of salsa at the table.