Grilled Green Shark: Pesto Mako

Grilling fish in the summer is the best way to bring out the rich natural flavors of any fish and celebrate warm weather. In Cape May for Memorial Day weekend, we saw Mako Shark at the Lobster House Fish Market and picked some up. We bought 3 steaks to share and brought them home for a quick and easy meal. Mako is actually an overfished seafood, so buy with care, but we figured it was a vacation and a rare purchase. Mako tastes a lot like swordfish, but is a little more moist and has a milder flavor. 

For the meal, I rubbed the mako steaks with some basil pesto that we had in the fridge, and made asparagus and cranberry couscous and a salad. The meal took all of 30 minutes to make, and was light and full of flavor. The pesto worked perfectly with the mako, and the couscous and salad provided bright, fruity flavors to go with the fish. If you're in a hurry, this recipe would work with any firm fish that you want to grill and is very quick and tasty.

Ingredients:
1.5-2 lbs mako steaks
3 tablespoons of basil pesto plus some for the table (either store bought or homemade)
1 box couscous
6 asparagus slices on the diagonal into thin pieces
1/3 cup dried cranberries
Your choice of lettuce
1 ripe plum tomato
1/2 cucumber
3/4 cup of blueberries
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1/2 lemon, juiced
2 tablespoons of vinegar
2 tablespoons of olive oil

To Cook:

1. Rub the mako with the pesto and heat up the grill
2. Grill the mako for 4 minutes a side until firm to the touch
3. Sautee the asparagus in oil in a saucepan
4. Add 2 cups of salted water to the pan and bring to a boil
5. Add couscous, cover, and turn off the heat
6. Let sit for 5 minutes until water is absorbed, fluff with a fork and add cranberries
7. Cut and toss salad ingredients
8. In a mug or bowl, mix the mustard, vinegar and lemon juice with a little salt and pepper
9. Slowly pour in olive oil and mix with a fork to emulsify
10. Toss salad with dressing