King Grill Steak with Herby-Buttery Pesto

I was inspired to make this dish since our recent visit to Italy. It is a simple but delicious meal for two. My husband (the Taste Master) was impressed with my twist on the traditional pesto (which is normally made of basil, pine nuts and extra olive oil  ground to a creamy texture with hard cheese such as Parmigiano-Reggiano and Pecorino added). We had this 'on the rocks' with beer and made for a delicious and wholesome meal. It goes well with a side of salad, lemon wedges or even toasted bread rolls or garlic bread.

The cast:

• King Fish fillets - 2 (wt. about 225 gms each or 8 oz each) - cleaned and patted dry
• Pesto sauce
• Ground Black Peppercorn - 2 tbsp
• 6 garlic cloves - crushed in a mortar and pestle or with the back of your kitchen knife
• 2 tsp olive oil or extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp parsley leaves (chopped)
• 100 gms salted or unsalted butter at room temperature
• Salt to taste (take care if you are using salted butter)
• Juice of 1/2 lemon

The play:

Cooking Time: 15 minutes, Preparation Time: 20 minutes


1.Take the pesto sauce and mix well in a grinder with the butter. Roll the prepared herby-butter in a cling film (this can be refrigerated for at least 3-4 days in advance). I placed mine in a plastic air tight container to avoid spillage in case of power-cuts which happens often here in India (esp. in summers). Defrost before use.

Pesto Sauce

2. Marinate the fish fillet with lemon juice and ground pepper and crushed garlic(you can also insert the garlic pods in the eye of the fish fillet which is the bone at the center) with salt to taste.

King fish steak marinated and bagged

3. Heat the oven or grill to a high and lower heat. You can place an iron skillet to the oven with a dash of olive oil with the marinated fish fillet and cook on both sides for at least 2-3 minutes. If you are using a grill, lightly dab the marinated fish with the olive oil on both sides and allow to cook at least 2-3 minutes on each side. Make sure when you are taking out the fish on the skillet to use oven mitts or a thick cloth as the skillet handle would be hot!

Layering the marinated king fish in grill pan

3. Add the chopped parsley leaves.Once cooled, transfer the fish contents along with the juices in the skillet(or the juices collected on the tray below the grill) to a air tight sealed bag and refrigerate. You can do this a day in advance. Thaw at room temperature before use.

4. On a skillet, add a drizzle of olive oil and place the thawed fish fillets along with its juices.

5. Turn to the oven for 2-3 minutes on each side and then add a a slice of the herby-butter (to desired thickness) on top of each fish fillet and return it to the oven until the fish is cooked and butter melted. It should take another 3-4 minutes.

6. Do not overcook or fish will return dry. Your King#1 is ready to eat!

Enjoy...Bon Appetit!

King Grill steak with Herby- Buttery Pesto