Who's Cooking: Tim Moon, Garden City
Garden City resident Tim Moon ranks chliean sea bass with pineapple pepper salsa as one of his favorite dishes to make. Credit: Steven Sunshine
A practice manager for an advisory firm, Tim Moon lives in Garden City with his wife, Mariclaire, and children, Liam, 5, Molly, 2, and Kieran, 5 months.
Where did you get your culinary skills? My mom was in the restaurant business and was always experimenting with different foods, and that's pretty much where I picked it up. I grew up hunting and fishing. My favorite things to cook are done on the grill or in the slow cooker outdoors. I think the open flame brings better flavor to food.
What dishes are you known for? Friends and family seem to most enjoy my Chilean sea bass, deep-fried turkey and honey rotisserie chicken. And I've perfected a pretty solid barbecue squid. Slow cooker favorites include bison chili, chicken noodle soup and pulled pork.
Tell about a recent dinner you made. For the Super Bowl, a friend and I did deep-fried turkey -- a sun-dried tomato and garlic version and a Cajun version, everything outside. We made a bunch of french fries, instead of mashed potatoes, and deep-fried pumpkin pie balls, which we served with ice cream. I'll be honest -- dessert didn't turn out that well.
What are some of your kids' favorites? My kids rarely eat what I cook because they are typical little kids and subsist on pasta with butter, fish sticks and the occasional piece of fruit or vegetable.
Where do you like to eat out? Riverbay in Williston Park. In Floral Park, Park Place and Shintaro -- the sushi chefs are great to me.
Grilled Chilean sea bass with pepper, lime and pineapple salsa
For the fish:
3- to 4-pound Chilean sea bass fillet, scales removed but skin on
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1½ tablespoons coarse sea salt
1½ tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
For the salsa:
1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and finely diced
3/4 cup thinly sliced green onion
1/2 cup finely diced jalapeño pepper
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 20-ounce can crushed pineapple, drained
1. Rinse fish in cold water, pat dry with paper towels. Lightly coat both sides of fillet with olive oil. Season the flesh side of the fish with salt and pepper. Refrigerate while preparing the salsa.
2. To make the salsa, combine ingredients. Stir well and refrigerate at least 2 hours. May be made a day in advance.
3. To grill fish, heat gas grill to between 375 and 425 degrees. Place fish skin side down and cook, with lid closed, about 25 to 35 minutes. Check every few minutes toward the end of cooking time by poking with a finger or a fork; when the thicker part of the fish begins to split or flake, it is cooked. Alternately, fish may be baked 30 to 35 minutes in preheated 425-degree oven, skin side down on large baking sheet. It is done when thickest part flakes when touched.
5. Use 2 large spatulas to remove fish, inserting between skin and flesh; discard skin. Serve with scoop of salsa. Makes about 8 to 10 servings.
