“Fish, to taste right, must swim three times: in water, in butter and in wine.”

― Polish Proverb

Peter and I finally have an outdoor cooking device! Ever since we’ve moved in together, neither of us have owned a grill. In the summer we set up the portable camp grill (the one with the mini green propane tanks) on the deck. However, I have to admit, it is less than inspiring to cook on when you are not camping and the comfort of your stove is only steps away. So, you can imagine after many seasons of lusting over grilling & smoking recipes, we were ecstatic to be gifted a brand new Traeger. Peter’s lifelong friend is a Traeger rep and set us up with a beautiful Pro Series Traeger wood pellet grill/smoker. Traeger is like the Ferrari of smokers. Not only it is a beautiful piece of machinery, it is also high tech and user friendly. The pellet-fed smoker can monitor temperature of the cooking chamber and internal temperature of the meat you are preparing. You can also access and control the temperature via an app. Hello low and slow carefree cooking!

So for the very first inaugural meal, Peter went full gourmet. He prepared a beautiful meal for three using a recipe from the Traeger website: Smoked Chilean Sea Bass by Doug Scheiding. We wanted to try our first recipe the way Traeger intended us to cook. Therefore, we bought the Traeger brand rubs and Traeger Wood Pellets at Atkinsons’ Market in Hailey. I was absolutely shocked by how easy and perfect this meal turned out. It was very flavorful, buttery texture, cooked to perfect, with just a hint of smokiness. Delightful! So good in fact, that I am requesting Peter make this dish again for company next week!

If you have a Traeger or smoker, I encourage you to try some gourmet fish recipes out. They are fun, easy, and obviously turn out great! If you don’t have a Traeger or smoker, explore these recipes and test them out in different cooking mediums, either in the oven, gas grill, or use the marinade portion to create something on your own. Have fun!

Traeger Smoked Chilean Sea Bass
4 Servings
40 Minutes

Ingredients

• 1/4 C grapeseed oil
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 8 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 Tbsp fresh oregano
• 1 Tbsp fresh thyme
• 1 tsp Traeger Blackened Saskatchewan Rub
• 4 ea (6 oz) fillets of fresh Chilean or Striped Sea Bass, skin off
• 8 Tbsp (1 stick) butter
• Traeger Fish & Feather Rub
• Traeger Leinenkugel’s Rub

Recipe

1. For the Marinade: Combine all grapeseed oil, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, thyme, and Saskatchewan Rub in a large Ziploc bag and mix thoroughly.
2. Add the sea bass to the marinade and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes turning at least once.
3. When ready to cook, set temperature to 325℉ and preheat, lid closed for 15 minutes.
4. Place the butter in a cast iron skillet large enough for the fillets to lay flat and place on the grill for a few minutes to melt completely.
5. Remove the fish from the marinade and place on a clean, flat surface. Pour the marinade into the pan with the butter.
6. Season the fillets liberally with Traeger Fish & Feather Rub then a lighter coat of Traeger Leinenkugel’s Rub. Place the fillets in the pan with the butter mixture and place back on the grill.
7. Cook the fillets for about 30 minutes gently basting once or twice with the hot butter mixture (try to keep the rub on the top of the fish).
8. Remove the fish from the grill when the internal temperature reaches 160℉.
9. Garnish with additional fresh thyme and lemon slices. Enjoy!

*Cook times will vary depending on set and ambient temperatures.