John's Cajun Grilled Redfish on the half shell recipe as I remember it.

First, you need a freshly caught Louisiana Redfish !

(These are catfish in the photos, along with grilled veggies .  I can't seem to shoot a photo of grilled redfish since we eat them so quickly after grilling them !)

In order to catch some redfish to grill,  you need to have some good quality fishing tackle.  You can get that from Lake Charles Tackle. Don't you EVEN try to use a store-bought redfish. Some Cajuns say "dat's against the law down here, cher" .

Pick a freshly caught 20 -24 inch long redfish from your ice chest.  That's the size I prefer to grill. Make sure it's not frozen or his eyes arent cloudy. If they are, then shame on you. Throw it away and go catch another redfish for grilling.

     Fillet your redfish down the side, like you would a large mouth bass, but LEAVE THE SCALES AND SKIN ON !  Rinse the filet in cold fresh water and if there is any red meat ( we call it a bloodline), then carefully and slowly cut the red meat out with a thin filet knife and discard it. (that's why we dont eat the really big redfish. Too much wasted meat)

Drop it in a pan of ice water and do the other side of the red.
Remember to LEAVE the SCALES and skin on ! (This is why we call it "redfish on the halfshell")
Now, go outside and light your grill. Set it on medium heat for now.

Get the following ingredients gathered up:

1.  A container of Ball's Brand General Purpose Cajun Seasoning. ( Slap ya' Mama also works...but I prefer the Ball's brand, especially on redfish)
2.  Two fresh lemons.
3.  Four fresh limes.  Get the big ones.
4.  Fresh Cilantro.  ( you can use the kind from your spice rack if you must)
5.  Butter. I don't mean margarine, I mean BUTTER.  1 or 2 sticks will do.
6.  A teaspoon of garlic salt.
7.  Salt (I use sea salt when I can)
8.  Coarse ground black pepper.
9.  One bunch of fresh green onions with chives.
10. Two fresh, ripe and juicy tomatoes.

Melt one stick of butter in your microwave. Don't BURN IT !
Squeeze the juice of one lemon in it after it's melted.
Add the juice of Two limes.
Add a teaspoon ( I use 3 ) of Ball's Cajun seasoning...to taste.
Add 1/2 the garlic salt to taste...add the rest if  needed, later.
Add a tablespoon of minced Cilantro.
Add some diced green onions....maybe 2 to start with (save some for later)
Add salt and pepper to taste.

Mix it all up and taste it. If it "bites" too much, add more butter.  
Once you're satisfied...set it aside.
Now, take the other lemon and cut it in half.  Squeeze ONE half all over the redfish.  Slice up the other 1/2 of the lemon and set the slices aside.
Cut the 2 remaining LIMES and squeeze them on the filets.
Sprinkle some Ball's seasoning on the filets too. Not much....just a little.
Reheat your melted butter concoction a little in the microwave and pour ONLY HALF of it all over the fish.
Chop the rest of your green onions and lay them on top too. Cover it if you want.
Take the tomatoes and cut them into 1/4 inch thick ( or more) slices and lay them on a plate.
Pour 1/2 of what's left of your butter concoction over them to soak a while.

Go back out to your grill...and turn the fire down low.
Place the fish directly on the grill...scale side down.
Let it cook for about 5-7 minutes, then place the thick tomato slices all over the top of the fish.
Then add the lemon slices on top of the tomato slices.
Make sure the heat is low and close the dang lid, right now !
Go pour yourself a glass of iced tea, coffee or beer and rest for 5 minutes. (IF you're sure your grill isn't too hot.)

     Come back to the grill and check the tomatoes. If they are not soggy yet, close the lid and check it again in 5 more minutes. Once the tomatoes are soggy and nearly falling apart, you can check the fish.  Take a little piece of meat from the THICK end and try it.

     If it's not done, let it cook some more or GENTLY reposition the fish on the grill so the tail end wont burn, but so the thick end will get more heat. Dont worry about the bottom of the fish. You arent going to eat it anyway.  It's going to burn a little bit and some of the scales will fall off. When it's all done, pour the remaining butter concoction over all of it and serve it HOT with a slice of lemon or lime to squeeze over it.   YOU WILL FIGHT OVER THE TOMATO SLICES, so make CERTAIN you get a slice !

     Redfish is best when it tastes a little like beef steak ...some say. If it has a fishy taste....then : cook it longer, add more lime juice, or your fish wasn't fresh to begin with.

     Some good potato salad with a little jalapeno added, a fresh garden salad and tall glass of iced tea or a cold beer tops it off. One more thing we do sometimes:   3-4  minutes before you take it off the grill, toss some crumbled bleu cheese over the grilled redfish and let it melt. Grilled fish doesn't get any better than this. I use this grilled redfish recipe on nearly all the fish I catch in Louisiana. Nothing tastes better than fresh "redfish on the half shell" as we call it down here.

Many Thanks to John of Lake Charles for teaching me to Grill Redfish correctly !

Enjoy !

~Froggy~

Part time Louisiana food critic and beach bum in training.