Perch with warm peach salsa

This recipe combines my two summer favourites, fresh fish and peaches, in a wonderful way.

Ingredients

Perch fillets for four people
1 tsp. fresh ground pepper
2 tbsp. thawed frozen orange-juice concentrate
3 cups bite-sized pieces of fresh peaches
1/2 cup red bell pepper, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
1 cubanelle pepper, finely chopped
1 mild banana pepper, chopped
1 tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped

Instructions

Preheat grill to medium. Coat rack with non-stick cooking spray. Brush fillets with orange juice and sprinkle with pepper. Perch is tender, so I put it in a foil package. If you use a firmer fish, cook it directly on the grill.

Fold a 36- x 12-inch piece of heavy foil in half, crosswise. Place peaches and peppers in centre and toss with remaining juice. Bring up the edges and seal. Place peach packet on the grill and cook for 10 minutes (peaches should be hot). Place perch package beside peaches and grill for 5 minutes. Check for doneness and return, if necessary, until fish flakes with a fork.

Open the peach packet and sprinkle with cilantro. Serve with the fish right off the grill. If you want a milder salsa, remove the jalapeno pepper from the mix.

First published in the July 2012 issue of Ontario OUT OF DOORS.