Redfish on the Half Shell

A truly Texan specialty.

Credit: Landon Nordeman

Of all the dishes chef Bryan Caswell serves at Reef, his genre-defying restaurant in Houston, this is the one he considers the most truly Texan. Redfish, which has long been a favorite Gulf fish (though a ban on commercial catches means that most are farm-raised these days), is grilled in its "shell"—simply the skin (scales and all, which have been left on the filet), grilled to a crisp. The technique, favored by locals who can't be bothered to scale their fish, keeps the flesh tender and moist. Seldom has laziness begat something so delicious.