Grilled Pompano with Smoked Tomato & Balsamic Vinaigrette

A smoke-first-then-grill approach to pompano, the rich, buttery Gulf Coast game fish that can take a full hour in the smoker without drying out thanks to its natural fat content. This two-stage method turns out restaurant-quality results: a deeply smoky interior from the slow smoke, and a crackling caramelized exterior from the final hot grill.

The slits cut ½-inch deep on both sides at 2-inch intervals aren’t just decorative. They help smoke penetrate deeper into the flesh during the hour-long low-and-slow phase at 200°F (95°C) and speed even cooking when the fish hits the grill. Without them, only the outer layer of the fillet picks up smoke.

After smoking, the fish gets a light brush of oil and a salt-and-pepper seasoning before hitting the grill for seven minutes a side. This creates the contrast that makes this dish: smoky and tender inside, grilled and slightly charred outside.

The vinaigrette is pure summer. Ripe red tomatoes, minced onion, fresh basil chiffonade, aged balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper chopped together into a chunky, raw sauce. Aged balsamic is where the depth comes from. Twelve-year or older vinegar has a port-wine syrup quality that ordinary supermarket balsamic can’t match.

Chef Tips

• Use applewood, pecan, or cherry chips for smoking. Avoid mesquite; it overwhelms the delicate fish flavor.
• Score the fish only through the skin and a bit into the flesh, not down to the bone.
• Let pompano rest 10 minutes between smoker and grill. Room-temperature fish grills more evenly than cold fish.
• Make the vinaigrette at least 30 minutes ahead so flavors meld before serving.

Variations

• Smoke the tomatoes too (20 minutes alongside the fish) for a truly smoked-tomato vinaigrette.
• Swap pompano for bluefish, Spanish mackerel, or steelhead trout (other rich fish that tolerate the long smoke).
• Serve over grilled polenta, crusty sourdough, or wilted bitter greens to catch the vinaigrette.