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Fish Fridays

Priscilla — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 18:14:54 +0000

We’re nearing the end of the Christian Lenten season which begins on Ash Wednesday (preceded by the celebrations of Shrove (or Fat) Tuesday) and continues for 40 days until Easter Sunday. Lent is a time when many Christians prepare for Easter by observing a period of fasting, repentance, moderation and spiritual discipline. The tradition of eating fish on Fridays is commonplace as is the convivial parish fish fry during Lent.

I’d like to share with you this lovely Spring recipe from Bon Appétit that includes a delicate piece of halibut wrapped in bright cabbage leaves, perfect any time of year, but I thought it especially appropriate for Fish Friday!

Cabbage Rolls with Halibut, Browned Butter, and Capers

Adapted from Bon Appétit, March 2011

Ingredients:

• Ice cubes

• 6 large savoy cabbage leaves*

• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature, divided*

• 1/4 cup drained capers, divided*

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley

• Coarse kosher salt

• 6 4-ounce halibut fillets

* Notes: My CSA delivery included an organic green cabbage – which is a vibrant green compared to the pale “green” cabbages found in supermarkets, so I used it instead of savoy cabbage. Also, I cook heart-healthy for The Don (and myself now that my cholesterol count has gone up) and eliminated half of the butter by not browning the fish packets and using the pan sauce as is.

• Bring large pot of salted water to boil. Fill large bowl with ice cubes and water; set aside. Add cabbage leaves to boiling water; cook 2 minutes. Using slotted skimmer or large slotted spoon, transfer leaves to bowl of ice water to cool. Drain. Gently pat dry.

• Place 4 tablespoons butter in small bowl. Chop 2 tablespoons capers and mix into bowl with butter, then stir in parsley. Season caper butter to taste with coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper.

• Place 1 cabbage leaf, vein side up, on work surface. Using small sharp knife, trim off some of thickest part of large center vein so that leaf will lie flat. Turn leaf over, vein side down. Place 1 fish fillet on bottom third of cabbage leaf. Sprinkle fish with coarse salt and pepper. Spread 1 tablespoon caper butter over fish. Fold bottom, then sides of leaf over fish. Fold tip of leaf over, enclosing fish completely. Place fish packet, seam side down, on rimmed baking sheet. Repeat with remaining cabbage leaves, fish, coarse salt, pepper, and caper butter. DO AHEAD Can be made 8 hours ahead. Cover and chill.

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Sprinkle fish packets with coarse salt and pepper. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add fish packets to skillet and cook until cabbage is light golden, about 2 minutes per side. (I skipped the browning step, thinking that the drizzle of butter caper sauce would brown the packets sufficiently – and it did.) Return fish packets, seam side down, to same baking sheet. Bake until fish is just opaque in center and firm to touch, about 7 minutes.

• Transfer fish packets to platter; cover with foil to keep warm. Place baking sheet over 2 burners on medium heat; add remaining 3 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons capers to baking sheet and cook until butter is golden brown, stirring constantly, 1 to 2 minutes. Add 2 teaspoons water to butter mixture and swirl to blend. Season (pan) sauce to taste with coarse salt and pepper. Spoon sauce over fish and serve.

Shown served with barley and shiitake mushroom risotto. Enjoy

Wishing you sunny days this weekend! And, last but not least, I was reminded of the genuine and generous spirit of the über-talented Victoria of Mission: Food when she celebrated her birthday last weekend and wanted to thank her for the two wonderful awards she bestowed upon me months ago. Mah bad for it taking me so long, I repent!

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Corfiote Fish Stew

Priscilla — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 23:36:11 +0000

With most of the country in the midst of a deep freeze, I thought a ray of sunshine from the Mediterranean island of Corfu would brighten your day. From the Bon Appétit special edition on Islands of the Mediterranean (May 2002), this recipe is from Rex Restaurant on the Greek island of Corfu and is representative of Corfiote cuisine, which is more Italian than Greek due to centuries of Venetian rule. The fish bourdetto – a fish stew with tomatoes and an earthy, peppery flavor – is the highlight of the menu at Rex, where locals and tourists alike come for a relaxing meal before or after a stroll on the cobblestoned streets of the Old Town.

Corfiote Fish Stew

From Bon Appétit | 6 Servings

¼ cup olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
½ teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
12 ounces plum tomatoes, diced (1 ¾ cups)
1 8-ounce bottle clam juice
¾ cup dry white wine
6 tablespoons fresh parsley, divided use
2 tablespoons tomato paste

6 – 6-7 ounce pieces of cod*

* I substituted sustainable cod for the halibut in the original recipe.

1. Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add onions, garlic, and crushed red pepper. Cover and cook until onions are tender, stirring occasionally. about 10 minutes. Uncover, increase heat to medium-high and sauté until beginning to brown, about 5 minutes longer.

2. Add tomatoes, clam juice, wine, 4 tablespoons parsley and tomato paste. Boil until sauce is slightly reduced, about 10 minutes. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool slightly. Refrigerate uncovered until cold, then cover and refrigerate. Bring to boil before continuing.)

3. Place fish in sauce; spoon sauce over fish to cover. Simmer until fish is just opaque in center, about 10 minutes. Mix in remaining 2 tablespoons parsley. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Shown here with ciabatta toasts smeared with Truffle Aioli and more ciabatta on the side for sopping up the flavorful garlicky tomato broth. Enjoy

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Olive-encrusted Pacific Seabass with Provencal Vegetables

Priscilla — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 14:10:49 +0000

While in Cannes, we decided to eat like the locals versus eat like Nicolas Sarkozy and returning to Nice to dine at La Petite Maison, widely known to be the favorite restaurant of the French president. The very helpful and congenial concierge staff at the Carlton, recommended Gaston Gastounette and La Cave to experience seafood and Provencal style cuisine.

Our first day in Cannes turned into a 10:00 p.m. arrival due to a 5-hour delay at Charles de Gaulle sirport and the two hours it took us to get our baggage in Nice – both directly related to the ongoing strike in France. That left two evenings to enjoy the local cuisine! My concierge connection Jean Michelle, arranged dinner reservations for Friday night at Gaston Gastounette; considered the city’s premiere seafood establishment, Gaston Gastounette is consistently named by Cannes regulars as the best place to get your fruits de la mer. The restaurant also has a magnificent view over the old port. According to one Cannes Festival guide, if you’re attending the festival, make sure you book in advance as this restaurant is popular.

Here I’m recreating the fabulous fresh-caught sea bream dish that I savored that evening. Sea bream is a mild white fish, very popular in Europe and distinguished by its flat body shape. With no sea bream in the markets here, I purchased Pacific white sea bass, a sustainable fish that is available in thick, flavorful steaks and not to be confused with Chilean sea bass which is on the Seafood Watch Avoid list because the species is so depleted.

Provencal Vegetables

1 medium eggplant, halved lengthwise, then quartered, chopped small
2 small zucchini, halved lengthwise, then halved again, chopped small
1 yellow bel pepper, cored and seeded, sliced into strips, chopped small
3 tablespoons sun dried tomato, packed in oil, drained and chopped
1 cup chopped fresh roasted tomatoes*
1 shallot, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided use

Serves 4-6

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spread the eggplant in a single layer on a rimmed cookie sheet, drizzle with two tablespoons olive oil and roast for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.

In a large skillet heat the remaining 2 oil over med-high heat. Add chopped zucchini and pepper and sauté for five minutes, stirring once or twice. Add the shallots, garlic and eggplant and cook for 5 more minutes. Add the sun dried tomatoes, roasted tomato, salt and herbs and cook for another 30 minutes until liquid is cooked down. The vegetable mixture should be moist but not like a sauce.

For the fish:

2 – 6-8 ounce steaks

1/3 cup picholine olives, pit removed and finely chopped

Rinse the steaks and pat dry with paper towels. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet over med-high heat. Spread the chopped olives on top of each steak, pressing to adhere. Gently place the steaks in the skillet, olive side up. Cook for about 4 minutes, gently turn over and cook for about 3 more minutes. The fish should be opaque nearly all the way through and flake under gentle pressure.

Mound the Provencal vegetables on plates, place the fish on top, garnish with drizzles of olive oil and a sprinkle of chives or green onions. Shown served with polenta.

Enjoy

Easily adapted to a vegetarian main dish:

Take a minute to enjoy these beautiful photos of Cannes.

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Post tags: California sea bass, Cannes, fish recipes, Gaston Gastounette, Pacific sea bass, Pacific Seabass with Provencal Vegetables, Provencal cuisine, Seafood, sustainable

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Grilled Whole Fish with Soy Ginger Sauce

Priscilla — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 23:44:28 +0000

Careening through the aisles of Costco in a carefully orchestrated path that circles around the wine bins and heads toward the fresh fish section, I quickly snatched up a length of fresh Sockeye salmon and was headed to the giant refrigerated produce room, when I spied a package of three colorful, whole fish in an Asian lady’s cart. I screeched to a halt to ask her what kind of fish it was – she replied, “red snapper”; and I asked her how she prepared it and she stated, “steamed with just some soy sauce and ginger” and added that she uses the head for soup, and smiled knowingly.

I laughed because I knew why she was smiling. Most Americans are squeamish just seeing a whole fish with the eyes staring back at them, have to make the obligatory “ewww” and “gross” exclamations, and wouldn’t even consider having a whole fish presented to them on a plate, much less eat the head or the eyeballs. Being half Asian, I know that Asians (and other cultures, too) do not let any part of a fish go to waste. The nice lady pointed to where the fish was in the case and said there was just one package left – I raced over and grabbed it. The eyes were clear, the gills bright red and the skin shiny - indicators of a good, fresh fish.

Personally, I think a whole fish, beautifully prepared and surrounded by fresh herbs and a fragrant sauce, makes for a striking presentation. Years ago, one of our favorite places to dine was Five Feet in Laguna Beach – and their signature whole catfish was the main reason.

On this day, I decided to grill the fish rather than steam it – mainly because I didn’t have a pan large enough, but also because grilling ensures that your whole house won’t smell like fish! A grill basket comes in handy, but isn’t necessary – before grilling use a paper towel, or your hands, to spread oil on the fish to prevent it from sticking.

Grilled Whole Fish with Soy Ginger Sauce

1 whole red snapper per person (cleaned and scaled)

1 bunch of green onions, washed and sliced into 1½ pieces

Heat the grill to medium-high.

Oil the outside of the fish with sesame oil and stuff fresh cilantro and sliced lime inside the fish cavity. Other herbs and lemon can easily be substituted.

For the sauce:

1/3 cup of soy sauce (I use Bragg’s Liquid Aminos)

1 tablespoon grated ginger

1 tablespoon of rice wine vinegar

You could also add minced garlic and a teaspoon or so of chili sauce.

Place the fish on a rimless cookie sheet and slide onto the grill. Grill with lid closed for 6-8 minutes, depending on thickness. Flip and grill on the second side until the flesh is opaque (white) and flakes easily, another 6-8 minutes. Remove the fish from the grill using a fish spatula and slide onto the cookie sheet.

Enjoy

The head was removed in the final shot to protect the innocent and the squeamish.

If you happen to have a fisherman in your house, or buy fresh fish that hasn’t been cleaned or scaled, visit Jaden at Steamy Kitchen for tips – she’s a fabulous cook, the author of the Steamy Kitchen cookbook, and has a funny, irreverent style.

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Grilled Tuna with Ginger-Lime Sauce

Priscilla — Mon, 24 May 2010 17:00:53 +0000

Cooking is not something that comes naturally – it’s a skill that’s developed over time just like anything else. Once you familiarize yourself with the tools of the trade and feel comfortable in a kitchen you’re more able to “throw” a satisfying and delicious meal together with what you have on hand.

Over the years I’ve actually set cooking goals for myself such as becoming a grilling expert so I didn’t have to rely on my husband to do it or finding and developing more creative ways to cook fish. I’ve posted several fish recipes that are part of my growing repertoire of fish preparations – here’s another quick and easy one that I hope you’ll enjoy.

Ahi tuna, also known as yellow fin or big eye tuna, is a meaty fish best served rare to medium-rare like a premium beef steak. Even though a well-done ahi steak is about as unappetizing to me as a well-done beef steak to beef lovers, there are people who prefer them cooked through.

Grilled Tuna with Ginger-Lime Sauce

Sauce Ingredients:

Juice of 2 limes

2 teaspoons grated ginger

2 cloves garlic, grated

¼ c. low-sodium soy sauce

¼ c. extra-vigin olive oil

¼ t. agave nectar, stevia, or sugar*

handful of fresh basil, finely chopped

Kosher or sea salt and pepper

1. 5 pounds ahi tuna, cut into 4 – 1″ thick pieces

Whisk all the sauce ingredients together, add kosher or sea salt and pepper to taste.

*I used the juice of a “Cutie” mandarin orange instead of one of the sweeteners listed. Also, cilantro can be substituted for basil if you’re a cilantro lover!

Preheat the grill to medium-high heat or you can use a indoor grill pan preheated over med-high heat.

Season tuna generously with salt and freshly ground pepper. Brush with olive oil (mixed with a bit of cayenne or Japanese togarashi spice if you like a little heat ). Place on the hot grill and sear for 2 minutes on each side for medium rare.

Spoon the sauce over the fish and serve immediately.

Enjoy

Notes: I’ve been very conscious about buying only sustainable fish. If you’re confused by this term, here’s a good source that contains a list and explains what sustainable means. Also, for many years I’ve substituted Bragg’s Liquid Aminos (pictured above) for soy sauce.

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Morrocan Swordfish

Priscilla — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 17:06:12 +0000

I’ve been posting a lot of fish recipes lately because we’re trying to eat less red meat and this weekend was no exception, especially since The Don returned from a very successful show in Fort Worth, TX where beef rules (just ask Oprah). Fort Worth’s visitors bureau boasts “Cowboys and Culture: an unmistakable mix of preserved Western heritage and unrivaled artistic offerings” and has the only twice-daily cattle drive and a rodeo every night.

So, when in Rome…, he enjoyed the succulent steaks at Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steak House where they serve up prime aged, corn fed beef straight from the Midwest and the most tender BBQ brisket he’s ever had at a place called Riscky’s BBQ, part of Riscky family of restaurants which began in the heart of the stockyards and where ranchers, cattlemen & cowboys have been eating since the 1920’s.

He is now on a double dose of Lipitor *kidding* and welcomed a fragrantly-spiced, grilled swordfish steak. I adapted this recipe from one found in Cooking Light. Cumin, cinnamon, and ginger are common spices in Morrocan cuisine, so I have dubbed this delicious dish:

Moroccan Swordfish

Ingredients:

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground cumin

¼ teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon, fresh ginger, minced

2 teaspoon, grated orange rind, divided use

2 teaspoons, extra virgin olive oil, divided use

2- 8 ounce swordfish steaks*, about 1-inch thick

Sauce:

½ cup orange juice

2 tablespoons coarsely chopped walnuts

1 tablespoon honey

Combine first six ingredients in a bowl. Rub spice mixture over both sides of swordfish. Cover and chill 30 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the sauce by combining the orange juice, remaining teaspoon of the orange rind and olive oil, walnuts, and honey in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer. Set aside; keep warm.

Heat grill on high. Lower heat to medium-high, grill fish until it flakes easily, about 5 minutes on each side. Be careful not to overcook or the swordfish will be tough and dry. It’s always better to undercook fish – it continues to cook after being removed from the grill.

Drizzle with sauce. Serve with couscous – if you never prepared couscous, you’ll wonder why; it’s so easy and only takes 10 minutes (5 minutes to boil the water and 5 minutes for the couscous to cook). Trader Joe’s carries regular, wheat, and Israeli couscous (pictured).

Serves 2.

Enjoy

*I’ve also been very conscious about buying only sustainable fish. If you’re confused by this term, here’s a good source that contains a list and explains what sustainable means.

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Halibut with Heirloom Tomatoes

Priscilla — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 14:55:38 +0000

This dish was a “No Recipe” creation. Like a lot of the things I cook, I take inventory of the refrigerator and pantry contents, picture the end result, and use my taste memory to settle on flavors that complement each other. This takes some experience in cooking – it’s like anything else, the more you do it the better you get and, of course, you have to go grocery shopping to have the raw materials in your fridge and pantry

So here’s my creation – a quick, simple + seasonal, nutritious dinner that I’m calling it Halibut with Heirloom Tomatoes (the two ingredients that I bought – the other ingredients were in my fridge).

Halibut with Heirloom Tomatoes

2-8 ounce halibut fillets

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

red pepper flakes

3 cloves garlic, minced

6 ounces yellow teardrop heirloom tomatoes

8-10 pitted kalamata olives, quartered lengthwise

prepared bruschetta sauce*

¼ c. chopped Italian parsley

Preheat grill on high. Brush halibut with olive oil. Lower heat to med-high. Grill the halibut about 4 minutes on each side, depending on thickness.

In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat, sprinkle red pepper flakes into the oil, add the tomatoes and sauté for 1 minute, add the garlic and olives and cook for about 2 minutes until tomatoes are softened. Set aside.

Spoon tomato/kalamata olive sauce onto the plates, top with the halibut, sprinkle with parsley, and serve immediately. Quick, easy, and delicious!

Enjoy

*I used Trader Joes’s bruschetta sauce and spooned a little on top of the halibut for more color. Added color and texture is always good. You could use pico de gallo or fresh salsa, too.

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Friday’s Fish

Priscilla — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 15:02:28 +0000

Recently, I posted a recipe for Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya in honor of New Orleans and Fat Tuesday. What exactly is Fat Tuesday all about?

Roman Catholics around the world celebrate Carnival, which comes from the Latin phrase “the removal of meat”, and is the three day period preceding the beginning of Lent on Ash Wednesday. The Tuesday before Ash Wednesday is Shrove Tuesday and is more popularly known by the French term Mardi Gras, meaning “Fat Tuesday”, because it is the last day of excess before the fasting traditions of Lent.

Lent has traditionally been marked by penitential prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Some churches today still observe a rigid schedule of fasting on certain days during Lent, especially the giving up of meat, alcohol, sweets, and other types of food. Other traditions do not place as great an emphasis on fasting, but focus on charitable deeds, especially helping those in physical need with food and clothing, or giving money to charities. Read more about the season of Lent here. Fish on Friday became a tradition because those of Catholic faith abstain from eating meat on Ash Wednesday and every Friday during Lent. Exceptions to the rules of abstinence are made (by the bishop) – especially, if St. Patrick’s Day falls on a Friday - for real

So here’s to Fish on Friday, or any day of the week. This fish preparation is embarrassingly easy, no-recipe delicious – I think we can all appreciate that!

Halibut with Lemon and Capers

2 fresh halibut steaks, 8 oz. each

prepared seafood spice rub

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon capers

Serves 2

Preheat broiler.

Brush halibut with canola oil, sprinkle with spice mix such as lemon pepper or Lawry’s Seafood Rub, broil for 5-8 minutes (depending on thickness) until fish is opaque. Melt the butter, add lemon juice and teaspoon of capers. Drizzle fillets with a little lemon butter sauce half way through to produce wonderfully moist fish with a golden brown crust. Spoon remaining lemon caper sauce over fish and serve immediately.

Shown here with roasted fresh asparagus.

Enjoy

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Post tags: capers, easy fish recipes, fish recipes, halibut, lemon, Lent

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