Fruits of the sea, FISHIES

Fish, ah fish.  Can you imagine the first time anyone ate fish?  That was really a test of faith.  Who would have thought that those swimming things were even edible?  Unless of course one asked a sea lion - he would have given a resounding bark to that question!.  And we've never looked back.

We've already introduced several fish dishes in this book/blog by way of the 'potato/corn chowder with seafood', 'citrus BBQ with fish and shrimp' and 'green chile with seafood', plus there's the 'pull out the stops turkey dressing with seafood' that was given right off the bat.  But these dishes below offer the fish ingredient a bit more centrally, and they're a great addition to any recipe box.

BUTTERMILK MARINATED

PAN-FRIED FISH  

Having loved camping as a kid, nothing beats waking up in the pines to the aroma of trout or catfish frying in butter.  I’m not saying I was successful at fishing, but we can safely say it usually wasn’t me who provided the meal. 

Fresh fish, in my mind, doesn’t require much additional flavor, as we like the subtlety of fish.  Most folks are intimidated at the prospect of preparing and cooking fish properly.  They worry that the odor or the timing will produce something less than desirable, and they may be right.  But when I cook fish, this is how I do it, stovetop fashion.  Some of the avoidance of pan-frying fish is the smell.  Obtaining the very freshest fish is the top priority.  A good way to neutralize any ‘gamey’ or ‘fishy’ odor and to enhance the proper flavors is to immerse the prepared fillets in a soak of buttermilk.  The enzymes and the nature of the dairy product makes it absorb and neutralize ‘off’ flavors, as well as the consistency of buttermilk is a good ‘glue’ for a dusting of flour, creating a crisp and flavorful coating.

Rinse the fillet portions of fish (sole/flounder, trout, catfish, tilapia, perch, orange roughy, monkfish, red snapper, calamari, salmon, swordfish, soft-shell/blue crab, abalone etc) in cool, clear water. Dry well.  Place in containment and coat in buttermilk and any flavors you’d like to lightly permeate the flesh.  Remember, the buttermilk works to neutralize flavors, so only a few can work at this time.  Their influence will remain delicate, as they should be with fish.  Hot sauce, wines, beers and vinegars should survive through the soaking, as well as spices of seed or nut origin like nutmeg, pepper, mace, caraway, cumin and cardamom.  Then the very strong spices like cayenne, peppers/chipotles, ginger, hot mustard and horseradish.  These flavors, however, need to be examined as to how they go with different fish.  I put a splash of dry white wine and a bit of nutmeg, pepper, cayenne and salt with my buttermilk for my calamari, trout, roughy or tilapia.  With catfish or salmon – hot sauce, pepper, cumin and ginger are perfect.  With cod, snapper or abalone – beer, hot mustard and cayenne fit nicely.  These will be delicate aftertastes, which works best with the lightness of fish.

Marinate the fish in a container/bowl under plastic wrap, or in a well-sealed zip lock bag, and chill for a good half hour to an hour, no more.  Don’t rinse the fish afterward, but carefully shake off as much liquid as possible over the sink and dab onto a paper towel quickly and then lay onto a wire rack to dry just a bit more.  If you have the notion to add dry spices that were too delicate to add to the marinade, like the leaf flavors:  basil, thyme, oregano, marjoram, chervil, cilantro, dill, fennel, tarragon and so on, apply them very lightly to the fish now.  Rich ground spices work well like powdered mustard, paprika, ginger, cayenne, garlic and onion, but I insist, be gentle.  Also considered would be the small whole seed/berry flavorings like caraway, sesame, dill, celery, and mustard that can survive the short frying, and of course, fresh ground pepper.  Smell the herbs, spices and other flavorings and let your knowledge of blendings and taste history give you a leg up as to which flavors to try. 

In a broad dish, set ¾ cup at a time of wheat AP or cake flour mixed well with ¼ cup of cornstarch, potato flour or Wondra flour (options:  along with a 1/4 cup corn meal, processor pulsed or crushed bits of packaged onion rings or shoestring potatoes, wheat germ, potato flakes and/or Panko bread crumbs would be a nice option as well, or savory seeds like sesame, onion, poppy, caraway etc) and a pinch of salt.   Carefully dust the moist herbed/spiced fillets in the flour mix and return to the rack while preparing the pan.  Use a non-stick pan to minimize the oil needed.  Heat to medium hot and place the oil – which could be full-flavored like the wonderfully associated butter, or less rich by halving the butter with canola or olive oil or using a heart-healthy butter-flavored margarine good for frying – only a tiny bit, a thin layer of the oil and spread with the spatula evenly on the surface.  The stronger flavored extra virgin olive oil could be used, but the general delicacy of most fish asks for a more neutrally flavored version of an oil.  

Carefully slice several large cloves of garlic paper-thin.  Just before placing the fillet on the hot surface of the pan, lay out five or ten slivers of garlic into the pan just under the fish fillet.  When the fish is turned, the garlic will adhere and flip with the fish, also creating a nice visual pattern. The raw heat of the garlic will be neutralized by the caramelization and only add a delicious complement to most any fish. 

Timing?  If the fillet is a half-inch thick or under (which most are), then cook the first side to golden – about two to three minutes, and flip.  The second side should be about the same or less, but feel the fillet with your fingers, if it ‘wiggles’ or moves within the thickness, it needs more time.  If it feels solid yet has a ‘give’, then it’s right.  For every quarter of an inch thicker than a half inch, add another good 30 seconds to the cooking time each side but still test. 

A finish for the fish?  Well, almost nothing beats lemon and/or fresh lemon zest (or lime), which is always a good flavor enhancer.  Toasted almond, pumpkin or sunflower nuts sprinkled over at serving also would be lovely.  But for a new and tasty tartar sauce, I can heartily recommend mixing a quality mayonnaise with a bit of the Salsa Sorpresa I have here in this book, along with a squeeze of lemon or lime.  This Salsa Sorpresa sauce is perfect with fish, and really works with catfish!

STUFFED FISH ‘SANDWICH’

with avocado and crab                  serves two

First off, this is not a bread sandwich.  The fillets of fish are the outside ‘slices’, with the avocado and crab being the filling inside.  You don’t pick it up with your hands.   This is a fancy dish, you may have to use cloth napkins and wear a tie.

Choose a good, firm white fleshed fish, like cod, tilapia, haddock or flounder.  The fillets usually start out at about three or four inches by seven or eight inches.  Each fillet makes one sandwich, with both cut in half making a total of four squares (or four smaller fillets making two sandwiches), and salt and pepper both sides.  They are quickly grilled and layered like a sandwich with the crab and avocado filling inside.  Top with bacon followed by a butter sauce with capers and cream.  A real ‘ta-daa!’ meal.

Tools:  cutting board, mixing bowl, sauté pan, spatula

Ingredients:

            2     fish fillets cut in half to make four ‘squares’

            4     half-long strips of bacon, cooked fully but still

                         undone enough to be pliable – keep warm

Filling:

            1     shallot, diced ¼ inch, half for interior; half for

                        cream sauce, diced even more finely

            1     small bell pepper, stemmed, seeded/deveined,

                        diced ¼ inch – about 3 tbs to ¼ cup

            1     clove garlic, minced

            1     tbs butter, or heart-healthy margarine

            ¼    tsp cayenne

            pinch each tarragon and dill, dried – double if fresh

            salt and pepper to taste 

1    tsp flour – wheat, corn or potato starch

1     medium sized tomato, stemmed, seeded and

           the flesh diced ¼ inch

            1     small avocado, halved, skinned and sliced

            4     oz crab meat (fresh, frozen, or canned), checked

                       for shells – or Krab, rough fingertip sized dice

            ¼   cup dry white wine and/or chicken stock

                       (best if both together in the ¼ cup)

            1     tbs toasted pine nuts, sunflower nuts, sesame

                       seeds, pumpkin seeds

   

              Sauce:

            2     tbs butter, diced ¼ inch, cold and firm

            2    egg yolks blended with ¼ cup heavy or sour cream,

                       plus 1 tbs each wine and/or stock, and lemon juice     

1     tbs capers

            ½   tsp jalapeno pepper, stemmed/seeded/deveined,

                      minced very small (about ½ to 1 jalapeno,

                      as you like)

            sprinkle of paprika; pinch dried tarragon and/or basil

                      – or chopped fresh

Preparation:  In sauté pan bring the bacon to just under normal crispness, remove. In same pan in the bacon renderings, heat shallots, garlic, and bell pepper to limp, and add the spices and continue sautéing to just golden.  Add the flour to the fat and heat for a minute, stirring it into a mash.  Add the wine/stock and blend till creamy and smooth – then gently fold in the tomatoes, crab, nuts; stir a minute to even the heat, and remove from pan to cool somewhat.

Fry the four fish pieces (salt and pepper and/or ‘dry rub’) on both sides in the fry pan, frying in the butter till done, about five or six minutes.  Remove with spatula two of the fillets to two serving plates, and divide the crab filling and sliced avocado over the two fillets, sprinkle salt and fresh ground pepper, then top with the other fillets, like sandwiches. 

Sauce:  Heat the sauté pan, still with residual butter, then sauté the minced jalapeno peppers and shallots until translucent and not yet beginning to golden, add the capers and mix well, simmer till the peppers are tender but still some liquid (add a sprinkle of water if necessary), and reduce the fire very low, almost off.  Blend the yolks, wine, cream and lemon juice mixture very well, and add to the pan and whisk continually, then slowly swirl in the bits of the butter as it melts in the safe careful heat of the sauce to bring to a thick and creamy state, about five minutes.

Cover the ‘sandwiches’ with the sauce, the bacon (draped crisscross like a gift box, or diced up, as you prefer) and a sprinkle of paprika and fresh herbs.  This sandwich is a light yet elegant meal for an outside summer dinner or a middle of winter romantic get-together. 

Enjoy.  Send the kids to a movie.

Options:  For a less rich offering, the fillets may be baked in a bit of oil in a hot cast iron skillet or sheet pan in a 400° oven (7-10 minutes), and the bacon may or may not be used.  Plate as the ‘sandwich’ with the filling and topped with the sauce, or merely a bit of lemon juice-thinned mayo.   Shrimp, oysters, scallops and/or calamari sautéed along with the vegetables may be used instead of the crab.

The well-known favorite of 'cocktail sauce' (a mix of ketchup, hot horseradish, lemon juice, minced onion) may be added to either presentation for a fun lift of heat and acid (start with a couple of tablespoons first).

Nuts (cashew, walnut, pecan), seeds (pumpkin - pepitas, sunflower, sesame, caraway, etc) - crushed - and shredded fresh raw veggies (squash - pumpkin, merliton/chayote, zucchini etc, sweet potato, celery root etc.) may be considered with experimental tasting. 

CEVICHE  (say-vee-chay)  

serves four to eight (appetizer or salad course)

I hadn’t the opportunity to know of ceviche until into my adult life.  Ah, if only I’d known earlier, as I love fish, and always have -- but for some reason, this incarnation escaped me until I lived in such Mexican-influenced societies as San Diego and San Antonio.  But I’m doing my best to make up for lost time.

The entire premise is to ‘de-nature the proteins with acid, instead of with heat’.  That means we’re ‘cooking’ the fish bits in citrus juices (citric acid) as opposed to using heat.  Both of these recipes will require that the fish marinate for at least two hours, and up to six hours or ‘overnight’ – depending on the type of fish and how much infusion you wish your fish to address, with the rest of the non-fish ingredients requiring only a half hour of that time (‘sushi grade’ fish choices can reduce those fish marinating times at least by half overall, but certainly may be mixed and consumed immediately as well).  Taste test a fish bit after two hours and go from there.  Shellfish is the most ‘rich’ and delicious option, such as conch (‘konk’), scallops, shrimp, abalone, urchin, octopus, squid, clams, mussels and oysters, and/or cooked crab, crayfish, or lobster – but for most uses, the easiest and freshest to find (or fresh thawed) is shrimp and scallops.  Shellfish is not the only fresh (fresh thawed) option – as most fresh, firm-fleshed pale fish will work deliciously – like red snapper, monkfish, mackerel, cod, tilapia, grouper, sea bass, wahoo, etc.  Tilapia is most easily found fresh, cheap and available year round.  If you’re unsure of the quality or freshness of your fish, you may first steam (a single layer at a time) the diced bits for a minute (no more) to secure the texture and internal safety, then marinate as usual.

A good part of the extraordinary enjoyment of this dish is the variety in textures as well as flavors -- so select a range of fish for that reason if you can.  Tell your trusted fish monger that you’re making ceviche, and he/she will certainly have a wonderful fresh selection to offer you, or steer you away from a bad decision.  Consider using ‘sea salt’ as a final ‘wrap up’ topper for this dish, as the associative salt ‘flavors’ and the texture both contribute so nicely.  Also, you might consider a splash of Pernod, or better yet, any personal favorite of the flavored vodkas given in this book, ice cold!  Below is offered a ‘sweet’ variation, and next after that, a ‘savory’ – different, but both are incredible for any taste.  Refrigerate all the prepared ingredients separately as described, and mix as directed by time.  Serve ice cold.

SWEET-ISH

            Tools: sauté pan, cutting board, sharp chef’s knife, large bowl, gallon-sized zip lock bags

Prep: Cut around a ½ inch dice/chunk, and Time – allowing at least two hours to marinate in the lime/citrus juices.  Prepare the shellfish/fish -- clean of sand, veins, bones, skin, cartilage, abductor muscles etc; dice to proper chunk size if not already to size as with the bay shrimp, and place in zip bag with the fresh citrus juices, squeeze out all air, zip-seal and secure in a bowl in the refrigerator. 

Ingredients:

            1-1½   lbs raw fresh or fresh thawed shrimp

                               (small 41-50 count down to bay shrimp)

                               un-diced, or larger shrimp diced to about

                               ½ inch or similar weight and size of fish flesh

             ½-1    lbs scallops, fresh or fresh thawed (bay scallops

                               or diced sea scallops) or similar differently

                               textured and flavored fish, diced around ½ inch           

            1½      cups lime juice (eight to twelve limes) and about

                               a teaspoon of the zest

              ¾      cup orange or tangerine juice (fresh squeezed,

                               about two to three fruits) and about a tsp of zest

              1       tbs olive oil           

              ½      tsp sugar

           1 or 2    bell peppers; yellow, red and/or orange, diced

                                ½ inch, about one cup

              1       clove garlic, minced
                       1       jar (16 oz) ‘sweet’ cherry peppers, drained, seeded

               and stemmed, diced ½ inch
                  1-2      jalapeno, Serrano or 1 habañero peppers

               (choice for heat), stemmed, seeded,

               diced very small

              1       small red onion, diced ¼ inch (about ½ cup)

            ¾-1     lbs tomatoes (roma is best), seeded, diced

                               ½ inch, about one cup

              2       medium cucumbers, peeled, diced ¼ to ½

                               inch (seeded if desired), about one cup

            1-2      stalks celery, diced ¼ inch (about ½ cup)

            2-4      avocados, peeled, seeded, diced ¾ inch

            chopped cilantro, to taste, or parsley or watercress,

                              about ¼ cup or so

            sea salt and pepper to taste (it needs salt)           

            cayenne, sweet Mexican oregano and cumin to taste

           

Preparation:  While the fish bits marinate, prepare the vegetables.  I find that the green bell peppers are less sweet, and choose to use the red, yellow or orange for a ‘sweeter’ take as well as for color for this dish, but use what you prefer.  Slice the peppers open and remove the seeds, veins, and dice ½-inch.  In a medium hot sauté pan, place the bell peppers, minced chile peppers, minced garlic, and half the diced red onion bits and a pinch of salt in the olive oil and lightly sweat to just getting warm, sprinkle with the sugar and continue sautéing relatively low until getting just a bit of golden and just on the edge of becoming soft; remove from heat, and let cool.  Dice the cucumbers and mix with the other half of the raw red onion dices, tomatoes, celery, avocados, cherry peppers and cilantro.  Mix with the cooled bell pepper/onion mix and refrigerate, zip-sealed.  After the fish has marinated for all but a half hour, fold all these cold ingredients together and continue to marinate, chilled, for at least that other half hour.  Drain off what juices you wish for the final presentation state, best if it’s like ‘fruit salad’ or slightly more wet.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Drizzle with a couple of tsp’s of extra virgin olive oil at the last.  Sprinkle at serving with your preference of cayenne, oregano and/or cumin whispered over the top and serve cold in butter-lettuce (Boston bib) ‘cups’; or in a martini or margarita glass, or in a large bowl with wheat/tortilla chips or ‘scoop’ style corn or tortilla chips; or on Melba or other crisp bread/cracker etc.; or in scooped out half melon or halved tropical fruit, halved avocado or coconut; or hollowed out tomatoes, hollowed roasted and room temperature eggplant, zucchini/squash halves, etc. 

Options:  Crunch factor – roasted crushed seeds/nuts (walnuts, cashews, sunflower and pumpkin nuts etc), diced jicama, diced or sliced radishes, water chestnuts, diced baby corn, etc.

     Sweet factor – mandarin orange segments, halved seedless grapes, pineapple chunks, diced papaya or mango, fresh sweet corn, splash of balsamic vinegar/rice vinegar/fish sauce, pickled onions/cucumbers, shredded carrot, etc.

SAVORY-ISH

The ‘swing’ from sweet to savory isn’t all that big of a change.  The presentation and finish with extra virgin olive oil, cayenne, oregano and cumin sprinkling remain the same, so the only difference is the initial ‘tang’ connected with the wonderful texture bite of the fish and vegetables and/or fruits, as well as the citrus choice.

Tools:  sauté pan, cutting board, sharp chef’s knife, large bowl, gallon-sized zip lock bag

Prep:  Cut to size, and Time – allowing at least two hours to marinate in the lime/citrus juices.  Prepare the shellfish/fish -- clean of sand, veins, bones, skin, cartilage, abductor muscles etc; dice to proper chunk size if not already to size as with the bay shrimp, and place in zip bag with the fresh citrus juices, squeeze out any air and secure in a bowl in the refrigerator. 

Ingredients: 

            1-1½  lbs raw fresh or fresh thawed shrimp

                                 (small 41-50 count down to bay shrimp)

 un-diced, or larger shrimp diced to around

 ½ inch or similar weight and size of fish flesh

             ½-1   lbs scallops, fresh or fresh thawed (bay scallops

                                or diced sea scallops) or similar different textured

                                and flavored fish, diced about ½ inch   

            1½    cups lime juice  (eight to twelve limes)

                                and about a teaspoon of the zest

              ¾     cup lemon juice or grapefruit (ruby red!) 
                                (fresh squeezed, about two to three

                               lemons or one grapefruit) 
                               and about a tsp of the zest

                          1      tbs olive oil

                          1      bell pepper, green, yellow, red and/or orange,

                                               diced ½ inch, about ½ to ¾ cup

          2      cloves garlic, minced
                  1-2     jalapeno, Serrano or 1 habañero peppers (choice

                for heat), stemmed, seeded, diced very small

          1      small red onion, diced ¼ inch (about ½ cup)

        2-3     green (scallion) onions, diced ¼ inch, white

                                and green parts

          1      can (7 oz) roasted mild chiles (poblano), diced

                                or 1 roasted, skinned and seeded poblano pepper

                        ¾-1    lbs tomatoes (roma is best), seeded, diced ½ inch,

                                                about one cup

          2      medium cucumbers, peeled, diced ¼ to ½ inch

                               (seeded if desired)

          2      stalks celery, diced ¼ inch (about ½ cup)

                      ½-¾     cup rough chopped/large diced pitted green

                                               or ‘pimento stuffed’ olives, or quality ‘gourmet’ any

color choices, as you prefer – remember, this is the

focus taste of this particular ceviche recipe   
2      tsp capers, drained 

chopped cilantro, to taste, or parsley or watercress,

                about ¼ cup or so

sea salt and pepper to taste (it needs salt)             

cayenne, sweet oregano and cumin to taste

While the fish bits marinate, prepare the vegetables as above, sautéing with a good pinch of salt only, instead.  Dice the other portion of the raw vegetables.  Prepare as described above, draining as you prefer, and ending with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Sprinkle at serving with your preference of cayenne, oregano and/or cumin whispered over the top and serve cold, presented as offered above.

Options:  Crunch factor – roasted crushed seeds/nuts (walnuts, cashews, sunflower and pumpkin nuts etc), diced jicama, diced or sliced radishes, water chestnuts, diced baby corn, etc.

     Savory factor – a splash of rice wine vinegar or wine vinegar; corn relish (in this book); minced/diced anchovies; diced pickled okra/onions/cucumbers, and/or ‘nacho’ jalapeño rings; grapefruit wedges; diced raw shallots; caviar (tuna, salmon or beluga, etc); ‘three bean’ salad beans (canned ok), etc.

TARTAR SAUCE OPTIONS

Use store bought quality mayonnaise, which is always safer for the spoilage/egg question, as the makers have dealt with that raw egg issue. Homemade mayonnaises are delicious, but risky over time with the raw egg quotient.  Only make your own mayonnaise when you KNOW it will be consumed without un-chilled storage or long-term setting.    Plus, you don’t have to always use mayonnaise.  Greek yogurt, thickened creams and milks are an excellent and safe option that works well with picnic plans for potato and macaroni salads, tartar and dipping sauces, and sandwiches.  Can’t find Greek yogurt?  Just check the table of contents in this book.

To the mayonnaise or yogurt, one should add minced ingredients.  The best way to mince some of these ingredients is to use your box grater, very low tech but a good friend here. 

Firm ingredients to grate or finely chop are:  white or yellow onions, shallots, sweet or dill pickles, gherkins, garlic pickles, celery, citrus zest, hard-boiled egg, and cucumber (where do you think pickles come from?). 

Ingredients to add by mashing/fine dicing are capers, anchovies, chives, green olives, fennel and fresh dill. 

Other prepared flavors to add in a liquid-ish form are Dijon mustard, horseradish, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, oyster sauce (yes), and then the expected lemon and lime juice – but don’t rule out orange, tangerine or grapefruit juices either!  Toppers?  an affordable market-purchased caviar – red or black, perfect!