Louisa's Baked Haddock with Lemon Sauce

As you must know by now we hail from Massachusetts and as such do enjoy sea food. Well haddock happens to be one of the finest "white fish" available from the cold local waters. Often breaded and deep fried (Superior to be sure), Louisa makes this dish (with my meddling) which we both enjoy. We hope you will also.

INGREDIENTS:

2  6 oz. Haddock fillets
4 Tbsp. dry white wine
2 oz. water
dash fresh ground black pepper

Breading:

1/4 cup Panko bread crumbs
3 Tbsp melted butter
2 Tbsp fresh parsley
pinch of pepper

PREPARATIONS:

Wash the fillets removing any fat or bones, pat dry. Wash and finely chop the parsley. Mix the breading ingredients together and set aside. Measure out the wine, water and pepper. Place the fillets in a 9" inch baking dish* and set aside.

The Lemon sauce:

3 oz. Dry White wine                                               1 small Shallot
1-1/2 Tbsp fresh Lemon juice                                  1/2 cup heavy cream
3 black pepper corns                                               6 oz. Cold unsalted butter

Prep:

Peel the shallot and cut it lengthwise into quarters, do not separate the pieces. Juice the lemon and measure. Cut the butter into 1/4" slices and put back into the refrigerator for now. Preheat oven to 425 deg.

Cooking: Set a small sauce pan over low heat and add the pepper corns, shallot, wine and lemon juice. Simmer to reduce to about 2 Tbsp. with a syrupy consistency. Add the cream and continue to reduce the sauce to about 4 Tbsp. Remove the pan from the burner, and recover the butter from the refrigerator and begin adding a slice at a time, all the while stirring. Let each slice melt before adding the next until all are melted. If the last slice or two won't melt, return the pan to the heat and gently warm the sauce while stirring. Strain out the shallots and pepper corns and set the pan aside on an extremely low burner just barely keeping it warm.

ROASTING:

Having made the sauce, pour the water and wine over the fillets to moisten them. Grind on some fresh black pepper, top by spreading the bread crumb mix over the fillets. Pop the baking dish into the preheated oven and roast for 7 to 8 min. Check for doneness by pressing the fillets looking for a springiness, not mushy or hard resistance with a fork.

Remove the fillets to a serving dish neatly arraigning them. Drizzle the lemon sauce over the fillets and garnish with parsley sprigs.

* baking dish may be sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.

Cumin/Pepper Crusted Chilean Sea Bass

Chilean Sea Bass is a wonderfully rich fish and needless to say, there are innumerable ways to prepare it. However combining it with the ancient spice, cumin seeds adds a twist of middle eastern flavor to it by pan searing the fish crusted with the cumin then roasting to juicy tenderness.
Just as an aside cumin has been used to spice foods from biblical times.

INGREDIENTS:

2 (6-ounce) Chilean sea bass fillets
1 Tbsp cumin seeds
1 tsp whole black pepper corns
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 lemon wedges
¼ cup of dry white wine
1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley

PREPARATION:

Wash the bass and check for bones. Remove the skin if present. Pat dry and set aside. Coarsely chop the parsley.

Toast the cumin seeds in a large dry cast iron skillet over medium heat until lightly browned and aromatic (this will take about 10 minutes). Place pepper corns in a spice/coffee grinder and process several times. Add the toasted cumin and process until finely ground. Scatter about half onto a plate, then place the bass fillets top-up and rub spice mixture in. Sprinkle the remainder over the top and press in with the back of a spoon or spatula.

Preheat oven to 375° while toasting the cumin, about 15 min before cooking.

COOKING:

Preheat a cast iron fry pan over med-high heat (7-8). When the rim is hot to the touch, add the olive oil to pan letting it heat just 'till a whiff of smoke arises. Add the bass; searing the bottom and then the top, for 2 minutes on each. Then sear the sides for 1 min each.

Place the pan with the bass into the over and roast 375° for (8-10 min. for 1-1/4" thick) Desired internal temp: 130° no less, when tested with an instant read thermometer. Transfer the bass to plates. Cover with aluminum foil tents.

Deglaze the pan with the wine reduced to about ½ and pour over the bass then sprinkle with parsley.

PRESENTATION SPECIAL: Slice 2 thin slices of lemon and thread a stalk of parsley thru the center of the lemon.

Adapted from Cooking Light, Dec. 2001

Szechwan Chili Cod (Hongshao Yupian)

I've been toying with making Cod to come up with a flavorful presentation of this sometimes bland fish. It is quite plentiful in the waters off New England and Alaska so I put a Chinese twist to it and here's the result.

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb. Cod fillet, boned and skinned
4 Tbsp sherry, dry - divided
2 Tbsp soy sauce - divided
1/4 cup bottled chili sauce
1-1/2 tsp Szechwan chili sauce
2 tsp sugar
4 1/4" slices fresh ginger (diam. of a quarter)
2 cloves of garlic
6 green onions
3 Tbsp peanut oil

PREPARATION:

Wash the cod, checking for bones. Pat dry with paper towels and cut it into 1" wide strips then to 2" lengths. Add 2 Tbsp of sherry and 1 Tbsp of soy sauce to a large resealable bag. Then add the cod massaging to distribute the marinade. Allow it to marinate for a half hour or so at room temp while you prepare the remaining ingredients.

Peel the ginger and chop finely, place in a small cup/dish. Peel the garlic and chop finely, placing in a separate cup/dish. Wash the green onions, chop off the root then cut into 1/8" rounds including the lighter green tops. Continue by chopping the rounds finely. Measure out the remaining Soy sauce and sherry into a small bowl and add the sugar, mixing to dissolve. Measure the Szechwan chili sauce* into a small dish and add the chili sauce mixing to combine.

COOKING:

Set a large wok over high heat until it just starts to smoke. Add the peanut oil and continue to heat until just a whiff of smoke comes off - (now you know it's hot enough to cook properly!)
First add the ginger and S/F for 30 sec. or so then the green onions and S/F another 30 sec.. Add the garlic and S/F 'till it just starts to brown; Quickly pour the fish and marinade into the wok. GENTLY S/F** the wok contents so as not to break the fish apart for 2 min or so and move the fish away from the center of the wok to allow the marinade to bubble for a min or so. Add the sherry/soy mixture continuing to S/F a short time. Add the Chili sauce mix and S/F another min. or so just 'till the sauce starts bubbling.

Scoop out and serve.

Garnish: you can sprinkle a few 1/8" rounds of "green" onion over the dish.

* If you can't find the Szechwan chili sauce, 1 tsp of red pepper chili flakes may be substituted. The Szechwan chili sauce can be found at most Asian markets.

** S/F means Stir Fry

Cajun Blackened Salmon

Pan blackened salmon with a Cajun twist on flavor. With so many ways to prepare salmon, this one is easy as the spicing is all in one container from Zatarain's. Sprinkle it liberally for a great Cajun taste.

INGREDIENTS:

2 Salmon fillets 6 to 8 oz.
Zatarain's Blackened Seasoning
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
fresh ground black pepper
olive oil spray

PREPARATION:

Wash the salmon thoroughly and trim off any fat around the edges, and pat dry with a paper towel. Lay the salmon onto a plate or cutting board and spray a light misting of olive oil spray, or a light coating of olive oil.

Grind on some fresh black pepper and a lot of Blackened Seasoning. It is quite SPICY! The more the better. So give the fish a nice, even coating of blackened seasoning.* Try to get some on the sides of the fillet as well. And finish up with one last misting of that spray olive oil. The spray keeps the spices in place when putting the fish in the pan.

COOKING:

Place a heavy frying pan on the burner and set the heat on medium high (7 to 8)

When the rim is hot, drizzle a tablespoon of olive oil into the frying pan. Allow it to warm, then gently lay the fish into it, flesh side down. Leave it there for a 5 to 7 minutes (1" thick) without moving it.

After 6 minutes, lift the fillets and look at the underside of the salmon. If it’s as dark as you want it, flip it over onto the skin side. Continue frying for 2 to 3 minute or so, then turn the heat down to very low or off and letting the residual heat gently finish cooking the middle, 3-5 minutes should do it. Scoop out and serve.

*Several shakes of the blackened seasoning are needed to get the full flavor.

La Truite Grenobloise

Trout in a Lemony Brown Butter Sauce with Capers

Another wonderful way to prepare trout - in Grenobloise, a classic French sauce, composed of lemon, brown butter(beurre noisette) and capers. In France it is called  "La Truite Grenobloise".

Cooking the trout with the skin on (after scaling) helps keep the fillets in tact and doesn't detract from the flavor as it does with salmon. Cooking the fillets on the flesh side until just "Crusted" then finishing up on the skin side yields a beautiful presentation.

INGREDIENTS:

2 6-8 ounce fillets rainbow trout; skin on, scaled
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
½  lemon
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
½ Tbsp capers
1-¼ Tbsp parsley

White Pepper
Parsley sprigs for garnish

PREPARATION:

Cut the lemon in half, juicing it. Peel the rind off the second half and separate the segments, then dice (brunoise) into ⅛" bits. Wash the parsley, shaking off the water and strip and mince the leaves. Drain and rinse the capers.

Wash the Fillets checking for bones. Dry with paper towels, then scrape the skin in one direction with the back of a butter knife to remove any remaining scales. Rinse again and pat dry. 

Season each fillet on both sides with freshly ground white pepper, and allow to rest for 15 minutes. With thicker fillets, you can go a little longer. Resting allowes the seasoning to seep into the flesh and not simply sit on the skin and surface. As usual, no salt is used.

COOKING:

Set a large sauté pan over medium heat. When the rim is hot to the touch, add the olive oil and heat just below smoking. Place each fillet flesh side down in the oil and cook until just brown about 2 or 3 min. Turn the fillets over and reduce heat to medium and continue cooking for two or three minutes more, until cooked through (135 to 140 deg). Remove fillets to a plate. Tent with foil to keep warm.

Reduce the heat to low. Remove pan and allowing it to cool for a bit. Add butter to pan and return to the burner and simmer until the butter is browned not black. You can tell if the butter is at the brown (hazelnut) stage when it gives off a pleasant, nutty aroma. If it still smells of flour, it is not yet at the noisette stage; if it smells burnt, start over as you've got Beurre noire, or black butter.

Remove pan from heat and add lemon segments and juice. Return to low heat, stir in capers and parsley, stirring to combine. Spoon sauce on and around fillets, garnish with parsley sprigs or lemon slices.

Adapted from a recipe by : Paul D. Smith

Salmon Piccata

Here is my interpretation of Salmon Piccata. It differs in that the shallots, red pepper flakes and lemon zest along with the Italian Seasonings add a nice zip to this dish.

INGREDIENTS:

2 Salmon fillets, 1-inch thick (6 to 8 oz)
2 tsp capers, drained
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil (divided)
1 large shallot
1 large garlic clove
1/2 tsp dried Italian seasonings
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 zest of one lemon
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
cracked black pepper

PREPARATION:

Salmon from the Columbia River is excellent for this recipe. Wash salmon fillets checking for bones, remove any loose scales, pat dry. Peel the garlic and shallot and thinly slice breaking into ringlets. Crush the Italian seasonings in a mortar and pestle. Zest 1/2 the lemon, then squeeze 1 Tbsp of lemon juice. Prepare the red pepper by cutting about 4 dried hot peppers in quarters, scrape off the loosened seeds and discard. Finely chop the remaining pepper flakes. Measure out the remaining ingredients.

Lightly pepper both sides of salmon with cracked pepper.

COOKING:

Heat a non stick sauté pan over med-high heat. When the rim is warm to the touch, add 1 tbsp olive oil and continue heating. Put salmon in the pan flesh side down. Sear the fish for 2 min. then flip it over. Continue cooking for about 7 minutes, depending on the thickness of your fillets or how you like your salmon prepared. When the internal temperature registers 135-140 degrees F. Remove the fillets to a serving dish and loosely tent with aluminum foil while the sauce finishes up.

Sauce:

At the same time, in a separate skillet, melt the butter and add one Tbsp of olive oil over med heat. When the butter is melted, add the shallot and then the Garlic, cook until shallots are soft and garlic starts to lightly brown. Add white wine, red pepper and simmer for 5 minutes. Add lemon zest, lemon juice, capers, and seasoning and simmer another minute.

Ladle sauce over salmon and garnish with lemon slices.

Baked Sole with Asparsagus

This is a very easy meal to prepare. The longest is peeling the asparagus. And no the asparagus does not taste fishy.

INGREDIENTS:

2 large or 4 small sole or flounder fillets, 3/4 lb.

1 lb. asparagus, smaller-size stalks

freshly ground pepper

1 Tbs. unsalted butter

Zest and juice of 1/2 lemon

1/2 Tbs. all-purpose flour

1/2 cup chicken broth

PREPARATION:

Wash the Asparagus and cut I” off the bottom. Peel the stem below the leaf buds. Wash the fish, removing any fat and check for bones. Butter a shallow 9-by-13-inch baking dish.

Preheat an oven to 425°F

Arrange the asparagus spears in a single layer in the prepared dish and season lightly with salt. Season the fish fillets on both sides with pepper and place them on top of the asparagus. If smaller, overlap pairs of fillets to make single thicker portions

COOKING:

Bake until the fillets are beginning to flake at the tail ends and the asparagus is tender-crisp, about 10 to 12 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillets.

PREPARE THE SAUCE:

Meanwhile, in a saucepan over low heat, melt the butter with the lemon zest. Whisk in the flour and cook, whisking, until the mixture just begins to color, about 3 minutes. Add the broth and lemon juice and whisk vigorously to break up any lumps. Cook the sauce, whisking occasionally, until thick, about 7 minutes. Season with pepper.

Spoon the sauce over the fillets garnish with lemon slices or parsley and serve immediately.

Pan Seared Haddock with Shallots

Haddock is a wonderful salt water fish, very mild in flavor and much less (fishy) then Cod. The searing forms a wonderful crust that adds so much to the enjoyment of this dish.

INGREDIENTS:

2 haddock fillet, 6-8 ounces
2-3 tsp fresh thyme
2 shallot (medium)
2 Tbsp butter
2 tsp Extra virgin olive oil
4 Tbsp pancake mix Aunt Jemima)
1/2 tsp fresh ground white pepper
1/4 cup dry white wine

PREPARATION:

Wash the fillets, remove any bones and cut off any waste; pat dry Grind a little pepper on the fillets. Then grind the 1/2 tsp white pepper on a medium dish and add the pancake mix. Dredge the haddock to evenly coat all sides. Gently shake off any excess. Wash the thyme, shaking off the water. Strip the leaves from the stalks and chop finely. Peel and thinly slice the shallots through the diameter.

SEARING:

Set a small skillet over medium heat, when just warm to the touch of the rim, add the butter. Allow the butter to melt, then add the shallots and thyme to the pan and stir, but don't let the butter burn.

At the same time, set a large non-stick skillet on Medium-High. When the rim of the pan is warm to the touch, add 2 tsp olive oil to coat the skillet. Wait for a faint smoke from the oil: then add the haddock flesh side down.

When sides turn white about 1/3 to 1/2 of way up (1 to 2 minutes); carefully turn them over. Lower the heat and add the shallot/butter/thyme mixture to the skillet. Baste the fillet and continue cooking until temperature of 130 is reached (another 1 to 2 min). DO NOT overcook as the fish toughens quickly.

Remove the fillets to a serving platter. Deglaze the pan with the wine scraping up the bits from the pan bottom as it reduces. Pour over fillets and garnish with thyme sprigs.

Grilled Columbia River Salmon

The Coho salmon I grilled came from the Columbia River, the best we can get here in Arizona. The capers are essential as they add just the touch on texture.

INGREDIENTS:

3/4 to 1 lb Columbia River or other wild salmon filet (Not Sockeye Salmon)
1 lemon
2-1/2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic
dash cyan pepper powder
1 Tbs. capers, drained
pepper grinder

PREPARATION:

Press the garlic in garlic press. Cut 3 thin slices from the center of the lemon then cut in half. Juice the ends of the lemon, drain the capers.

Wash the Salmon thoroughly, checking for bones. Cut off any visible fat then pat dry and set aside for now. Add juice lemon, olive oil, garlic and cyan pepper to a glass dish large enough to hold the salmon filet and mix marinade thoroughly. Place filet flesh side down on marinade. Rub a bit of the marinade on the skin side, cover and let sit for 30-45 minutes.

Prepare your chimney starter and set it ablaze. When fames are coming out the top, dump it into the grill at one end only. Put the grill racks on the grill and let them heat for about 5 min. or so. Coat the end over the coals with olive oil.

GRILLING:

Place salmon flesh side down on the oiled grid. Grill for 3 minutes to sear. Coat another area of the grill grids away from the coals, turn the salmon skin side down and move it to the newly oiled area. Close the cover and roast covered for 5-10 minutes. The salmon is done when the temp. gets to 130 – 135 deg. or when the surface of filet is pink and not glassy.

Carefully remove salmon from grill to a platter; arrange the lemon slices around salmon on platter. Grind on pepper to taste, and garnish with a generous tablespoon of capers. Serve immediately.

Grilled Chilean Sea Bass with Portabella Mushrooms

Here’s one our favorite dishes, a succulent and tasty way to enjoy the most wonderful fish available.

INGREDIENTS:

2 Chilean Sea Bass* Steaks 1 1/4-inch thick 6-8 oz each
5 oz. fresh Large Portabella mushrooms
2 Shallots
1 Tbsp butter
¼ cup Marsala wine (DO NOT use cooking Sherry)
½ cup of chicken stock (low Sodium)
fresh ground white pepper
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil (divided)
2 rosemary sprigs

PREPARATION:

Wash the fillets and trim if necessary. Removing any skin

Chop the shallots into strips. Wash the mushrooms and pat dry, then slice into full length strips 3/8 to ½” wide. Wash the Rosemary and shake to remove excess water. Measured the other ingredients

Pour 1/2 Olive oil in a small dish and dredge the Bass in it, season with a little white pepper.

Start the Charcoal with a chimney starter. Wait about 15 min. and dump the coal into the grill, replace the grill grids. Oil the grids with olive oil. Wait a few more min.‘till it’s flaming to cook

COOKING:

Precooking time ½ hour

Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat and sauté the shallots until translucent.

Deglaze the pan with Marsala wine. Reduce the wine to about two tablespoons; add the butter, letting it melt then add the mushroom strips. Reduce the heat to medium and sauté until the mushrooms are tender.

Add the chicken stock, a little pepper, and let the sauce cook down until it thickens somewhat. (When it sticks to the spoon). Reduce heat to absolute minimum, just keeping warm.

Grilling:

When you add the stock to the mushrooms, put the Sea Bass on the grill. Cook them on one side for about 3 minutes and flip them over for another 2 minutes. Close the Cover of the grill and roast for 4-5 minutes. Total Grill time 11-12 min. max!!

Place the grilled Sea Bass on the plates; arrange the mushrooms around them, pouring any sauce on the Bass.

Garnish with a sprig of rosemary and serve while piping hot.
* Chilean Sea Bass is the Patagonia Toothfish and is caught off Chile. There’s a lot of “Sea Bass and bass sold, but it isn’t the same.

Trout Almandine

INGREDIENTS:

2 Fillets (6-8 ounce) trout, skin on
2 Shallots (3-4 if small)
White pepper freshly ground
1/3 cup white wine
4 tablespoons butter
¼ cup blanched slivered almonds
2-½ tablespoons lemon juice
½ tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
parsley stems for garnish
6 wedges lemon, for garnish

PREPARATION:

Rinse the trout, scraping the skin side with a sharp knife to remove any loose scales. Trim and visible fat and rinse again and pat dry. Season with white pepper to taste. Place in refrigerator ‘till ready to grill.
Rinse the parsley and chop the ½ Tbsp finely. Juice the lemon.
Peel the shallots, and cut into thin disks.

COOKING

Heat a medium shallow sauce pan and melt 2 Tbsp. of butter. Add the almond slivers and toast ‘till a light brown. Add the 2-1/2 Tbsp of lemon juice, the 1/3 cup of wine and the chopped parsley. Stir over low heat until well blended. Just keep it warm, not bubbling.
Heat 2 tablespoons butter on a large griddle over high heat (375) until melted. Spread the shallots on the griddle and saute just till brown. Push them to the back, spread more butter on the griddle and ad the trout flesh side down. Spread the shallots over and around the trout, so they flavor the fish. Grill for 2 min. no longer. Scrape the shallots to the back of the griddle.

(USING A LARGE FLIPPER) Turn the trout skin side down and cover with the shallots. Grill over medium heat (350) ‘till the thickest part is just firm and resistant to pressure (springiness) about 3-4 minutes Remove trout to serving plates.
Assemble the shallots to the back of the plates. Spoon the Almond sauce over the Trout. Garnish with the Lemon wedges and the Parsley.
Serve immediately