Fish

Fish Toast

Jody Prival
(a variation on Shrimp Toast)

1 lb. firm-fleshed fish fillet (cod works well)
1 egg
1 clove garlic, minced
3 tablespoon onion, minced
1-11/4 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 tablespoon sherry
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
12 sliced white bread, quartered and with crusts removed
Mince the fish, and mix all ingredients except bread thoroughly. Spread the resulting mixture on the bread generously. Fry in hot oil fish side down until brown. Turn and brown other side. Drain on paper towels.

Cod and Shrimp with Feta Cheese

(from the kitchen of Mike Mitzenmacher)
From Bruce & Jill's Favourite Family Recipes
1 can peeled tomatoes
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 teaspoons dry mustard
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon basil
1-1 1/2 lbs cod fillets
5 oz peeled and deveined shrimp
1/4 lb feta cheese

Pour off 1/4 cup tomato juice and combine with cornstarch. Mix remaining tomatoes and spices in skillet, cooking 2-3 minutes while breaking tomatoes into small pieces. Add cod fillets and simmer for 8-10 minutes. Add reserved juice and cornstarch and simmer 1-2 minutes. Add the shrimp and cook until pink. Serve on rice, sprinkled with feta crumbs.

Blackened Catfish

(from Quick and Delicious Cajun Cooking)
From Bruce & Jill's Favourite Family Recipes
Serves 6

1 tablespoon paprika
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon eachonion powder garlic powder, cayenne pepper
3/4 teaspoon white pepper
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon oregano
6 catfish fillets
1 cup butter, melted

Preheat cast-iron skillet at medium-high heat at least 10 minutes. Blend seasonings in shallow bowl. Dip fillets in melted butter and coat well with seasonings. Cook fillets in hot skillet 2-3 minutes each side until charred. Garnish with lemon wedges if desired.

Blackened Catfish

Sanjiv Singh
This recipe comes from Will Welch. I have been party to massive consumption of this wonderful dish and though it is demonically unhealthy, it tastes wonderful. Will says; "This is a very robust recipe. I have varied proportions by as much as 100%, and left out ingredients entirely, with varying, interesting, but never disastrous effect."
Serves 4.

4 Catfish fillets
olive oil
1/3 lb cheap fatty bacon
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons thyme
2 teaspoons each white pepper, black pepper, cayenne pepper, lemon pepper
2 teaspoons cumin or chili powder
2 teaspoons rosemary (crush in hand before adding)
2 teaspoons fennel seed (crush with back of spoon)
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt

Lemon Butter:
1/4 cups melted butter,
1 tablespoon lemon juice,
1/2 teaspoon Tobasco
4 sliced green onions

Fry the bacon, then feed it to the dogs and hang onto the grease. Keep grease this side of smoking. Combine all dry ingredients, rub fillets with olive oil then coat liberally with spices. Drop in hot grease and cook until a you can easily put a fork through them (nothing more evil than over cooked catfish). Serve with lemon butter.

Dijon Broiled Flounder

Sanjiv Singh
I don't think cooking fish comes any simpler than this. In contrast to the catfish recipe above, this one is mild, but has a nice smack of Dijon. This is the just the thing when you get home and want to get a good meal (maybe even break out the wine and candles) and leave for a movie all within the hour. I like to serve this with the Spicy Steamed Broccoli . For wine, you would do well with a Chardonnay or Gewurtraminer.
Serves 2-3.

1 lb flounder or another thinly filleted fish
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
5-6 cherry tomatoes

Preheat the broiler until it is good and hot. Mix the Dijon and mayonnaise. Coat the fish with the sauce and lay it out in a single layer in a baking pan. Arrange the cherry tomatoes in between the fillets. Put the baking dish 2 inches away from the broiler and broil for 4 minutes checking to make sure the fish doesn't burn. Remove the baking dish, turn around 180 degrees and broil for another couple of minutes. DO NOT flip the fillets over.

Timatari Macchi (Cod Steaks in Tomato Sauce)

Sanjiv Singh
This is one of the recipes from Madhur Jaffrey that is I have cooked umpteen times and it always gets good reviews. You will do best to use fish cut in steaks of between 1 and 1.5 inches thick. If you use fillets, skip the step that requires you to fry the fish in a skillet, first.
Serves 4.

1/4 teaspoon each salt, turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 cod steaks (about 2 lbs)
8 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon each whole fennel seeds and black mustard seeds
2 medium onions peeled and chopped finely
2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 lb can canned tomatoes, chopped
1/4 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon salt
Wash the fish and dry it with paper towels. Rub fish with salt, turmeric and cayenne; set aside for half an hour.

Heat half the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. When hot, put in the fennel seeds and mustard seeds. As soon as the mustard seeds begin to pop, put in the onions and garlic. Stir and fry the onions until they turn slightly brown. Put in the cumin and the salt. Stir and put in the tomatoes and their liquid and the garam masala. Bring to boil. Cover, and reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes.

Put the remaining oil in a large frying pan and heat over medium heat. When hot put in the fish steaks and brown on both sides, about 30 seconds on each side. Be careful to make sure that the filets don't break up.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put the steaks in a baking dish and pour the cooked tomato sauce over the steaks. Bake, uncovered for 15 minutes.

Ikan Percek (Baked Fish, Malay Style)

Sanjiv Singh
This recipe comes from the Moosewood tradition. It depends on the tamarind for its authentic tart flavor. Tamarind is available at oriental food stores.
Serves 6.

1/2 cup coconut milk
1/4 cup tamarind
1/2 cup coconut milk
1/4 cup tamarind, soaked in water drained, and pitted (could also use tamarind concentrate)
3 lbs. fish fillets
3/4 cup minced onions
1 large clove garlic, minced
2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger root
salt to taste
1 teaspoon dried hot chilli peppers

Combine the onions, garlic, and fresh ginger. Rub the fillets with salt and half of the onion-garlic-ginger mixture. Place the fish in an oiled baking pan. Cover and chill for 30 minutes.

Combine the rest of the onion-garlic-ginger mixture with the chili peppers, coconut milk and tamarind. Spread this sauce over the chilled fish and bake uncovered at 400 F for 20 minutes or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.

Swordfish with Red Peppers

Sanjiv Singh
Swordfish is a an excellent fish to complement spicy food. Since this is a relatively mild recipe, I like to cook this with Spicy Green Beans. Recipe from Marcus Hand.
Serves 6.

6 swordfish steaks (each about 1/2 lb and 1 inch thick.)
1 large sweet red pepper
2 lemons
3 tablespoon fresh oregano
1 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
dry white wine

Remove seeds and ribs from pepper and cut into 1/4 inch cubes. Put in a bowl and mix well with the juice of the two lemons, the olive oil, salt, pepper, and the oregano.

Heat broiler and pour wine to a depth of 1/8 inch in a broiler pan. Lay swordfish steaks in wine and broil for 3 minutes. Pour the seasoned lemon, oil and oregano mixture over the fish and cook for 3 to 4 minutes more (until fish is cooked through and lightly browned.) Immediately transfer fish to a warmed serving dish. You may need to reduce the sauce slightly by boiling vigorously and stirring for 2 minutes more. Pour sauce over fish and serve.

Dahi Wali Macchi (Baked Fish in Yogurt Sauce)

Sanjiv Singh
This is one of the recipes I cook often. It is adapted from a recipe by Madhur Jaffrey. Serve this with plain rice or a vegetable pullao. This recipe is good for fishes that come in steaks such as halibut, haddock or even cod.
Serves 6.

2 lbs. 1 inch thick cut fresh fish
2 cups yogurt
2 medium onions
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
2 teaspoon ground cumin seeds
2 tablespoons ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon garam masala
1/2 teaspoon cayenne or ground chilli peppers
1 teaspoon peeled and grated fresh ginger
3 tablespoons vegetable oil

Preheat the oven to 275 degrees.

Put the yogurt in a bowl and whisk lightly. Add all the other sauce ingredients and mix well. Set the sauce aside.

Cut the onions to 1/8" thick slices and line a large baking dish with them. Cut the fillets crosswise into 3" long segments and lay over the onions. Pour the sauce over the fish, spreading it evenly. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Check the fish with a fork. It is done when it flakes easily. Pour out all the liquid from the baking dish. This is a bit of trick because tilting the baking dish causes the fish to slide.

Bring the sauce to a boil and continue boiling until there is 1 1/2 cups left. For a richer dish, add 2 tablespoons of butter at this point and simmer until the butter is melted. Pour the sauce over the fish and serve.

Salmon Patties

From Bruce & Jill's Favourite Family Recipes

1 lb salmon
4 egg whites
2/3 cups oat-bran meal
1 medium onion, minced
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Mix all ingredients well and shape into 8 patties. Fry until crisp.

Poached Salmon with Green Peppercorn, Ginger, and Orange Sauce

Originally From: Gourmet March 1992
Preparation Time: 0:45
Jody Prival
Serves 6

2 cups water
1 cup dry white wine
4 slices fresh ginger root, flattened with the side of a knife
1 tablespoon black peppercorns, bruised
1 bay leaf
a 3 1/2 to 4 pound salmon fillet

For the sauce:
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons Dijon-style mustard
1 1/2 tablespoons grated peeled fresh ginger root
1 teaspoon freshly grated orange zest
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
1 1/2 tablespoons drained green peppercorns
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon white-wine vinegar

In a small saucepan bring the water and the wine to a boil with the ginger root, the black peppercorns, and the bay leaf and let the mixture stand, off the heat, for 5 minutes. In a large buttered baking dish arrange the salmon, skin side down, and sprinkle it with salt to taste. Add the wine mixture and poach the salmon, covered tightly with foil, in the middle of a preheated 400oF oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until it just flakes and is cooked through. (If planning to make the salmon cakes, flake enough of the poached salmon to measure 2 cups and reserve it, covered and chilled.)

Sauce: In a bowl whisk together the sour cream, the mayonnaise, the mustard, the ginger root, the zest, the juice, the green peppercorns, the sugar, the vinegar, and salt to taste and let the mixture stand at room temperature for 20 minutes to let the flavors develop.

Serve the salmon with the sauce, the onion ribbons, and the potatoes.

Salmon with Pesto Sauce

(from Fabulous Fish and Seafood)
From Bruce & Jill's Favourite Family Recipes
Serves 8.

1 cup basil leaves
1/2 cup pine nuts
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 cloves garlic
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
8 salmon fillets

Mix all ingredients save fillets in blender and blend briefly. Broil salmon 6-8 minutes per side, depending on thickness. Cover with pesto and serve.

Salmon Cakes

Jody Prival
Originally From: Gourmet March 1992
Preparation Time: 0:45
Serves 6

2 chilled baked potatoes
1 1/2 cups braised onion ribbons with celery, chopped
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 large egg
1 tablespoon white-wine Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, crumbled
2 tablespoons drained bottled capers
2 cups flaked poached salmon fillet
all-purpose flour for dredging the salmon cakes
2 tablespoons olive oil
Bibb lettuce for lining the platter
lemon slices for garnish
Remove the skins from the potatoes, grate the potatoes coarsely into a large bowl, and add the onion mixture. In a small bowl whisk together well the mayonnaise, the egg, the Worcestershire sauce, the thyme, the capers, and salt and pepper to taste, add the mixture to the potato mixture, and stir the mixture until it is combined well. Add the salmon and stir the mixture until the salmon is just distributed evenly. Form 1/3 cup measures of the mixture into patties and dredge the patties in the flour. In a large skillet heat the butter and the oil over moderately high heat until the fat is hot but not smoking and in the fat saut� the patties in batches for 3 minutes on each side, or until they are golden brown. Line a platter with the lettuce and serve the salmon cakes with the lemon.

Trout Fillet, Coulibiac style

Karen Haigh
Originally from: A Taste of Quebec by Julian Armstrong
Serves 8 1 tablespoon salted herbs
1 cup cooked long-grain rice
1/2 cup cooked wild rice (or brown rice)
2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper
16 sheets of phyllo pastry (about 1/2 pound)
8 fresh trout fillets, boned and skinned
Butter sauce or Beet sauce
Soak salted herbs in cold water, then drain. In a bowl, combine herbs with rices and chopped eggs. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Spread work surface with a sheet of plastic wrap and brush lightly with some of the melted butter. Lay a sheet of the phyllo on the plastic wrap. Brush dough with butter and top with another sheet.

Using the plastic wrap as a guide, roll up the trout fillet and rice mixture in the phyllo pastry. Trim edges and fold ends under. Place on a baking sheet. Brush lightly with butter. Repeat with the remaining 7 fillets.

Bake fish in a preheated 400oF oven for 15-20 minutes, until pastry is crisp and golden. Just before serving, trim ends from each fish package.

Kedgeree (Indian Fish-Rice Dish)

This Anglo-Indian recipe is traditionally part of those enormous English breakfasts, but in my family we usually have it for dinner. Unfortunately, smoked haddock can be hard to find on this side of the Atlantic (in Pittsburgh, the only stockist I know of is Benkovitz Seafoods, in the Strip District).
Originally from: my mother, but the recipe is traditional
Serves 4
Matt Bishop

1 cup rice
2 tbsp olive oil
1 lb smoked haddock (also called finnan haddie)
1 large onion, chopped
2 tsp curry powder
1 tsp nutmeg
2 tbsp light cream
1 oz butter
2 hard-boiled eggs, cut into segments
fresh parsley
salt and pepper
Put the haddock in a pan, pour boiling water over it and allow it to sit over a low heat for about ten minutes (do not let the water come back to a boil). Remove the haddock from the water, keeping the water to one side. Discard the skin and bones, and flake the fish.

Gently fry the onion in the oil until it is soft. Add the rice, and stir until it becomes transparent. Stir in the curry powder and nutmeg. Add about 2.5 cups of the water from the haddock, and cook gently for about 15 minutes until the rice is tender and the water has been absorbed, stirring occasionally and adding more water if necessary.

Stir in the cream and butter, and also the seasoning (go easy with the salt). Garnish with the parsley and egg segments. Serve with mango chutney and lemon wedges.

This dish goes well with an apple, peanut and celery salad.

Seafood

Warm Scallop Salad

Seafood Paella

Seafood Jambalaya

Wild Rice and Spiced Shrimp Salad

Linguine with Shrimp Sauce

Shrimp Toast

Chinese Shrimp and Scallops with Garlic Sauce

Jody Prival
Makes 4 generous servings.
3/4 lb. scallops
3/4 lb. medium shrimp, shelled and deveined
1/2 lb. snow peas
3/8 lb. broccoli florets
5 garlic cloves, sliced
1/2 teaspoon chicken bouillon dissolved in 1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon starch in a thin paste in cold water
oil
soy sauce
Fry the garlic in the oil until it just shows signs of browning. Add the scallops and the shrimp. Cook on as high heat as possible until the scallops turn white and the shrimp pink, turning constantly (about 5 minutes). Add the vegetables. Heat for a minute, then sprinkle with soy sauce. Add about 1/4 cup of the bouillon, then thicken the juices in the bottom of the wok with the starch paste. Continue to toss rapidly for a few minutes until everything is hot and covered with the sauce. Serve immediately.

Shrimp in Garlic-Wine Sauce

(from the Sundays at Moosewood Restaurant cookbook)
From Bruce & Jill's Favourite Family Recipes
Serves 4-6.
2 lbs fresh shrimp, cleaned and deveined
1/4 cup olive oil
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 cup packed freshly chopped parsley
1/2 cup dry white wine
salt and pepper to taste
Heat oil and garlic over medium heat for 3 minutes. Add parsley and shrimp and cook for 2 minutes over medium-high heat. Add the wine and cook until the shrimp are done, about 3-5 minutes (do not over-cook). Add salt and pepper to taste.

Coquilles St. Jacques au Gratin

Jody Prival
Makes 4 to 6 servings.

2 lb. scallops, cut in bite-size pieces if large
About 1 cup white wine
1/4 cup butter or margarine
3/4 lb. mushrooms, slices
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 large onion, finely chopped
6 tablespoon all-purpose flour, unsifted
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 1/2 cups shredded Swiss cheese
1/4 cup lightly packed minced parsley
In a pan, combine scallops and 1 cup of the broth and bring to a boil; reduce heat, cover, and simmer gently for about 5 minutes or until scallops are just opaque throughout. Remove from heat; let scallops cool in liquid. Drain cooled liquid into a pint measuring cup. Add wine, if necessary, to make 2 cups liquid; reserve. Cover scallops and chill.

In a wide frying pan, melt 2 tablespoon butter over medium-high heat and add mushrooms and lemon juice. Cook, stirring, until mushrooms are golden brown and all liquid is evaporated. Pour into a small bowl and set aside.

To frying pan, add remaining 2 tablespoon butter and the onion. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring, until onion is soft but not browned. Stir in flour and cook until bubbly. Remove pan from heat and, using a wire whip, gradually stir in reserved scallop liquid. Return to heat and bring to a boil, stirring; cook until thickened (about 10 minutes). Add mushroom mixture, cream, and 1/2 cup of the cheese; stir until blended. Cover sauce and chill.

When sauce is cold, stir in scallops along with parsley and salt to taste. Divide scallop mixture equally among 4 to 6 individual ramekins and sprinkle remaining 1 cup cheese evenly over top, dividing equally among ramekins. Cover and chill until ready to bake (up to 24 hours).

Preheat oven to 400oF. Bake, uncovered, until bubbling and edges are beginning to brown (about 12 to 15 minutes).

Narkel Shorsher Chingri (Shrimp in Coconut Mustard Sauce)

Sanjiv Singh
This is an untested recipe from the net, posted by Siddharth Dasgupta. Siddharth says- "It is a very uniquely Bengali recipe. [Today] gas burners have replaced the traditional coal burners. When these coal burners were in use, this recipe was a cinch in the dying embers of the afternoon coals".
Makes 4 small servings.

1 lb. shrimp - shelled and deveined
1 tablespoon black mustard seeds
2 hot Thai chiles
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
2 tablespoon water
1 large coconut
2 tablespoon mustard oil
wet dough made of 3 tablespoon of flour

Grind the mustard seeds, chiles, salt, turmeric and water into a smooth paste in a blender. Marinate the cleaned shrimps in this paste for at least 10 minutes. Split the coconut in two and drain the coconut milk. The milk is not used.

Put the shrimp mixture in the coconut halves with the mustard oil and the whole chiles. Put the two halves of the coconut together and use a thin rope of dough to seal the joint. Put the coconut in the oven and bake for 45 minutes at 400 degrees. The author suggests that the preferred method is to barbeque the coconut among coals --- The coconut is left in the dying embers until the outer layer is well charred --- about 1/2 hour.

Clam Cakes

(from the kitchen of Carol Linkkila)
From Bruce & Jill's Favourite Family Recipes

1 pint minced clams
1 cup flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 beaten egg
1 cup milk
2-3 tablespoons melted butter

Sift together dry ingredients. Blend with remaining ingredients (batter will be thick). Deep fat fry by the teaspoonful.

Crayfish Etoufée

Sanjiv Singh
The following recipe comes via Bill Burdick. The original recipe comes from The Whole Chile Pepper Book by Dave Dewitt and Nancy Gerlach. This dish begins, as with all traditional Cajun dishes, with a roux - or the browning of flour in a fat or oil for use as a thickening agent.
Serves 3-4

1 cup fish stock or clam juice
1/2 teaspoon basil
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1 bay leaf
freshly ground black pepper
1 pound crayfish, peeled
1/2 cup chopped scallions, including the greens
4 tablespoon Louisiana Hot Sauce
1 small Bell pepper, diced
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup flour
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 medium tomatoes, peeled and chopped (do not substitute with canned tomatoes)

To make the roux: heat oil in a heavy skillet until hot. Gradually stir in the flour and stir constantly until the mixture turns brown. Be very careful you don't burn roux. If you see dark flecks forming in the roux, its burnt and it is best to throw it out and start over.

Saute the onions, garlic, celery, and bell pepper in the roux for five minutes. Add the tomatoes, stock, basil, thyme, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat and simmer for fifteen minutes or until it thickens to a sauce. Add the hot sauce, crayfish, and scallions and simmer for an additional five minutes or until the crayfish/shrimp are cooked. Remove the bay leaf and serve over cooked rice.

Mustard Shrimp

Sanjiv Singh
This recipe is from a cookbook by Ismail Merchant (of "Room with a View" fame). It comes via David Steier who whipped it up for an appreciative bunch and was quick with the recipe when we asked for it. It is exactly of the genre I like- somewhere between Bombay and Paris.
Serves 4.

1 lb raw shrimp, shelled and cleaned and dried
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon caraway or fennel seeds
1/4 teaspoon chili powder or cayenne pepper
4 cloves garlic minced
1 1/2 tablespoon Dijon Mustard
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt

Heat the oil in a small frying pan over low heat. When hot, add the caraway/fennel seeds, chili powder and garlic; Cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the shrimp, mustard, salt and lemon juice and stir well. Cover the pan and cook for 5 to 6 minutes. Stir the mixture well and serve over rice.

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