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Dinner/Supper Epicurious - BY CLAUDIA RODEN Fish Jerry Wooden Mussels Sea Food Shrimp Spanish Food Special Events & Holidays

Seafood Paella

by jughandle March 13, 2022

written by jughandle

Seafood Paella

Rice

When asked what the most important ingredient is in any paella dish, the answer will always be paella rice. Whichever rice you use it should be an absorbent, short- or medium-grain rice, never ever long-grain. Short-grain rice can absorb more liquid before becoming mushy, making it possible to achieve the perfect, dry texture.

Seafood

Oysters, clams, and mussels are always a good start. You can use just about any seafood you would like. The key is to time the cooking to finish as the rice is done. In order to achieve this goal, I like to par-cook or pre-cook the items that need more time, such as shellfish and lobster. Fish fillets can usually cook in the pan. I like snails, when available. Even canned escargot introduced to the party at the end can lend interest to the presentation.

Seafood Paella

"This is a dramatic seafood paella that looks stunning, with crustaceans and shellfish. You can vary the quantities of seafood and also use crab, crayfish, or lobster (boil them separately). Andresito, who is collecting reminiscences of people in villages around him in Alicante, told me that on the Alicante Coast, fishermen's families made seafood paellas without any vegetables. When they did not go out to fish, they made arroz de piedras with mollusks from the rocks (piedras means rocks). The fishermen went around local villages selling their fish on scooters, and people inland added vegetables. In Catalonia, where the tradition of mixing meat and seafood is very old, they had pieces of chicken, pork, rabbit, or duck and sausage in their seafood paellas. Today adding meat and vegetables to seafood paella has become common in other regions, where seasonal vegetables such as green beans, peas, artichokes, or peppers also go in. It is called paella mixta. Wine was not added in the past but it is sometimes today. Serve this with Alioli if you like." Excerpt from Epicurious

Course Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine Spanish

Keyword Sea Food Paella

Protein Fish, Mussels, Shrimp, squid

Cooking Method Paella Pan

Hot/Cold Dish Hot

Course Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine Spanish

Keyword Sea Food Paella

Protein Fish, Mussels, Shrimp, squid

Cooking Method Paella Pan

Hot/Cold Dish Hot

Servings 5 servings

Author CLAUDIA RODEN

Ingredients

1 large onion finely chopped white or sweet onion
5 tablespoons olive oil extra virgin
2 cloves garlic crushed to a paste or finely chopped
2 whole tomatoes fresh or canned, peeled and chopped
1/2 teaspoon sugar as needed
Salt to taste
1 teaspoon pimentón dulce or sweet paprika
1 pinch saffron threads
4 small squid cleaned, bodies sliced into 1/4-inch-wide rings, tentacles left whole
2 cups medium-grain Spanish paella rice or risotto rice such as Arborio or Carnaroli
3 cups fish or chicken stock plus more if needed
1 cup dry white wine or more to drink
12 jumbo shrimp in their shells 16/20 size
2 lbs mussels in shells, scrubbed and debearded

Instructions

Fry the onion in the oil in a 16-inch paella pan until soft, stirring often.
Stir in the garlic, and before it begins to color, add the tomatoes.
Add the sugar, salt to taste, pimentón (or paprika), and saffron, stir well, and cook until the tomatoes are reduced to a jammy sauce and the oil is sizzling.
Add the squid and cook, stirring, for a minute or so.
Add the rice and stir well until all the grains are coated. (You can prepare the dish to this point up to an hour in advance.)
Bring the stock and wine to a boil in a saucepan. Pour over the rice, bring to a boil, and add salt to taste (even if the broth tastes a bit salty, it will not be salty when it is absorbed by the rice). Stir well and spread the rice out evenly in the pan (do not stir again). Cook the rice over low heat for 18 to 20 minutes, moving the pan around and rotating it so that the rice cooks evenly.
Lay the shrimp on top after 10 minutes and turn them when they have become pink on the first side. Add a little more hot stock toward the end if the rice seems too dry and you hear crackly frying noises before it is done. When the rice is done, turn off the heat and cover the pan with a large piece of foil.
Steam the mussels with a finger of water in a pan with a tight-fitting lid. As soon as they open, they are cooked. Throw away any that have not opened.
Arrange the mussels on top of the paella.

Variations

•Add 4 quartered small artichoke hearts or bottoms, fresh or defrosted frozen, a good handful of peas, green beans or broad beans cut into short lengths, or roasted red peppers, cut into strips, with the rice.
•In Alicante, they use the pulp of 1 or 2 dried and soaked ñora peppers, which they grow, instead of pimentón.
•Use clams instead of mussels.
•You can make this into an arroz caldoso, or soupy rice, by adding 1 more cup of boiling stock, but do not cook it for any longer or the rice will be soggy.
•If you want to use lobster, ask the fishmonger to cut a live lobster into pieces. Boil it for minutes only, until it turns red. Or boil it whole and cut it up.

Notes

Variations
•Add 4 quartered small artichoke hearts or bottoms, fresh or defrosted frozen, a good handful of peas, green beans or broad beans cut into short lengths, or roasted red peppers, cut into strips, with the rice.
•In Alicante, they use the pulp of 1 or 2 dried and soaked ñora peppers, which they grow, instead of pimentón.
•Use clams instead of mussels.
•You can make this into an arroz caldoso, or soupy rice, by adding 1 more cup of boiling stock, but do not cook it for any longer or the rice will be soggy.
•If you want to use lobster, ask the fishmonger to cut a live lobster into pieces. Boil it for minutes only, until it turns red. Or boil it whole and cut it up.

Nutrition Facts

Seafood Paella

Amount Per Serving

Calories 572 Calories from Fat 162

% Daily Value*

Fat 18g28%

Saturated Fat 3g19%

Polyunsaturated Fat 3g

Monounsaturated Fat 11g

Cholesterol 64mg21%

Sodium 847mg37%

Potassium 542mg15%

Carbohydrates 70g23%

Fiber 2g8%

Sugar 1g1%

Protein 22g44%

Vitamin A 186IU4%

Vitamin C 10mg12%

Calcium 99mg10%

Iron 8mg44%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

March 13, 2022 0 comment

Baking Fish Main Dishes Mexican Rick Bayless

Snapper Veracruz Recipe

by Reposted Article March 30, 2019

written by Reposted Article

This Snapper Veracruz Recipe is a easy dish to make and it creates a great impression on the table. You can use either a 1-3 pound Snapper or fillets. – jughandle

Snapper Veracruz Recipe

This snapper recipe is a easy dish to make and it creates a great impression on the table. You can use either a 1-3 pound Snapper or fillets. This meal should easily feed 6 people.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Mexican

Keyword Fish, Oven Roasted

Protein Fish

Cooking Method Baking

Hot/Cold Dish Hot

Course Main Course

Cuisine Mexican

Keyword Fish, Oven Roasted

Protein Fish

Cooking Method Baking

Hot/Cold Dish Hot

Servings 6 people

Author Rick Bayless

Ingredients

1/4 cup olive oil preferably extra-virgin
1 medium white onion thinly sliced
4 large garlic cloves peeled and finely chopped
3 pounds 6 medium-large round ripe tomatoes peeled (if you wish), cored and chopped into 1/2 inch pieces (about 7 cups)
3 to 4 bay leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano preferably Mexican
3 Tablespoons roughly chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley plus a few sprigs for garnish
1 cup pitted roughly sliced green olives, preferably manzanillo olives
1/4 cup capers drained and rinsed
3 pickled jalapeño chiles stemmed, seeded and thinly sliced, store-bought or homemade

Instructions

Marinating the Fish:

Start by marinating the fish in the juice of 4 limes with about 1/2 teaspoon salt, in the refrigerator. The marinade cooks the fish and if marinated too long the fish will become mushy.
Cut two parallel slashes across each side of the fish through the flesh to the bone
Put the fish into a large baking dish
Drizzle both sides with the lime juice and sprinkle with salt
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour but not more than 4 hours

Prepare The Tomato Sauce:

In a 4-5 qt Dutch Oven add the oil and saute the onion, on medium heat, until brown, about 5 minutes
Add the Garlic and cook 1 minute more while stirring.
Increase the heat to med-high and add the tomatoes, bay leaves, oregano, parsley and half of the olives, capers and jalapenos
Simmer, stirring for about 5 minutes to reduce the liquid to concentrate the flavors
Lower the heat to med-low and stir in 1 cup of water, white wine or beer
Simmer for 15 minutes more
Taste and adjust the seasoning.
Remove from heat

Baking the Fish:

Preheat your oven to 350° F
Oil a roasting pan that is large enough to hold the fish.
Transfer the fish from the lime mixture to the roasting pan.
If the tail sticks out of the pan, wrap it in foil to prevent from burning.
Cover the fish with the hot tomato sauce.
Bake in the center of the oven until the flesh flakes at the thickest part of the fish. About 50-55 minutes.
Transfer the fish to a large serving platter, remember to support the whole fish while transferring, it is tender.
Ladle the sauce over the fish.
Garnish with the remaining olives, capers, and jalapenos.

Notes

Transfer the fish to a large serving platter, remember to support the whole fish while transferring, it is tender. Ladle the sauce over the fish. Garnish with the remaining olives, capers, and jalapenos.

This sauce and recipe is good for chicken or a pork roast too. - jughandle

Rick Bayless' book containing this recipe, Mexico, One Plate At A Time, is available through Amazon.

Nutrition Facts

Snapper Veracruz Recipe

Amount Per Serving

Calories 255

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

March 30, 2019 0 comment

Fish Food Safety Sushi

Cross Shrimp Off Your Party List

by Jerry January 12, 2014

written by Jerry

I just read a disturbing report titled “5 Reasons To Never Eat Shrimp Again” From Prevention Mag’s blog.

Shrimping has changed

Mostly gone are the days of Bubba Gump’s shimp boats with nets. Now, picture huge nets in the ocean supported by colorful plastic boxes, or even more commonly, dozens of rice paddy like ponds filled with shrimp. Easy catch, easily processed by hundreds of underpaid, government subsidized workers.

This process is known as shrimp farming. Farming shrimp began in the 1970 and has grown rapidly mostly in Asian countries such as Thailand. Here in lies the problem. The majority of shrimp purchased in the US has been imported from these overseas farms. Because the shrimp are “farmed” in foreign countries, the US has little or no control over the conditions the shrimp are raised in and ultimately the quality and safety of the shrimp.

Chemicals

In order to increase the profitability of the farms, shrimp are packed into shallow ponds while ingesting their own waste materials. Complete “crops” of shrimp can be lost to disease or parasites. To prevent these expensive loses farmers dose the ponds with high levels of antibiotics and pesticides. These chemicals, many times, are ones currently banned for use in the United States. If you are counting on the FDA to protect you, think again. According to a 2011 report, only 1% of imported seafood is tested for these chemicals.

Feed Lots

Do these methods of growing protein sound familiar? They do to me. It is exactly like cattle fed lots and fowl houses. Animals are packed into small areas where they graze, walk and even feed on their own waste. When conditions cause disease, no problem, just dose them with antibiotics and when the feces attract flies, tics, fleas, lice, mites and other disease carrying pests, again, no problem, just spray them all with pesticides.

Global Warming

You may wonder, as I did, how shrimp farming can contribute to global warming. It seems that since the 1970’s shrimp farming has proven so profitable that the major farming countries, Thailand, Ecuador, Indonesia, China, Mexico and Vietnam have been cutting down their mangrove forests to make room for more ponds. Mangrove forests absorb more carbon dioxide than any other ecosystem in the world, including the rain forests. Not only that, but mangroves are breeding grounds for all types of sea creatures and their extensive root system prevents erosion during storms.

The Wild-caught Alternative

So, I will just eat wild-caught shrimp, just as I only eat wild-caught salmon. Not so fast. Wild-caught shrimping is extremely wasteful. For every pound of shrimp caught, there can be as much as 5 pounds of by-catch, which are other species caught in the nets. Much is written about the endangered turtles being killed by these nets so I won’t go on. Looks like I will be giving up shrimp all together. Crayfish are almost the same thing and can be farmed in the US. Crayfish are bottom feeders and live in fresh water.

We Need To Stop Eating Sea Food

My job is to point out to you the problems I find. Your job is to prove me right or wrong or ask me enough questions to more deeply explore the problem. I have pointed out that the problem is little or no regulation on imported sea food of all kinds to this country. I’m telling you to stop eating all imported and wild caught sea food. Your turn. – jughandle

Do your own research, prove me wrong, please prove me wrong, because I’m seeing this as a serious problem!

January 12, 2014 0 comment

Beef Brines and Rubs Cooking Tools & Techniques Fish Fowl Marinades Pork Protein Sauces Venison

Marinades, Brines and Rubs

by jughandle September 19, 2011

written by jughandle

Marinades

Marinades are flavor-infusing liquids best suited for tougher cuts of meat. In addition to herbs, condiments, spices, and oils, marinades typically include an acid, like lemon juice, wine, vinegar, even dairy.

Adding sweet ingredients to the marinade can help form appealing caramelized, crispy coatings on grilled meats. The acids in the lemon juice, wine, vinegar, butter milk, etc will actually cook the protein in the meat by chemical reaction.

Always marinate in the refrigerator. And remember, if you’re basting with a liquid in which raw meat marinated, do not apply it during the last three minutes of grilling.

The good news:

Chicken, turkey and fish will take on marinade flavors much more quickly and effectively than red meats. Fish only need to marinate for 30 minute to an hour. Chicken and turkey 2 to 3 hours. Red meats need at least 24 hours to work at all. The more acid in the marinade the better and quicker it will work.

The bad news:

Marinades only penetrate the meat 1/8 inch at the most no mater how long you soak them. Think of marinades as a sauce and don’t waste money on expensive ingredients for your marinades. If you use sugar the sugar will tend to burn on the surface of the meat. If you like charred meat, fine. Don’t use alcohol either. The alcohol will only cook the surface of the meat sealing it from further penetration of the other flavors. If you use salt in the marinade then you are actually brining your meat. See Brines below.

Brines

Brines are salty solutions that help lean meats hold their moisture so they stay juicy and tender during grilling.Brining is a popular method for preparing poultry, particularly turkey, and lean meats, like pork, that tend to dry out on the grill. Sugar, spices, and herbs are sometimes added to the liquid as well.Soak meats in a container large enough to submerge the meat completely without allowing it to float in the solution. Store in the refrigerator.

Before grilling, rinse brined meat to remove excess salt and dry it with paper towels.

Remember high school chemistry? Yeah, me neither. But I do remember something about osmosis. But I remember that in osmosis through a semi permeable membrane like the flesh of the meat, water or other liquid will flow from a lower concentration of salt to a higher one, back and forth until the concentrations are equal. So first water flows out of the meat and salt flows in which starts to break down the proteins in the cells. Additonal water will flow into the meat as the protein breaks down causing the meat to be more moist.

The brine can also be used as a vehicle to carry other flavors into the meat with the dissolved salt. Hence the sugar (to balance the salt) and other flavors that will dissolve in water.

Obviously, there’s more going on than simple osmosis. It is true that salt enters the meat (it tastes more salty after brining). But why is it also more juicy? Well, when water flows out of the meat, salt flows in and begins to break down some of the proteins in the cells. In the broken down state, the molecules become more concentrated and the solute levels rise within the meat. This causes additional water to flow into the meat.

How Stuff Works has a short article describing osmotic pressure with a diagram that may be helpful to visualize the water flow.

What has happened is that through brining, we’ve caused a state change in the cells so that they will draw and hold more water than before. As we cook the meat, the heated proteins will begin to draw in tighter and squeeze out water, but, hopefully, enough water will remain to produce a juicy, tender piece of meat.

Always start with a cold brine. Refrigerate or ice the meat while brining to prevent bacteria from forming. Brine for 2 hours per pound of meat and cover the meat with a solution of 1/2 cup of salt per gallon of water. The other stuff like sugar and herbs are just bonus flavors.

Rubs

Rubs are seasoning mixtures rubbed on meats before grilling to add spicy or smoky flavors. The best rubs enhance the flavor of the meat without being overbearing and are often blends of strong and mild spices and herbs. When oil or another wet substance is included, it is called a wet rub. A little moisture helps the rub adhere to the meat.

Rubs are an easy way to infuse the surface of your grilled meats with exciting ethnic flavors–from Cajun to Korean.

Setting aside rubbed meats for anywhere from 30 minutes to overnight allows the spices to permeate the meat as much as possible.

Rubs are most effective when used on slow cooking meat as opposed to a fast grilling method. Slow cooking allows the meat’s juices to blend with the rub while high heat grilling only burns the rub on the surface.

Good luck with your flavoring methods. Here at the Fat Farm we almost always use either McCormik’s lemon/pepper or just plain salt and pepper. We let the meat speak for it self – jughandle

September 19, 2011 6 comments

Fish Just Recipes

Seafood: The Good and the Bad

by jughandle September 13, 2011

written by jughandle

Most of us are aware of the chemicals and polutants found in the flesh of many of the sea foods we are offered at the store. But do you know that there are still many “super green” fish and shellfish that we should and can be eating?

Green

What do I mean by “Super Green”? First of all a SG food must be healthy, and sustainable. “Farming” or raising these food sources must also be good for the environment and not add to the problems we already face with depletion of our natural resources.

Good Fish and Shellfish and Why

Albacore Tuna that is Troll or Pole Caught in the U.S. or British Columbia – This fish is only SG if it is troll or pole caught because these methods catch fish smaller than 20 lbs which have a lower continent of mercury and are caught in the colder waters of the US or British Columbia making them higher in omega 3. The hard part is how to determine if the fish you are looking at meets those standards. Read the labels or look for Blue Eco Label of the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC).
Mussels and Oysters that are farm raised – These shellfish pack a large amount of omega-3s and oysters are high in iron. But what makes these SG are that they both feed off the natural nutrients and algae in the water, filtering the water, thus improving water quality. It is more healthy to eat these shellfish cooked as the raw shellfish, especially from warm waters may contain harmful bacteria.
Pink Shrimp ( wild-caught in Oregon) and Spot Prawns (wild-caught in British Columbia) – Again, look for the MSC-certified Blue Label sticker. The U.S. has strict regulations about net caught anything. The reason being is that nets drag the ocean floors and damage the coral ref which are the habitats of most of the oceans fish. The best source of shrimp would be from Oregon and the Pacific Northwest where the shrimp are caught in traps Avoid imported shrimp, farmed or wild net caught.
Rainbow Trout (Farmed) – I know it is hard to remember that one farmed fish is bad and another good but again, look for the blue label. Lake trout are available in some parts of the country but they are very high in contaminants. Almost all trout you’ll find in stores will be rainbow trout which are raised in freshwater ponds and protected from contaminants being fed a fishmeal diet designed to conserve resources.
Salmon (wild-caught in Alaska) – Salmon in Alaska are very well managed. Their numbers are tracked and monitored to keep from over fishing during a particular season. Also the natural streams the fish spawn in are checked regularly. These fish are a great source of omega-3s and have very few contaminants. Avoid at all costs the farm raised salmon because the pens they are raised in are full of parasites that threaten the entire salmon population, wild and raised.
Sardines (Pacific – wild caught) – Here is one you might not have thought of. Sardines have more omega-3s than salmon or tuna and are high in vitamin D. They reproduce quickly and therefore are sustainable with the new regulations.

Fish to Avoid

Bluefin Tuna – This fish is threatened. Because it is still prized for culinary uses it still can sell for over $150,000 per fish. Bluefins are high in mercury and also carry an EDF health alert. (Environmental Defense Fund)
Chilean Sea Bass (also marketed as Patagonian Toothfish) –the sea bass has been prized on menus for years. That is one of the problems. These fish can live over 50 years but are very slow to reproduce, thus making them easy to over fish. There is only one well-managed fishery the is MSC-certified. Look for the blue sticker.
Grouper – These are huge, delicious fish that live to be very old. Because they live so long they are high in mercury and are also on the EDF health advisory list.
Monkfish – this is one of my favorite fish. It used to be cheap and was marketed as imatation crab and lobster because its texture resembles lobster. Alas, it too became popular and is now over fished. Monkfish is making a come back because of strict netting regulation, so look for the MSC label.
Orange Roughy – Now here is a fish that, like the grouper, is very long lived but reproduces slowly making it vulnerable to over fishing. The Roughy can live to be over 100 years old, so it has high levels of mercury and is also on the EDF health advisory list
Salmon (Farmed) – as I explained before, the farm raised salmon are raised in pens in the ocean and are tightly packed. These pens are treated with antibiotics and full of salmon threatening parasites. Farmed raised salmon are on the EDF list also.

These are all fish that are either over fished are high in contaminates or both. Go to The MSC certified “fish to eat” page to see pictures and updates on the available seafood.

September 13, 2011 1 comment

Fish Just Recipes

Soft Shell Crab

by jughandle August 23, 2011

written by jughandle

One of the best things to eat are soft shell Crabs. I just love the flavor of a nicely sauted crab and the way it’s naturally sweet sea food flavor is enhanced by the melted butter and herbs. But my favorite is a soft shell crab Po Boy sandwich. The crispy fried legs sticking out of toasted French bread or hoagie roll and smothered with Tartar sauce. Delicious

Season

Soft shell crabs are in season from May until September, but if you aren’t near the beach, and even then, you’ll most likely be eating a frozen one. Freezing is not quite as good if the chef doesn’t dry the crab out before cooking. I’ve only had fresh soft shell crab once and it was amazing.

About the Crab

The crab is a Blue Crab that is molting (shedding its shell) in order to grow larger. The crab farmers only have a 1-3 hour window of opportunity to harvest the crabs in the “soft” form by collecting the crabs just before they molt and watching them until the perfect moment. After that the new shell starts to harden. The hardening process can be slowed for fresh soft shells by putting them on ice, but freezing obviously stops the process completely.

How to Clean

To clean the crab before cooking all you need is a sharp pair of scissors. First turn the crab over and find lungs (left picture above), which are a fibrous like tissue right where you might think they are supposed to be. Cut them off. Then look for the apron which is also on the bottom and is hard, cut it and anything that seems too hard to eat off. Finially flip the little guy over (right picture above) and cut off the head and eye section. Pat him dry and you are ready to go.

Buying the Crab by Size

Look in the frozen sea food section of your store or ask the fish monger, they will point you to the right spot. Many stores carry pre-cleaned crabs or the fish monger can clean them for you. The Prime size is good for sandwiches, but any size will do. The larger ones are easier to clean.

If you can’t find them at your local store, you can also buy 2 dozen small crabs from our Fat Farm Store , or here at the store for 12 crabs totaling 1.5 lbs and have them shipped to your home.

Look for several recipes from frying to sandwiches under the recipe tab – Jughandle

August 23, 2011 4 comments

Cooking Tools & Techniques Fish How To

How to Cook Fish

by jughandle August 6, 2011

written by jughandle

Believe it or not, according to Cook’s Bible there are 9 ways to cook fish. I’m going to give you the short course on all 9 today. Selecting and storing fish is another story all together and we’ll tackle that another day. I will only tell you that the best way to select a fresh fish is to stick your finger into the meat. If the flesh does not spring back to its original shape or if it exudes water, that fish has been out of the water too long or was not properly handled. Fresh fish are like “Friday Night Lights” in that they should have “clear eyes” also.

1. Braising – Braising is a method of cooking in a liquid. For fish the proper cut to braise is a steak. Saute the fish steak on both sides with olive oil in an oven safe skillet or Dutch-oven. Remove the fish and reserve it for later. Add onion, garlic, shallots or similar ingredients to the pan and saute them for about 5 mins, separately from the fish. Then add to the pan about 1/2 cup of your braising liquid of choice, which could be anything from water, stock, vinegar, or olive juice to wine. Bring to a simmer and improve the mix with capers, anchovies, olives or other such stuff. Return the fish to the pan and put the whole pan in a 400 deg oven for 8-10 minutes per inch of fish thickness.

2. Steaming – Stove top steaming can be accomplished in a “steamer” purchased for just that purpose or in any deep Dutch-oven or pot that can handle the size of the fish. Into the deep pot add about 1 inch of water and arrange along the bottom something like cookie cutters or cooking rings or anything heat safe that will hold your fish above the water. We are trying to steam the fish not poach it (see #3). You can then put your fish on a plate or pan that will fit in the pot and let it rest on the cookie cutters above the water. Bring the water to a slow boil and put the lid on the pot. Steam the fish for roughly 10 mins per inch of fish. Most whole fishes will cook in under 15 mins. The picture to the left shows a couple of nice slices of fish in a bamboo steamer. The cook has placed ginger and herbs on the fish while steaming.

Oven steaming can be even easier to do. Place you cut of fish on a large sheet of heavy aluminum foil. Season fish with salt, pepper or other spices or peppers and herbs. Squeeze the juice of 1 lemon or lime, or wine on the fish (about 2 tablespoons). Then fold the foil together over and over from the top, then both ends to create an air tight package, leaving a little space above the fish for steam. Put the foil fish package on a cookie sheet and into a hot oven, 400-425 deg, for roughly 12-14 mins or until the package puffs up. Carefully open the foil and serve. This method is good for fillet or small fish steaks.

3. Poaching – Poaching as opposed to steaming cooks the fish in the liquid but more gently than braising and in more liquid. While braising is good for fish that has a stronger texture, like swordfish, poaching is great for light flesh or flaky fish such as salmon. For this reason, the poached fish is more easily handled if you wrap it in cheese-cloth for the poaching. Place your fish in a large pot capable of holding the fish and liquid. Cover the fish with your poaching liquid, which could be water, stock, wine or any combination. Add your flavorings, such as, lemon, lime, bay leaves, parsley, salt, pepper, celery, cilantro etc, etc. Bring the liquid to a rolling boil then turn the heat off, cover the pot and let the fish poach in the hot liquid for 10-15 minutes. Then remove and serve. (This is where you thank me for the tip about the cheese-cloth.)

4. Pan-frying – Pan frying fish is just what it sounds like. I fry everything in olive oil, both for health and flavor reasons. Put 1/2 cup of oil in a frying pan. Bring to a med-high heat (about 375 deg). Meanwhile dredge the fish in beaten egg then in a combination of flour and cornmeal or Panko breadcrumbs. Some people use cream of wheat. Then fry in the hot oil for a few minutes per side or until nicely browned.

5. Sauteing – Sauteing is best accomplished with a fish fillet in a hot pan of butter and olive oil. A small amount of olive oil is added to the butter to raise the smoke point of the butter. Coat the fillet with seasoned flour or breadcrumbs or some combination of coatings, then saute in a about 1/4 inch of the butter/oil until brown and crispy. Cook quickly and hot.

6. Broiling – This is by far the simplest method of cooking fish. Just brush the fish with oil or butter and cook the fish in a oven safe pan in the broiler of your oven for 8-10 mins. You don’t even have to turn over a thin piece of fish.

7. Grilling – This is the hardest method of cooking fish. With sticking a problem, fish can fall apart, so select a nice firm fish such as swordfish or use a grilling basket to hold the fish. Sea foods are nice to grill. Shrimp is easy in the shell and lobster is amazing. The problem with grilling is the heat. You need a med heat to cook fish, which is hard to accomplish on the grill. Remember to remove the fish when it is slightly under-cooked to allow the residual heat to finish it off. Tuna is nice on the grill (see the picture on the left).

8. Roasting – Roasting is the best way to cook a whole fish. Place the fish on a roasting pan in a hot (450 deg) oven and cook until done, basting with hot oil or butter during the roasting process. The fish is done when the skin easily peals off or the tip of a sharp knife can easily pierce to the bone.

9. Marinating (Ceviche) – Yes, this is a cooking method. Marinating fish in a acidic liquid for a period of time actually cooks the flesh. Because no heat is used, you should only try this method with very fresh fish and shell fish. Cut the fish into small 1/4 -3/8 inch cubes and marinate in the refrigerator covered in vinegar, lime or lemon juice for 4 to 24 hours. Combine with other flavors and serve.

Enjoy your new skills. Let me know what you’re doing – Jughandle

August 6, 2011 1 comment