These are some of the healthiest things we eat; besides, they taste good. Ideally, we eat fatty fish from low on the food chain—anchovies and sardines—that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids and least likely to contain large amounts of mercury.
As with local vegetables, local fish tend to be fresher and avoid the use of transport. I prefer fish that have not been farmed. There is some proof that wild fish are less prone to disease. I avoid fish that are endangered species.
It is easy to cook fish if we don’t overcook. Almost all methods of cooking from sautéing to baking to microwaving can be used.
Nothing is simpler and quicker for dinner than individual fish fillets. The trick is to get them crisp without batter or a flour coating. Rice bran works brilliantly and is very good for the arteries. Think of very simple vegetables with this.
¼ cup rice bran
Four ¼-pound skinless mild fish fillets, such as fluke, trout, snapper, or bass
2 tablespoons safflower oil
1 lemon, cut into quarters and seeded
Pour the rice bran onto a piece of wax paper, newspaper, or parchment and dredge both sides of each fillet in it. Set aside. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a 9-inch sauté pan over high heat until it shimmers. Reduce the heat to medium and place two fillets in the pan. Cook for a minute or two on each side. Move to a paper-towel-lined plate. Add more oil to the pan and repeat with the remaining fish fillets. Serve with the lemon wedges.
SERVES 4
Basic Poached Halibut served with Quinoa with Celery and Mushrooms (see recipe).
The Canadians developed a general rule of thumb for cooking fish—whole or filleted—no matter what the method used. It is to measure the fish at the thickest part and allow 10 minutes per inch or a fraction of the time for a fraction of an inch. If time is of the essence, fish can be poached in plain water, but this recipe is for a court bouillon, a flavored poaching liquid.
The number of people served will depend on the variety of fish and the percentage of head and bone. Ask a good fish seller for guidance.
2 cups dry white wine
1 medium onion, sliced into half-moons
3 cloves garlic
5 whole peppercorns
1 lemon, cut across into ¼-inch slices
1 carrot, peeled and cut across into ¼-inch slices
1 bunch parsley
1 whole fish, measuring 1½ inches at the thickest section
Combine all the ingredients except the fish in a stockpot with 4 cups water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to simmer for 30 minutes. Gently place the fish in the poaching liquid, cover, and cook for 15 minutes (1 inch = 10 minutes; ½ inch = 5 minutes).
The rule of thumb is still the same: 10 minutes per inch of thickness of the fish.
One 4-pound whole fish, scaled, gutted, cleaned (gills removed), 2¼ inches at the thickest point, head and tail on, interior cavity well washed to remove any blood
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons kosher salt
Freshly ground white pepper
½ to ¾ cup white wine
With a large kitchen knife, cut three parallel diagonal slashes—lined up with the bones at the body end of the head—into each side of the fish. Cut into the flesh, almost down to the center bone. Place the fish on a diagonal in an 18-×-13-×-2-inch roasting pan. If part of the fish head and/or tail hangs over the corners, that is fine. Rub the oil and lemon juice into both sides of the fish, including the slashes, and into the interior. Sprinkle both sides with the salt and pepper to taste. It will take about 1 hour for the marinating fish to come to room temperature.
About 20 minutes before cooking the fish, heat the oven to 500°F with a rack in the center.
Roast the fish for about 22 minutes. Using two very large spatulas, move the fish to a serving platter.
Put the roasting pan on top of the stove. Add the white wine and bring the contents to a boil while scraping the bottom vigorously with a wooden spoon. Let reduce by half. Season to taste. Serve on the side in a sauceboat.
SERVES 6
When roasting salmon, as with other fish, allow 10 minutes per inch of thickness. Look at the “Sides” chapter for a green vegetable and, if desired, a cooked starch such as quinoa or rice. Consider adding some extra dill and oil.
One 4-pound Atlantic salmon, scaled, gutted, and cleaned (gills removed), 2½ inches at the thickest point, head and tail on, interior cavity well washed to remove any blood
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3 large bunches dill
½ to ¾ cup white wine
1 tablespoon dill seeds
With a large kitchen knife, starting just behind the bones around the head, cut three parallel diagonal slashes into each side of the fish, almost down to the center bone. Place the fish on a diagonal in an 18-×-13-×-2-inch roasting pan. If part of the fish head and/or tail hangs over the corners, that is fine. Rub the olive oil and lemon juice into both sides of the fish, including the slashes, and into the interior. Sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper to taste. Cram 2 bunches of dill into the cavity of the fish. Chop the top fronds of the remainder and set aside. It will take about 1 hour for the marinating fish to come to room temperature.
About 20 minutes before cooking the fish, heat the oven to 500°F with a rack in the center.
Roast the fish for 25 minutes (2½ inches = 25 minutes). Using two very large spatulas, move the fish to a serving platter.
Put the roasting pan on top of the stove and add the white wine, chopped dill, and dill seeds. Bring the contents to a boil while scraping the bottom vigorously with a wooden spoon. Let reduce by half. Use this liquid as a sauce.
SERVES 6
This aromatic dish looks and tastes as if slathered with cream. It isn’t. There is a minimum of fat.
1 large or 2 medium celery roots (about 1¾ pounds), peeled and trimmed
½ cup coconut milk
½ teaspoon ground cumin
Kosher salt
One 3-pound whole red snapper or other mild fish such as sea bass, cleaned, with head and tail on
Vegetable oil for deep-frying
1½ cups flat-leaf parsley leaves, washed and dried very well
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Generously chop off the top and bottom and then the four rounded sides of the celery root to make a cube. Cut the trim pieces into ½-inch chunks (about 6 cups). Cut the cube into 2-×-⅜-×-⅜-inch sticks (there will be about 3 cups).
Place the celery root chunks (not the sticks) in a 4-quart stockpot and cover with water by an inch. Bring to a boil. Simmer for 20 to 25 minutes or until the tip of a knife easily pierces the celery root. Drain. Place in a food processor with the coconut milk and purée until the mixture is completely smooth, 3 to 5 minutes. Season with cumin and salt to taste. Set aside.
Arrange the fish in a 14-×-11-×-2-inch microwave-safe dish. Allow the tips of the head and tail to protrude over the dish if necessary. Cover tightly with microwave-safe plastic wrap, making sure to wrap it under the tail or head. Microwave at full power for 10 minutes. Pierce the plastic with the tip of a sharp knife to release steam before removing from the oven. Unwrap. Use two large spatulas to move the fish carefully to a flat surface.
Skin and fillet the fish (see page 73).
Spread the celery root purée in an even layer on a microwave-safe platter. Put the fish pieces on top in a single layer. Cover with plastic wrap.
Fill a 4-quart saucepan halfway with oil and heat the oil to 325°F. Gently place the celery root sticks into the oil, a handful at a time. Stir to prevent them from sticking. Fry for 2 to 3 minutes, until golden brown and tender. Remove with a wire skimmer, shaking off excess oil into the pot.
Drain the sticks on paper towels. Sprinkle with salt. Set aside.
Reheat the fish and celery root purée in the microwave for 1 minute. Pierce the plastic with the tip of a sharp knife, then remove from the oven. Unwrap.
Standing at a safe distance to avoid splatters, drop the parsley into the oil, a handful at a time. Fry for 5 to 10 seconds. Remove with a wire skimmer, shaking off excess oil into the pot, and drain on a baking sheet lined with paper towels. Sprinkle with salt.
Place the fried celery root sticks around the fish. Drizzle the lemon juice over the fish. Sprinkle the fried parsley generously over the entire dish.
SERVES 4
Here we return to the classic world of French cooking except that the French would lavish it with heavy cream. My husband and I didn’t miss it.
As always, use a stainless-steel pan or the sorrel will turn a revolting color. This recipe for two can be doubled, but make sure you have enough sorrel on hand—6 cups of leaves, stemmed, is a very large amount of sorrel.
1½ teaspoons safflower oil
3 cups sorrel leaves, stems removed (save for the soup on page 49 if desired), cut across into ¼-inch strips (about 2 cups tightly packed)
1¾ cups chicken stock (any of the homemade stocks, pages 203–4, or sterile-pack)
2 egg yolks
2 skin-on salmon fillets (about 7 ounces each), cut into 6-×-2-×-1-inch strips
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1½ cups cooked long-grain white rice with olive oil and salt
Heat the oil in an 8-inch stainless-steel sauté pan over high heat. When the oil shimmers, reduce the heat to medium. Stir in the sorrel strips. Stir occasionally with a wooden spoon until the leaves turn olive green and become mushy. The leaves reduce down dramatically, becoming about ¼ cup of cooked sorrel after 4 to 5 minutes.
Scrape the contents of the pan into a small saucepan. Mix in ¼ cup of the chicken stock. Set aside. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolks with ½ cup of the remaining chicken stock. Set aside.
Place the salmon fillets, skin side down, in a 9-inch sauté pan, making sure they are not touching. Add the remaining cup of chicken stock. Bring the liquid to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 2 minutes. Turn the fillets over and cook for 2 minutes more, until the surface is opaque. This is for slightly rare salmon; cook longer if desired. Move the fillets to a platter or to plates.
Pour the cooking liquid into the saucepan with the sorrel. Stir well. Heat just until the first bubbles appear on the surface. Carefully whisk ¼ cup of the sorrel mixture into the egg yolk mixture to heat it slightly. Slowly whisk all of the warm egg mixture back into the saucepan with the sorrel. Cook, stirring, over medium heat until slightly thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. There will be enough sauce for the fish with some for the rice.
Serve with ¾ cup cooked rice per person.
SERVES 2
This is Asian by virtue of its seasonings, not the origin of the fish. Any sole can be used. The fillet halves are rolled up to make them look attractive and less fragile while cooking than if they were cooked flat.
1½ tablespoons toasted sesame oil
One 1-ounce package dried shiitake mushrooms
Eight 4-ounce fillets of sole
1 to 2 bunches scallions, trimmed, white parts thinly sliced across (about ⅓ cup)
½ ounce ginger, peeled and cut into ¼-inch dice (about 3 tablespoons)
⅓ cup rice wine vinegar
3 tablespoons gluten-free soy sauce
½ cup coarsely chopped cilantro (coriander) leaves
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon arrowroot powder
Wipe a 9-inch glass pie dish with a small amount of the sesame oil. Heat the oven to 350°F with the rack in the bottom position.
Break the shiitake caps into small pieces into a blender, discarding the stems. Blend until reduced to a fine powder. Lay out a large sheet of paper or aluminum foil on a counter and make a thin, even layer of the shiitake powder.
Pull apart each sole fillet along the center membrane. Pull off the center membrane. One by one, turn each sole fillet in the shiitake powder to coat. Roll each piece to make a paupiette: with the smooth, skin side of the fish out, roll starting with the thicker end of each.
Space the rolls evenly in the pie dish. Strew the scallion and ginger pieces around the paupiettes. Pour on the vinegar and soy and the remaining sesame oil. Sprinkle with the remaining shiitake powder.
Place the pan in the oven for 18 minutes. Remove the pan and turn off the oven. Move the paupiettes to an ovenproof serving dish and return to the oven with the door open.
Pour the contents of the pie dish into a saucepan. Add the cilantro. Bring to a boil and add the sugar. Cook for 2 minutes. Turn off the heat. Dissolve the arrowroot in 1 tablespoon cold water. Whisk the arrowroot slurry into the sauce and stir until it thickens. Remove the dish from the oven. Top with the sauce and serve.
SERVES 6 TO 8
Without hesitation I stand ready to prepare a hash for brunch or dinner on any wintry day that cries out for it, whether or not the hash relies on last night’s meal. And the basic recipes aren’t sacrosanct; there’s plenty of room for variation. I find this West Indian curried hash appealing because it is a product of two cultures: an Irish dish with a bit of local color from, say, Trinidad.
2 teaspoons black mustard seeds
¼ cup vegetable oil
3 tablespoons curry powder, preferably West Indian style
½ teaspoon ground cumin
1 medium onion, cut into ¼-inch dice
4 medium cloves garlic, smashed, peeled, and minced
2 ounces ginger, peeled and minced
1 teaspoon anise seeds
1 pound floury potatoes, cooked, peeled, cooled, and cut into ½-inch cubes
2 medium stalks celery, peeled and cut into ¼-inch dice
1 medium red bell pepper, cored, seeded, deribbed, and cut into ¼-inch dice
1 medium jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
1 egg, lightly beaten
⅔ cup coconut milk
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons minced mint leaves
2 cups flaked leftover cooked fish such as salmon, cod, or red snapper or Basic Poached Fish (page 72)
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
Heat a large nonstick pan over medium heat. Add the mustard seeds and cook, shaking the pan, for 40 seconds, until the seeds start to pop. Add the oil and reduce the heat to medium-low. Stir in the curry powder and cumin. Cook, stirring, for 40 seconds.
Stir in the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, ginger, and anise seeds. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes.
Add the potatoes, raise the heat to medium, and cook, turning occasionally, for 9 minutes or until the potatoes begin to brown. Stir in the celery, red pepper, and jalapeño. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, whisk the egg, coconut milk, salt, and mint together. Pour this mixture over the potatoes. Stir in the fish and lime juice. Press the mixture into the pan with the back of a spoon to make a cake. Cook over medium heat for 15 minutes, until the cake is set and the bottom has formed a crust.
Invert onto a large round serving platter so the crusty side is up.
SERVES 6
Most of us haven’t heard of samphire, which grows among the rocks along the shores of Brittany and England and looks like a seaweed but isn’t. It is crisp and salty. It is also called “glass wort” because the ash when it was burned went into the making of glass. It is a wild plant, although I understand that the clever French are trying to grow it. It is a rarity in our markets. I bought mine online.
Nasturtiums—stems and leaves—or watercress can be substituted, but add salt.
The dish is lovely to look at, tastes just as good, and cooks unbelievably quickly. I served it with roasted new potatoes.
½ pound samphire or other greens
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 fillets (about 1 pound each) from a 3-pound Arctic char (save the head and bones for stock, page 205)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Heat the oven to 500°F with a rack in the center.
Wash and dry the samphire. Rub the bottom of a 14-×-10-×-2-inch roasting pan with the oil. Make a ring of the samphire from which any black bits have been pinched off around the inside of the edge of the pan. Place the fillets in the center of the ring, the head end of one next to the tail end of the other. Sprinkle with lemon juice.
Cook the dish for about 3 minutes. The fish should be barely cooked.
SERVES 2 TO 4, DEPENDING ON APPETITES
This is a fresh-tasting first course. Or serve with pasta for an elegant dinner.
For this dish the shrimp are butterflied (headless and cleaned of feelers but with shell and tail on) by laying them on their sides and cutting in half—parallel to the cutting surface—from head end to just before the tail.
3 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 teaspoons gluten-free soy sauce
Freshly ground black pepper
24 jumbo shrimp in the shell (about 2¾ pounds), butterflied
24 sprigs cilantro (coriander)
Heat the oven to 500°F with a rack in the center.
Combine the sesame oil, vinegar, soy, and pepper to taste. Rub the shrimp with about half of the oil mixture. Place in an 18-×-13-×-2-inch roasting or broiling pan. Arrange the shrimp so that their shells are up and the fleshy ends are separated from one another. Roast for 2½ minutes. Turn. Top with the remaining oil mixture. Roast for 2½ minutes more.
Serve three shrimp per person, flesh side up with tails meeting in the center of the plate, each topped with a cilantro sprig.
SERVES 8 AS A FIRST COURSE
These are smashing to look at with the coral of the shrimp and the yellow pepper. They taste good too with the freshness of mint.
The kebabs need to be cooked at the last minute, but all the work can be done ahead. I think rice would be best with this.
2 cups olive oil
¾ cup fresh lemon juice
1 bunch mint (about 2 ounces), leaves removed and finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, smashed, peeled, and finely chopped
Pinch cayenne pepper
16 jumbo shrimp (about 1½ pounds)
1 yellow onion, quartered and halved through the stem end
1 large yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded, deribbed, cut lengthwise into 1-inch strips, and strips cut across into thirds
4 white mushrooms, stemmed and quartered
Place eight bamboo skewers at least 8 inches long in a flat pan. Cover completely with cold water. Set aside.
Combine the oil, lemon juice, mint, garlic, and cayenne and mix well to make a marinade. Add the remaining ingredients and marinate for 30 minutes.
Heat the broiler with the rack at the top. To assemble the kebabs, slide a skewer through a mushroom quarter, pepper piece, shrimp, onion piece, shrimp, pepper, and mushroom again. Repeat with the remaining seven skewers.
Rub 1½ tablespoons of the marinade on the bottom of a shallow 16-×-11-inch roasting pan. Put in the skewers in an even layer. Broil for 2 minutes, then turn the skewers over and broil for 3 minutes more. Serve immediately.
SERVES 8 AS A FIRST COURSE, 4 AS A MAIN COURSE
These are the kebabs for which I developed the Green Velvet Cilantro Sauce, and I have served them as a first and a main course. Continuing the theme of not discarding, I used sticks cut lengthwise from the hard core of a pineapple as the skewers. Of course, regular skewers will work just as well.
1½ pounds skinless and boneless salmon, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 30)
½ pound (8 whole) fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and caps cut into quarters, or, if using dried, soaked in hot water for 30 minutes
½ recipe Green Velvet Cilantro Sauce (page 194)
1½ tablespoons safflower oil
Prepare eight pineapple skewers according to the directions on page 185. If using bamboo skewers, place them in a flat pan and cover with cold water for at least 1 hour before using.
Pierce the salmon cubes and shiitake quarters, alternating between the two. Each skewer should have three or four pieces of salmon and four pieces of mushroom. Place them in the bottom of a large roasting pan or casserole dish. Coat each skewer with the sauce. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes, turning the skewers over halfway through. Heat the broiler and place a rack at the top of the oven.
Coat the bottom of a separate large roasting pan with the safflower oil. Put the skewers in the pan, spacing them evenly so they do not touch. Pour the marinade from the original pan over the skewers and broil for 2 to 3 minutes per side.
SERVES 8 AS A FIRST COURSE, 4 AS A MAIN COURSE
This sprightly marinated seafood can be prepared the day before, making it an ideal starter for a party.
Four 9-ounce boxes frozen artichoke hearts
6½ pounds mussels (about 6 dozen), scrubbed and beards removed
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3¼ pounds medium shrimp (20 to 24 to the pound), shelled
8 stalks celery (about 1½ pounds), peeled and cut diagonally into ¼-inch slices
¾ pound white onions, quartered and thinly sliced (2 cups)
MARINADE
½ cup fresh lemon juice
¼ cup good-quality olive oil
1 tablespoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup drained and rinsed capers
¾ cup liquid from cooked mussels
Open the boxes of artichoke hearts. Place the artichokes in a sieve under hot running water until they can be separated. Place in a bowl of hot water until thoroughly defrosted. Drain. Set aside.
Put the mussels with ¼ cup water in a large pot with a tight-fitting lid. Cook for 10 minutes, shaking the pot—holding the cover on—once during the cooking. Remove from the heat. Allow to cool until the mussels can be handled. Shell the mussels, using one shell as tweezers. Place the meat in a very large bowl. Discard the shells. Strain the mussel liquid through a sieve lined with a damp cloth. Reserve.
Bring 3 quarts water with the salt to a boil in a large pot. Drop in the shrimp. Stir. Cover the pot and turn off the heat. Let the shrimp steep for 5 minutes. Drain in a large colander. In a large bowl, combine the shrimp, mussels, artichokes, celery, and onions.
Whisk together the marinade ingredients. Pour over the salad. With hands or large spoons, mix thoroughly. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Stir once or twice before dinner.
MAKES 20 SERVINGS AS A FIRST COURSE, 10 AS A MAIN COURSE
Pomegranate juice is now readily available in groceries. But it is almost just as easy to buy some large dark red heavy pomegranates and juice them yourself, extracting the beautiful seeds, to make similar dishes or new ones.
The flavor of pomegranate and the beauty of its seeds go well in any part of a meal. The shrimp dish here, a lovely first course, uses plenty of spice but is not, as one might think, hot. The pomegranate provides color, crispness, and fresh flavor.
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons coriander seeds
2 tablespoons ground cumin
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon black mustard seeds
2 medium shallots, minced
30 large shrimp (1¼ pounds), peeled and deveined
Juice from 1 large or 2 small ripe pomegranates (½ cup; see sidebar, right)
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ pound light-colored frisée (chicory), heavy stems removed, leaf portion torn into 2-inch pieces (2 packed cups)
Seeds from ¼ large or ½ small pomegranate (about 2 tablespoons; see sidebar, right)
In a 12-inch skillet, combine a tablespoon of the sesame oil with the vegetable oil, coriander seeds, cumin, pepper to taste, and black mustard seeds. Place over medium heat and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Stir in the shallots and cook, stirring, for 4 minutes.
Raise the heat to high. Stir in the shrimp, and cook, turning and stirring, for 3 minutes, or until the shrimp are opaque.
Reduce the heat to medium-low. Stir in the pomegranate juice, vinegar, and salt. Cook, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan, for 1 minute. Stir in the remaining sesame oil.
Place ½ cup frisée on each plate. Top with shrimp and drizzle the sauce around the plate. Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds.
SERVES 4 AS A FIRST COURSE
This is a very pretty, festive dish that was approved by two of my fussiest gourmet friends. It needn’t be poisonously expensive if the salmon caviar is bought jarred. Do look at the general instructions for mayonnaise on page 190.
12 large sea scallops with side muscle removed and reserved
½ teaspoon plus 1 cup olive oil
½ cup (one 4-ounce jar) salmon roe
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
Put the reserved muscle pieces into the water that will go under a steamer tray. Grease the upper surface of the steamer tray with the ½ teaspoon oil. Lay the scallops on the steamer in a single layer. Bring the water to a boil without the steamer tray.
Put the roe in a blender with the lemon juice. Blend until smooth. Remove the cap—not the top—from the blender. Pour in the remaining olive oil in a steady stream with the motor running. Place the desired amount of sauce in the center of a plate for each person. I used about ⅓ cup per person.
Just before serving, place the steamer tray over the water and cover the steamer. Cook the scallops just until white or opaque, about 3 minutes. Place three scallops around each blob of sauce. Serve with a sauce spoon if available.
Any extra sauce can be refrigerated for up to 3 days and can be served with any simple fish.
SERVES 4 AS A FIRST COURSE
