Cilantro and chili powder are folded into a base of smooth crabmeat mousse. A bowl of guacamole and one of salsa complete the meal.
1 pound mild-flavored white fish fillets, such as halibut, cod, or sole
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 scallions, white parts and 3 inches of green tops, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, seeds and ribs removed, and chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 large egg
3 tablespoons plain breadcrumbs
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
11/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
3/4 pound lump crabmeat, picked
over to remove shell fragments
1. Rinse fish, pat dry with paper towels, remove any bones, and cut into 1-inch pieces. Place cubes on a sheet of plastic wrap, and freeze for 20 to 30 minutes, or until firm but not frozen solid.
2. Heat butter in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add scallions, bell pepper, and garlic, and cook, stirring frequently, for 3 to 5 minutes, or until vegetables soften. Set aside.
3. Combine fish cubes, cream, and egg in a food processor fitted with the steel blade or in a blender. Puree until smooth. Scrape mixture into a mixing bowl, and stir in breadcrumbs, cilantro, paprika, chili powder, Worcestershire sauce, salt, oregano, and cayenne. Whisk until smooth, then gently fold in crab and vegetable mixture. Cook 1 tablespoon of mixture on a microwave-safe dish for 30 seconds, covered with plastic wrap. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary.
4. Place a 12 x 12-inch sheet of plastic wrap on the counter in front of you. Place 1/6 of fish mixture in a line 6 inches long that begins 2 inches from the bottom edge of the plastic wrap. Roll up plastic wrap and squeeze seafood mixture to form a cylinder. Twist ends of plastic wrap tightly, and tie shut with kitchen string. Wrap entire sausage in a second sheet of plastic wrap. Repeat with remaining fish mixture to form a total of 6 sausages.
5. To poach sausages, bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add sausages, reduce the heat to medium-low, and maintain water at a bare simmer of 180°F; attach a candy thermometer to the side of the pan or take the temperature of the water frequently with an instant-read thermometer. Cook sausages for 20 to 25 minutes, or until firm. Remove one sausage to a plate with tongs and insert an instant-read thermometer. If the temperature is 155°F, sausages are done. If not, return to the pot and continue cooking. Remove sausages from the pan with tongs, and allow sausages to sit for 5 minutes. Then cut off plastic wrap, and serve immediately, or cool to room temperature still in the plastic wrap, and refrigerate.
Note: Sausages can be refrigerated up to a day; they should not be frozen. Once cooked, they can be refrigerated for 2 days. Reheat them by lowering them into simmering water for 5 minutes, or in a microwave oven at 45-second intervals on Medium (50 percent power) until hot.