teaspoon maceFISH
Elegant Alaskan Halibut
Norwegian Fish Cake Casserole
Baked Fish Sticks
Sole Almondine with Mock Hollandaise Sauce
SHELLFISH
Crab-Broccoli Bake
Shrimp-Rice Pot
Coquilles Saint-Jacques
Indian Shrimp Cakes
Shrimp Curry
Deep Sea Delight
Tempura Batter for Seafood
Scalloped Oysters
SEE ALSO
Crab or Lobster Quiche
Norwegian Fish Balls
Fettuccine with Shrimp and Scallops
Egg Fu Yung
A dedicated seafood lover would probably be content to eat his or her fresh fish poached, broiled, steamed, or baked—with a squeeze of lemon, a sprinkle of seasoning, or a bit of tartar sauce or hollandaise sauce. Or he or she can choose, as many of our local seafood restaurants do, to marinate fish in a teriyaki sauce before barbecuing or grilling it. See page 301 for a simple marinade for chicken that is also tasty with seafood (the fish should not cook in the marinade).
Not everyone is a dedicated fish lover. Nor does everyone have access, as I do, to freshly harvested seafood. Still, you can enjoy airfreighted, flash frozen, canned, or imitation seafood in many recipes. For you, this chapter contains a few of my favorites, using seafood in dishes that are a bit more flavorful than simple poached fish.
I’ve included shrimp cakes and fish casseroles along with a wonderful Deep Sea Delight, which can use a variety of seafoods—fresh, canned, or imitation.
If you serve your guests—especially those who think they don’t enjoy seafood—any of these, you could be surprised at the praise you’ll receive.
Although halibut is often dry, this tasty, moist, baked entrée from Alaska is not. It can be prepared ahead and put into the oven just 30 minutes before serving time.
1½ pounds halibut fillets
Lemon pepper to taste
½ to ¾ cup mayonnaise Paprika
½ cup sliced almonds, 3 to 4 tablespoons sliced green onions, or ½ to ¾ cup grated Cheddar cheese, for topping (optional)
Preheat oven to 350°.
Wash the halibut and slice all the fillets to an even ½-inch thickness. If possible, keep the pieces about 4 by 3 inches. Place them in a single layer covering the bottom of a greased baking dish. Sprinkle with lemon pepper. Cover with the mayonnaise to the thickness of cake frosting. Decorate with a scattering of paprika. If desired, halfway through baking, top with the Cheddar cheese. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the fish flakes easily. For a dressier dish, scatter the top with the almonds or green onions. Makes 4 to 5 servings.
Absolutely wonderful! Fish cakes deep-fried, then baked in a tasty sauce are a little more trouble to make than baked fish, but well worth the effort, and they can be done ahead of time. The recipe can easily be doubled.
Fish Cakes
1½ pounds bottom fish (cod, halibut, or snapper)
1 small onion
1 egg
1½ tablespoons potato starch flour
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
teaspoon mace
¼ teaspoon pepper
¾ cup evaporated milk or fresh nondairy liquid
¾ teaspoon salt
Vegetable oil, for deep frying
Butter Sauce
¼ cup (½ stick) butter or margarine
½ cup rice flour
2 cups chicken stock
3 green onions, sliced thin
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
Wash and remove any bones or skin from the fish. Place the fish and onion in a food processor fitted with a metal blade and process until thoroughly pulped.
Place in a mixing bowl and, using an electric mixer, beat in the egg, flour, nutmeg, mace, and pepper. Gradually add the milk, beating until light and fluffy, about 15 minutes. Stir in the salt.
In a deep fat fryer or a deep heavy pan, heat 2 inches of the oil. Drop small egg-sized cakes of batter from a wet spoon into the oil. Cook the cakes until brown and crusty. Drain on paper toweling while making the sauce.
Preheat oven to 350°.
Butter Sauce: In a 1½-quart saucepan, melt the butter and add the flour. Slowly add the chicken stock, stirring constantly. Add the green onion, salt, and pepper. Cook over medium heat until thickened.
Place the fish cakes in a 2-quart casserole. Pour the sauce over them and bake for 45 minutes. (If making ahead, refrigerate the fish cakes and sauce; bring to room temperature before baking.) Makes 4 or 5 servings.
A great-tasting fish dish, easy to prepare and only a few minutes’ time in the oven. Use any firm, mild fish such as snapper, cod, halibut, or other. If possible, purchase thick fillets, for they cut into the best sticks.
2 pounds firm, mild fish
2 cups crushed corn chips
1 teaspoon seafood seasoning
1 cup plain yogurt
Preheat oven to 350°.
Wash and cut the fish into l-by-4-inch strips.
Crush the corn chips to a fine breading. Add the seasoning. Place in a low, flat pan or on a sheet of aluminum foil.
Pour the yogurt into a flat bowl. Roll the fish in the yogurt, then in the corn chips. Place in a greased 9” × 13” pan or cookie sheet with at least a half inch between sticks. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the fish flakes easily and the crust is brown. Serve immediately. Makes 4 or 5 servings.
One of my favorite fish dishes can’t be ordered in a restaurant because the sole is usually rolled in flour before being dipped in the egg. You can buy some GF dry hollandaise sauce mixes, but I recommend this mock hollandaise recipe for an easy, tasty sauce that cooks the egg yolks and never curdles. Any leftover keeps well in the refrigerator to reheat and serve over broccoli, cauliflower, or carrots at another meal. With this fish I like to serve a fresh cabbage slaw and little red potatoes cooked in their skins and topped with parsley.
1½ pounds sole fillets
Salt and pepper to taste
1 egg, beaten slightly
1 tablespoon vegetable oil, for frying
cup sliced almonds, for topping
Mock Hollandaise Sauce
2 egg yolks
1 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
Wash and cut the fish into 4-inch sections. Add salt and pepper.
In a large frying pan or griddle, heat the oil. Dip the fish in the egg and fry quickly, turning when first side is lightly browned and fish is white. When done, divide among 4 serving plates. Top with 1 to 2 tablespoons Mock Hollandaise Sauce and a sprinkling of almonds. Serve immediately. Makes 4 servings.
Sauce: If making this Hollandaise, do before cooking the fish and keep it warm until ready to serve. Beat the egg yolks in a blender until very light and thick. Add the mayonnaise, a quarter cup at a time, beating until very stiff. Add the lemon juice. Transfer to the top of a double boiler over hot (but not boiling) water. Cook, adding the butter, beating constantly with a slotted spoon or wire whip until the eggs have further thickened the sauce and it is very smooth. If too thick, add 1 to 3 tablespoons of hot water, 1 at a time. Makes 1 cups.
Serve this delicious main-dish seafood-vegetable casserole with slices of fresh fruit. Add some GF bread or a roll and you have dinner. For two to three servings, halve the recipe and use a 1½-quart baking dish.
½ pound (2 cups) fresh crabmeat or two 6-ounce cans crabmeat
4 cups broccoli florets or two 10-ounce packages frozen broccoli
4 tablespoons butter
¼ cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons rice flour
2 cups milk or nondairy liquid
2 cups grated Cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Preheat oven to 350°.
Pick over the crabmeat to be sure there are no shells, or open and drain the cans. Set aside.
Cook the broccoli until it is just barely tender. Drain and place it in a 2-quart casserole.
In a heavy saucepan, melt the butter and sauté the onion until clear. Stir in the salt and flour. Add the milk slowly, stirring continually. Turn heat to medium and cook until thickened. Add the cheese and stir until melted. Add the lemon juice and the crabmeat. Spoon the cheese-crab sauce over the broccoli. Bake for 30 minutes. Makes 5 or 6 servings.
This tasty French-inspired dish may have originally featured freshwater crayfish, but flash frozen shrimp is now available in most fish markets, so one need not wade the creeks for the crayfish. Serve a salad or fruit slices with this easy-to-make dish for a full meal.
1 pound uncooked shrimp
1 cup frozen baby peas
2 tablespoons margarine or butter
¾ cup sliced green onions
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup white rice
2 cups hot chicken broth
¼ cup dry white wine or ¼ cup water plus
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste if broth is salted
Wash the shrimp and cut them into ½-inch sections. Put aside. Measure the peas and let thaw.
In a heavy 2-quart saucepan, melt the margarine. Add the green onions and garlic. Sauté over medium heat until the onions are clear. Stir in the rice and sauté on low heat for about 2 minutes.
Add the hot chicken broth and wine and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 10 minutes. Add the shrimp and the peas, stirring them in gently. Cover and cook until the shrimp, peas, and rice are done, 5 to 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt, if necessary. Serve immediately. Makes 4 servings.
No seafood lover should miss these delicious scallops. Their mud, delicate flavor is enhanced by the simple seasonings and wine. Serve with a tossed salad or sliced fruit and crusty bread for a full meal. For a hungry family, add a brown rice pilaf.
1 pint scallops
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 shallot or 2 green onions
1 tablespoon butter or margarine, divided
1 tablespoon rice flour
½ cup white wine
¼ cup water
1 teaspoon chopped parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
¼ cup GF bread crumbs
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Slice the scallops to about ¼ inch thick. Chop the shallot or slice the green onions (using some of the green part).
In a large skillet, heat the butter. Sauté the scallop slices with the shallot for about 3 minutes. Stir in the flour, add the wine and the water, and simmer for about 10 more minutes, or until the sauce is slightly reduced and thickened. Add the parsley and season with the salt and pepper, if necessary.
Fill 4 small baking dishes or shells with the mixture. Sprinkle with the bread crumbs and the cheese. Dot with the remaining 1 tablespoon butter and place under the broiler to brown lightly. Makes 4 servings.
These delicious spiced patties combine a small amount of shrimp with inexpensive white fish for a tasty seafood main dish. Serve with coleslaw and a fresh muffin for a full meal.
12 ounces white fish (cod, snapper, sole, or halibut)
6 ounces cooked shrimp, chopped
4 green onions, chopped
1 tablespoon grated fresh gingerroot
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 cups fresh GF bread crumbs, divided
Salt and cayenne pepper to taste
1 egg yolk, beaten
2 tablespoons lemon juice
¼ cup rice flour
½ cup soy flour
1 tablespoon ground coriander
½ cup water
¼ cup oil
Wash the fish and pat dry with paper toweling. Remove any bones and skin.
Mince the fish and place it in a medium mixing bowl. Add the shrimp, green onions, grated gingerroot, parsley, ½ cup of the bread crumbs, and the salt and cayenne. Mix in the egg yolk and lemon juice. Form into sixteen ½-inch-thick patties. Roll these in the remaining bread crumbs to coat completely.
In a small flat-bottomed bowl, make a batter of the rice flour, soy flour, coriander, salt and cayenne to taste, and the water. Beat until smooth.
In a large skillet, heat the oil. Dip patties in the batter and fry for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, or until brown. Drain on paper toweling and serve immediately. Makes 4 or 5 servings.
A mild, sweet curry, easy to make. If you’ve shied away from the heavily spiced curries of India, try this Indonesian dish. Serve it with white rice and fruit slices or a cool green salad.
4 tablespoons (½ stick) margarine or butter
3 tablespoons chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons rice flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 teaspoon grated fresh gingerroot
2 cups chicken broth
1 to 2 cups cooked shrimp
½ cup sour cream or nondairy substitute
½ cup chopped peanuts (optional)
2 green onions, chopped (optional)
In a large frying pan, melt the margarine. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until tender.
Mix together the flour, salt, sugar, curry powder, and gingerroot. Stir into the frying pan. Cook for 1 minute or 2, then add the chicken broth and bring to a simmer until thickened. Allow to cook on low heat for a short time, until the flavors blend. Stir in the shrimp, turn down the heat, and cook until the shrimp are heated through. At the last minute, add the sour cream; heat for a few seconds before removing from the stove.
Serve over rice on individual serving plates, topped with the peanuts and green onions, if desired. Makes 4 servings.
This casserole can be a real delight for the cook and for the ones to whom this is served. Alter it by using a variety of seafoods or by exchanging the cooked noodles for 1½ cups GF bread cubes. Prepare it about 45 minutes before serving, or hours ahead. Serve with a salad for a full meal.
½ batch fresh egg noodles (page 228) or 6 ounces GF fettuccine
½ pound cooked crabmeat or lobster (fresh or GF imitation sirimi) or one 6½-ounce can tunafish
1 pound asparagus or one 15-ounce can cut asparagus
1 cup fresh sliced mushrooms or one 4-ounce can mushrooms
3 green onions, sliced thin
½ teaspoon salt
teaspoon pepper
1 cup grated Cheddar cheese, divided
Sauce
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
2 tablespoons rice flour
½ teaspoon coriander
2 cups milk or nondairy liquid
2 tablespoons sherry
Preheat oven to 350°.
Cook the noodles in boiling salted water to which 1 tablespoon of oil has been added until al dente. Drain.
Drain the tunafish, if used.
Cook the fresh asparagus for 5 minutes or drain the canned. Drain the canned mushrooms (if used).
Sauce: In a medium saucepan, melt the butter. Blend in the flour and coriander. Add the milk, stirring constantly. Cook until thickened slightly. Add the sherry and remove from heat.
Grease a 2½-quart casserole. Add, in order, the noodles, crab-meat, asparagus, mushrooms, green onions, salt, pepper, and ¾ cup of the cheese. Pour on the sauce and mix slightly. Top with the remaining ¼ cup cheese. (If prepared early in the day and refrigerated, cool the sauce before adding to the casserole.) Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or slightly longer if the dish has been taken from the refrigerator. Makes 6 servings.
If you’ve been craving the deep-fried fish of “fish and chips,” look no further. This light, delicate batter is tasty on all seafood. Do as the Japanese do and cut your fish into bite-sized pieces to enjoy more of the batter and save time in cooking. Use any firm white fish: halibut, cod, snapper, or other. Try this also with shrimp, oysters, or scallops.
2 cups fish or other seafood
1 egg, beaten
1 cup Fresca, 7UP, or Sprite
¼ cup cornstarch
½ cup rice flour (sweet rice best)
¼ teaspoon xanthan gum
1 teaspoon seafood seasoning
Salt to taste, if necessary
½ teaspoon baking powder
3 cups vegetable oil, for deep frying
Wash and cut fish into cubes. If using shrimp, slit them partially through lengthwise, leaving the tail on. For oysters, drain and cut large ones in half.
In a medium bowl, beat the egg. Add the Fresca.
Mix together the cornstarch, sweet rice flour, xanthan gum, seafood seasoning, salt, and baking powder. Beat half the flour mixture into the egg, then stir in the rest. Batter a few pieces of fish at a time, then let drain.
In an automatic frying kettle or frying pan, heat the oil to 375°. Gently drop in the battered and drained fish, cooking only a few pieces at a time. Turn once as they brown. Remove and drain on paper toweling. Serve while hot. Makes 4 servings.
NOTE: If you are cooking fish and vegetables at the same time, use the Tempura Batter for Vegetables (page 249) for both.
This was a Christmas Eve dish in our Northwestern family. With fresh shucked oysters now available in the nearest supermarket, it can be a tasty gourmet dish anytime, even for those living far from the sea.
1 pint fresh small to medium oysters with liquor
½ cup GF bread crumbs
1 cup Weight Watchers Harvest Rice Crispbread, crushed (see Note)
¼ cup (½ stick) butter or margarine, melted
2 tablespoons cream or nondairy substitute
½ teaspoon lemon pepper
Preheat oven to 350°.
Drain the oysters, reserving ¼ cup of the liquor. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, mix the bread crumbs and Crispbread. Stir in the melted butter.
In a measuring cup, combine the cream and lemon pepper with the oyster liquor.
Place one-third of the bread crumb mixture in an 8” × 8” baking dish. Add half the oysters, then pour in half of the liquid. Add another third of the crumbs, then the rest of the oysters and liquid. Top with the remaining crumbs. Bake for about 30 minutes. Serves 6.
NOTE: The suggested cracker contains soy. If you are allergic to soy, substitute ¾ cup GF bread crumbs.