A childhood spent on the water meant that by the time I was seven years old, I could catch, gut, and fillet a fish. This is an undeniably useful skill, although I’m no longer frequently called upon to use it in my day job, and it instilled in me a deep and abiding respect for all sea life. Today when I buy and prepare fish, I seek out the highest quality, most sustainably caught fish I can find. I love a culinary challenge, and over the years I’ve developed a few foolproof cooking methods for fish. I’ve also discovered that adding favorite ingredients, such as honey and citrus, is a surefire way to make any fish taste great.
When buying fish, choose fresh, not frozen. To choose the most sustainably caught fish and shellfish, check out the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch (see Resources) for a user-friendly, regularly updated list of how fish and shellfish are being caught or raised. You can consult the online database, download a smartphone application, or carry the really useful pocket guides that indicate which are “best choices” and “good alternatives,” and which you should avoid. They believe, as I do, that the choices we make as individuals absolutely make a difference in our world.
crispy and spicy catfish fillets
tilapia with citrus-garlic sauce
When I went fishing with my dad, more often than not we caught buckets of catfish. I loved every moment of those days, right up until he’d cook the catfish by just tossing it on the grill with nothing more than some salt and pepper—then I wasn’t so happy. I loved just about anything breaded—still do!—so I took matters into my own hands and came up with this recipe (see photograph). The breading keeps the fish tender and moist. The only thing I’ve changed about this dish since I was a kid is the bread crumbs. Ever since fluffy Japanese panko has become widely available, I use it instead of regular dried bread crumbs for almost all my breaded dishes. Try this with Spicy Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Lemon Fettuccine.
MAKES 8 SERVINGS
Vegetable oil spray
1 large egg
½ cup buttermilk
2 to 3 cups panko
8 5- to 6-ounce catfish fillets
1 tablespoon Old Bay or Season-All seasoning
1 to 2 lemons, sliced, for serving
1. Position a rack in the top third of the oven and preheat the oven to 400°F. Coat a large baking sheet with vegetable oil spray.
2. In a wide, shallow bowl, whisk together the egg and buttermilk. Place the panko in another wide, shallow dish. Sprinkle the fillets all over with the Old Bay seasoning.
3. Working with one fillet at a time, coat it on both sides with the egg mixture and allow the excess to drip off. Place it in the panko, and coat on both sides. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining fillets, arranging them on the baking sheet in a staggered formation so they all fit. Spray the fillets with the vegetable oil.
4. Bake for 8 minutes. Use a spatula to carefully flip the fillets and spray them again with oil. Bake until lightly browned, about 8 minutes more. Serve with lemon slices.
While in the port town of Fécamp in Normandy, France, I stopped for lunch at a tiny hotel-restaurant that had no more than four tables and was run by a husband-and-wife team who apparently did everything from the cooking to serving to making the beds themselves. The catch of the day was Dover sole and the chef served it lightly pan-fried and practically swimming in a bath of the most wonderful lemon-butter sauce I’d ever tasted. The Dover sole sold in Europe is a delicate flat fish native to European waters, including the English Channel on which the town of Fécamp sits. When I’m in the United States, I use Pacific Dover sole or another delicately flavored, fresh, flat fish from waters closer to home. This dish is excellent served with Broiled Asparagus.
MAKES 6 SERVINGS
3 pounds flat fish, such as flounder, halibut, or sand dab
½ teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons olive oil, or as needed
Ingredients for Lemon Butter Sauce (see Note)
1. Lightly sprinkle both sides of the fillets with salt. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add as many fillets to the skillet as will fit without crowding. Cook until lightly browned on the bottom, 3 to 4 minutes. Turn and cook until done, 3 to 4 minutes.
2. Remove to a platter, keeping the fish warm, and continue with the remaining fillets, adding more oil to the pan if needed.
3. Prepare the lemon butter sauce.
4. Divide the fillets among 6 plates, pour the lemon sauce over the fish, and serve.
NOTE
The best time to prepare the sauce is indicated in the recipe.
To be honest, I didn’t used to care for salmon. I tried a number of different methods of cooking it and none had ever worked for me. Then, finally, I asked my friend Mario Lopez for advice, and he responded with two words: “honey glaze.” That was it! Honey cuts the richness that I used to find overpowering while underscoring the salmon’s own sweetness.
Baking the fish in paper packages, called en papillote in French, allows thicker cuts to cook all the way through without getting dry, and (better yet) keeps the mess to a minimum. Plus, it’s fun to open them at the table—just be careful not to get burned by the steam! Serve with Garlic Green Beans or a green salad.
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons olive oil
Juice from 1 small lemon (about 2 tablespoons)
3 garlic cloves, minced
Parchment paper
4 6-ounce boneless salmon fillets, about 1½-inch thick
Kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste
1. Preheat the oven to 450°F.
2. In a small bowl, place the honey, oil, lemon juice, and garlic. Stir until well blended.
3. Cut four 15-inch squares of parchment. Lay a fillet skin side down just below the center of one parchment square. Generously brush it with the honey glaze. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
4. Fold the top half of the parchment down so that the edges meet. Fold the three open sides several times to create tightly sealed “pouches.” Place the packet on a baking sheet and repeat with the remaining fillets. Bake until cooked, 12 to 15 minutes depending on the fillets’ thickness and how rare you want the fish. Remember that the fish will continue to cook a little more after it’s removed from the oven. Transfer a package to each of 4 plates and serve.
I don’t understand why tilapia is not more popular. It has a flaky texture and good and delicate flavor and can be cooked just about any way you’d prepare any other fish. Plus, it’s safely and sustainably fished, widely available, and affordable. I buy and cook quite a bit of it, sometimes because I seek it out specifically, as when I make this recipe. Other times I get it because I request a specific fish and am told that it’s frozen in the back of the store. In these cases, I choose tilapia instead and am never disappointed.
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
4 5- to 6-ounce tilapia fillets
Kosher salt to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil
Ingredients for Citrus-Garlic Sauce (see Note)
1. Sprinkle the fillets on both sides with salt. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat until it’s hot but not smoking. Add the tilapia to the pan and cook until the fish is opaque, about 3 minutes per side. Remove from the pan and keep warm.
2. Wipe out the skillet and prepare the citrus-garlic sauce. Arrange the fillets on 4 individual plates or on a platter. Pour the sauce over the fillets and serve.
NOTE
The best time to prepare the sauce is indicated in the recipe.
As useful as the paper package method is to cook thicker cuts of rich fish (see Honey-Glazed Salmon) it is also great for delicate, flaky white fish that can be difficult to handle during cooking and dries out easily.
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
Parchment paper
4 6-ounce sea bass or striped bass fillets
Kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste
8 sprigs of fresh lemon thyme or thyme
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided into 4 equal pieces
1. Preheat the oven to 450°F.
2. Cut four 15-inch squares of parchment. Lay a fillet just below the center of one parchment square. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and lay 2 lemon thyme sprigs and a pat of butter on top.
3. Fold the top half of the parchment down so that the edges meet. Fold the three open sides several times to create tightly sealed “pouches.” Place the packet on a baking sheet and repeat with the remaining fillets. Bake until just cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes, depending on the fillets’ thickness. Remember that the fish will continue to cook a little more after it’s removed from the oven. Transfer a package to each of 4 plates and serve.
