Friday, April 11, 2008
Fish Cookery
I have had enough cake for a month or so.
All the sugar I have eaten recently left me craving for a savory taste so I decided to visit Annapolis Seafood. There is a terrific selection of both fish and shellfish there and I was reminded of a seafood cookery class that Holly and I took last year at L’Academie de Cuisine. We spent a Saturday learning how to identify the freshest fish and what to do with it once it was in the kitchen.
The class was a practical workshop so we really got our hands dirty. We cooked up mussels four ways, oysters, halibut, salmon, sole and of course Chesapeake Bay rockfish. Our favorite recipe from the session was rockfish with a beurre blanc sauce. The recipe appears below but first, do your best to find the freshest possible fish because it will make a real difference to the cooked dish. Fish starts to deteriorate more quickly and at a lower temperature than other food stuffs, the process of decomposition results in the production of ammonia, -what we think of as a ‘fishy’ smell., hence the addition of lemon juice in many fish preparations; the acid of the juice counteracts the ammonia. Fresh fish does not smell fishy! It is most easy to detect signs of decomposition in whole fish, if you see sunken, dried out eyes and a flat looking skin the fish is old or has not been stored well. Typically when a whole fish reaches this point the fishmonger will usually fillet the fish and put the fillets out on display. –So a whole fish is likely to be a better purchase than fillets.
Rockfish with beurre blanc sauce -serves 4
Make the sauce first
½ cup white wine
¼ cup white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon very finely diced shallot
1 bay leaf
1 few peppercorns
1 stick cold butter, cubed (yes you read that right)
Salt and pepper
Bring the wine, vinegar, shallots, bay leaf and peppercorns to a boil in a small pot and cook until it is almost dry. This needs watching like a hawk. Whisk in the butter one cube at a time, over a very low heat.
Season the sauce and set aside. It is possible to make this sauce using less butter, I have given the classic French proportions, use as much butter as your conscience will allow.
4 rockfish fillets, about 6oz each
Heat a splash of olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.
Season the fish with salt and pepper and sauté them, skin side down to start for 3 or 4 minutes on each side. The fish is cooked when it is opaque.
Place a fillet on each plate and slather with the butter sauce.
If your cooking style leans more to the ‘shove in the oven’ variety the following recipe may be for you.
Baked herbed fish -serves 4
4 white fish fillets, about 6oz each
½ cup mayonnaise
1 small clove garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons capers
1 dill pickle diced small
¼ cup or more to taste chopped cilantro
Grated zest of ½ lime
3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons fresh bread crumbs
Set the oven to 400 degrees.
Mix the mayonnaise with the following 6 ingredients. This can be kept in the fridge for a week or so and is good with chicken, fish and sandwiches.
Lay the fish in an oven proof dish. Try to get the fillets the same thickness by folding any tail end under. Anoint the fillets with the herb mayonnaise, season and sprinkle with the cheese and bread crumbs.
Bake for 20 minutes or until the fish is cooked through, it may be only 15 minutes for thin fillets.
Serve either fish dish with steamed green vegetables.
Bon Appetit!
All the sugar I have eaten recently left me craving for a savory taste so I decided to visit Annapolis Seafood. There is a terrific selection of both fish and shellfish there and I was reminded of a seafood cookery class that Holly and I took last year at L’Academie de Cuisine. We spent a Saturday learning how to identify the freshest fish and what to do with it once it was in the kitchen.
The class was a practical workshop so we really got our hands dirty. We cooked up mussels four ways, oysters, halibut, salmon, sole and of course Chesapeake Bay rockfish. Our favorite recipe from the session was rockfish with a beurre blanc sauce. The recipe appears below but first, do your best to find the freshest possible fish because it will make a real difference to the cooked dish. Fish starts to deteriorate more quickly and at a lower temperature than other food stuffs, the process of decomposition results in the production of ammonia, -what we think of as a ‘fishy’ smell., hence the addition of lemon juice in many fish preparations; the acid of the juice counteracts the ammonia. Fresh fish does not smell fishy! It is most easy to detect signs of decomposition in whole fish, if you see sunken, dried out eyes and a flat looking skin the fish is old or has not been stored well. Typically when a whole fish reaches this point the fishmonger will usually fillet the fish and put the fillets out on display. –So a whole fish is likely to be a better purchase than fillets.
Rockfish with beurre blanc sauce -serves 4
Make the sauce first
½ cup white wine
¼ cup white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon very finely diced shallot
1 bay leaf
1 few peppercorns
1 stick cold butter, cubed (yes you read that right)
Salt and pepper
Bring the wine, vinegar, shallots, bay leaf and peppercorns to a boil in a small pot and cook until it is almost dry. This needs watching like a hawk. Whisk in the butter one cube at a time, over a very low heat.
Season the sauce and set aside. It is possible to make this sauce using less butter, I have given the classic French proportions, use as much butter as your conscience will allow.
4 rockfish fillets, about 6oz each
Heat a splash of olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.
Season the fish with salt and pepper and sauté them, skin side down to start for 3 or 4 minutes on each side. The fish is cooked when it is opaque.
Place a fillet on each plate and slather with the butter sauce.
If your cooking style leans more to the ‘shove in the oven’ variety the following recipe may be for you.
Baked herbed fish -serves 4
4 white fish fillets, about 6oz each
½ cup mayonnaise
1 small clove garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons capers
1 dill pickle diced small
¼ cup or more to taste chopped cilantro
Grated zest of ½ lime
3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons fresh bread crumbs
Set the oven to 400 degrees.
Mix the mayonnaise with the following 6 ingredients. This can be kept in the fridge for a week or so and is good with chicken, fish and sandwiches.
Lay the fish in an oven proof dish. Try to get the fillets the same thickness by folding any tail end under. Anoint the fillets with the herb mayonnaise, season and sprinkle with the cheese and bread crumbs.
Bake for 20 minutes or until the fish is cooked through, it may be only 15 minutes for thin fillets.
Serve either fish dish with steamed green vegetables.
Bon Appetit!
