The following originally appeared on 3/25/09 at Exit 51.

Notes On Cooking With SFC

Each week, SFC picks one meal that he will cook.  As hard as it is for me not to jump in and take over on these nights, I really do like the days when I’m just the sous chef.  I’m much happier sitting on the couch turning the pages of a book than standing over a stove whisking or reducing.

We did have to establish one major rule though.  The first time we make a recipe, we do not deviate from it as written.  No substitutions, no omission, no tinkering with technique.  Ok, so maybe we do allow minor substitution and omissions.  But we do not deviate from technique.  It may sound a bit harsh but how can someone new to cooking know what steps are critical and what steps are negotiable?  I’ve been standing at the stove for years and I still try and stick to this rule anytime I try a new recipe.

And here’s why.  If I don’t try and create a dish as specified by the author, how can I form an accurate opinion about whether it’s worth making again?  If I don’t like the results, is it because of the recipe itself or is it because in tinkering with it, I broke something that did not need fixing?

SFC’s most recent meal is my latest case study.  In theory, it should have been outstanding.  But after dinner, we both looked at each other and said it was missing something.  I’m not sure what this elusive something is.  Maybe more spice?  Maybe more heat?  But it definitely needs the volume turned up.  And I don’t understand what the marinade really does for the dish, besides give you the 20 minutes to make the salsa.  Maybe next time we will make more spice rub and skip the marinading.

For now, this recipe is tagged with a question mark and goes back into the test folder.  It’s got one more chance to impress me because in my kitchen, a recipe rarely gets a third try.

Chili Rubbed Salmon with Pineapple Avocado Salsa

From washingtonpost.com

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon light brown sugar
• 2 (4 to 6 ounces each) skin-on or skinless salmon fillets, pin bones removed
• 1 lime, for garnish
• 4 ounces fresh or canned pineapple, cut into 1/4- to 1/2-inch dice (1/2 cup)
• Flesh of half a medium avocado, cut into 1/4- to 1/2-inch dice
• 1 scallion, white and light-green parts, cut crosswise into thin slices (about 2 to 3 teaspoons)
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• Juice of 1 to 2 limes (to yield 1 tablespoon)

Combine the oil and vinegar in a shallow dish.

Combine the chili powder, salt and sugar in a small bowl. Use it to rub the salmon fillets all over, gently pressing it into the flesh, then place the fillets in the oil-vinegar mixture. Turn them over so both sides are coated; let them marinate at room temperature for 20 minutes while you prepare the salsa.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Combine the pineapple, avocado, scallion, pepper, salt and the tablespoon of lime juice in a mixing bowl; toss to mix well.

Heat a medium nonstick skillet that is ovenproof over medium-high heat. (Alternatively, lightly grease an ovenproof baking dish with nonstick cooking oil spray.)

When the pan is hot, add the fillets (if skin-on, place them skin side up) and cook for 1 minute. Turn them over, then transfer the skillet to the oven. Roast for 8 to 10 minutes per inch of thickness or to desired degree of doneness.

Remove from the oven; use a wide spatula to transfer each piece to individual plates. Spoon the salsa on top of each fillet. Cut the remaining lime in half and squeeze over each portion. Serve immediately.

The following originally appeared on 3/11/09 at Exit 51.

Cooking Light

As I’ve mentioned, I used to subscribe to Cooking Light.  But the sheer volume of recipes they fit into a single magazine overwhelmed me.  Instead of tackling the challenge head on, I ignored it and hoped it would go away.  But it didn’t.  That is why, years later, I’m still pulling pages torn from CL out of my test recipe folder.  I only wish they printed the date or the issue on the pages so I could know exactly how long these things have been waiting to see the light of day.

Because to be honest, some of these deserve not only the light of day, but a spot light.  Like the Tilapia in Mustard Cream Sauce.  This was a recipe sent in by a reader.  Kudos to Alix McLearen of Wesley Chapel, Florida because I think your recipe may have just nudged the Barefoot Contessa’s Mustard Roasted Fish out of my binder.  As much as I like Ina’s Mustard Fish, I like this one even better.  The sauce has a more balanced flavor without relying so heavily on the dairy portion of the food pyramid. And the addition of the mushrooms brings a bit of earthiness to the dish.

It’s funny that I ended up pairing this fish with the same side as I used with Ina’s.  Either fish and asparagus really do go together or I’m incredibly predictable. Either way, I think you should definitely put this recipe on your to-do list.  And we can discuss my predictability over a plate of Tilapia in Mustard Cream Sauce.

Tilapia in Mustard Cream Sauce

Cooking Light Magazine, Courtesy of Alix McLearen

According to the author’s notes, orange roughy or chicken can be substituted for the tilapia, and tomatoes or spinach can be subbed for the mushrooms.  I wanted a slightly thicker sauce so I let the chicken broth reduce a bit after the fish was removed, as well as kept the sauce on the heat longer after the mustard and cream were added.  I recommend adding the fish back to the pan for a few moments before serving.

• 4 tilapia filets (6 oz. each) (I used orange roughy)
• 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme (I used dried, probably about half as much)
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 chicken broth
• 1 ounce portobello mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons whipping cream (I used half and half)
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

Sprinkle fish with thyme, pepper, and salt.  Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add fish; cook 1 minute on each side.  Add broth and bring to a boil.  Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes.  Add mushrooms and cook, uncovered, 1 minute until mushrooms are tender.  Remove fish from pan; keep warm.

Add cream and mustard to pan.  Stir with a whisk until combined.  Cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated.  Serve sauce over fish.

You can forgive me, right?

Roasted Salmon with Pinot Sauce

Adapted from Mark Bittman

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 cups pinot noir
• 1 sprig rosemary
• 4 salmon steaks or filets
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon butter

Heat the oven to 450 degrees.  While the oven heats, cook the sugar in a nonstick saucepan over medium heat until it liquefies and starts to develop a brown color, approximately 10 minutes.  Remove the saucepan from the heat and carefully add the wine.  Return the saucepan to a high heat and cook until the caramelized sugar melts, stirring carefully.  Add the rosemary and continue to cook over high heat until the sauce reduces down to about 1/2 to 3/4 cup and becomes syrupy, about 15 minutes.

Ten minutes before you’re ready to cook the fish, place a stainless steel frying pan with about 1 tablespoon olive oil in the oven to heat.  Take out the salmon, dry it with paper towels, and season with kosher salt.

Carefully remove the HOT frying pan from the oven and place the salmon in the pan (skin side down if using skin on filets).  Return the pan to the oven and cook for 5 to 10 minutes or until the fish easily flakes with a fork.

While the fish is in the oven, finish the sauce by adding the balsamic vinegar and butter to the saucepan.  Cook over low heat until the butter melts.  Remove the rosemary sprig, taste for seasoning, and add salt as necessary.

Spoon the sauce over the fish and serve.  Leftover sauce can be kept in the refrigerator.

{printable recipe}

The following originally appeared on 12/29/08 at Exit 51.

Miso Hungry

The following originally appeared on 12/8/08 at Exit 51.

Battle Barefoot Contessa

Are you tired of hearing me talk about the new Barefoot Contessa cookbook yet?  I hope not.

Before I was lucky enough to snag it from The Washington Post Food Chat, I had downloaded the recipe for Mustard Roasted Fish.  It screamed Easy Weeknight Meal that must be tried as soon as possible.  So once the Thanksgiving madness was behind me, I put it on the menu.  And you know what, my instincts were spot on.

Let me say it again, this is an Easy Weeknight Meal.  It’s the kind of dish that tastes like it took hours but really only needs about five minutes of your time.  As the Barefoot Contessa herself would say, how easy is that?

In the time it took for the fish to cook in the oven, I had my grill pan going on the stovetop, pan roasting some asparagus.  If I had really been thinking, I would have put on a pan of water and made some quinoa.  That didn’t occur to me until the timer had gone off so the best I could do was some microwave brown rice.  Still, in less than thirty minutes, dinner was on the table.  Yes, you read that correctly.  From prep to table, a complete meal in less than thirty minutes.

Mine might not look as pretty as the picture in the cookbook, but if the empty plates were any indication, Battle Barefoot Contessa was a success.

Mustard Roasted Fish

From Barefoot Contessa: Back to Basics

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper, or have a baking dish ready that is large enough to hold the fish in a single layer (the fillets can overlap slightly).

Season the fillets lightly on both sides with salt and pepper. Place them skin side down on the sheet (or in the dish).

Mince the shallots (to yield 2 tablespoons) and drain the capers (to taste); place both in a medium bowl, then add the creme fraiche, the water, both of the mustards, 1 teaspoon of the salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, stirring to combine. Spoon the sauce over the fillets, making sure the fish is completely covered. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until it is just barely cooked through.

Serve hot or at room temperature, with sauce from the pan (or dish) spooned over the top.

I’ve spent the better part of an hour writing, deleting, and rewriting something to accompany this recipe.  To be blunt, I’ve got nothing.  Heck, I don’t even have a photo of the Paprika Roasted Salmon.  But don’t let any of that stop you from trying Paprika Roasted Salmon.

Paprika Roasted Salmon

Adapted from McCormick & Co.

BAH Note:  The original recipe, which was an add in Fine Cooking magazine, called for the salmon to first be marinaded for 30 minutes in a mix of orange juice, olive oil, and thyme leaves.  I’m sure that would be lovely if you were so inclined to give it a try.

• 4 salmon fillets
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons sweet paprika
• 1 teaspoon chili powder (I heart Penzy’s Chili 9000)
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• zest of 1 orange
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Heat the oven to 400 degrees and line a sheet pan with aluminum foil.

Combine the sugar, paprika, chili powder, cinnamon, orange zest, and salt in a small bowl.  Use a fork, or your fingers, to thoroughly combine the spices.

Place the salmon skin side down on the baking sheet and rub the spice mixture into the salmon.  Roast for 10 to 20 minutes, depending on the thickness of your fish, until it easily flakes with with fork.

{printable recipe}

I love gummi fish..but not gummy fish piccata.

If you’ve been hanging around these parts for a while, you’ve seen the name Melissa d’Arabian once or twice before.  She was the winner of The Next Food Network Star a few seasons back who now has her own TFN show.  I was pretty much in her corner from the beginning.  I loved that she was a home cook competing with professionals and that she carried herself with confidence.  It was very much a Rocky moment for me when she won.

So I’ve been watching her show, Ten Dollar Dinners.  To be honest, I don’t manage to keep my food expenditures down to $2.50 per person.  Not even by shopping sales, cutting coupons, and using my store “loyalty” cards.  It’s a lofty goal and I give her mad props for showing that it can be done without sacrificing quality and that weeknight meals don’t have to involve canned this or microwaved that.

This is not to say that all of her recipes speak to me.  Black bean brownies?  Thank you, no.  But the ones that I have gone online and printed out have won me over.  Pot Roast Carbonnade?  Crispy Skinned Orange Chicken?  Braised Pork?  All her recipes.  And now it looks as though Fish Piccata has earned a spot on that list.  This could quite easily become a regular weeknight meal at our house.

Fish Piccata

Adapted from Melissa d’Arabian

BAH Note:  This is a quick cooking dish.  Be sure to have all your ingredients prepped and ready before you start cooking.  Don’t be tempted to dredge the fish in the flour and then let it sit on a plate while the oil heats.  You’ll end up with gummy fish.  While I personally enjoy gummi or swedish fish, you want to avoid gummy fish piccata.

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 small fillets of tilapia or sole
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/4 cup white wine
• juice of 2 lemons
• 2 tablespoons capers, rinsed if you prefer
• 2 tablespoons butter

Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium high heat.  While the oil heats, dry the fish with paper towels and season with salt.  Once you are ready to cook, dredge a fillet in the flour, shake off the excess, and place in the pan.  Repeat with remaining fish fillets until all are in the pan

Cook about 4 minutes on each side, until the fish is browned and just cooked through.  Transfer the fish to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.

Use the white wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom.  After about a minute, add the lemon juice and capers and whisk to combine.  Whisk in the butter.

Serve the fillets topped with the sauce.

{printable recipe}

I don’t have much of a story to go with this recipe.  I can tell you that I “forgot” that the fish needs to marinate for 30 minutes before going into the oven.  I can also tell you that I was quite unhappy when I “remembered” this fact having come home hungry, late, and sweaty from a trip to the gym.  I guess the last thing I should tell you is that The Mistah and I kept giving each other big thumbs up signs when we finally sat down with Salmon with Sweet Chili Glaze.  We were too busy stuffing it in our mouths to use our words.

Salmon with Sweet Chili Glaze

Adapted from Bon Appetit

BAH Note: I can’t claim this trick as my own but I want to share it with you.  The person who sent me this recipe said her secret to broiling the salmon was to cook the salmon on the center oven rack for 6 minutes and then move it up to the top rack for two minutes more.  Obviously, you’ll want to position your racks before you turn the broiler on.  But I used her method and had great results despite my unnatural fear of the broiler.   According to the original recipe, you’ll have enough sauce for six salmon fillets.  I put half of the sauce in the fridge to use at another time.

• 1/4 cup Asian or Thai sweet chili sauce
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon grated ginger
• 2 salmon fillets, with or without skin

Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil and coat lightly with nonstick cooking spray.

Whisk together the chili sauce, soy sauce, and ginger in a small bowl.

Place salmon fillets on sheet pan (skin side down if applicable) and spoon chili sauce mixture over the top of the fish.  Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Set the oven to broil.  Using a spoon or pastry brush, baste the salmon with any marinade that has spread onto the sheet pan.  Broil for 6 to 10 minutes or until browned in spots and nearly opaque in the center.

{printable recipe}

image from www.istockphoto.com

I have a problem buying fish.  Actually, I don’t have a problem buying fish.  I have a problem buying fish that I like.  Most times I buy any old fish, am not happy with it, then forget what kind of fish it was and I end up making the same mistake over and over again.  I think I’ve bought cod three or four times and still can’t make myself remember that I don’t like it.  Or maybe that was haddock.  See what I mean?

In a perfect world, I would have, as Alton Brown says, a fishmonger.  Actually, I probably could have a fishmonger.  The nice folks at Wegman’s and The Fresh Market seem pretty knowledgable about fish.  But since I usually buy my fish frozen, and there doesn’t tend to be a store employee chilling out in the frozen fish case, I’m left to my own devices.  Since I also shop at a couple of different stores and they all package their frozen fish differently, I can’t keep track of what  I’ve bought and liked or not liked.  Geez, it’s a wonder I manage to feed myself at all.

Recently, I decided to give the fish counter at the Asian Market a try.  That would be the H Mart at Rt. 40 and Rolling Road for anyone reading locally who wants to go on a field trip.  They carry several varieties of whole fish that you can have cut to order.  If they have it, they will scale, gut, and fillet it for you.  I can’t say that The Fresh Market does that but I have seen some whole fish being cut down at Wegman’s…more as entertainment than a regular service of the seafood department.  The fish counter at H Mart even has a few tanks with live fish.  The sign said that it was Tilapia that was swimming around.  While that would be some fresh fish, the thought of seeing my dinner plucked out of a tank  and watching as it gets butchered makes me a little uncomfortable.

So anyhow, I found myself at the fish counter looking for either grouper or halibut.  They had both so I had to choose between them.  According to the guys at the counter, the halibut would be moister than the grouper.  Usually, when I don’t like a fish it’s because it’s dense and dry.  So I was hoping that by choosing the moister of the two, I wouldn’t end up with something that would be a disappointment on my plate.  And let me just say that for $12.99 a pound, that halibut was an expensive gamble.

Thankfully, it was gamble that paid off.  The halibut steaks that I cooked up were tender and moist.  The fish had a mild flavor that did not compete with the cilantro, ginger, shallot, chile, or coconut milk.  Actually, it was the perfect canvas to showcase those other flavors.

So now I know that I like halibut.  I know that right now, at this moment.  I just hope I can remember that the next time I’m at the store.

For those of you, like myself, who can’t figure the difference between a mackerel and a monkfish, there’s this guide.  I only stumbled on it when I was googling my research for this post so I can’t vouch for its accuracy in description of the different species it lists or its recommendations for substitutions.  I wonder if somewhere there’s an app for that?

Grilled Cilantro Fish in Coconut Broth

Adapted from Cuisine for Two

BAH Note:  I used halibut instead of grouper.  Instead of fillets, I got halibut steaks at the store.  If you use steaks instead of fillets, watch out for bones…they are everywhere.  I don’t have a lot of confidence in being able to judge when meat or fish is done so for the halibut, I figured it was done when it started to fall apart.  The presentation wasn’t pretty but the fish was perfectly cooked.  If you have a grill, CFT says you can grill the fish over direct heat, covered.

For the Fish:

• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
• juice of 1 lime (about 1 to 2 tablespoons)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• kosher salt
• 2 fresh halibut or grouper fillets

For the Broth:

• 2 tablespoons minced shallots
• 2 tablespoons minced ginger
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 1 can coconut milk
• 1/4 cup chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1 Vietnamese or Thai chile, seeded and thinly sliced

Place the cilantro, lime juice, olive oil, and a pinch of kosher salt in a food processor and pulse until it forms a rough paste.  Transfer the paste to a shallow dish, add fish, turn to coat, and marinate at room temperature for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, saute shallots, ginger, and vegetable oil over medium low heat for approximately 5 minutes until soft.  Add the coconut milk, chicken broth, sugar, fish sauce and sliced chile.  Using an immersion blender, carefully blend the sauce.  Add kosher salt to taste.  Then simmer gently until the sauce is reduced by about half.  If the heat is too high, the sauce will foam up and boil over the sides of the pan.

Lightly coat a grill pan with vegetable oil and heat over medium flame.  Remove the fish from the marinade and place on the prepared grill pan.  Cook for 7 to 10 minutes per side or until the fish flakes easily and is firm.

Ladle broth into two bowls and top with fish.

{printable recipe}

I’m a bad typist.  I remember taking typing in high school thinking that the class was a complete waste of my time.  Why did Cecil County Public Schools think that I needed to know how to type?  This was all back when computers as we know them today were insanely expensive. They weren’t in people’s homes and they certainly weren’t in schools.  But the Board of Education said I had to take typing.  So I did.  I spent hours in Mr. Cleek’s classroom with typing drills – The quick brown fox jump over the lazy dog…or some such nonsense.  Actually, I probably paid more attention to the boys in the class than to my IBM Selectric.  So is it any wonder that I’m a typo queen?

That youthful indiscretion and spell check.  Between the two of them, a middle schooler probably types better than I do.  Used to be that to correct a mistake you had to have correction tape or white out…or better yet, avoid the typos by knowing how to spell AND type.  How completely 20th century.  Now, I can bang out all sorts of jibberish unconcerned about i before e, except after c, or when sounding like a, as in neighbor or way. I used to be a spelling whiz.  I always aced my spelling tests.  I used all sorts of big, complicated words.  And then the computer allowed me to get lazy.  I stooped careing.  See how easy that was?

The reason for all this TMI, is that every time I look at this recipe, I want to type it as Salmon with Roasted Cheery Tomatoes.  Maybe it’s my brain being lazy.  Or maybe it should be Cheery Tomatoes, because after a quick roast in a hot oven those cherry tomatoes develop a deep, rich flavor.  It’s the kind of flavor that sings, or maybe it signs; whatever, I’ll let spell check figure that out.  In a word, it IS cheery.  So take that spell check.  I’m doing it my way whether you flag it or not.

Salmon With Roasted Cheery (Cherry) Tomatoes

Adapted from Cooking Light

• 1 pint cherry tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon dried Italian Seasoning (I used Penzey’s Pasta Sprinkle) or 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 salmon fillets (approximately 6 ounces each)
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Heat oven to 400 degrees.  Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil and spray lightly with nonstick cooking spray.

Combine the tomatoes, herbs, olive oil, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl and toss to combine.  Spread the tomatoes out on the prepared sheet pan and roast for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, pat the fish fillets dry with a paper towel, drizzle lightly with a bit of olive oil and season with a pinch of kosher salt.

Add the fish to the baking sheet and roast for 10 minutes or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.

Serve the roasted tomatoes over the fillets, drizzled with the lemon juice.

{printable recipe}