Steelhead Dijonnaise

Steelhead Dijonnaise, an Artichaut Vinaigrette, also on this blog, and chick-pea flour linguine with pesto

The Ingredients (for 5 to 6 servings):

• 680 g (or 1½ lb) of steelhead trout fillet(s) (I used a single, large fillet which was easier to skin)
  
• 3 to 4 cloves of garlic, weighing approximately 20 g ( or ¾ oz)
• 2 g (or ¼ teaspoon) of salt
• 80 ml (or ⅓ cup) of white wine
• 60 ml (or 4 tablespoons) of Dijon mustard
• 25 ml (or 1½ tablespoons) of lemon juice
• 5 g (or 1½ tablespoons) of dried dill weed
• 8 g (or 1½ tablespoons) of unsalted lemon-pepper seasoning
• Olive oil

The Method:

1. If necessary, peel the skin off the steelhead fillet(s) using a small, sharp knife to loosen the flesh while pulling the skin back with the other hand.
2. Turn on the oven and set it to 205°C (or 400°F).
3. Spray or brush olive oil all over the inside of an oven-proof dish that will hold the steelhead comfortably in one layer.
4. Place the fillet(s) into the oven-proof dish.
5. Peel the garlic cloves and mash or grind them with the salt until they form a paste.
6. In a small bowl or measuring cup, mix together the garlic, wine, mustard, lemon juice, dill, and lemon-pepper seasoning until the mixture is homogeneous.
7. Pour the wine and mustard mixture over the steelhead fillet(s) until they are completely coated.
   
8. Place the dish into the oven and bake the steelhead until it is opaque on the outside and still soft and moist in the thickest part of the fillet. This might take 10 to 16 minutes, depending on the size of the fillet(s). 
   

The Story:

This dish is very little changed from a recipe by Nora on the allrecipes web site.

Orange You a Snapper?

The Ingredients (for 6 servings):

• 900 g (or 2 lb) of fileted snapper or similar fish (I used opakapaka, a Hawaiian pink snapper)
• 1 orange
• 4 g (or ½ teaspoon) of salt
• 3 g (or ¾ teaspoon) of ground white pepper
• 60 ml (or 4 tablespoons) of tangerine balsamic vinegar (or white balsamic vinegar)
• 1 medium onion, weighing approximately 170 g (or 6 oz)
• 225 g (or 8 oz) of white mushrooms (I used king oyster mushrooms)
• 6 small Asian eggplants, weighing approximately 675 g (or 1½ lb)
• 40 g (or 1½ oz) of ginger root, preferably young ginger
• 450 g (or 1 lb) of cauliflower
• 450 g (or 1 lb) of  broccoli
• Cooking grade olive oil

The Method:

1. Rinse the filets of snapper, pat them dry, and slice them into pieces a little larger than bite size. 
2. Place the snapper into a bowl that will hold it comfortably.
   
3. Scrub the orange skin to clean it, then grate off the zest.
4. Add the orange zest, salt, white pepper, and about half of the balsamic vinegar to the snapper.
5. Mix the marinade thoroughly but gently into the snapper pieces.
6. Place the snapper into the refrigerator for up to one hour.
7. Chop the onion into small dice.
8. Chop the mushrooms into bite-size pieces.
9. Chop the eggplants into slices about 2 cm (or ¾ in) thick.
10. Place a deep skillet or large wok over high heat and add 45 ml (or 3 tablespoons) of olive oil.
11. Place the onion, mushrooms, and eggplant into the skillet and stir-fry rapidly until the oil coats all slices. If necessary, add a little more olive oil.
    
12. Stir-fry the vegetables frequently until the oil is absorbed and is beginning to be rendered by the eggplant.
13. Add the remaining balsamic vinegar and stir-fry briefly to mix it evenly.
14. Remove the skillet from the heat and place the eggplant mixture into a bowl.
15. Wash and brush the ginger root. If it is a mature root peel the skin, but this is not necessary for young ginger.
16. Slice the ginger as finely as possible.
17. Slice or separate the florets of cauliflower and broccoli.
18. Reheat the skillet over high heat with about 15 ml (or 1 tablespoon) of olive oil.
19. Place the ginger slices in the skillet and stir-fry them until they are limp and somewhat translucent.
    
20. Immediately add the cauliflower and broccoli and stir-fry just long enough to coat each piece with oil. If necessary, add a little more olive oil.
21. Lower the heat to medium and add back the eggplant mixture. Stir-fry briefly to mix the vegetables.
22. Spread the pieces of snapper on top of the vegetables, cover the skillet, and steam the fish for approximately 7 minutes, until it is just cooked. If necessary, add a little water to the skillet.
    
23. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir gently to fold the fish into the vegetables.
    

Horse's Neck Salmon

The Ingredients (for 6 servings):

• 160 ml (or ⅔ cup) of brandy
• 15 ml (or 1 tablespoon) of soy sauce
• 2 g (or 1 teaspoon) of ground ginger
• 1.5 g (or ½ teaspoon) of finely ground white pepper
• 1 fillet of salmon (skin on), weighing approximately 900 g (or 2 lb)
• 1 lemon
• 45 g (or ¼ cup) of sugar-free sushi ginger
  
• 110 g (or 4 oz) of butter
• cooking grade olive oil
• 120 ml (or ½ cup) of fluid from the sushi ginger bottle

The Method:

1. In a small bowl or measuring cup, add the soy sauce, ground ginger, and white pepper to the brandy and stir to distribute evenly.
2. Rinse the salmon and place it in a Ziploc bag or similar receptacle.
3. Pour the brandy mixture over the salmon and close the container.
4. Marinate the salmon for at least 1 hour in the refrigerator.
5. Meanwhile, finely grate the zest off half of the lemon.
6. Finely chop the sushi ginger.
   
7. About 15 minutes before serving the salmon, heat a large skillet over high heat.
8. Spray or brush the cooking surface lightly with olive oil.
9. When the oil is smoking, remove the salmon from its marinade (save the marinade for step 14) and place it, skin-side down, in the skillet.
   
10. When the skin turns dark and crispy, turn the heat to low, cover the skillet, and continue to cook the salmon to the desired doneness (I prefer medium-rare).
    
11. Remove the fish to a serving platter.
12. Place the butter into the skillet and allow it to melt over low heat.
13. Add the lemon zest and chopped ginger and stir for 2 minutes.
14. Add the marinade and ginger juice, and simmer until an emulsion is formed.
    
15. Immediately pour the brandy-ginger sauce over the salmon fillet.

    

    Horse's Neck Salmon with Cauliflower Nuggets and Caraway Cabbage, also in this blog

The Story:

I altered an internet recipe for Grilled Salmon with Brandy Marinade, by eliminating ¾ cup of sugar and adding more ginger. The resulting sauce is tangy and actually complements the taste of the salmon more than the sweet sauce would.
('Horse's Neck' is the name of a cocktail made from brandy and ginger ale with a twist of lemon.)

Snappier Grilling

The Ingredients (for 4 servings):

• 1 whole, fresh, cleaned snapper (or any local, fresh, mild flavored fish), weighing approximately 1.3 kg (or 3 lb)
• 120 ml (or ½ cup) of cooking grade olive oil
• 20 g (or 2½ teaspoons) of coarse sea salt (I used Maldon salt for its briny flavor)
• 2 lemons
• 4 to 6 sprigs of fresh thyme (or the equivalent amount of dried thyme)
• 4 g (or ½ tablespoon) of freshly ground black pepper
• Salad grade olive oil

The Method:

1. Prepare a barbecue or gas grill to cook the fish at high heat.
2. Rinse the fish well, pat it dry, and place it on a large platter or similar receptacle that holds the whole fish.
3. Pour the cooking grade olive into and over the fish and rub it into the skin and into the abdominal cavity.
4. Sprinkle a little of the salt into the abdominal cavity and the remainder onto the outer skin.
5. Cut the lemons in quarters and take a thin slice from each of the quarters.
6. Place the lemon slices inside the abdominal cavity of the fish.
7. Stuff the thyme into the abdominal cavity—as much as will fit comfortably.
8. Sprinkle both sides of the fish with the pepper.
9. Baste the fish with the olive oil, then place it in a fish grilling basket if you have one.
10. Place it on the barbecue or grill.
11. Place the lemon quarters, one cut side down, around the fish on the barbecue or grill.
12. Turn the fish when the skin starts to crisp.
13. Turn the lemon quarters to grill the other cut surface and remove them when they are pleasantly roasted.
14. Check the fish on both sides of the spine for doneness and remove it as soon as the flesh is opaque down to the bone.
15. Remove the fish to a serving dish and drizzle it with salad grade olive oil. If you wish, sprinkle on a little more salt and any fresh thyme leaves that you might have left over.
    

The Story:

Strangely, for a small island in the middle of the North Pacific, there is not an abundance of fresh local fish in the markets. Opakapaka, the Hawaiian name for pink snapper, is one of the few that we see regularly. So as not to be boring, I am always looking for new ways to cook opakapaka, and I came across a simple and simply delicious recipe on the myrecipes.com website. It didn't hurt that it brought back memories of lunch in Santorini one beautiful autumn day several years ago. I changed the recipe very little here, and I have also made a variation using fillets of opakapaka when I couldn't get a whole fresh one. 

Clamming It Up

Clamming It Up with Spanakopeta on Christmas Eve

The Ingredients (for 4 to 6 servings):

• 2 cloves of garlic, weighing approximately 10 g (or ¼ oz) 450 g (or 1 lb) of cherry tomatoes
• 1 can of tomato sauce, approximately 425 g (or 15 oz), preferably Muir Glen brand
• 2 kg (or 4½ lb) of fresh clams
• 180 ml (or ¾ cup) of white wine
• 5 g (or 2 teaspoons) of freshly ground black pepper
• 340 g (or ¾ lb) of ziti (I used a product made from green lentil flour as described on my previous post on this blog, Cheeziti.)
• cooking grade olive oil
• salad grade olive oil

The Method:

1. Peel and crush the garlic cloves.
2. Wash and dry the tomatoes, then cut them in halves.
3. Heat a large saucepan or stock pot over medium heat and pour in enough cooking grade olive oil to coat the bottom.
4. Add the crushed garlic and stir it until it no longer smells raw.
5. Add the halved tomatoes and stir until they are coated with the olive oil and slightly softened.
   
   
   
   
6. Pour in the tomato sauce and turn the heat to low. Simmer the tomato sauce for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
7. Meanwhile, place a large saucepan of water on the stove and heat the water to boiling.
8. Wash and drain the clams in a large colander.
9.  Add the wine and black pepper to the tomato sauce, stir, then add the clams.
   
10. Stir until all of the clams are coated with the sauce, and cover the pot.
11. Simmer the clams for about 5 minutes, until the clams open up, then turn off the heat.
12. Meanwhile, cook the ziti in the boiling water for 5 minutes, then pour them into a colander or large sieve to remove the water.
13. Immediately drizzle some salad grade olive oil over the ziti and mix them gently until all are coated with the oil.
    
14. Place the ziti in a serving dish and add the clam sauce, then mix gently.

Oh Snap!

The Ingredients (for 4 to 6 servings):

• 60 g (or ⅓ cup) of sundried tomatoes
• 60 g (or ½ cup) of almonds, preferably Marcona
• 45 g (or ⅓ cup) of pitted kalamata olives
• 15 g (or ½ cup) of parsley, preferably flat-leaf or Italian
• 1 clove of garlic
• 30 ml (or 2 tablespoons) of salad grade olive oil
• 1 red snapper weighing approximately 900 g (or 2 lb)
• 1 red onion, weighing approximately 220 g (or 8 oz)
• 30 ml (or 1 tablespoon) of balsamic vinegar
• 12 cherry tomatoes
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• cooking grade olive oil

The Method:

1. Place the dried tomatoes in almost boiling water and allow them to soak until the water is cool enough to handle.
2. Set the oven to heat to 220°C (or 425°F).
3. Remove the tomato slices from the water, squeeze them gently, and chop them roughly.
4. Place the tomato slices with the almonds, olives, parsley, and garlic into a blender or food processor and grind them, gradually adding the salad grade olive oil, until a thick but spreadable paste is formed.
5. Rinse the snapper and open it up as much as possible along the line of the belly, pressing it out as flat as possible on its back.
6. Spread the almond-olive paste inside the snapper, and fold it back into its original shape as much as possible.
7. Spray or drizzle enough cooking grade olive oil on the skin of the snapper to cover it with a thin film.
8. Salt and pepper the skin to taste.
9. Place the snapper on a baking tray lined with foil and bake it in the oven for 20 minutes.
   
10. Meanwhile, peel the onion and remove the root but keep the core intact.
11. Cut the onion into 12 wedges through the core so that each wedge is held together at the bottom.
12. Spray or smear a baking pan with cooking grade olive oil and place the onion wedges in the pan. Lightly spray or brush them with the olive oil.
13. Bake the onion for 15 minutes, then remove them and turn off the oven.
14. Sprinkle or drip the balsamic vinegar onto the onion wedges.
15. Add the cherry tomatoes into the baking pan and stir them to coat with some of the olive oil and vinegar.
16. Allow the onion and tomatoes to rest in the cooling oven for 5 minutes, or until ready to be added to the snapper on a serving dish.
    
    
    

The Story:

I found this recipe on the hoof, using my cell phone to search "Greek stuffed snapper", when we discovered a nice snapper in the seafood section of our local market. It was not the combination of ingredients that I had been imagining as "Greek", but looked interesting and I had half of the ingredients in the refrigerator at home. Good choice, we enjoyed it served with a spinach-mushroom stir fry with garlic and a hint of goat cheese, over brown rice.

Steelhead Amandine

The Ingredients (for 6 to 8 servings):

• 700 g (or 2½ lb) of steelhead trout fillet
• 40 g (or 3 tablespoons) of unsalted butter
• 175 g (or ⅔ cup) of roasted almond butter
• salt
• black pepper
• cooking grade olive oil

The Method:

1. Wash the steelhead fillet and pat it dry with paper towels.
2. Generously salt and pepper the skin side of the fillet.
3. In a skillet over medium-high heat, pour enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan.
4. Place the steelhead skin-side down in the pan.
5. Sparingly salt and pepper the flesh side of the fillet.
6. Keep the heat on medium-high until the skin is dark and crispy, about 8 minutes.
7. When the skin is crisp but not burnt, turn the heat to medium-low and cover the pan.
8. Cook the fillet for 5 minutes, then turn the heat to low.
   
   
   
   
9. Immediately (for medium-rare), or when the steelhead is cooked to the desired degree, remove it to a serving platter.
10. Pour out of the pan most of the accumulated liquid, leaving about 45 ml (or 3 tablespoons).
11. Add the butter and stir until it has melted.
12. Add the almond butter and stir until it is incorporated into the pan juices.
    
13. Pour the almond butter sauce over the steelhead in the serving platter.
    

Seafood Saffron Soup

Menu Note:

• This recipe  largely follows one for Mediterranean Fish Soup by Emeril Lagasse that I found on the Food Network.
• The broth is very little changed from Jasper White's Traditional Fish Stock on epicurious.com.

The Ingredients (for 10 servings):

• 2 medium size onions
• 4 stalks of celery
• 2 medium size carrots
• 6 sprigs of parsley, preferably the Italian flat-leaf variety
• 900 g (or 2 lb) of bones, head, and tail pieces from one or more filleted fish
• 240 ml (or 1 cup) of dry white wine
• 6 sprigs of thyme, or the equivalent dry thyme
• 3 to 6 bay leaves
• 8 g (or 2 tablespoons) of black peppercorns
  
  
• 1 orange
• 6 to 8 cloves of garlic, weighing approximately 40 g (or 1½ oz)
• 340 g ( or ¾ lb) of ripe but firm tomatoes
• 120 ml (or ½ cup) of dry white wine
• 3 pinches of saffron threads
• 1 medium size onion, weighing approximately 260 g (or 9 oz)
• 125 g (or ¼ lb) of celery stalks 
• 2 fennel bulbs, weighing approximately 450 g (or 1 lb) with any leafy stalks removed
• 30 g (or 2 tablespoons) of tomato paste, preferably Muir Glen brand
• 0.5 g (or ¼ teaspoon) of Cayenne pepper or ground, dried hot chili
  
• 24 g (or 1 teaspoon) of salt
• 8 g (or 1 teaspoon) of ground black pepper 
• 600 g (or 1¼ lb) of firm white fish fillets
• 600 g (or 1¼ lb) of scallops
• 3 or 4 sprigs of parsley, preferably the Italian flat-leaf variety
• cooking grade olive oil

The Method:

The broth

1. Prepare the broth at least 3 hours, and up to 3 days before serving the soup.
2. First chop the onions, celery, carrots, and parsley into small slices or chunks and put them aside.
   
3. Place the bony fish parts into a large pot, cover with approximately 2 l (or 8 cups) of water, then add the wine. Bring the water to a boil over medium high heat and turn it down to simmer when it reaches boiling point.
4. Begin to skim off the whitish froth that rises to the top, and continue doing this for several minutes until there is negligible new froth forming.
    
5. Immediately add all of the chopped vegetables, the bay leaves, thyme, and peppercorns and bring the broth to a gentle simmer, stirring to distribute the vegetables evenly.
6. Simmer for 20 minutes, then turn off the heat and allow it to cool for a further 30 minutes.
7. Strain the broth through a fine sieve and discard the solids.
8. Use it immediately to make the soup, or refrigerate for up to 72 hours.

The soup

1. Grate the orange to remove the zest.
2. Squeeze the orange and add it to the zest and set it aside.
   
3. Grind or mash the garlic cloves with a small pinch of salt until the mixture becomes shiny or foamy and set it aside. I find this easiest to do in a molcajete: bruise the cloves with the pestle first, making them easy to peel. Then add salt and grind until the garlic is at the right consistency, from medium chunks to a smooth paste.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
4. Introduce the tomatoes into a pot of boiling water and remove them after 20 seconds with a slotted spoon. When they are cool enough to handle, peel them.
5. Cut the tomatoes in half horizontally so as to expose the seed cavities. Press the seeds out with the back of a teaspoon.
   
6. Cut the tomato flesh into small cubes and set them aside.
7. Place the wine into a small bowl and add the saffron threads. Mix them together and set them aside.
   
8. Finely slice the onion, fennel, and celery.
9. Heat a soup pot over medium-high heat and add enough olive oil to coat the bottom. 
10. When the oil is hot, add the onion, fennel, celery, and garlic to cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are translucent and limp. 
11. Measure the volume of fish stock and, if necessary, add water to bring it to approximately 2 l (or 8 cups).
12. Add the stock to the vegetables in the pot.
13. Add the orange mixture, tomatoes, saffron-wine mixture, tomato paste, Cayenne or chili, salt, and black pepper and bring to a slow simmer, stirring to distribute all ingredients evenly.
14. Cover the pot and simmer at the lowest possible heat for 45 minutes.
15. Meanwhile, cut the fish fillets into bite-size pieces, lightly season them with salt and pepper, and mix to distribute evenly. Return the fish to the refrigerator.
    
16. Finely chop the parsley and set it aside.
17. When the soup has simmered long enough, add the fish, scallops, and parsley to the soup pot, stir to submerse the seafood, and cook on the same low heat until the fish and scallops are cooked through.