Something Fishy

In these hotter, brighter times weather wise, it's best to eat lightly and watery, watery to replace the moisture you sweat out. That 's why Mother Nature is delivering all the water-filled berries, melons, cucumbers and tomatoes now. And why those who like their protein from animals instead of beans and dairy turn to those creatures of water: fish. And hopefully turn to the fishmongers who show up at farmers' markets, if not the local brick and mortar ones.  (Be careful with the quality and labeling of supermarket fish no matter what name is on that supermarket, hint hint.) So here are a few things you can do with all the fish in season. I'll serve more in a later post.

You can also adapt the season to fish you can get year round. For instance, last night for a gala birthday celebration, I made fresh pea hummus from mint, scallions and mascarpone instead of the goat cheese always in the recipe I post--just did that again recently. I slathered it on strips of smoked salmon, which I rolled up and garnished with fresh chive flowers. Those colorful, lip-smacking rolls were gone in seconds!

Fisherman's Soup from Crete

Serves 4

2 1/4 lbs medium potatoes, peeled and cut in quarters
1 turbot or similar (around 4 lbs), scaled, gutted and cut into 5 pieces, including the head
1 1/2 c tomatoes, chopped
2 celery sticks
4 bay leaves
Salt
1 2/3 c extra virgin olive oil
3 c water
Juice of 2 lemons
Parsley leaves
4 langoustines or prawns or meat of a 1 1/4 lb lobster
 

 Use a lidded saucepan that will fit the potatoes snugly in a single layer at the bottom of the pan. After adding the potatoes, add the fish, followed by the tomatoes, celery, bay leaves, salt, olive oil and water. The liquid will only partly cover the fish. Put the saucepan over a high heat and bring to a boil. Cover with a lid and continue to boil another 20 minutes. Shake the pan every so often, but never stir the contents. Before you turn the soup off, make sure the potatoes are soft. Add the lemon juice and parsley leaves, then give the pan a final shake. Turn off the heat, add the langoustines or prawns and let it sit for 15 minutes before serving.
To serve, use a slotted spoon to carefully transfer the fish to shallow bowls. Divide the soup and potatoes into bowls. Add a langoustine or prawn or piece of lobster to each  Serve with toasted baguette or warm pita.

Basque Hake or Cod Piperade

Something else from my old recipes for French housewives collection, touted as quick, simple and cheap. Piperade is the Basque delicious combo of bell peppers, onions and garlic perfect on just about everything.

serves 6
2 lb thick oval piece of cod, haddock, or other white fish like halibut or turbot (see photo)
1 green bell pepper
2 red bell peppers
1 yellow or orange bell pepper
6 large tomatoes or a lg 28 oz can chopped tomatoes
3 med red onions
3 garlic cloves, peeled
2 tbsp unbleached white flour
1 bay leaf
1 tsp dried thyme or 3 sprigs fresh
1/3 c olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cut the bell peppers in half lengthwise and clean out the seeds and pith. Wash, dry and cut them into thin strips. If using fresh tomatoes, plunge them into rapidly boiling water 10 seconds, then remove, run under cold water and slip off the skins. Chop or smash them into pieces. If using the can, start here.
Peel the onions and slice into thin disks. Mince the garlic.
Cover the bottom of a heavy gauge casserole with lid with 3-4 tbsp olive oil and warm over low heat. Add onions and peppers. Sauté 3 minutes to soften. Add the tomatoes, garlic, thyme, a pinch of salt and bay leaf. Cover the pot and simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally so nothing sticks to the bottom.
While that's happening, wash the fish and pat it dry with paper towels. Sprinkle the flour on both sides and season with salt and pepper.
Coat a sauté pan or skillet with 2-3 tbsp olive oil, warm over med heat. Put in the fish and brown it 10 minutes.  Flip it over. Pour the pepper mix over the fish and cook another 20 minutes. If you like your fish very well done cook it 25. Remove the fish to the center of a long high sided serving platter and surround it with the piperade to serve. Garnish with either chopped fresh flat leaf parsley or for a more peppery taste, with chopped fresh cilantro.
 
Basil flavored Aegean Seafood
serves 4-5
 1/4 c Greek olive oil
3 tbsp dried basil
1 bunch scallions, cleaned and chopped
2 lbs canned (cooked) whole roma or Marzano tomatoes with juice
1 tbsp fresh parsley minced
1/4 c dry white wine
1 lb small cooked and peeled shrimp
1/2 lb scallops, rinsed and dried
1/2 lb white fish like haddock, scrod, flounder
1 1/2 lb cooked lobster meat
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 handful fresh basil leaves, chopped
1/2 lb feta, crumbed
salt and pepper
garnish: chopped flat leaf parsley and chives

In a small casserole, heat the olive oil over med/low and add dried basil and scallions with a dash of freshly ground black pepper. Sauté 2-3 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Add tomatoes with juice, minced fresh parsley and white wine. Cook 5-7 minutes until bubbling hot. Stir. Add the fish. Reduce heat to simmer and cook 7-8 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and fresh basil. Cook 2 more minutes. Cover the top with the feta and cook only until it starts to melt. Remove from heat and immediately ladle into a serving bowl or high sided plate. Garnish with fresh parsley and chives.

Palestinian shrimp

serves 6
1 kg (2 1/3 lbs) fresh shrimp, peeled
3 sm red onions, diced (about 1 1/2 c)
3 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp fresh dill, finely chopped
1 1/2 tsp ground coriander
3/4 tsp ground cardamom
salt
1/4 c pine nuts, silvered almonds or raw cashews
2 tbsp fresh parsley leaves, chopped
3 tbsp olive oil
2 Serrano chili peppers
1 26 oz can diced tomatoes (or 6 fresh tomatoes skinned and diced)
6 garlic cloves
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp black pepper, ground
1 c water
2 tbsp sesame seed

Preheat oven to 325º.
Put the peeled shrimp in a dry sauté pan or wok on med/low heat 3 minutes until the liquid they release evaporates and they are pink. Remove from pan and hold.
Coarsely shop the chili peppers and crush with 1/2 tsp salt into a chunky paste. Chop dill and garlic together as finely as you can.
In the pan shrimp were cooked in, add olive oil and heat over med. Add onions and sauté until soft and translucent, 5-8 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and blend. Add diced tomatoes, spices, crushed salted chilies, water and the dill/garlic mix. Blend well with a wooden spoon or spatula. Simmer 10 min.
   While that's happening, toast the nuts and sesame seeds or fry them in 1 tbsp olive oil: either way.
Stir shrimp into the sauce. Pour the contents of the pan into an earthenware or other oven casserole dish. Cover with the toasted nuts, sesame and chopped parsley. Cover the top with foil or a lid. Bake 10 minutes. Remove foil/lid and bake 2-3 minutes until the top is crusty. Serve with bread and green salad.


Moroccan Fish Soup

serves 4

3 tbsp olive oil
2 onions, peeled and thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
1 tbsp coriander seeds
1/8-1/4 tsp chili flakes depending on your tolerance
1 tsp dried oregano
½ tsp saffron threads, soaked for at least half an hour in boiling water
1 preserved lemon, pulp scraped away, rind finely chopped OR zest of 1 lemon
2 boxes or cans of plum or Marzano tomatoes drained and chopped,
1 ½ lb boiling potatoes, peeled and cut into bite sized chunks
1 c white wine
1 ½ lbs cod loin or red mullet or similair, skinned, cut into 1” pieces

1 lb mussels, scrubbed and cleaned

To serve:
handful of1 fresh dill, chopped

Croutons like this.

Handful cilantro leaves finely chopped
Greek yogurt
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil mixed with 2 tbsp harissa (that’s North African hot sauce)
large croutons or fresh crusty bread

In a large frying pan for which you have a lid, warm the oil over medium heat, then gently sauté the onions, garlic, coriander, chili, oregano and a good pinch of salt until everything is very soft, 8-10 minutes. Turn the heat up to med/high, stir in the soaked saffron along with its water, the preserved or regular lemon, tomatoes, potatoes and wine. Simmer 12 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, until the sauce has thickened slightly. Season to taste. Reduce heat to low.

Lightly season the fish with salt and pepper. Very gently with a wooden spoon fold it into the stew. Scatter the mussels over the top and put on the lid. Cook over low heat 4-5 minutes, then check to see if mussels have opened. If they haven’t, continue cooking until most do. Discard all that don’t.

Spoon the stew into bowls and garnish with dill and cilantro. Serve at the table with the yogurt, harissa oil and croutons or fresh crusty bread.

Bluefish in Cinnamon Orange Sauce
This is a tasty winner because the orange magically removes the oil from the bluefish and imparts surprising flavor. Most of us are not used to having cinnamon and orange on our fish but it's very worth doing. And this is one of the easiest recipes ever.
serves 4-5

3 tbsp olive oil
2 lg onions sliced into thin rings, keep them apart
1/2 c white raisins plus another 1/4 c of raisins or currants, apart
3 tsp freshly grated orange peel
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 c orange juice plus 2 tbsp more, separately
1 1/2 lbs fresh bluefish fillets, rinsed, drained and patted dry
Garnish: orange slices and minced fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 350º. Cover the bottom of a large baking dish with olive oil. Make a layer of onion rings from 1 onion, top it with raisins and 1 tsp orange peel, 1/2 tsp cinnamon and 1/4 c orange juice. Lay the fish fillets on this bed. Cover them with another layer of onion rings, 1/4 c raisins or currants, 2 tsp orange peel, pinch of ground cinnamon, 1 tbsp olive oil and 2 tbsp orange juice. Cover the dish with foil and bake at 350º 30 minutes. Uncover. Garnish with orange slices and parsley to serve.