Parsleyed Fish Gratin

Good Friday is this week. Aside from its religious significance, it is the last meatless Friday of the lenten season and another fish based dinner to plan. As I have indicated in a  previous post, my husband and I are not terribly adventurous when it comes to eating fish, so I am constantly looking for appealing ways to dress up basic seafood varieties such as salmon, cod or shrimp.  I came across this recipe in Nigella Lawson's Christmas cookbook titled, Nigella Christmas. Not only did it use the kinds of fish varieties we like, it was relatively simple and a bit different from what we are used to.

I must confess, though I find Nigella's more free-spirited and less conventional approach to cooking inspiring, and her mix of Italian, English and Indian recipes refreshing, many of her recipes I've tried have been disappointing. So, though a bit skeptical about trying this recipe, it featured ingredients we like, but more importantly, it is a "gratin" and I like just about anything "gratin".

Just think of bite sized pieces of fish nestled in a flavorful cream sauce topped with thin slices of garlic flavored potatoes. Sound somewhat familiar?  Think seafood thermidor, but with lots more flavor, and topped with potatoes instead of the usual breadcrumb finish. This is a great dinner entree or wonderful as part of a brunch buffet.

This dish was quite delicious and I would definitely make it again.  The cream sauce, though loaded with parsley and scallions was extremely flavorful, but without the parsley or onion flavors too overwhelming. The fish I used included fresh salmon, cod and shrimp, the fresher the better. All were simply scrumptious with every bite, but any combination of fish could be used - lobster, scrod, scallops, come to mind. I didn't want the dish to be soupy so I made sure to blot the fish well with paper towels before adding it to the sauce. The only thing I would do different next time, would be to use more potatoes for the topping, by either arranging the slices much closer together or adding a second circle of slices. Of course, a great bread crumb topping laced well with lemon zest and lots of parsley would also, be quite great as well. 

Parsleyed Fish Gratin

3 T. butter

1/3 c. all purpose flour

1 T. dry white vermouth or dry white wine

1/4 tsp. ground mace or nutmeg

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. Dijon mustard

1 1/2 c. whole milk

1 1/2 T. chopped chives or scallions

1 c. finely chopped parsley

2 medium-sized potatoes, unpeeled & very thinly sliced

3/4 lb. skinless salmon

3/4 lb. cod or similar white fish

3/4 lb. raw shrimp, peeled

1 tsp. garlic oil

2 T. butter

good grinding of pepper

Make the garlic oil by heating a few crushed cloves of garlic in a few tablespoons of olive oil. 

Begin by making the cream sauce:  Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the flour and stir together for a minute or two to cook the flour.  

Take off the heat and whisk in the vermouth (or wine - I used the vermouth), mace (or nutmeg- I used the mace), salt and mustard. 

Next, add the milk (I used skim milk instead of whole and sauce was still very rich and creamy), and mix well together. Put back on heat and cook till the mixture comes to a boil and get quite thick. 

Take off the heat and stir in the parsley and scallions (or chives - I used the scallions). Pour sauce into a well greased casserole/baking vessel.  Set aside to cool slightly. 

Cut up the salmon and cod into bite sized pieces (about 2" x 1 1/2" pieces) and blot well with a paper towel to remove excess liquid.  Shell the shrimp and blot as well.  

Nestle the fish into the slightly cooled cream mixture.

Very thinly slice the unpeeled potatoes using a mandoline.  Arrange the slices in a concentric circle over the fish mixture, overlapping halfway across each potato as you go around the dish. 

Melt the 2 T. of butter into the hot garlic oil (garlic cloves removed), and generously brush over the top of the potatoes. 

Grind black pepper over the top and place in a preheated, 400 degree oven. Bake for 50 -60 minutes until bubbly and potatoes are tender.  Serves four.

  

Cod in Tomato Sauce w/ Linguini

During the lenten season, as Catholics, my husband and I abstain from eating meat on Fridays. Since my husband gets quite ill from shellfish, we keep our fish eating quite simple and ordinary. Salmon, tilapia, tuna and cod are about it for us. So, on Fridays we either go vegetarian or we stick to our simple fish options.  

One we are particularly fond of, is this dish of cod that is simmered in a flavorful tomato sauce. Served over spaghetti, or in this case, linguini, it makes a delicious seafood meal that is quite good anytime of year. 

What I like about this dish is that it can be whipped up in a flash. Not one to plan dinner too far ahead of time, if I have to thaw anything, cod fillets thaw pretty quickly and are ready to use within a half hour. With a can of good tomatoes and a few basic vegetables and herbs, dinner can be made within an hour's time. 

Since cod is, for all practical purposes, a rather bland or tasteless fish, the quality of the sauce is really important to the overall dish's appeal.  While any tomato sauce can be used to make this simple dish, for a truly delicious one, I like a sauce that is a bit more rustic and bursts with flavor. I get that by using hand crushed plum tomatoes to give it a chunky, brothy texture; a sizable amount of chopped onions and sweet peppers (red and yellow are great here); and, a good handful of chopped parsley and fresh basil. Simmer the sauce mixture for about 20 minutes to let the flavors blend and the tomatoes to breakdown.  Add the raw fish that has been cut into large chunks, and simmer them in the sauce for another 10-15 minutes, while the pasta cooks. 

This is a rather sweet and very chunky sauce. I like to serve peas with it, as I think peas just taste great with any tomato sauce.  I also don't add any grated cheese to the dish, not with any fish dish that is, which according to my daughter who has spend some time living in Italy, declares is a no no. Another cautionary note, is to not overcook the fish. If you do, it will be too rubbery and secondly, is will simply break into bits. I prefer the fish pieces to remain whole. 

Cod in Tomato Sauce with Linguini

Dinner for 2 

 

1 lb. fresh cod fillets

1 28oz. can plum tomatoes in thick sauce

1 small onion, roughly chopped

1/2 red sweet pepper, roughly chopped

1/2 yellow or orange pepper, roughly chopped

2-3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced 

pinch pepper flakes

salt

1 handful fresh parsley, chopped

1 small handful fresh basil, chopped

olive oil for sauteing

6 oz. linguini or spaghetti

In a large saute pan heat about 1/4 c. of olive oil. When hot add the onions and peppers and saute till they begin to soften. 

Add the garlic and pepper flakes and saute until the garlic barely begins to lightly brown.  

Add the tomatoes, which have been crushed and broken up into small pieces by hand, along with the packing juice. 

Season with some salt. Add the basil and simmer for 20 minutes. The sauce will begin to get thick. Add a small amount of water if it becomes too thick. 

Cook the linguini according to package directions.

When you add the dry linguini to the boiling water, add the parsley to the tomato sauce and mix together. 

Add the cod. Cover the pan and simmer the cod until the linguini is cooked, which is about 12 minutes. 

Gently remove the cod pieces to a dish. Spoon the sauce over the linguini. Mix together and top the dish with the cod pieces, and serve.

 

 

Salmon Patties

I did it again! I put that big filet of salmon I bought from Costco in the freezer before cutting it in half. I am a big fan of the fish they sell at Costco and always pick up a slab or two of the salmon or steelhead filets to have on hand for summer grilling or roasting. They are easy to prepare, priced right, and make impressive entrees for parties or family get-togethers. Unfortunately, I tend to forget I am cooking for just two people these days. Roasting a full filet is more than the two of us can eat for a meal, so I always have half a filet left over. Other than adding cold salmon to salads, I needed to find a way to use the leftover piece for another dinner meal. Salmon patties have become my go-to option. Not only do they make a great tasting dinner entree, they are delicious, cold, in sandwiches. 

This recipe is a compilation of several recipes I found on the internet and in my cookbooks. It's a fairly basic patty recipe that uses ingredients I usually have on hand, but any other vegetables, herbs or spices you have on hand will do. 

I generally roast my salmon, so most of the patties I make use roasted salmon leftovers.  This was the case this time and I roasted it in this fashion: I lightly splashed a bit of lemon juice all over the filet, then smeared it with a tablespoon of Dijon mustard, and then seasoned it with dried dillweed, salt, pepper, and a some finely chopped fresh parsley.  I placed it on a lightly oiled sheet pan and roasted it at 400 degrees for roughly 15-18 minutes -- so simple, and always delicious. 

 Salmon Patties

1/2 filet cooked salmon

1-2 eggs

1 slice wheat bread

2 T. fresh minced parsley

1 stalk celery, finely chopped

2 green onions, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, finely minced

1/4 sweet pepper

1 T. Dijon mustard

1/2 tsp. Old Bay Seasoning

 

Remove the dark, fatty portion and then flake the cooked salmon.  Put bread in a food processor and pulse a few times to produce coarse crumbs. 

 

Finely chop green onion (white and green parts), pepper (red, yellow, orange or red - whatever you have on hand), celery, parsley and garlic.  

Add the bread crumbs, egg/s, Dijon mustard, Old Bay Seasoning to the flaked salmon, and mix together.   

Add the chopped vegetables and mix till very well combined. 

Using a 1/3 measuring cup, mound mixture onto a waxed paper lined baking sheet. Press into patties approximately 1/2 inch thick.  Put in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.  

When ready to fry, coat in some Panko breadcrumbs.

Carefully pat Panko onto both sides of patties and gently place in a hot frying pan that contains a light coating of oil - I use olive oil. 

Fry till light golden brown on both sides about 3-4 minutes per side. Remove from pan onto paper lined dish to absorb the oil. Place fried patties on a baking sheet and bake another 10 minutes in a 375 degree oven.  Remove and serve. I used a little of my Herb Dip thinned with some milk as a sauce, but either a sprinkle of lemon juice or tartar sauce pairs well with the patties.

Fried Smelt - It must be Spring in Michigan!

If its spring its smelt season Michigan. Between late April and early May smelt-spawning runs are happening in the states streams and rivers. Its a time when avid outdoorsmen gather their boots, buckets and flashlights for those middle of the night excursion to dip for the small, silver colored fish.

If you have never eaten smelt before you are in for a real treat. I have fond memories of my father venturing out with his friends for a midnight smelt dipping and returning home with bucket loads of fish. My mother would be relegated the yukky task of cleaning the little buggers which meant removing the heads and entrails to get them ready for a big fish fry. My husband has enjoyed these fish runs as well, but knows better than to leave me the task of cleaning them.  Come to think of it, that might be why he dips for smelt less frequently these days.

Preparing them is easy and are best as soon as they are collected. There are lots of recipes for fried smelt. Dipped in an egg/flour batter and then deep fried, but frankly, it doesn't need to be that complicated. Simply dredging them in some seasoned flour and frying them in a half inch of oil in a skillet like my mother used to do makes for a very tasty meal. Die hard fishermen fry them up whole with the heads and entrails in tact. I prefer them cleaned.

As I said, I like to prepare them the way my mother did simply floured and fried in a skillet. Pile them onto a large platter and sprinkle them with chopped mint and a splash of wine vinegar. My father would eat them without removing the backbone or tail, both of which are quite edible, but I prefer to pull out the backbone. And, oh are they delicious!  "Just like candy", my father used to say.

Unfortunately, the smelt runs these days aren't as abundant as they used to be, so they are more difficult to find in the local grocery stores.  By chance, I was able to pick up a fresh batch yesterday, already cleaned and ready to fry.

I am accustomed to serving them as an entree which means you need probably 10-15 fish per person, or a bucket full if you are feeding a lot of people. They are also great as an appetizer or to munch on with a cold beer. This is finger food. They go well with anything pickled or dressed with a vinaigrette. I've paired them here with a salad of fennel, radishes and celery dressed with a simple oil and vinegar vinaigrette. Smelt are super easy to prepare, mild in flavor and quite tender with a nice crispy crust. A truly special treat this time of year.

 Fried Smelt 

1 1/2 pounds of cleaned smelt (heads and entrails removed)

1 cup flour 

Salt and pepper to taste 

Olive or vegetable oil 

Chopped fresh mint leaves to sprinkle on top 

Vinegar - either cider, wine or malt vinegar to splash on the fish

Lemon wedges

Rinse fish in cold water. Drain well and pat dry. Season fish with a light sprinkle of salt.

Add a half inch of the olive oil to a large 12" skillet. While the oil is heating up dredge the fish in the flour that has been seasoned with salt and pepper.  Fry in a single layer on medium high heat making sure not to crowd the fish so that a nice crispy crust can form. Be sure to use a spatter shield. Flip to brown both sides. Drain on paper towel.  Plate. Sprinkle with chopped mint and a splash of vinegar and/or lemon. Enough for 3-4 entree servings.

 

Fennel Radish & Celery Salad 

1/2 bulb fennel, thinly sliced (a mandoline works best)

3 radishes, thinly sliced

1 large stalk celery, thinly sliced

2 T. thinly sliced red onion or sweet onion

2 T. chopped parsley

Vinaigrette:

2 T. Olive oil

1 T. Vinegar - either cider, white wine or rice vinegar

Salt & pepper

Combine all vegetables. Add vinaigrette and toss together.