Thoughts on Fish

With the warm weather teasing us here in Washington, I've been asking friends for ideas on spring and summer recipes. I welcome thoughts from readers, as well. One of my friends suggested that many home cooks may be intimidated by preparing fish. Since fish is well-suited to warm weather cooking because it's light and nutritious, I thought I'd share some general thoughts on the preparation of fish. I have posted a few seafood recipes before, and hope you'll consider trying some of these as you experiment with your new-found fish skills.
There are a few different categories of fish that we commonly prepare at home. There are, of course, shellfish. Shellfish are broken down into crustaceans; such as shrimp, lobsters, and crabs, and bivalves, such as clams, mussels, oysters, and scallops. I consider shellfish the easiest to prepare because they're generally forgiving (please do not construe this as endorsement of overcooking), very flavorful, and work well in lots of different kinds of cuisine. They are easy to saute, grill, steam, poach / boil, or fry. As a creature of the South, I love fried seafood. If there's demand, I'm happy to post some fried seafood recipes. I have my fair share.
Unless you're by the ocean and buying local seafood, it is likely that the seafood you're buying has been frozen. This is perfectly fine. If you're not going to use it right away, buy the frozen stuff. It will obviously keep longer and you can decide how long it thaws. Shrimp and scallops are incredibly easy to thaw in a bowl of cold water for about 30 minutes. Only buy oysters in season, usually months ending in "R." I love fried oysters, but nothing beats a raw oyster on the half shell with a few drops of mignonette sauce or lemon juice. I adore steamed mussels with white wine, garlic, shallots, and parsley... and of course a bit of butter. This is so easy to prepare it's embarrassing. Add the aforementioned to a steam pot. Cook for 5-8 minutes, until the mussels are open. You're done. Clams are great steamed or even cooked on the grill, right in their shells. I love to add everything on this list to a bowl of hot spaghetti with some olive oil and fresh parsley for a wonderful summer lunch.
It sounds hard, but is actually incredibly easy to steam fresh blue crabs with lots of delicious crab boil and Old Bay seasoning.
When it comes to fish, inexperienced cooks tend to balk a bit. Friends have called me after disasters of fish stuck to the bottoms of pans, burned on grills, overcooked, or otherwise just plain ruined. There are several techniques for avoiding problem fish. Properly cooked fish begins with the best ingredients. Only buy fish that lacks any fishy odor, is clean and appropriately firm to the touch, and lacking any dryness or discoloration. When grilling fish, the most important thing is to ensure that the surface of the grill is exceedingly hot. An under-heated cooking surface will cause fish to stick and pull apart when you try to turn it. Only cook fish for a few minutes per side. If you're very unsure about whether or not a piece of fish (especially a thick cut salmon or filet of sea bass), feel free to finish in the oven. Many professionals advocate this technique of grill / stovetop to oven, and it does produce a great result. Do not over-season fish. Many supermarkets sell marinated tilapia, catfish, and salmon in their seafood cases and I find that the acids and preservatives in the marinades tend to produce a ceviche-like product, cooking the proteins of the fish before you have a chance to apply your own flavors. I counsel that you avoid these convenience preparations, as you will only end up disappointed. A healthy sprinkling of salt and pepper over a light vegetable or olive oil is really all a piece of fish needs to stand up to high-heat pan cooking or even a grill.
Many fruits of the sea are enjoyed better raw than cooked. I love a fried oyster, but the best I have ever had are naked on the half shell. The same is often true of clams. A scallop ceviche or salmon sashimi, prepared in the right kitchen with the right product, is far more transcendent than even the most decadent fish and chips. The best advice I can give is to follow some of the recipes I have offered in the blog, some from your favorite cookbooks, and experiment. Don't be afraid of fish! All you need remember is not to overcook, over season, or overlook your seafood on the stove.
This topic is one on which I'd really value the guidance of my readers. Please, in the comments section, or to my e-mail address, bring to my attention various recipes or dishes involving seafood that you'd like to see. I will do my best to test the best variations of your requests and post the results here! Thank you for reading!

Potato Wedges

For some reason, I have accidentally omitted potatoes from my shopping lists lately. It's a shame, because I love to make herb roasted potatoes with meat or chicken. A couple of months ago, the local supermarket had some huge russet baking potatoes on sale, so I bought a couple of pounds. Baking potatoes are a little mealy for roasted potatoes, but great for potato wedges. Here's an easy recipe for wonderful baked potato wedges with a seasoning mix that helps them get delightfully crisp.

Potato Wedges
Serves 4
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes 

• 2 large russet potatoes
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp finely ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp kosher salt (plus more to taste)

Pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Cut the potatoes into wedges, about into eighths.
Toss the potatoes with the oil and spices until evenly coated.
Place in a single layer on the sheet pan, arranged neatly for easy turning.
Bake for 20 minutes. Turn each potato wedge over to brown the other side.
Bake for another 20 minutes, until brown and crisp. If the potatoes are resisting browning in your oven, as they do in mine occasionally, feel free to turn on the broiler for a few minutes. Watch them carefully!
Serve at cookouts, especially with burgers in lieu of french fries!

Easy Beef Stew

It's hot outside! It's definitely time to fire up the grill, drink iced tea, and make things that cook quickly and go well with the summer heat. This is not one of those recipes, but it comes to mind because of the few days of rain we've had here in Washington. It's going to take a few hours, but it comes out perfect and delicious every time. If you'd prefer to make it in a slow cooker, you can just throw everything together at once. I still recommend the stove top, but there is certainly virtue to convenience. This recipe, much more than most, is just a suggested framework. Adjust to your preferences and enjoy.

Easy Beef Stew
Serves 8
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours 

• 3 lbs lean stew meat, cubed (I recommend chuck or boneless short ribs)
• 2 quarts beef or chicken stock
• 12 oz frozen "vegetable soup mix," easily available in your supermarket's freezer, or your choice of chopped or diced vegetables, fresh or frozen (should include at minimum carrots, celery, and onions)
• 1 28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes
• 1 cup flour, for dredging
• salt and pepper, to taste

 Season the meat with salt and pepper and dredge until evenly coated in the flour. Brown in a large Dutch oven in small batches and set aside.
De-glaze the pot with the stock and scrape all the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Bring to a simmer and add the tomatoes and meat. Simmer, covered, for at least an hour. If you're feeling ambitious, this would be a great time to add a bouquet garni (a bundle of herbs tied in cheese cloth or kitchen twine). This is a great flavor booster, but you may not have the ingredients on hand. Add the vegetables and cook for another 30 minutes to an hour. Serve hot.
In the slow cooker variation, the browning step is omitted (and I'd recommend not flouring the beef). Just throw everything in a slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours or so. It's not perfect, and the texture and flavor is less pronounced. It will work, though, in a pinch, and you can always augment the flavor with herbs and spices of your choosing.

Ginger Dressing

This is one of those recipes I have to post by popular demand of my friends. It's based on a salad dressing they used to serve at a great sushi place in Charleston on King Street called Sushi Hiro. I confess I haven't eaten at Sushi Hiro in years, but this particular condiment from the early 2000's is certainly a keeper.
This makes about a pint and a half of dressing, so I'd say package it in old pasta sauce jars and it should keep up to a month in the fridge. It's wonderful on salad, but also a pretty good dip for crudites or topping for fish or grilled chicken.

Ginger Dressing
Yields 14 oz +/- of dressing
Prep Time: 10 minutes

• 1 cup peeled, chopped carrot
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh onion (about 1 chopped small onion)
• 1/4 cup peeled, chopped fresh ginger
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1 tbsp siracha chili sauce
• 2 large cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
• 2 tbsp ketchup
• 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar or white wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients except the oil in the bowl of a food processor or blender. While the mixture is being blended, drizzle in the oil until the dressing is smooth. Tiny bits of ginger and carrot will remain. This is the desired texture.
Taste for seasonings. Adjust according to your taste. I often find that, depending on the strength of the onion or sweetness of the carrots, you may want more vinegar or soy sauce).
Blend again and chill before serving.

Lots of Skewers

I posted Shrimp Skewers a couple of weeks ago, and with the acquisition of a quality charcoal grill, have tested a number of other skewers. As with most meat preparations, the grilling technique is important, but secondary in many ways to the marinade. I am generally a proponent of the "olive oil, salt, and pepper" school of thought, but it's really nice when company is over to dress it up a bit with lots of great flavors. With beef, I like to deepen  the natural "umami" flavors that are usually present in good meat, but with chicken, I like to brighten the flavors with herbs and acid, while keeping it simple. Here are some suggestions that have worked for me. Please let me know what you think!

Beef Skewers
This marinade will work for roughly 2 lbs of beef, which I recommend you cube yourself. I have tried a few different cuts and have to recommend good sirloin. The cooking time depends on your taste, the cut of beef you use, and how hot you have your coals or gas. Be careful not to overcook!

• 1/4 cup scallions, sliced
• 1/4 cup garlic, sliced
• 2 cups red wine
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• salt and pepper to taste

Marinate the cubed beef for 4 hours, skewer, and grill. Use lots of coals and get them very hot! Cooking time for medium rare will be very brief.


Chicken Skewers
I use this marinade for white and dark meat chicken, about 3 lbs is perfect for this amount of marinade, but you must use all of the same cut on your skewers. Don't mix white and dark or you will have a very over-cooked breast portion or woefully under-cooked thigh portion. Again, be careful not to overcook!

•  1/2 cup white wine
• 1/4 cup dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp chopped, fresh thyme
• 1 tbsp chopped, fresh oregano
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1 tbsp lemon zest
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1/2 tbsp cracked black pepper (more to taste)

Some general notes that I'd like to share about kebab cooking include care when choosing skewers, not overcrowding your skewers, and not concentrating too much on how they look. You can make gorgeous skewers, but if you have lots of pretty meats and veggies with different cooking times, you're bound for disappointment. Also, even if you soak your skewers, they may burn. If this happens, just go with the flow and remove the meat into couscous or a salad. Keeping an eye on them will prevent this, but your eyes can only do so much. Metal skewers never burn, but are more cumbersome to clean up. Finally, space out your meats and vegetables. If you crowd your skewers, you'll have burned outsides and raw insides because insufficient surface area will be exposed to heat. Just use common sense and enjoy this delicious summer tradition.

Comments on Bourbon Brown Sugar Glazed Salmon

Some of you may recall my recipe for Bourbon Brown Sugar Glazed Salmon, which I tested 3 or 4 times before I "got it right." Well, I made it again recently with a friend -- not quite by the book -- and it came out not quite perfect. I think I let the glaze reduce a bit too much, as once it cooled it was quite tough to drizzle. Another challenge was that my friend and sous chef saw fit to accidentally double the sugar. The flavor was a tad flawed because the sugar was white and not brown due to a shopping snafu. Anyway, one thing I noticed independent of the sauce problems, the salmon needs to be seasoned before the sauce goes on. It's also only necessary to cook the salmon for about 10 minutes in my oven -- at 450, not 400. It's also wise to put it under the broiler for 2 minutes in any case, because even at at high temperature, again my my terrible oven, browning was an issue. My first recipe worked when I tested it, but I think the adjustments suggested here will make it a better dish. Has anyone tried it? Any thoughts?

Raw Ahi Tuna Salad

If you're uncomfortable with raw fish, this probably not the recipe for you. It's similar to a basic tuna tartare, but I like it for different reasons. For one, the recipe calls for yogurt, which is creamy and tangy. I recommend serving this immediately, using very cold ingredients. This way, the acid in the yogurt doesn't toughen the fish, and you experience all the fresh flavor.

Rare Ahi Tuna Salad
Serves 2
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: None

• 8 oz sashimi quality ahi tuna, or other similar sushi quality fish, finely diced 
• 1/2 tsp prepared wasabi
• 2 tbsp Greek yogurt, such as Fage
• 2 tbsp scallions, thinly sliced
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 1 tsp black sesame seeds
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• salt and black pepper to taste

Combine the ingredients for the dressing with a whisk until combined. Taste for seasoning. Toss with the fish. Serve on tortilla chips or toasted wonton wrappers. Also excellent with a peppery arugula salad dressed with lemon juice and olive oil.