Salmon & Pea Risotto

Ingredients:
5 cups chicken or fish stock
3 cups chopped cooked salmon
1 cup frozen peas
2 large shallots, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups Arborio rice
1/3 cup Parmesan, grated
2 tablespoons olive oil
zest one lemon
salt
pepper


Directions:
In a saucepan, bring the broth to a simmer. Heat oil and butter in a large saucepan Saute the garlic and shallot until lightly caramelized. Add the rice, salt and pepper and saut� for 2-3 minutes, stirring continually. Add the broth a 1/2 cup at a time, stirring continuously, and waiting until the liquid is absorbed before each addition. When you only have about 1/2 cup broth left, add it, the salmon, zest and frozen peas to the pan and continue to stir. When the risotto is creamy and the rice is al dente remove from heat and stir in the Parmesan.

My thoughts:

Can you tell I am done with winter? I have been trying to slip in bits of springtime into my meals as much as possible. I've been accomplishing this with varying success by using frozen vegetables and fruit. Actually, I think frozen peas are better than fresh because they are frozen right after being picked instead of sitting around waiting for me to go to the store, pick them up and peel them myself. This is also a great meal to use up leftover salmon. I used fresh this time but flaked smoked salmon (the kind that looks like a whole chunk of fish, not lox) works equally well.

Smoked Whitefish Spread

Ingredients:
1 lb. smoked whitefish chub
8 oz. block of cream cheese (reduced fat is fine)
1/4 cup light or regular sour cream
1/2 cup chopped green onions


Directions:
Carefully remove whitefish meat from the bones. The best way to do this is to find the spine, stick a fork into the fish on either side of the spine and gently pull the meat away from the bones. Then carefully flake the meat with your fingers. Pick through the meat and discard any bones. Mix the fish, cream cheese, green onions and sour cream in a bowl until uniformly combined.



Note: Whitefish is a very oily fish. To remove the fish smell from your hands, rub both hands with the open half of a cut lemon and then wash with soap.

My thoughts:

Whitefish spread and whitefish salad are deli staples. Smoked whitefish is smoky but not as smoky as say, lox and makes a great spread for bagels. It can  be rather expensive to buy ready made so I like to make it myself. It is somewhat of an acquired taste, whitefish spread is a bit on the pungent side but once you have it a good version of it (and  I think this is one of the best) it is highly addictive. I like it on a strongly flavored bagel like pumpernickel or everything the best.

Seven Spice Mahi-Mahi

Ingredients:
4 mahi-mahi fillets
2 1/2 tablespoons Japanese 7 spice powder
2 tablespoons sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
zest of one lemon

olive oil
lemon juice
pepper sherry

Directions:
Prepare your grill according to manufacturer's instructions. Meanwhile, stir together the salt, pepper, seven spice and zest. Pat into all four sides of the fish. Brush with olive oil. Grill, for about 5 minutes on each side, until fully cooked. Sprinkle with lemon juice and pepper sherry prior to serving.

My thoughts:

When I asked people what type of grilling recipes they would most like to see this year, the response was overwhelmingly in favor of fish/seafood recipes. The trick with grilling fish is not to over cook it and if you would like to place the fish directly on the grill, make sure it is a firm, meaty variety. That's why I like Mahi-Mahi, I've never had a problem with it overcooking or breaking up on the grill. It can be on the bland side though so I dressed it up with some seven spice powder, lemon juice and my new favorite condiments, pepper sherry. Simple, slightly spicy and super tasty.

Grilled Black Cod with Fresh Wasabi & Mirin

Ingredients:
4 black cod fillets (about 5 oz each)
2 inch knob fresh wasabi, grated
1/3 cup rice vinegar
1/3 cup mirin

Directions:
Place the fish, wasabi, vinegar and mirin in a resealable bag. Refrigerate for 20 minutes. Prep your grill according to manufacturer's instructions. Grill skin side down until almost cooked though, about 10-15 minutes then flip. Cook for another few minutes until the fish is fully cooked.

My thoughts:

Black cod (also known as sablefish) is a naturally oily fish. This makes it perfect for grilling. Unlike some fish it can be placed directly on the grill without much worry of it sticking, just make sure you put it skin side down first. Fresh wasabi can be a little tricky to find but it is worth it. It is pungent but fruitier than the paste most sushi restaurants serve. If you have to, substitute a small amount of dry or reconstituted wasabi for the fresh. It won't be quite as good but the zip it gives the fish shouldn't be missed.

Island Style Salmon Chowder

Ingredients:
3 slices thick cut bacon
15 oz canned diced tomatoes
5 1/2 cups fish stock
1 lb cooked salmon, cut into chunks
2 cups peeled, diced white potatoes
3/4 cup chopped Italian parsley
1/4 cup dark rum, optional
2 carrot, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, chopped
1 large shallot, minced
1 green onion, diced
1 or 2 Scotch Bonnet pepper(s), minced
1 bay leaf
3 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/8 teaspoon cloves

Directions:
Cook the bacon in a skillet until crisp. Drain on a paper towel lined plate. Crumble the bacon and set aside. In a large pot, saute the onion, shallot, garlic, pepper, potatoes, celery and carrot in a couple tablespoons of bacon grease until the onions are softened and translucent. Add the tomato, spices, bacon, broth, Worcestershire sauce and rum. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat. Simmer until the potatoes are nearly fork tender. Stir in the thyme, green onion and parsley and salmon. Cook until the salmon is heated through. Discard the bay leaf prior to serving.

My thoughts:

This recipe was somewhat inspired by Bermuda's fish chowder and the conch chowders popular in the Caribbean. I've been researching vacations (oh, for a break from cooking and dish washing) and of course, that involves researching the local cuisines. While salmon isn't the traditional fish found in these local chowders, the fact that I had a pound of it leftover after another meal made me give it ago. It worked really well! Salmon is "meaty" enough that it doesn't breakdown in the soup and its richness contrasted well with the lush spice of the broth. It is also the perfect chowder as we creep towards warmer weather, it isn't as heavy as most chowders and everyone knows spicy foods cool you off!

Baltimore Inspired, Caribbean Spiced Cod Cakes

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs. fresh cod fillets
1 1/2 lbs. potatoes
1 onion chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
4 sprigs fresh thyme
1 scotch bonnet pepper, seeds and stems removed and chopped
1 bay leaf
2 eggs beaten
1/2 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon paprika
salt
pepper

Directions:
In a large pot boil potatoes, onions, garlic, habanero, bay leaf, and 2 sprigs of thyme until potatoes begin to get soft. Add the cod fillets to the pot and cook 10 minutes until they begin to fall apart. Scoop the cod out and flake it is a bowl. Drain the rest of the contents of the pot, discard the bay leaf and the thyme sprigs and mash them in a separate bowl. Stir the cod into the potato mixture. Add the paprika, salt, pepper, the eggs, and the leaves from the last two springs of thyme. Shape the cod mixture into patties and dredge in flour. Brown the patties in 1/2" of oil, one side at a time.

My thoughts:

In Baltimore we have coddies which are little croquettes made with salt cod. You can still find them in some Baltimore institutions like Attman's which sell them with their traditional mustard and saltine accoutrement. Salt cod used to be super cheap (it is a preserved fish after all and keeps forever) and when stretched with starches to make a cake it became an affordable snack/meal for workers. Now I am hard pressed to find salt cod that is affordable much less cheap and frankly, between the soaking and cake-making it is a lot of work to make such a humble food. Which is not to say that I will never post a coddie recipe (I've gotten requests!) but it probably won't be anytime soon. Anyway, we like coddies and wondered if we could make some sort of cod cake with fresh cod which, oddly, is cheaper than salt cod. Since we weren't making straight up coddies, we decided to look to the Caribbean (another place where they love their seafood) for inspiration. Using the spices and peppers we remember from our Caribbean honeymoon (five years ago, oy!) we created a new comfort food. They are larger than coddies so they are perfect to serve at a meal and even reheat well the next day.

Lemon-Caper Salmon Salad

Ingredients:
1 lb cooked salmon*
1/3 cup minced onion
1 stalk celery, diced
2 tablespoons capote capers
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon tarragon vinegar
zest from 1 lemon
juice 1/2 lemon
salt
pepper

Directions:
Use a fork to flake the salmon into a medium-sized bowl. Add all remaining ingredients EXCEPT the capers and stir until all ingredients are evenly distributed. Stir in the capers.


*I used leftover baked salmon. Note: if your salmon is rather oily, you might not need the mayo.

My thoughts:

I do lot of cooking (as you may have guessed) and am constantly trying to think of ways to make leftovers into something new. Some foods (baked pasta dishes, soups) reheat well. Salmon on the other hand is easy to overcook during the reheating process and eating cold salmon is sometimes less than appealing. Enter the salmon salad. It can easily be insipid but this version has large capers and lots of lemon to add a crisp, almost astringent flavor and crispy onions to provide some texture interest.

Rachel's R�moulade

Ingredients:
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup diced green onion (green parts only)
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 1/2 tablespoons capers
1 tablespoon minced fresh dill
juice of 1/2 lemon
salt
pepper

Directions:
Place all ingredients in a small bowl, mix together with a fork.

My thoughts:

R�moulade is basically fancy pants tartar sauce. It is either aioli or mayonnaise based and often flavored with herbs and almost always with pickle-y ingredients like capers, pickles or cornichons. I like it with salmon cakes, on fish sandwiches and since I am no fan of ketchup, as a dip for french fries.

Mango & Calamansi Salmon

2 1/2 lb salmon
1 onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup calamansi juice
1 large ripe mango, cut into strips
3 Thai bird chile, sliced
2 1/2 tablespoons coconut vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
salt
pepper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Rip off a length of foil about twice the length of your fish. Place on a baking sheet, leaving just enough to cover the pan on the pan and the rest flopping off. Place rings of onion in a single layer on the foil, about the length of the fish. Place the fish, skin side down, on the onions. Layer the mango on top. Sprinkle evenly with chile pepper rings. Pour the juice and vinegar over top the fish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper then drizzle with olive oil. Fold the foil over and crimp close on all sides. Bake for 20 minutes or until the salmon is fully cooked.

My thoughts:

I was so excited to win a box of calamansi from a fellow food blogger. Living in the mid-Atlantic we don't get some of the more exotic citrus out there. I have been dying to try calamansi after reading what seems like dozens of Filipino cookbooks and using up half a bottle of calamansi soy sauce. The cookbooks always say you can just use lime or lemon (or a combo of the two) but I really wanted to try the real thing. As it turns out, calamansi tastes more like a cross between a clementine and a kumquat. It also ended up being a really great pairing with mango. The tropical sweet-tartness accented the creamy floral note in my Kent mango. Serving the two over salmon might seem a bit unusual but it works, the salmon stays tender and moist and takes on a subtle fruity flavor. The cooked mango was delicious as well. I need to incorporate more fruit into my dinners! All in all, a fresh tasting, easy yet impressive dish.

Seafood Gumbo

Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter OR bacon fat
1/4 cup flour
2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning
2 teaspoons thyme
1 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon hot paprika
6 cloves garlic, minced
3 cubanelle peppers, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 jalapeno, chopped
2 quarts seafood or chicken stock
4 andouille sausages, sliced into coins
1 lb okra, sliced into coins
1 lb peeled shrimp
1 lb catfish, cut into nuggets
1 lb shucked oysters (with liquid)


cooked white rice to serve
file powder, optional

Directions:
Over medium heat, cook the flour, spices and butter/bacon fat together, whisking pretty often until it turns brown but doesn't burn. Add the onions, garlic and peppers and saute until starting to soften. Add the stock and bring to a simmer. Add the sausage and okra. Cook for 30 minutes. Add the shrimp and catfish. Cook until they are almost cooked through then add the oysters in their liquid. Cook until the oysters are cooked through. Serve over rice.

My thoughts:

I have to say, I make pretty good Cajun food. When my husband brought home a bunch of seafood with an eye on making gumbo, he suggested I make the roux and take a more supervisory role for the rest. Fine with me! I make my roux over a lower heat than I've seen called for in cookbooks which makes the process much less fraught but yields the same results in just slightly more time. I also like to add the spices to the flour which makes them nice and toasty tasting. Beyond that I don't get too fancy; cubanelle peppers instead of bell (bell peppers are so insipid) and a jalapeno thrown in for extra spice. Since it is a month with an "r" in it, local oysters were a natural fit as was my favorite catfish. Rounding it out is shrimp but I bet crawfish or even (for an extra luxe touch) chunks of lobster would be great. This is my favorite kind of gumbo, homey and comforting but the seafood makes it seem special. It is also surprisingly quick to make which makes it a great choice for a weekday meal.

Smoked Salmon & Green Onion Latkes

Ingredients:
2 1/2 lbs Russet potatoes, grated
1 medium onion, grated
2 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup minced smoked salmon (lox)
1/4 cup matzo meal
1/4 cup finely minced green onion (green parts only)

canola oil

Directions:
In a large pan, heat about 1/4 inch oil. In a large bowl, toss all of the igredients together to combine.



Form into flat patties. Fry in hot oil, flipping half way through, until just golden.



Drain on paper towel lined plates.

Yield: about a dozen latkes, depending on size.

My thoughts:

I love latkes. What is there not to love about a crispy, fried potato? Making them the exact same way year after year can be a bit boring however. This year I decided to add one of my absolute favorite foods, smoked salmon, to my latkes. I wasn't quite sure how it would turn out but after a test latke was a rousing success, I made a whole batch. Crispy potato + freshness from the green onion + smoky flavor from the salmon = best latkes ever. They are exceptionally good when eaten with sour cream, which really brings out the flavor of the smoked salmon.

A quick note about methods:
For this year's latkes I once again used my mandoline which made great, long, thin strips that cooked quickly and gave off very little liquid. That said, you don't need a mandoline to make great latkes, a box grater works fine. I don't recommend (as some do) using a food processor to grate the potatoes, it breaks down the starches and gives the latkes a gluey consistency.

Dill & Caper Salmon Cakes

14 ounces cooked fresh salmon
1/2 cup panko, divided use
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup diced celery
1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 shallot, minced
2 tablespoons nonpareil capers
1 tablespoon minced dill

additional panko for dredging
canola oil

Directions:
Mash the salmon with a potato masher until fairly smooth. Add 1/2 cup panko and all of the remaining ingredients. Mix. Form into 8 eight patties. Pour panko into a shallow bowl. Dredge the patties in the panko. Refrigerate 10 minutes. Heat about a quarter inch of oil in a large skillet. Fry each patty, flipping once, until golden on both sides. Drain on paper towel lined plates.

My thoughts:

What can be simpler or more satisfying than a salmon cake? I've had many a bland croquette though, and set out to make a truly flavorful cake that is worthy of the salmon inside. I know a lot of people use canned salmon in salmon cakes but frankly, I just don't like the flavor or texture of canned salmon. At all. Instead, I like to use leftover (cooked) fresh salmon. It really makes all the difference. I then made a filling that was inspired by the r�moulade that is often served aside salmon cakes; one with plenty of dill, mustard and capers. This made the cakes quite flavorful without overwhelming the flavor of the salmon. I then rolled them in panko for a light crust rather than a heavy breaded one. The result: an elegant and delicious salmon cake that took no more effort than the most basic variety. I can't wait until I have leftover salmon again!

Smoked Salmon & Caper Dip

Ingredients:
1/4 cup diced red onion
8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
5 oz smoked salmon
3 tablespoons capote capers*
2 tablespoons sour cream
1/4 teaspoon white pepper


Directions:
Cube the cream cheese and place it in a food processor along with the salmon, capers, pepper and sour cream. Pulse until fairly smooth. Add the onions and pulse once. Refrigerate for 1 hour before serving and refrigerate any leftovers.

Yield: about 1 cup

*These are the large sized capers. They have more caper taste and work best in this dip. If you must, substitute the smaller, nonperil capers.

My thoughts:

One of our favorite local places to eat, the Hamilton Tavern has a neat feature on their menu. Every day (week?) there is a different, often seasonal dip that is served with appropriately matched dippers like homemade potato chips, pita or vegetables. One day we went and the dip was smoked salmon. I can never resist smoked salmon anything so we ordered it and it was really good, thick and creamy with bits of salmon, capers and red onion. It was like everything I love on a bagel in a dip!

Of course they aren't in the business of handing out their recipe and I have no way of knowing when it will make its way back on the menu so I decided to create a recipe based on what I had there so I can have it whenever I want. I added more smoked salmon (more from the delicious Just Cured) than I think was in the original and thinned the cream cheese out a bit with some sour cream. It is the creamiest, tastiest dip I've had in ages. Think about your best bagels and lox experience and subtract the bagel. Smoky, salty, savory. Yum. I had it on chips because what better excuse to buy chips is there than making dip? Plus eating on chips reminded me of my childhood tendency to dip Utz chips in straight cream cheese. However, it is also really good or with crackers, celery and sesame pretzels. It is a rather thick dip and can be used as a spread on small rounds of bread

Knishes Three Ways: Potato & Onion, Kasha and Potato & Smoked Salmon

Ingredients:

for the dough:
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup sour cream
2/3 cup water
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 egg


egg wash:
1 egg
1 tablespoon water

kasha filling:
2 cups beef broth
1 cup chopped mushrooms
1 cup kasha
1 cup plain mashed potatoes
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 egg
pepper

potato & onion filling:
4 cups plain mashed potatoes
1 onion, chopped
3 tablespoon schmaltz or canola oil
salt
pepper

potato & smoked salmon filling:
4 cups plain mashed potatoes
1 onion, chopped
4 oz smoked salmon, minced
3 tablespoon schmaltz or canola oil
salt
pepper

Directions:
NOTE: each filling recipe yield enough for all 12 knishes.

For the kasha filling:
Heat the oil in a skillet. Saute the onions and mushrooms until very brown. In small bowl, mix 1 egg into the kasha until the kasha is coated. It will look rather clumpy. Add to pan and stir until the groats start to separate from each other. Pour in the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 7-10 minutes. Allow to cool slightly. Mix with the mashed potatoes, pepper and egg.



for the potato and onion filling:
Heat the schmaltz in a skillet. Add the onions and saute until very soft. Mash the onions into the potato along with some salt and pepper.



for the potato and smoked salmon filling:
Heat the schmaltz in a skillet. Add the onions and saute until very soft. Mash the onions into the potato along with the salmon and some salt and pepper.




Preheat oven to 375. Allow your filling to cool while you make the dough.

for the dough:
Whisk together all of the dry ingredients. Pour into a large bowl,preferable in the bottom of a stand mixer. In a medium bowl, stir together the sour cream, butter, water and egg. Pour on top of the dry ingredients and mix using a dough hook until a solid ball of elastic dough forms.



Divide the dough into 12 pieces. Roll each piece out on a floured surface to a 5 inch circle about 1/8 inch thick. Place a 1/4 cup of filling in the middle. Fold the sides up to close, pinch shut. Place seam-side down on a lined baking sheet. Prick the top with a fork, once. Beat the egg and water together for the egg wash. Brush over the top of the knish. Repeat for remaining dough. Bake for about 20 minutes or until very hot but not browned.

My thoughts:

I've always wanted to make that deli staple, knishes at home. However, all of the recipes I came across called for oil. I hate working with oil based doughs, they invariably come out greasy and heavy tasting. Since we don't keep kosher, keeping the dough pareve (that is to say neutral-neither dairy or meat) by using oil instead of butter is not an issue. So for my version I decided to make a dough that was more pierogi-like in origin. The dough is wonderfully soft and elastic to work with; not one rip or tear.

Now for the fillings! My favorite is potato and onion but Matt really like kasha (buckwheat groats) the best. So we made both. Then I remembered I had some truly divine smoked "European-style" salmon in the fridge from Just Cured and decided to make a potato-salmon one too. I am glad I did, it might be slightly nontraditional but it was really tasty. I'd also like to point out that it is very much worth your while to quickly render some chicken fat (using chicken thigh skins works well) in some onions to some schmaltz to use. It adds so much flavor and really gives it an authentic taste that you can't quite get with butter or oil.

These are really the best knishes I've ever had. Smaller than the monstrosities one can find in delis they are lighter tasting while still being satisfying.

Fish & Chips

FISH
Ingredients:
1 to 1 1/2 lb cod fillets
1 cup flour
1 cup beer
2 egg whites, whipped to soft peaks
1/2 teaspoon hot paprika
cornstarch
salt
pepper

to serve:
malt vinegar
tarter sauce

Directions
Pour about 3 inches of canola oil into a heavy pan. Heat to 350.

In a shallow bowl or plate, sprinkle the cornstarch. Dredge each filet. Set aside.
Mix together the flour, salt, paprika, pepper and the beer, then fold in the egg whites. Dip the fish in the batter. Fry until golden brown.

Note: If you have leftovers, they reheat suprisingly well. They won't be quite as good as they were fresh but you can heat them up and keep them crispy by baking them for about 10 minutes at 400.



CHIPS


Ingredients:
2 lb Russet potatoes cut into long, thin strips
sea salt
olive oil

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the potatoes and boil until just barely tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and pat dry. Brush with oil and place on a parchment or silipat lined baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, then toss and bake an additional 10 minutes or until crisp.

Note: This is roughly the same technique I use when making grilled potato wedges, just adapted for the oven. Again, parboiling insures soft centers while the baking gives them crispy edges.

My thoughts:

Sometimes nothing but fish and chips will do. Unfortunately there isn't a chip shop for miles. However, it is surprisingly easy make at home and the results were fantastic. I was especially pleased with how flavorful and light the batter for the fish turned out. I've always had some issues making the perfect fluffy batter but I think I finally got it right. The fries were great as well, crisp and potato-y. Traditionally the fries would, of course, be fried but I find that the baked ones are quite tasty. It is easier to bake the chips while you fry the fish than to juggle frying two things at once, both of which need to be served hot.

Smoked Salmon Cheese Ball

Ingredients:
2 cups grated (extra)sharp cheddar
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
3 oz smoked nova salmon
1 inch chunk of shallot, minced
1/2 cup minced flat leaf parsley

Directions:
Place the cheese, cream cheese, shallot, salmon and Worcestershire sauce in a blender. Pulse until smooth. Scrape into a bowl and chill for 30 minutes to an hour. Scrape it out of the bowl and shape into a ball. Sprinkle the parsley in a shallow bowl and roll the ball into the cheese until evenly coated. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and store in refrigerator overnight. Bring to room temperature before serving.

My thoughts:

Cheese balls were quite a hit in entertaining scene during the 1960s. They continue to be a favorite because they can be made ahead of time (in fact they are better made 24 hours in advance) and really, who doesn't enjoy spreadable cheese? This one has a slight pink tint and a wonderful smoky salmon flavor. Perfect to spread on crackers or even bread.

Note: most delis and grocery stores that sell smoked salmon also sell little tubs of "ends" leftover from cutting the big sheets of lox. Often they are half the price of the regular smoked salmon and the pieces are generally quite large. They are also perfect for something like this when you need just a bit of smoked salmon.

Smoked Salmon Deviled Eggs

Ingredients:
10 hardboiled eggs, peeled and sliced length-wise
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoon sour cream
4 oz smoked salmon, minced
white pepper
large capers for garnish


Directions:
In a small bowl, use a fork and thoroughly mix together the yolks, mayonnaise, mustard, sour cream, pepper, and the smoked salmon*. Spoon an equal amount into each of the egg halves. Top with a jumbo sized caper and serve.


*If you want a really smooth texture, pop it all in the food processor or blender and pulse.

My thoughts:

I think I have a minor deviled egg addiction. Over the past few years I have posted no fewer than five deviled egg recipes to Coconut & Lime. This will make six. The funny thing is that Matt isn't terribly fond of deviled eggs so I normally just make enough for me or use a lunch visitor as an excuse to try out a new variety. These I made for my mother who stopped by for lunch today and she quite enjoyed them. When I eat at her house she always makes me guess what the "secret ingredient" in whatever she made is (hint: it is always Old Bay) so I didn't tell her what kind of deviled eggs they were but she got it in one. The lox gives the egg a slightly salty smoky flavor that works really well with the creamy egg yolks. Just take care to really mince it so you are not left with any big, chewy chunks.

Sesame Seared Yellowtail

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon hot chile (sesame) oil
2 yellowtail fillets*
sea salt
sesame seeds
Directions:
In a large pan, heat the oils. Sprinkle the fish with the fish the salt and sesame seeds. Cook the fish for 30 seconds on each side. Remove from heat and slice.


*I used Kona Kampachi, a new variety of substanably ocean harvested sushi-grade Hawaiian yellowtail that is very high in Omega-3. I highly recommend ordering some here. It arrives extremely fresh and smelling of the sea.

My thoughts:

This was seriously some of the best fish I've ever had. Just perfect raw or seared or even steamed. Prepared this way, you get a hint of spice and sesame but the star is still the fish.

Fried Catfish v.2.0

Ingredients:
2 lb catfish fillets, cut in half length-wise
1/2 cup cornmeal
1/4 flour
1/4 corn flour
1 tablespoon Old Bay
1 1/2 teaspoons ground chipotle
1 teaspoon celery seed
salt
pepper
juice of one lemon
oil for frying

Directions:

Place fish in single layer in a shallow bowl or tray, squeeze lemon juice over the fish. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. On a plate, mix together flour, corn flour, cornmeal, Old Bay, chipotle pepper, salt, pepper and celery seed. Dredge the fish (both sides) in the mixture then place on a place and refrigerate an additional 1/2 hour. Meanwhile, heat enough oil to pan fry in a large, shallow pan. Heat the oil. Fry fish fillets in the oil, for about 4 minutes on each side, depending on thickness. Make sure the fish is cooked through. Drain on a paper towel lined plate and serve immediately.

My thoughts:

It is traditional during Hanukkah to eat fried foods, normally latkes, but we were a little short on potatoes so we fried up some fish instead. It is sort of an evolution of previous catfish recipe, cornflour replaces some of the plain flour and the spices are slightly different but it is just as crisp and delightful. I could eat it every day. I served it with and drinking my new favorite beverage-Fever Tree Bitter Lemon which add a good tart contrast to the spicy fish.


Oh, and we bought something at Ikea that has changed our lives. A mesh splatter guard. It keeps the oil from splashing everywhere when you fry. It also works great when you make tomato sauces.

Homemade Fish Sticks

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lb tilapia fillets*, cut lengthwise into 3/4-inch strips
1 1/2 cup panko
1 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 teaspoons Old Bay**
pepper
sea salt***


Directions:
Preheat oven to 400. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Mix together the panko, Old Bay, pepper and cornstarch and arrange on a plate. Pour the buttermilk into bowl. Dip the fish into the buttermilk (or soak the fish in the buttermilk for up to 20 minutes for slightly better flavor and sticking ability) then dredge in the panko mixture. Place in a single layer on the line baking sheet. Bake for 5-7 minutes on each side or until golden brown and cooked through.


*Or other firm, white fish like catfish or orange roughy.
** Paprika or cayenne would good too, if you can't find Old Bay Seasoning in your area.

***For that fresh from the sea flavor. I used the tasty Terras de Sal, which is harvested the old fashioned way by hand.

My thoughts:

Homemade fish sticks (or fish fingers if you prefer) are not really something I had thought of making before, but I was feeling sort of nostagic for my preschool days and thought I'd try a slightly more adult and healthier homemade version of my old frozen favorite. These fish sticks are delightful-fresh tasting, moist and flaky with just a hint of spice. As an added bonus they were made without any added fat. If you are not totally fat adverse, however, I recommend serving it with a little bit of homemade tartar sauce for dipping. They are also very good with a little mustard on the side.