Another twist on fish - Shredded Sweet Potato Crust

Fry it, broil it, encrust it, sauce it up - the possibilities for fish are endless.
A couple basic rules for any fish dish:

1) When buying fresh fish, DO NOT be afraid to ask to smell the fish, if it smells “fishy” it is.  Look for clear eyes (when available) not slimy, mushy, dried up.  Now a days many fish are being frozen with great results. Please try to be aware of “over fished” and "at risk" fish when making your  purchase. There is generally a good substitute available with less moral baggage.

2) Breading station requires 3 pans: pan 1) flour (wheat, white, rice)  pan 2) liquid (egg mixture, milk, juice) pan 3) topping (bread crumbs, nuts, fruit) 

3) Play with your food and don’t be afraid to change up the way things are cooked, I will often give a healthy method of cooking (variation on the original) for the recipe.

This full flavored topping is good on many types of fish. Because of the strong flavors of the topping, a stronger, oilier fish can even be used.

Sweet Potato Encrusted White Fish

Fish

Any white fish  - cod or orange roughy (4 oz to 6 oz filets)

Topping 

½ cup peeled and shredded sweet potato per piece of fish

per ½ cup sweet potato:

pinch cumin

pinch tumeric

lemon curd jam (if you can not find raspberry, blackberry, orange jams/marmalades may be substituted)

1/3 egg whisked (approx, binding agent)

Mix; potato, cumin, tumeric, jam and egg together, form into balls which will then be flattened on top of fish

Heat a nonstick sauté pan on high heat with a little bit of olive oil in it

Salt and pepper your fish filets

Press the balls down on to each filet

Carefully lay the filet in the pan topping side down and reduce heat to medium. 

The topping should get a nice crisp crunch to it and cook through approximately 5 minutes. 

Using a spatula carefully slide it under the fish and topping flipping the fish over to finish cooking. For extra thick pieces of fish you may want to finish in a hot oven (approx. 450°)

If have been known to substitute fresh fruit (lemon, orange, lime) segments with a pinch of flour instead of the jam to cut down on the sugar.

In this photo we've served the fish with sauteéd beet greens. I also love it with steamed cauliflower  tossed with some finely chopped mint.

Coconut encrusted fish

This recipe could actually be entitled, coconut encrusted fish, chicken or shrimp. No matter how I make it, my 6-year old nephew goobles it up.

For the topping I will use ratios since the amounts will vary depending upon the protein you use. 

Set up a breading station:

Pan 1 - flour

Pan 2 - egg, cayenne pepper (optional)

Pan 3 - 1 part toasted coconut (unsweetened if available)

            1 part panko bread crumbs

            1 part toasted pecans (optional)

            mix together well

Preheat oven to 425°.

Put a cooling rack on a cookie sheet.

Bread your protein, dust with the flour, dip in the egg then coat with the topping (pan 3).

Spray with a “Pam” style cooking spray (I like the canola brand or olive oil brand from Trader Joes).

Place protein on the cooling rack, or you can get cooking misters in which you put your own olive oil.  Place cookie sheet in oven and bake for 6 to 8 minutes. Remove, turn protein over, spray the second side, return to oven and cook till finished.

Sauce

2 Tbls orange marmalade

1 Tbls stone ground mustard

½ Tbls horseradish

orange juice to thin

Combine first three ingredients in a small sauce pan over medium heat, whisk until mixed together.  Remove from heat, thin with orange juice, if desired. As it cools it may thicken more and you may want to add orange juice then.

Serve and enjoy.

Dad's Bacon Stuffed Fish

My Dad is a bacon lover. So when he asked for a fish recipe, this one came to mind as having natural appeal.

This is best prepared with a firm thick* white fish like halibut, sea bass or cod as we will be making a pocket inside the fish. (*If you can not find a piece of fish thick enough to make a pocket, you can use to thin filets and put the stuffing in between.)

Per each piece of fish

1 heaping Tbls of cooked and finely chopped bacon plus ½ Tbls–reserve some of the fat from cooking (yes Dad you can add more)

1 Tbls finely chopped chives–I really like garlic chives

½ clove garlic finely chopped and lightly sautéed (till just golden)

1½  Tbls pecorino cheese

Mix together;

1 heaping Tbls bacon

1 Tbls chives

½ clove garlic

1 ½ Tbls pecorino shredded

Using a sharp knife make a pocket in the side of the fish filet and stuff the mixture inside pinch the edge back together lightly salt and pepper outside

 

Heat a sauté pan over medium high heat with a little of the reserved bacon grease. Carefully lay fish filets in pan, cook till golden brown, flip over, reduce heat to medium and continue to cook till done. Remove fish from pan set aside, increase heat to medium high, and deglaze pan with a dry white wine, reduce down add remaining bacon then pour over fish.

Healthy version; substitute turkey bacon, cook in light olive oil  

Rich toasted nuts add pizzaz to mild fish

When spring starts getting busy, we don’t want to spend hours in the kitchen. But we still want to eat delicious things. The beauty of this recipe is its simplicity.

Just about any kind of fish will do. I do like one that is a little less oily for this recipe like cod or snapper. A variety of nuts can be used, but I really like the flavor of toasted pecans.


For each piece of fish (4 to 6 oz)
2 Tbls of chopped toasted pecans
½ Tbls mayonnaise (binding agent – egg can be used or you may grind ½ pecans in to paste and mix)
½ Tbls butter
pinch S & P

Warm a sauté pan (with lid) on medium high heat add a little olive oil.

Lay fish in pan “nice” side down, cook till golden brown, turn over and lay topping on fish.

Cover and finish cooking fish, remove fish from pan, turn heat up drop in butter and swirl around pan, cook until it begins to foam, just turning brown.

Pour over fish, if you wish you could use a white wine instead of the butter for a “less” fat version. This dish can be a little rich so I like to serve it with steamed vegetables and a nice Jasmin rice.

A modern twist on an Italian classic–Stuffed Gnocchi

The cold weather seems to be holding and this dish from my Arte Italia demo is perfect.  It may become your family’s new comfort food.  We had a variation of these on Super Bowl Sunday, paired with a tomato sauce instead of the eggplant puree.  I love the eggplant puree as a dip for veggies and bread it holds up well (5 days) in the refrigerator, but I do like to serve it a little warm or at room temperature.

Thinking out loud here but I may have to try a sweet version of these, with perhaps a nut, chocolate and mascarpone stuffing served with a berry sauce!

Gnocchi di patate ripieni di caponatina fondente

“Stuffed Gnocchi” makes approximately 75 stuffed gnocchi

For the gnocchi dough you will need;

1 ½ kilo’s / 3.33 cooked potatoes*

600gr / 1.32 # flour

120gr / 4.23 oz parmesan

3 eggs (or 2 eggs for each kilo of potato)

nutmeg

*Yukon gold potatoes, or simular type, older the better, cook in boiling water with skins on, cook till cooked all the way through, remove from water, as soon as you can handle, peel and then “puree” put through a ricer best to do while a little warm

To mix dough;

Spread potaoes out on lightly floured surface

Layer flour, parmesan and eggs on top

Mix together till just combined (do this by hand, mixers work the starch too much best to do while still a little warm)

Divide dough into softball size balls

Roll dough out onto lightly floured surface approximately ½ cm / ¼ inch thick

Cut into round shapes approx 5 cm / 2 inch width

Eggplant and ginger sauce

Roast eggplant (approx 6) smaller size (prevents them from getting to dark while roasting and less seeds) lightly coat with olive oil, roast in 200° oven till cooked all the way through and “meat” is done. Remove from oven, slice in half using a spoon scoop out the inside “meat” and put into a blender.

Skin ginger, using a micro planner grate ginger into chinois (fine sieve) hold ginger over blender and pour approximately ¼ cup water through lightly press down to squeeze essence of ginger into blender

Add a couple pinches of salt

Turn on blender

Slowly drizzle olive oil into eggplant and ginger to emulsify approximately ½ cup

Set aside in a sauce pot (will warm up before plating)

Caponatina / Stuffing (time to practice your knife skills)

Make while potatoes are cooking

All cut brunoise 1/8 x 1/8 x 1/8 inch (approximate amounts)

1 cup shallots

1 ½ cups zucchini - just the peel

1 cup celery – remove “ribs”

1 ½ cups red pepper – peeled, then lay flat and remove inner rib

1 ½ cups eggplant – use just the skin and one layer in if still firm and no seeds

½ cup dried tomatoes

1/3 cup finely chopped pinenuts

1 ½ cup ricotta

¾ cup parmesan cheese

to cook caponatina / stuffing

heat a large sauté pan with oil and garlic flavored oil (hot)

(add in order)

1. shallots and 2 to 3 Tbls sugar stir cook till it starts to thicken a little

2. redwine or sherry vinegar 3 to 4 Tbls  cook till reduced

3. add celery stir cook about one minute

4. add red pepper stir

5. add eggplant stir

6. add pine nuts stir

7. add zucchini stir

8. add dried tomatoes stir

Remove from heat put into bowl, add ricotta and parmesan cheese mix together put into refrigerator to cool down

Whisk a couple of eggs together

Take potato circle and using your finger put a little egg wash on half the circles edge, put approximately 1 mounded tsp of filling on each round.  Fold over pushing filling in and seal edge. Set down on floured surface seam down tuck edges in at ends.

To cook gnocchi;

Drop into salted boiling water till they float then transfer to a warm sauté pan with butter and vegetable stock cook for approximately 3 to 4 minutes sprinkle chopped parsley on top and drizzle garlic oil and a spicy oil on top

To Plate:

Tear drop tomatoes halved and lightly sauted with olive oil salt and pepper

Eggplant ginger sauce

Gnocchi

Put a smear of eggplant sauce on plate, sprinkle tomatoes around sauce, plate 2 gnocchi per plate for an appetizer, 5 to 6 for a main course.

Arte Italia Part II - Pesce cotto al sale con pappa al pomodoro

Well I flipped a coin and decided this week's recipe from the Arte Italia cooking class with Chef Apreda will be the Sea Bass in Pomodoro Sauce. The cooking method for the fish is unique; stove top, salt and herbs, skindown–creates a moist wonderfully flavorful fish. The sauce was great with the fish, but could go with chicken, veal or even pasta. I hope you enjoy this dish as much as I did and feel free to use other types of fish too.

(Sorry for the poor picture quality. It was a fast paced class and I grabbed them in between prep duties with my cell phone!)

Pesce cotto al sale con pappa al pomodoro
(Herb and sea salt cooked sea bass with tomato sauce)

Tomato sauce
Approximately 4 quarts tomato puree
Leeks fine chop approximately 3 cups
Dried bread / bread crusts approximately 3 cups
salt
Garlic oil
Olive oil
Fresh basil

In a large sauce pot heat olive oil and garlic oil (approximately ¼ cup of each) add leeks and sauté till translucent, add tomato puree and a generous amount of salt, bring to a boil and then lower to a simmer for approximately 2 ½ hours. Remove from heat and stir in dried bread, let sit for approximately 10 minutes. Using a wand blend bread into sauce, then hand stir in chiffonade of fresh basil approximately ¼ cup.

Sea Bass filets skin on
Coarse sea salt
Fresh: rosemary sprigs, sage, thyme, bay leaves, garlic slices
Large sauté pan

Mix the salt and herbs together in the pan generously covering the bottom about 1 ½ inches deep, heat on the stove till hot (do not let the salt brown) lay the sea bass filets on top of salt skin side down, cook for approximately ½ an hour to ¾ of an hour. Fish will still be moist but cooked through.

To plate:
Scoop a generous portion of tomato sauce into center of plate remove sea bass filet from pan gently scrape off salt, using your finger. Place skin side up on sauce.

Slow Food makes for fast friends

The holiday gifts just keep giving. The latest in the form of lovingly prepared and savored food. My sister Paige and I have been talking about Slow Food for quite a while now, but we were a little slow to actually join. Conveniently, and under our direct guidance, our mother got us memberships this past holiday season.

Slow Food is an international movement with 100,000 members in 132 counties including one in our fair city of Reno. According to their website, Slow Food was founded in 1989 to “counteract fast food and fast life, the disappearance of local food traditions and people’s dwindling interest in the food they eat, where it comes from, how it tastes and how our food choices affect the rest of the world.” The mission of Slow Food Reno is to create a culture where the Great Basin Community promotes and advocates wholesome, clean and flavorful food.

We went to our first Slow Food Reno event on January 18–a potluck held at Buckbean Brewery. I must admit I wasn’t sure what to expect. Who would be there? Would I fit in? I had some preconceived ideas–everyone would be vegan and living in a yurt. Or at the very least vegetarian with a well-cultivated acre behind their house and, if you know me or have been following my blog, you know that I like (probably wouldn’t hurt to say love) meat and dairy. One look at the group that had gathered and the dishes they brought and I rejoiced. It was a wonderful eclectic gathering of people.

One of the topics I knew was going to be discussed was raising backyard chickens. So with that in mind I got some eggs from my friend Mike who raise chickens with her husband. They have a variety of breeds that produce beautiful eggs in various hues of green, blue, brown and speckled. 

Their beauty created a dilemma for me. I wanted to use both the eggs and the shells somehow. I knew it was possible to use an eggshell as a “container”. I have in the past cut the tops tipped the egg out boiled the shell to clean and then used it for cold salads even a shot glass once. But I wanted to experiment and see if I could cook in the shells. I took my favorite crème brulée recipe, filled the shells, used a cardboard egg carton in a pan with a water bath, baked and then once cooled, caramelized the tops. All went as planned, although I did learn to make a nest out of aluminum foil to hold the egg when caramelizing the sugar with a torch as the cardboard is quite flammable!

The eggshell may burn a little, but it just adds some color dimension if you want to make them really fancy dust the edges with edible gold or silver powder (can be found at bakery supply stores). The second “eggsperiment” I did was a black truffle egg custard, this was almost the last of the truffles I brought back from a spring trip to France– so sad to see them gone, but so divine in the going. The eggs seemed to be a big hit with the people at my table. The best feed back I go was that is was so RICH, it is best to only fill your eggshells a little over half full. Keep this in mind if you follow the recipes below.

Before I sign off I wanted to let you know Dan and Doug out at Buckbean Brewery have a great set up with some really awesome beers, many of which are available around town at various grocery stores and restaurants. It is worth the trip to go out to the brewery and see how your beer is made and who is making it. Buckbean is also very active in our community. If you are a food lover, come to the next Slow Food Reno potluck, you don’t have to be a member to come to the potlucks, but I am pretty sure you’ll want to join afterwards.

Black Truffle Egg Custard

Preheat oven to 275°

12 servings

12 empty eggshells – you can use an egg topper to cut off the tops over a sharp serrated knife (if using a knife I recommend setting the egg on its side on a wet towel)

Save contents of three of the eggs for recipe (other nine refrigerate for another use)

1 C milk

1 C heavy cream

1 ½ to 2 ¼ TBLS truffle oil

salt and pepper

Garnish: fresh chives, shaved black truffle

1. Heat the milk and cream together in a saucepan till it boils immediately remove from heat and pour into a blender (or food processor) and turn on.  Drizzle truffle oil in then add the three eggs a pinch of salt and pepper blend until well combined.

2. Strain the mixture through a chinois (a very fine mesh strainer) into a pitcher.  Let sit and skim off foam that rises to the top (about 5 to 10 minutes).  Pour the mixture into the eggshells (1/2 full).  Prop them up in a cardboard egg carton in a baking dish.  Fill the dish up to halfway up the outside of the eggshells with hot water (this makes a Bain Marie).  Cover the pan with a lid and bake for 40 to 45 minutes (I didn’t have a pan with a lid large enough to do all the eggs I wanted too so I just sealed it with aluminum foil and it worked fine)

3. Garnish with chive and black truffle, serve warm or at room temperature.

More of those Italian recipes from my class at Arte Italia coming soon.