Category: Fish

Ingredients

• 3 medium Yukon gold potatoes (about 1 1/2 pounds), peeled and cut lengthwise in half
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds (or substitute ground cumin and skip the toasting and grinding step)
• 1 generous teaspoon saffron
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 loup de mer (also known as branzino), about 1 pound each, cleaned, scaled, heads and tails removed
• 1 1/2 yellow onions, trimmed and sliced through the stem end into eighths
• 5 Anaheim peppers, trimmed, seeds and membranes removed and cut vertically into quarters
• 4 Roma tomatoes, quartered lengthwise
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 lemon, sliced into thin rounds

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees F.  Place the potatoes in a large pot of salted water. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to medium and parboil them for 20 minutes. Drain and set aside.  When they’re cool enough to handle, cut each half in half again lengthwise. 

2. Toast the cumin seeds in a small sauté pan over medium heat until fragrant, about three minutes. Grind them finely in a mortar or spice grinder. Set aside. 

3. Heat one cup of water till warm and drop in the saffron, then the butter. Set aside and let the butter melt.

4. Rinse the fishes inside and slice each crosswise into four pieces. Place them in a large baking dish or roasting pan with the potatoes, onions, Anaheim peppers and tomatoes. Sprinkle the salt, cumin and tumeric over all, and grind black pepper generously over all. Toss gently to coat the fish and vegetables evenly, turning the fish over so it gets coated on both sides. Pour the water-saffron-butter mixture and then the olive oil over all, and gently toss again. Lay the lemon slices on top. Roast 25 minutes, then transfer to a serving bowl and serve immediately.

Salmon:

• 1 1/2 lbs. salmon
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (more for a larger filet)
• 1–2 teaspoons olive oil

Coconut Curry Sauce:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic (minced)
• 1 small knob of ginger (minced)
• 1 tablespoon of lemongrass paste 
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 jar (110 grams) red curry paste
• 1 can coconut milk
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce or soy sauce
• lots of lime juice and zest
• 3 cups fresh spinach, chopped
• cilantro, basil, mint, or other fresh herbs 

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INSTRUCTIONS

1. Get the oven ready: Preheat the oven to 475 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil. Place one of the oven racks is close-ish to the top, about 6 inches or so.
2. Salmon: Mix the spices and the olive oil to make a paste. Place the salmon skin side down on the baking sheet. Rub the paste liberally over the top part of the salmon. Bake for 6-12 minutes (depends on salmon thickness and desired doneness – I usually opt for 8-10 minutes). See notes for potential broiling issues and alternative methods.
3. Coconut Curry Sauce: Heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic, ginger, and lemongrass; sauté for 5 minutes. Add brown sugar and curry paste; sauté for 3 minutes. Add coconut milk. Season with fish sauce and lime juice to taste. Add spinach; stir into the sauce until wilted.
4. Serve: Place salmon over rice. Cover with sauce, lime juice, and fresh herbs.

INGREDIENTS

• 4 fillets of firm white fish, skinless and boneless (720g)
• 30g dill, chopped 
• 20g mint leaves, chopped 
• 10g tarragon, chopped 
• 15g ginger, peeled and finely grated
• Grated zest of 1 lemon 
• 3 small garlic cloves, crushed 
• 1 tsp ground cumin 
• ½ tsp ground turmeric
• 2 eggs
• 30g breadcrumbs 
• 8 mild, long green peppers (280g net)
• 2 tsp sunflower oil
• Salt and black pepper

• Beetroot relish:
• 300g cooked beetroot, finely grated 
• 50g soured cream 
• ¼ tsp ground cumin
• 1 tbsp white wine vinegar 
• ¾ tsp caster sugar 
• 25g freshly grated horseradish 
• 2 tbsp olive oil

1. Start with relish. Place the beetroot in a colander for half an hour for some of the juice to drain or gently squeeze out some of the liquid with your hands (you probably want to protect them with gloves!). Transfer to a bowl and add all the remaining ingredients along with ½ a teaspoon of salt and some black pepper. Mix well, taste to adjust the seasoning and set aside. 
2. Preheat the oven to 200ºC. 
3. Cut the fish into tiny dice – 1-2mm. Place in a bowl and add the fresh herbs, ginger, lemon zest, garlic, ground spices, eggs, breadcrumbs, 1½ teaspoon of salt and some black pepper. Mix well and then form into round patties weighing about 55 grams each. 
4. Place a heavy ovenproof iron or chargrill pan on a high heat. When red hot, put the peppers inside and grill for 15 minutes, turning once, until the skin is nicely charred and blistered. Remove from the pan and set aside. Wipe the pan clean and add the 2 teaspoon of oil. Sear the koftas for 4 minutes, turning once, then transfer the pan to the oven for 8 minutes, until the koftas are cooked through. 
5. Place 3 koftas on each plate along with 2 peppers. Spoon the beetroot relish alongside and serve at once.

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp. soy sauce, shoyu, or tamari
• 1 tbsp. hot sauce
• 1 tsp. fresh lime juice
• 1 tsp. ground ginger
• 1 clove garlic, grated or pasted

Green Beans & Crispy Tuna

• Salt
• 1 lb. trimmed green beans
• 1 cup plain breadcrumbs
• 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 3 tbsp. sesame seeds
• 1 tsp. chili powder or crushed red pepper
• 1 tsp. granulated garlic
• 1 tsp. granulated onion
• 1 tsp. ground ginger
• 4 sushi-grade tuna steaks (each 6 to 8 oz. and about 1 1/4 inches thick)
• About 1/4 cup plus 3 tbsp. canola oil
• 6 scallions, cut on an angle into 2-inch pieces
• 3 tbsp. soy sauce, shoyu, or tamari
• 2 tbsp. mirin or rice wine vinegar
• 2 tsp. toasted sesame oil 
• Pepper
• Finely chopped chives, for garnish

1. In a small bowl, whisk all the ingredients for the sauce.

2. For the green beans, in a large deep skillet, bring a few inches of water to a boil. Prepare a large bowl of ice water. Salt the boiling water and add the green beans. Cook until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Drain the green beans and add to the ice water. Let cool, then drain well.

3. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium to medium-high.

4. In a shallow dish, mix the plain breadcrumbs, panko, sesame seeds, chili powder, granulated garlic, granulated onion, and ground ginger.

5. Season both sides of the tuna with salt. Coat the tuna with the breadcrumbs, pressing firmly so the crumbs adhere.

6. Add enough safflower oil to the skillet to coat the bottom (about 1/4 cup). When the oil begins to ripple, add the tuna. Cook until deep golden, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a wire rack.

7. Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet, heat the remaining 3 tbsp. safflower oil, three turns of the pan, over high. When the oil begins to smoke, add the green beans and scallions. Stir-fry until the green beans blister, about 3 minutes. Add the soy sauce, mirin, and sesame oil; season with salt and pepper.

8. Serve the crispy tuna on top of the sauce. Or top the tuna with the sauce. Garnish with chives. Serve with the green beans.

Ingredients

• 4 Halibut fillets
• 4 cups water
• 2 cups white wine
• 1 yellow onion, quartered
• 2 carrots, rough chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 fennel frond, rough chopped, reserve some for garnish
• 12 to 15 whole peppercorns
• 1 lemon, juiced

• Fennel Cream:
• 1 pint cream
• 1 head fennel, small dice
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon saffron
• salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

To make the poaching bouillon:

Combine all the ingredients in a sauce pan.  Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer for 15 minutes.  Strain.

 Fennel Cream:

Combine the ingredients and bring up to a simmer over medium-low heat.  Reduce the cream by half.  This should take 10 to 15 minutes. Puree and season to taste with salt and pepper.

 Poach the halibut in the bouillon at a simmer for 6 to 8 minutes.  Dab the fish dry on paper towels and serve with the fennel cream.  Garnish with fennel fronds. 

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup pure maple syrup (preferably grade B)
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 6-oz. center-cut salmon fillets, pin bones removed

Sauce:

• Combine the maple syrup, soy sauce, and lemon juice in a 1-quart saucepan, and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium, and cook until syrupy, 7 to 10 minutes.

Preparation in Oven Broiler

Position a rack 6 inches from the broiler element and heat the broiler on high. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil.

Place the salmon on the foil skin side down, and season generously with salt and pepper. Broil the salmon until it looks opaque, about 3 minutes. Brush each fillet liberally with the maple glaze, and then continue to broil until cooked to your liking, 7 to 10 minutes for medium (the salmon will be dark pink in the middle). Immediately brush with the remaining glaze and serve.

Preparation-Pan Fried:

• Pat the fillets dry with paper towels, then lightly season all over with salt and pepper; set by the stove.
• Hold a large, heatproof rimmed plate under hot running water to warm, then pat dry and set by the stove.
• In a large stainless-steel skillet over medium-high, heat 1 tablespoon (or more depending on the size of your pan) of the butter.
• When the foam begins to subside, add the fillets and cook without moving them around and use a brush to cover with sauce. Cook until the fish is lightly browned and opaque about ¼ of the way up from the skillet, 1–2 minutes.
• Using a wide, thin metal spatula, gently flip the fillets, then brush on more sauce and continue cooking until the other side is lightly browned and opaque about ¼ of the way up from the skillet, 1–2 minutes more.
• Carefully and quickly transfer to the warm plate, cover tightly with an inverted bowl or aluminum foil, and set aside in a warm place to steam for 10 minutes.
• Pour remaining sauce over the filets.