Despite the reputation that modern
nutrition science is trying to build for this category of food, it seems that
many people do not like fish. Maybe it is better that way. Many species are
already depleted and it appears the world’s oceans could not sustain a more
universal approval.
If we leave aside for another day
the many issues of pollution, sustainability, health benefits and hazards, and
just concentrate on the cooking potential, we have to marvel at the variety of
flavors and consistencies we can experience when we probe that universe of
tastes, and rejoice that such a feat is still possible. However, selecting fish
species and attendant recipes is very difficult for two reasons. Firstly,
despite the vastness of oceans, most fish species are specific to a localized
habitat, say the Mediterranean or the U.S. Eastern seaboard. Secondly, fish do
not keep as well as meat, which makes the quest for freshness unending.
I am prejudiced for wild salt water
fish first and farmed salt water fish second, mainly for reasons of taste and
availability.
In the central markets of Tokyo,
Paris or Barcelona, fish is given number one ranking. Even in rural southern
France, in a small town 20 miles from the coast, I have found my ideal fish shop,
selling a large variety of smallish fish that are not processed in any way and
have kept their original shape, head, bones and all. They were fished from
small boats the day before and show the telltale signs of their freshness:
glossy skin, bright protruding eyes, deep red gills and firm flesh. You
certainly know what you are buying and can start enjoying it much before meal
time.
On the other hand, purchasing fish in
the USA can only disappoint. Even in the best shops of the San Francisco Bay
area, right by the ocean, it is hard to find appealing whole ocean fish. Fish comes in fillets, flown in from faraway
places like Scotland, Chile or New Zealand. Unless you concentrate on oysters,
clams or live crabs which are available in season, you never know how fresh
these fillets are, and what kind of off taste you will experience in your
plate. Furthermore, the names displayed next to the fish are often misleading,
owing sometimes more to marketing than to a desire to help you learn and choose
better. (1) (2)
Salmon is a cultural exception. Fishing
is sometimes banned; if it is allowed, you can find fresh wild salmon in
season, as well as fish flown in from Alaska. They compete with farmed salmon
coming from Chile or Scotland which would probably offer a more delicate taste
than local ones if they were wild and properly nourished, but this is not the
case. One Scottish farm company is making real efforts to achieve good quality
and is rewarded by my modest purchases.
“Tai Snapper” is an Asian sea bream
flown in whole, which sometimes looks reasonably fresh. It may be your only choice
if you want to prepare a fish whole. The fishmonger will scale it and clean it
for you. Watch him carefully and stop him before he fillets it distractedly.
Patronizing Asian stores might be
your salvation. If not, you may have to bite the bullet and adopt excellent
native local fish like halibut, for example, despite its steep price. Local
fresh-water sturgeon is another versatile possibility. Monkfish holds up well
when cooked and can also be used successfully. An added benefit for the wary is
that it has no bones.
Due to a lack of familiarity, many
people do not feel confident about their ability to cook fish properly. Let’s
reassure them: all classical cooking techniques used with meat apply, with
three differences: 1) pound for pound, you should aim for shorter cooking
times, or lower temperatures, 2) fish is more fragile than meat and cannot be
handled as roughly and 3) you should not expect browning or searing to happen
the same way (it is actually not desirable either).
Grilling is
possible, for whole fish or solid fillets.
Pan-frying works as well.
Baking is the
easiest way to achieve a moist result.
Light steaming also makes your fish delicious (and healthy), very
quickly.
Finally a combination of steaming and oven baking is achieved by cooking the
fish in a parchment paper wrapping, called papillote
in French. The European sea bass, which dries out easily, loves to be cooked
this way. An alternative is to wrap it in lettuce leaves, rock salt, or even
inside a puff pastry like the “Loup en
croûte” made famous by Paul Bocuse in the 1970s and still served in his
restaurant today.
If you are lucky enough to have
access to very fresh fish (and are so inclined), try eating it raw, in a
sashimi or sushi form, or lightly marinated.
The following recipes offer a few
leads into this new wonderful world.
Ceviche is mostly used as an
appetizer today. “Modern” ceviche is designed for taste, more than for
preserving fish and must be prepared at the last minute, so that the lime juice
does not “cook” the fish too much. Fish will be practically raw, which means it
needs to be absolutely fresh! Many different species can be prepared this way,
but whiter fish is preferable because its color will not change drastically.
You will need:
×
1 lb. of
fish (sea bass, halibut, yellowtail, or tako, the Japanese pre-cooked octopus)
×
Juice of
1 lime
×
3 tbsp.
of diced sweet Mayan onions
×
¼ cup of
chopped fresh coriander
×
¼ tsp. of
Cayenne
×
Salt and
pepper
Cut the fish in fork-manageable
pieces, for example irregular slices of 1/8 inch thickness maximum. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl. Count to
ten and serve.
These fragile fish are mostly found
canned. Nevertheless, if you are lucky or persistent enough to find fresh ones,
you can be highly rewarded. Preparation consists of rubbing them slightly under
a faucet to eliminate scales, and opening them up, with a sharp knife or with
your thumb nail, to get rid of the innards and the main bone.
Anchovies can be salted and dried
for future use, or pickled. Sardines adapt easily to a quick barbecuing.
Portuguese people are fond of plump sardines prepared that way with a simple
lettuce (and onion) salad accompaniment. Both sardines and anchovies can also
be marinated.
All the fresh fish you eat in a good
sushi place can be prepared that way. This is true of tuna, mackerel (skinned),
and salmon, as well as fresh sardines and anchovies. If you have never had
anchovies this way before, you will find the taste deliciously mild. (3)
Preparation and assembling should be
made at the last minute because these marinades are more a way to flavor the
fish than to conserve it.
Marinades are really the world of
inspiration. They will be based on lemon or lime juice, olive oil, seasoned
with salt, pepper and the herb or herbs of your choice: cilantro, tarragon,
mint, basil, thyme, etc… I have become myself emotionally attached to green
shiso (which also goes in the West by the name of perilla), a Japanese member
of the mint family which combines very well with fish and adds subtle aromas to
the mix.
Sardine and anchovy fillets can be
used directly. Larger fish should be sliced thinly or diced.
You can place these pieces on a cold
white plate, looking for the best visual effect and season them with the
elements of marinade, pre-mixed or not.
For a “tartare” treatment, dice the fish’s flesh and mix in a bowl with
minced sweet onions, juice of ¼ lime or lemon, 2 tbsp. soy sauce, 3 tbsp. olive
oil and minced shiso leaves. Serve as a mound on bare white plates or in small
individual bowls.
You can add also a “tartare” of similarly prepared raw
common mushrooms or vegetables.
I once read a traditional recipe for
Turkish stuffed mackerel which involved gutting the fish out through the head
without tampering with the outside appearance. Obviously, I found this idea
very attractive (this is the type of challenge that keeps me young) and I tried
it out immediately.
However, despite my love of
difficulties, I eventually simplified it to make it faster to prepare (4) and
less overcooked. The taste is still very evocative of Eastern/Mediterranean
cuisine. By the way, the original recipe uses raisins, rather than apricots.
You will need:
×
1 lb. of
fresh mackerel (or other soft oily fish?)
×
1 lb. of
sweet Mayan onions
×
¼ cup of pine nuts
×
¼ cup of
dried apricots
×
6 tbsp.
of fresh coriander or 1 tbsp. of crushed coriander seeds
×
½ tsp. of fennel seeds
×
¼ or ½
cup of parsley
×
Olive
oil, salt and pepper
Fillet the fish. Remove the outer skin
and all bones.
Cut in medium size pieces.
Put aside in a bowl.
Peel and chop onions finely.
Heat a pan with a liberal dose of
olive oil.
Stir fry the onions gently over
medium heat, with some salt to make them melt.
Add the pine nuts and the apricots.
After 3 minutes, add the fennel
seeds.
Stir gently.
After 5 minutes, add the fish and
the parsley. Cook for 2 minutes at most.
Salt and pepper to taste.
This dish can be served right away,
with a barely cooked fish, in small bowls for example. You could also cook it
for a few minutes more in the oven, possibly with added cooked rice or bread
crumbs, tomato flesh and lemon, to reach the consistency of a terrine.
Tuna or swordfish steaks can be
fried in a pan on both sides, after coating with olive oil and sesame seeds.
Cook to a rare stage, with a barely warm inside. Pepper and sprinkle with a
ribbon of shoyu. Curiously, no salt is needed.
Salmon can be prepared the same way.
Use salmon fillets rather than “steaks” (cut across the fish, steaks will
always be drier). You can cook it on both sides or on the skin side only (à l’unilatérale), the top remaining
uncooked until the end.
If you are young and/or unconcerned
with cholesterol, you may want to experience a traditional French cream sauce,
rich enough to clog every artery in sight. Recipes are everywhere and can be
invented at will, all based on a reduction and a late addition of rich cream.
Fish stock always adds welcome complexity, if you can find a way to make some.
I propose a recipe inspired from the Troisgros sorrel sauce but using barely
cooked watercress (easier to find) instead.
I personally love it but make sure
your guests like acidic watercress before planning for it. You will need:
×
1 ½ lb.
salmon or halibut fillet
×
1 cup
white wine
×
1 cup
fish stock (desirable)
×
2 tbsp.
cognac or tequila
×
1 minced
shallot
×
¼ tsp. of
various aromatic spices (e.g. turmeric, coriander and ginger)
×
1 ½ cup crème
fraîche
×
Juice of
¼ lime (optional)
×
1 bunch
of watercress
×
Salt and
pepper
Cut your fish fillet in four equal
pieces and put aside.
Clean and sort out the watercress.
Keep aside in a colander.
Put the shallot and the wine in the
sauce pan and start reducing.
Add some spices you like, subtle
enough for the fish. I suggest turmeric, coriander and ginger.
Reduce to about 1/8 of a cup.
Add the cream and boil it until it
thickens. Taste. Add juice of ¼ lime if needed.
Meanwhile cook the fish in a non-stick
pan over medium heat, making sure that it is barely cooked and moist.
When you are ready to serve, throw
the watercress into the cream and cook for 20 seconds.
Distribute the watercress and cream
equally over four serving plates and place the fish on top.
Salmon is best when rare, or half
cooked. You can place your fillet in a dish, on a bed of fresh or pickled
ginger slices and bake it in the oven (20 minutes for a 3-pound fillet). When
ready, I sprinkle it with some parched (roasted) sesame seeds and a ribbon of
soy sauce. Cooked that way, salmon flavors are enhanced and no salt seems to be
needed.
Serve with white rice, with three or
four chutneys of the day (curried onions, sautéed mushrooms, sautéed
artichokes, carrots and ginger, ratatouille, etc.). This is a very easy dish to
prepare in advance when you have invited a crowd and want to spend your time
with them, sipping champagne, rather than in the kitchen.
“Tai snapper” is an Asian sea bream
flown in whole from the Western Pacific seaboard, which sometimes looks
reasonably fresh. The fishmonger will scale it and clean it for you. The
Provençale labeling means you have added a few herbs or spices southern French
people consider theirs: e.g. thyme, rosemary, savory, fennel or fennel seeds,
slices of onion and tomato.
Set your oven at medium/high
temperature (375 to 400°F).
Rinse the fish under cold water and
place it in a slightly oiled dish.
Cover it with the herbs and spices
you have decided to use and pour a ribbon of olive oil over it.
You can also pour one cup of white
wine which will contribute to final flavor and also add some steaming effect.
Transfer your dish to the oven and
let the fish cook for 20 to 25 minutes, according to size.
You may want to baste the fish once
or twice with the dish’s juices during cooking.
Cooking time depends on the type of
fish and the actual temperature of the oven, sometimes different from the
setting. In the latest stage, you can probe the fish by poking a skewer in its
middle and assessing the resistance on the way to the bone. Ideally, the flesh
next to the bone should be barely cooked (French cooks say “rose à l’arête”, meaning the flesh close
to the bone still has a slightly whitish pink color).
Halibut fillets are often thick and
lend themselves beautifully to baking. Then, you just need to prepare a
convenient sauce or accompaniment on the side to go with it. I propose a sauce
inspired from Roger Vergé’s wonderful Mediterranean recipe, which fits
California produce.
You will need:
×
2 lbs.
thick halibut fillet
×
5 to 6
bay leaves
×
2 Navel
oranges
×
2 Meyer
lemons
×
½ cup
olive oil
×
Salt and
pepper
Place the halibut over four bay
leaves in an oiled dish (one leaf under every future serving).
Oil the top and add the rest of your
bay leaves. Add a cup of water or white wine in the dish.
Bake in preheated oven for 20
minutes at 450°F.
Meanwhile, peel the oranges and
lemons with a sharp knife, so that you eliminate any trace of white skin. Then,
you can cut each section and peel it to eliminate these white skins too. Eliminate
the lemon seeds too. Do this over a plate in order to save the juice.
Pour the pieces of citrus and the
juice in a small sauce pan with about ¼ cup of olive oil (left over from the
fish baking preparation).
Heat up no more than to a lukewarm
stage, so that the citrus pieces keep their body.
Salt, pepper.
Serve the fish on a dish,
eliminating the bay leaves, and the citrus sauce in a separate bowl.
Papillotes are little packages of parchment paper filled with
fish (or poultry) and another component that will contribute a steaming effect:
wine, stock, or a vegetable preparation. These packages are closed as tightly
as possible and baked for a few minutes before being served.
The size of a papillote could be the size of the dish but making individual ones
will be much more festive, with every guest going through the process of
unwrapping his or her own and discovering the contents.
You can make papillotes with all delicately flavored fish: sable fish, halibut
or sturgeon for example. I propose two variations based on the same principle:
cooking in advance a flavorful vegetable combination which, with added herbs,
will lend its steam and aromas to the fish.
1. Sautéed green pepper and onions / chopped green garlic
and cilantro
2. Steamed green peas puréed with cream / dill
You can imagine to serve both, with
a small portion of each for every guest.
Modus operandi:
Cut the fish fillets in rectangles
corresponding to half your intended serving.
Spread flat the parchment paper
piece which will serve as the envelope.
Spread the vegetable preparation on
the paper to the size of the fish fillet piece.
Place the fish on top. Salt it.
Place the herbs on top.
Fold and seal the papillote. If you look for a pretty
result, this may prove the trickiest part. Tie your package with kitchen string
or some natural fiber.
Place your papillottes in a dish and
bake in the oven at 400°F for 25 minutes.
This is it. The fish has been
perfectly steamed in the waterproof paper. Serve and let everyone enjoy the moment.
The Eastern Atlantic hake
(Merluccius Merluccius) is commonly found in Europe, with its long cylindrical
body and a length varying between one and two feet. It lends itself to poaching
and is then eaten either hot or cold. It is sometimes available in the Bay
Area. Its Pacific cousin could probably be prepared in the same way.
Place the fish in a pot, barely
covered with cold water and herb seasonings. Poach for 10 minutes and transfer
to a separate dish where it can cool down slowly.
You can then prepare a kind of
loose, cold dressing with the following ingredients:
×
3 cups
diced tomatoes
×
1 cup
minced chives
×
2
hard-boiled eggs, diced
×
3 tbsp.
vinegar
×
10 tbsp.
olive oil
×
Salt and
pepper
×
1 tsp.
cumin powder
Serve fish pieces on individual
plates over some carrot shavings with a few tablespoons of the chutney on top.
This could be accompanied by a
simple string bean salad.
This fish made Newfoundland a
household name in Europe from the 16th century on. It lent itself to
salt conservation and drying, which made it convenient in a time of slow
transportation. The stock was overfished and almost disappeared a few years ago
and seems to be making a come-back, at least in the stores I go to. You can
find “fresh” fillets, under the name ‘True Cod’, as well as salt cod, a salted
and more or less dried version, either imported from Europe or locally
prepared.
Fresh cod can be baked, fried or
steamed. Its flesh tends to separate into flakes as it cooks, which adds to the
tasting pleasure but not to the visual appearance. Baked preparations are your
best bet if you want to keep the fillet together. Very versatile, it will go
well with various sauces or chutneys with dominant notes going from green
pepper to tomato or orange to ginger.
Cod was originally salted and dried
in order to conserve it until consumption, much before refrigeration existed.
This process creates a new ingredient, with a different, more addictive taste.
Long considered a cheap food for the poor, it has now become an expensive
delicacy all over southern Europe. The Portuguese are said to have invented 365
recipes for it.
The most common way to start any
preparation using salt cod is to:
1. cut it into manageable pieces,
2. let it stand in cold fresh water to eliminate the
surplus of salt, up to 24 hours if your piece is thick and/or dry changing the
water from time to time, and then
3. boil it for a few seconds and let it poach away from
the burner for 10 to 12 minutes.
4. dry it off and peel it if any skin remains.
Finding the perfect salt cod is a
life quest. Taste depends on cod selection, thickness of fillets, the salting
and/or drying process. The salt content varies widely from supplier to
supplier, so it pays to stick to your usual place in order to tweak the process
above to your taste and reach the same, desirable saltiness every time you
prepare it.
Portuguese immigrant families and
local amateurs would frequently visit Pedro’s small café in Versailles, where
his son Gaby maintained the tradition. Cooks changed often (they may have
doubled as girlfriends), but the main recipe was more or less the same every
day, based on the winning combination of salt cod, onion, and garlic, with
unmatched sautéed potatoes on the side.
Pour 2 to 3 tbsp. of olive oil in a
frying pan.
Start by sautéing a minced green
pepper.
Add a minced sweet onion.
Add 1 ½ lb. salt cod, cooked as
above, some diced tomato in season.
Cook for 10 minutes on medium heat.
Pepper and serve.
Salt cod separates into flakes
really easily. This may concern you but it will not change the taste. Actually,
it may help spread the salt from the cod to other ingredients.
Originating in southern France, this
recipe essentially associates salt cod, potatoes and garlic. You can invent
your own variations, taking the following recipe as a basis.
You will need :
×
1 lb.
salted cod, to be prepared and cooked as indicated above
×
1 cup olive oil
×
1 garlic clove
×
1/3 cup of milk
×
¼ lb. mashed potatoes
×
1 pinch white pepper
×
Juice of 1 lemon
Crush the garlic clove finely
Separate the cod’s flesh in thin
layers.
Put 1/3 cup of your olive oil in a
sauce pan.
Start heating it.
Add the cod and the garlic.
Start stirring energetically with a
wooden spoon or spatula.
Continue stirring until the mix
appears homogeneous.
Reduce the heat.
Add the rest of the oil, the
milk,and then the potatoes, stirring constantly.
Add the pepper. Check that no salt
is needed. (5)
Add the lemon juice.
This is a delight, served simply as
a dome on every plate with a few croutons.
I volunteer one last recipe for
salmon, originally coming from Scandinavia. The gravlax process is a salting
process using additional sugar. It should be made three days before serving as
you would with any salting or brining process. For an appetizer, you will need:
×
1 ½ lb.
salmon fillet with the skin on
×
3 tbsp.
coarse salt
×
3 tbsp.
sugar
×
1 ½ tsp
of freshly ground pepper
×
½ bunch of dill
Wash your salmon fillet in ice water
with some salt and dry with a paper towel.
Mix the salt, sugar, pepper and half
the dill in a plate.
Spread the mix on all sides.
Film wrap and put into the
refrigerator for three days, taking the water out from time to time.
When you are ready to try it out,
take it out of the refrigerator and brush off the dill and any remaining salt
or sugar.
Cut it in very thin slices like
smoked salmon and set them on a cold plate.
Spread fresh dill all over and seal
the plate with clear plastic wrap.
Let it sit for an hour before
eating.
This can be served standing alone or
on crostini.
(1)
Another
disappointment is that with only fillets, you do not have the head and bones to
make a quick fish stock. This will considerably limit your sauce endeavors.
(2)
There are many small unnecessary lies
practiced by this or that shop owner, but also the big institutional lies of
the industry: the name Chilean Sea Bass certainly sounds better than Patagonian Toothfish and has helped to make
it a vanishing species.
(3)
Removing tuna’s thick skin is pretty
straightforward. For mackerel, you want to just peel the thin outer skin,
leaving the beautiful pigmented part. For this, once you have filleted the
fish, place the fillets on a board, skin down, take hold of one of the ends and
run a long sharp knife against the skin and board at an angle of about 10°. You
can use the same knife to cut the fillet lengthwise very close to the row of
bones on both sides. The alternative is to take out all the bones with
tweezers, which will preserve the fillet’s shape.
(4) This type of recipe may really be a trick to keep
women busy in the house.
(5)
Unfortunately, it can be too salty. One
possible relief at this point would be to add more potatoes. If you end up
having too much, you can keep it in the refrigerator and use it later. It would
work as an original spread for crostini.
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