Issues > July/August 2002 (#91) > Cool, quick, summer-fresh seafood

Cool, quick, summer-fresh seafood

In winter, it is wonderful to make a hearty meat stew that simmers slowly on the stove for hours. The warmth and aroma emanating from the kitchen help banish the cold and discomfort outside. But when it's 90 in the shade all that added warmth is a lot less appealing. One way to keep your kitchen cool is to serve seafood.

Fish is perfectly suited to shorter cooking times because of it protein structure. Meat contains a lot of collagen, a protein that requires long, slow cooking to become tender. Fish has a much lower collagen content and therefore cooks more rapidly. Keep your kitchen cool tonight by trying one of the delicious recipes that Michael Otsuka has provided below. His recipes illustrate how quick and easy it is to cook fish at home.

Before you get started, understanding some "fish basics" may prove useful. We all know that fruits and vegetables are seasonal, but are you aware that fish are seasonal as well? When you go to the store, you may not be able to buy the specific fish that your recipe calls for. Luckily substituting one fish for another is easy once you understand the similarities (and differences) between different kinds of fish. There are two major groups of fish - lean and fatty.

The lean fish (Halibut, Pike, Sole, Flounder, Cod, etc) are white fleshed and have a delicate flavor and texture. This delicacy is enhanced by gentle cooking, light sauces and herbs. If your recipe calls for one of the fish in this category, you can easily substitute another lean fish and the recipe will turn out beautifully.

Salmon, Mackerel, Trout, Tuna and Herring are examples of fish classified as fatty. Don't be alarmed by the term fatty - fish in this category are not high in fat compared to other meats and the type of fat that they contain (omega-3-fatty acids) is considered beneficial. These fish have a stronger flavor and more firm texture and are wonderful when grilled and pan-seared. The flavors of the fatty fishes are more unique and it is slightly more difficult to swap one for another. However, if a recipe calls for Salmon you can also use Char, if you want to cook Sardines but can't locate them, try Trout. Herring and Bluefish substitute well for one another and Mahi-mahi works well in place of Shark or Swordfish.

Pregnant women should keep in mind that certain large predatory fish contain high concentrations of lead and mercury. If you are pregnant, avoid Shark, Swordfish, King Mackerel and Tile Fish and limit your consumption of Tuna. Over-fishing of certain species is also a growing problem. See The Green Guide's "Which Fish" and "Yes Fish, No Fish" (Special Relaunch Issue) for information about fish contamination and to help you avoid contributing to the depletion of a species. Two other sites that I find helpful are www.environmentaldefense.org/home.cfm and www.audubon.org/campaign/lo/seafood/pacificwhalebg.html.

Purchasing

Know your fishmonger. It is important that you buy fish from a reputable source. Look for a store that is busy and has many customers. This will help insure that the fish is fresh. Smell the store. Pay attention to how it looks. If it smells like the ocean and not rotted fish, if the counters and floors are clean and if the store is busy - you can feel comfortable purchasing you fish there.

Storing

Fish is highly perishable and so should be used within 1 to 2 days of purchase. Follow these simple steps to maintain its quality:

1. When you bring seafood home from the store, remove it from its packaging and rinse it under COLD water and pat it dry with paper towels. (This step removes any bacteria that may be on the fish.)

2. Wrap the fish in plastic wrap, place it in a colander and put ice on top of it. (The temperature of your refrigerator is not cold enough to stop the enzymes in the fish from continuing to break down the protein, so you must try to keep it as cold as possible.)

3. Place the colander in a bowl and set it in the back of the refrigerator on the bottom shelf. (This is the coldest spot in the refrigerator. Placing it on the bottom shelf also helps to keep any water from spilling onto other foods.)

Cooking

The most important aspect of cooking fish is remembering that it cooks quickly. One reason that fish tastes so delicious in a restaurant is that it is perfectly cooked. You can accomplish this by setting up your "misé en place" before you start cooking. Misé en place is a French term which refers to having all the ingredients of a dish prepared and ready to go before you actually start cooking. When you see a Chef on a cooking show with all her ingredients pre-measured out into cups, you are seeing her misé en place.

Misé en place does not just refer to the ingredients in a specific dish. Think about the whole meal as a dish and all of its components as the misé en place. On Thanksgiving morning, the turkey goes into the oven first thing, then you set about preparing all the side dishes. When cooking fish, get all the other dishes ready first, and then just at the last minute, cook the fish and serve it immediately. Meat benefits from resting for a few minutes before it is served. Fish does not.

Michael Otsuka and Diane Forley are the Chef/Owners of Verbena Restaurant and Courtyard Garden in New York City.

Grilled Trout with an Argentinean Vegetable Compote

Serves 4

Ingredients

4 trout

1 lemon, juiced

1 cup olive oil

2 red bell peppers

1 large red onion

1 fennel bulb

6 garlic cloves

1 zucchini

1 Japanese eggplant

1/2 bunch fresh parsley, coarsely chopped

1/2 bunch fresh oregano, coarsely chopped

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

2 bunches watercress, cleaned and broken into small pieces

salt

freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. Place the garlic in a small tin foil pouch and bake in a 3500 oven for 35 minutes until the garlic is soft and fragrant.

2. Heat the grill.

3. Marinate the fish with the lemon juice and olive oil and place in the refrigerator.

4. Cut all the vegetables into thick slices for grilling. Lay them on a cookie sheet, brush generously with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

5. Grill the vegetables, dice them and place them in a bowl along with the garlic. Toss in the herbs and vinegar and mix well. Season to taste with salt and pepper. This compote will keep for a few days in the refrigerator, and will even get better as the flavors marry.

6. Season the fish with salt and pepper and grill.

7. While the fish cooks set up the dinner plates with a bed of watercress on each and top with the compote. Once the fish is cooked, put one serving on each plate and enjoy.

Poached Cod with Tarragon Couscous Garnished with Scallion Coulis

Serves 4

Scallion Coulis

Ingredients

1 bunch scallions

1/2 cup grape seed oil

1 tablespoon capers

1 lemon, zested and juiced

Method

1. Brush the scallions with oil, season with salt and pepper and grill. Char scallions until slightly blackened and wilted. Alternately you can heat a sauté pan until very hot and give the scallions a hard sear until colored then turn down the heat and cook until wilted.

2. Lightly chop the scallions and then puree them in a blender with the grape seed oil, capers, zest and juice. Blend until finely pureed. Dilute with water to a consistency like molasses. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Poached Cod

Ingredients

4 7 oz. cod filets

1 lemon, cut into thin slices

2 tablespoons pickling spice (prepackaged spice mixes are sold in most supermarkets)

3 quarts water

2 tablespoons salt

Method

1. Season cod fillets with salt and pepper and place them in a lightly oiled baking dish and place in the refrigerator.

2. Combine salt, water, lemon slices and pickling spice in a large pot. (If you have parsley stems left over, add those in too.) Bring to a boil and cook for 15 minutes.

3. Remove cod from the refrigerator and strain hot broth over the filets. Place dish on a very low flame on the stovetop. Do not allow it to boil. Check fish after four minutes by touching the fish. If it is firm to the touch, it is ready. Remove filets with a slotted spatula and refrigerate, skin side up on a platter covered with plastic wrap. Before serving, brush with extra virgin olive oil.

4. Reserve 2 cups of poaching liquid for the couscous.

Tarragon Couscous

Ingredients

1-1/2 cups instant couscous

1-1/2 cups trout poaching liquid

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves

1/8 cup chopped fresh tarragon

1 cup peeled and diced Kirby cucumbers

1 bunch red radishes, washed and sliced into thin wedges

1/4 cup grape seed oil

Method

1. In a blender, place the tarragon, half the chopped parsley, the grape seed oil, _ cup poaching liquid and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Process until very finely pureed.

2. Pour over couscous in a large bowl and toss well to coat.

3. Heat the remaining liquid to a boil and pour over couscous. Cover with plastic wrap and leave to plump for 20 minutes. Remove plastic wrap and fluff couscous. Chill until cold. Toss with radishes, cucumbers, sliced scallion bulb, and remaining parsley. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

To Finish Dish And Serve

On individual dinner plates make a mound of couscous and place a poached filet over each. Garnish with the scallion coulis and serve.

Spicy Day Boat Scallops with Endive and Scallion Crème Fraîche

Serves 4 - as an appetizer or 2 as an entree

Ingredients

1 onion, sliced into thin rings

1/4 cup cornstarch

vegetable oil for deep frying

6 scallions, roughly chopped

1/2 cup crème fraîche (or sour cream)

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

1 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots

1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives

3 pieces Belgium endive

2 bunches frisée, picked and washed

1/4 cup picked parsley leaves

1 green apple, peeled, cored and sliced into thin strips

8 large scallops or 2 cups bay scallops

3 tablespoons Korean chili flakes

Method

1. Toss the onion rings with corn starch and deep fry until they are crispy. Drain on paper towels, season with salt and pepper and set aside. (These are a garnish for the finished dish.)

2. Place the scallion in a blender with 1 Tbsp of the crème fraîche and puree until smooth. Add the remaining crème fraîche and a drop of lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside. (This sauce can be made in a day in advance and held in the refrigerator.)

3. Place the lemon juice, shallots and chives in a small bowl and whisk in the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

4. To assemble the salad: slice the endive on a diagonal and place in a bowl, add the frisée, and parsley leaves and toss with some of the vinaigrette. (Hold the salad in the refrigerator until the scallops are cooked.)

5. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet. Add the scallops and sear on top and bottom till medium rare. Remove from the pan and roll the sides lightly in the chili flake.

6. Place a bit of the salad on each plate, and then place the scallops on top of the salad. Sprinkle with the sliced apples and crispy onions. Drizzle with the crème fraîche and serve.