Article by Christine Budd
Panko Crusted Rockfish
Ingredients:
Seasoning For Fish:
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon dried parsley
1/8 teaspoon salt and pepper (¼ teaspoon each)
1/8 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/8 teaspoon paprika
Remainder of Ingredients:
2 rockfish fillets (approx. 4-5 ounces each)
1 cup Panko bread crumbs (must use panko crumbs for crunchiest crust!)
1½ Tablespoons olive oil (or oil of your choice)
Directions:
In a small bowl, combine the garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, italian seasoning, paprika and dried parsley. Pat the rockfish fillets dry, using paper towels. Sprinkle one side of the fish with the seasoning mix, dividing it equally between both pieces of fish.
Place panko crumbs onto a dinner sized plate and spread them out. Place fish, one fillet at a time, onto the panko crumbs. Press down, to cover the bottom with the crumbs. Turn the fillet over and coat the other side with crumbs, as well. Pat them into the fish with your hands to make the crumbs adhere to the surface as much as possible. Set fish aside and repeat with other fillet.
Heat oil in a large skillet on medium heat until very hot, but not smoking. Carefully place fish into the hot oil seasoned side down. You should hear it sizzle when it goes into the skillet. Do not move the fish after it hits the skillet. Cook for approximately 4 minutes, until you see the outside bottom edges of the rockfish browning. Once well browned and crusty, carefully turn each fillet to the other side, using a spatula. Cook the second side for about 4 minutes, until fish is cooked through and flakes easily. Transfer the fish to serving plate once done, and enjoy!
Blackened Fish Tacos with Avocado Lime Sauce
Ingredients:
Avocado Lime Sauce:
½ cup sour cream
¼ cup water
1 avocado, medium-sized and ripe
¼ cup cilantro leaves, loosely packed
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
½ teaspoon lime zest, about 1 lime
½ teaspoon minced serrano pepper, seeded
Fish Tacos:
1 ½ teaspoons smoked paprika
1 ½ teaspoons dark brown sugar
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¾ teaspoon cumin
¼ teaspoon chili powder
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 ½ pounds mahi fillets, cut lengthwise into smaller pieces if needed
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
8 corn tortillas, 6-inch
8 lime wedges
1 cup tomatoes, diced
1 cup red cabbage, sliced thin
1 cup green cabbage, sliced thin
Cilantro for garnish
Directions:
Add sour cream, water, avocado, cilantro, lime juice, lime zest and serrano pepper into a blender.
Process until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed. Add more water as needed to achieve desired consistency. Transfer to a small bowl and refrigerate.
Combine paprika, brown sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, cumin, chili pepper and black pepper in a small bowl.
Sprinkle seasoning evenly over both sides of the fish fillets.
Heat oil in a large cast-iron skillet or sauté pan over medium-high heat.
Add fish to pan then cook 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until the desired degree of doneness. The surface will blacken in color quickly so keep a close eye on the fish.
Warm tortillas according to package directions.
Divide fish evenly among tortillas.
Serve with lime wedges, tomatoes, cabbage and cilantro.
Everything Bagel Crusted Ahi Tuna
Ingredients:
2 ahi tuna steaks
1 tbs. toasted sesame oil
Juice of 1/2 lime
2 tbs. soy sauce
4 tbs. everything bagel seasoning
1 tbs. neutral oil
Zest of 1 lime
Lime wedges for garnish
Ponzu sauce for garnish
Directions:
Pat tuna steaks dry with a paper towel.
In a small mixing bowl, combine the sesame oil, lime juice, and soy sauce, stir together to combine.
Pour over the tuna steaks and let marinate for at least 10 minutes.
Heat a grill to high heat and place a cast iron pan on top.
Pat the tuna steaks dry again and sprinkle the everything bagel seasoning on top, covering the entire surface and gently pressing into the steak to make sure it stays, flip and repeat on the other side, making sure all surfaces are coated.
Add the oil to the hot cast iron pan, then immediately place the tuna steaks inside the pan.
Sear for 2-3 minutes on each side.
Remove from the heat and rest for 5 minutes. Slice into 1/4 inch slices and serve with lime zest, lime wedges and a drizzle of ponzu sauce. Enjoy!
Blackened Sheepshead with Basil-Lime Cream Sauce
Ingredients:
Olive oil
4 6-ounce Sheepshead fillets
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
1 teaspoon dried basil
Salt and pepper to taste
1 jalapeno pepper sliced into rings
Lime slices for serving
Avocado slices for serving if desired
For the cream sauce:
½ cup crema or sour cream
Juice from half a lime
Zest from half a lime + more as needed
1-1/2 tablespoons finely chopped basil
Directions:
Heat olive oil in a large pan to medium-high heat.
Season the fillets with the cayenne, paprika, garlic, basil and salt and pepper.
Sear the tops of the fish in the hot pan for about 2 minutes, then flip and sear another 2 minutes. Add a splash of water and cover. Cook another few minutes, or until the fish is cooked through and moist within. Do not overcook or it can become dry.
While the fish is cooking, add the jalapeno slices to a hot pan with a splash of olive oil and crisp them up. It should take a couple minutes per side. Remove from heat.
Make your cream sauce by whisking together the sour cream, lime juice, lime zest and basil.
Drizzle the basil-lime cream over the whitefish and serve with crispy jalapeno slices, slices of lime and a bit more lime zest over the top.
I like to serve mine with a few slices of avocado on the side.
Grilled Swordfish in Lemon Caper Cream Sauce
Ingredients:
8 tbs. extra virgin olive oil
4 Swordfish Steaks, cut 1” thick
4 tbs. soy sauce
Few sprigs of fresh thyme
1 cup Italian-seasoned bread crumbs
1 cup Italian-seasoned panko crumbs
Garnish with Fresh-cut sprigs of Italian parsley
Garnish with Sliced lemons
Creamy Lemon Caper Sauce:
8 tbs. Olive Oil
½ stick of high quality butter
½ cup of heavy cream
Juice of 1 medium-sized lemons
Zest of 1 small lemon
1-½ cups minced fresh-cut Italian parsley
4 cloves of fresh garlic, finely chopped
4 Tablespoons fresh-cut oregano, finely chopped
½ small jar of capers (if salted, rinse thoroughly)
Directions:
Drizzle each swordfish steak with olive oil and spread the oil evenly over each steak on all sides. (I also drizzled some soy sauce on top and spread some minced garlic and thyme over it all)
Using a shallow mid-size bowl, pour in the Italian seasoned bread crumbs and panko crumbs.
Place each oiled swordfish steak onto the bread crumbs and panko crumbs and then turn over, making sure that the steak is covered on all sides.
Get the grill heated!
Prepare the sauce:
While grill is warming up, heat all of the sauce ingredients in a saucepan.
Place on a very low simmer to keep the sauce warm while grilling the swordfish steaks.
Grill the steaks on a medium-low heat for 2 minutes on each side until the bread crumb coating is a nice gold-brown color.
The thicker the steak, the longer the time necessary to cook through, keeping in mind that the steaks should not be cooked to the point of being dry, but rather they should be moist and tender inside.
Pour a little bit (about a tablespoon) of the creamy lemon caper sauce on top of each steak.
Garnish with sprigs of fresh-cut Italian parsley and slices of lemons.
Pass the remainder of the sauce around to guests.
Pan Seared Tilefish with Wild Mushrooms, Asparagus & Onions
Ingredients:
2 6 oz. fresh tilefish fillets, scaled with skin on
4 small new potatoes, boiled and cut in half
1/2 lb. asparagus, trimmed and sliced diagonally into 2-inch pieces
1 cup shiitake mushrooms, cleaned and thinly sliced
1 cup cremini mushrooms, cleaned and thinly sliced
2 small yellow onions, peeled and julienned
3 tbs. olive oil
5 tbs. butter
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 bunch chives, chopped
Directions:
Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook for one minute, stirring constantly. Stir in one tablespoon of butter, reduce the heat to low and cook until the mushrooms are lightly browned and the pan is dry, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, transfer to a medium saucepan and set on low heat to keep warm.
Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in the skillet. Add the onions and cook over medium-low heat, stirring a few times until lightly browned for about 8 minutes. Season lightly with salt and pepper then add to the mushrooms. In the same skillet, quickly sauté the asparagus spears over high heat for two minutes. Then add to the mushrooms with the new potatoes together with the chicken stock. Simmer for 3-5 minutes, or until the vegetables are warmed through, seasoning with salt and pepper.
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in the skillet over medium-high heat. Season the tilefish fillets with salt and pepper and sear, skin side down, until the skin is browned and crisp, about 3 minutes. Turn the fillets over, and cook another minute until the fish is just cooked through.
Stir in half of the chopped chives into the vegetables and stir to combine. To serve, divide the vegetable mixture among 2 pre-warmed plates and set a tilefish fillet on top. Garnish with the remaining chives and serve at once.
