Article by Christine Budd
Poke Bowl with Seared Ahi Tuna & Spicy Sauce
Ingredients:
1 6-8 oz. ahi tuna steak, ¾” thick *sashimi-grade, see notes
2 tablespoon black sesame seeds
2 tablespoon white sesame seeds include more for garnish
2 tablespoon sesame oil
For Bowl:
Jasmine rice (cook according to package directions)
Sliced avocado
Sliced cucumber
Sliced radish
Shredded carrots
Edamame
Prepared seaweed salad
Sprouts and sesame seeds for garnish (optional)
For Spicy Sauce:
½ cup mayonnaise
1-2 tablespoon sriracha sauce
Directions:
Slice and prepare ingredients for the bowl.
Combine white and black sesame seeds.
Firmly press the ahi tuna steak into the seeds to coat.
Turn burner on medium-high heat. When pan is hot, add sesame oil and begin searing the tuna steak.
Cook for 1-2 minutes on each side. The center should remain pink (unless you prefer your fish well done). *See notes.
Let rest for 3-5 minutes, then cut into ½ inch cubes.
While tuna is resting, mix together sriracha and mayonnaise for the spicy sauce.
Arrange all ingredients in bowl. Drizzle spicy sauce over the top.
Notes:
Many people eat *sashimi-grade or *sushi-grade tuna raw. Please do your research and if you are uncomfortable with this, the fish may be cooked more thoroughly by adding additional time to the cooking process until center is no longer pink.
Flounder Cakes with Herb Yogurt Sauce
Ingredients:
1 lb frozen flounder fillet
1 whole yellow onion caramelized
2 cloves of garlic minced
3 tbsp. of thin sliced green onions
4 tbsp. mayonnaise
1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
Pinch of black pepper
1 cup of Panko bread crumbs
Herb Yogurt Sauce:
10 ounces plain Greek yogurt (2 small packs)
1 tbsp finely chopped flat leaf parsley
1 whole red chili pepper (seeded and membrane removed)
1 large shallot fine diced
2 tsp honey
Pinch of salt
Directions:
Steam the fish for 5 minutes, let cool then flake by hand. Be sure to leave bigger chunks for texture.
Mix the rest of the ingredients for the fish and carefully fold in the mayo so as to not mash the fish.
Form in to desired size and lightly roll in the bread crumbs and fry on medium high fire until golden brown.
Blackened Rockfish Tacos with Cilantro Lime Tartar Sauce
Ingredients:
Cilantro Lime Tartar Sauce:
¾ cup tartar sauce, use your favorite brand
¼ cup minced cilantro
2 tablespoons lime juice
Rockfish Tacos:
1 ½ lbs. rockfish
2 tablespoons blackening spice, see notes
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1 tablespoon butter
2 cups shredded cabbage
12 4-inch tortillas, warmed
Minced red onion, cilantro, and avocado slices, and lime wedges, for serving
Directions:
In a small bowl, mix the tartar sauce, cilantro, and lime juice.
Dry the fish with paper towels then season both sides with blackening spice.
Heat the oil and butter in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, add the fish. Let it cook undisturbed for 4 minutes then give the pan a shake so the fish releases from the pan. Flip the fish over and let it cook for 2 more minutes then take the pan off of the heat and break the fish into many smaller pieces.
While the fish is cooking, make the slaw by mixing ¼ cup of the cilantro lime tartar sauce with the shredded cabbage.
To serve the tacos, pile some slaw on a warm tortilla, top with a few pieces of blackened rockfish, any or all of the toppings, and a spoonful of the cilantro lime tartar sauce.
Notes:
If you don’t have blackening spice, cajun seasoning makes a great (and spicy!) substitute. Or taco seasoning and fajita seasoning also work well and only have a little heat.
Triggerfish with Toasted Pecan Butter
Ingredients:
8 oz. triggerfish, cut into 2 portions
2 Tbsp. milk
1 Tbsp. flour
1 Tbsp. peanut oil
2 Tbsp. butter
1/4 cup chopped pecans
Cayenne pepper, salt, pepper
Lemon
Directions:
Heat your oven to 350. Layer your chopped pecans on a baking sheet and bake for about 5 minutes. Remove and set aside.
In a shallow dish, mix together flour, a dash of cayenne, a dash of salt, and a dash of pepper.
In another shallow dish, add milk. Dip fish fillet in the milk and then dredge in flour mixture.
Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add fish and saute 4-5 minutes on each side until cooked through.
While fish is cooking, melt butter in a small skillet. Add pecans and a pinch of salt and a pinch of cayenne. Stir and pour over fillets. It’s a super easy and delicious meal in under 30 minutes!
Note:
Just a reminder that the skin on triggerfish can be pretty tough, so I score it before cooking to keep the fish from curling too much.
Crispy Rice with Spicy Shrimp Salad
Ingredients:
For the Crispy Rice:
1½ cups short grain sushi rice
2 teaspoons mirin
1 cup Vegetable oil
For the Spicy Shrimp Salad:
¾ pound large (21-30 ct. ) shrimp, peeled, deveined and tails removed
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
¼ cup diced green onions
¼ cup panko breadcrumbs
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons sriracha
1 tablespoon diced jalapeño
1 teaspoon soy sauce
For Serving:
1 medium avocado, pitted, peeled and sliced
1 small jalapeño, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons eel sauce, optional
Soy sauce, as needed
Directions:
Place the rice in a fine mesh strainer and rinse until the water that runs out of the bottom is clear. This gets some of the starch out of the rice. In a medium saucepan, combine the rice and 2 cups (400g) of water.
Cover and cook on low heat for 20 minutes. Remove from the heat, sprinkle with mirin and fluff the rice with a fork and let cool.
Line a loaf pan with plastic wrap, then spread the sushi rice evenly, pressing it down so that it is tightly packed. Transfer to the refrigerator for at least an hour.
Lift the plastic wrap from the pan, then use a knife to cut it into 8 even squares.
Heat the vegetable oil in a skillet to 375°F (190ºC). Fry only a few squares of rice at a time in the pan. Cook, rotating so that the rice is golden brown on all sides, about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the pan to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
Cut each square of crispy rice in half.
For the Spicy Shrimp Salad:
Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat, add the oil and heat through. Add the shrimp to the pan, cooking until pink and no longer translucent, about 1 minute. Flip and continue to cook until just cooked through. Remove to a cutting board and allow to cool.
Finely chop the shrimp, then add to a bowl with the green onions, breadcrumbs, mayonnaise, sriracha, jalapeño and soy sauce. Stir to combine and set aside.
For Serving:
Top each piece of crispy rice with a slice of avocado and a scoop of the shrimp salad. Drizzle with the eel sauce and top with a slice of jalapeño. Serve immediately with soy sauce for dipping.
Pan Seared Tilefish with Wild Mushrooms & Asparagus
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 tbsp olive oil
5 tbsp 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 fillet on top. Garnish with the remaining chives and serve at once. §
