Article by Christine Budd
Buttery Tilefish
Ingredients:
1 tilefish fillet
2 tablespoon butter
1 clove garlic
1/3 cup chopped green onions
1/2 lemon
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
Season fish with salt and pepper. Melt butter in the pan.
Add tilefish fillet and chopped green onions to the pan and sear over medium heat for about 2-3 minutes.
Flip the fillet and add chopped garlic and lemon juice to the butter.
Scoop some butter on to the fish while cooking (tip the pan if needed).
If fillets are very thick, cover the pan with the lid for 1 minute.
Notes:
Do not add garlic early, because it will burn. Add with lemon juice after you flip the fish. Make sure there are no bones and no scales left in fillets.
Cook on medium heat.
Add lemon zest too if you like lemony flavor.
Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days, covered. Reheat in the microwave or in the oven.
Skate with Capers & Brown Butter
Ingredients:
4 pieces skate wing, not filleted (about 2 1/2 pounds in all)
4 1/2 cups water, or more if needed
1/2 cup plus 1 1/2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 3/4 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon peppercorns
2 bay leaves
1/4 pound unsalted butter
1/3 cup capers
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/8 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
Directions:
Put the skate in a large deep frying pan in one layer. Pour the water and the 1/2 cup vinegar over the fish. Add the thyme, 1 teaspoon of the salt, the peppercorns, bay leaves, and more water if needed to cover. Bring to a simmer and cook, partially covered, at a gentle simmer for 3 minutes. Raise the heat and bring to a rolling boil. Remove from the heat and let sit until the fish is just done, about 5 minutes. Carefully remove the fish and drain on paper towels.
Meanwhile, in a medium stainless steel saucepan, melt the butter over moderate heat. Cook until the butter turns a medium brown, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and carefully stir in the remaining1 1/2 tablespoons vinegar, the capers, the parsley, the remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt, and the ground pepper. Serve the fish topped with the sauce.
Easy Clam Chowder
Ingredients:
4 slices bacon, diced
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, diced
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
1 cup vegetable stock
2 (6.5-ounce) cans chopped clams, juices reserved
1 bay leaf
2 russet potatoes, peeled and diced
1 cup half and half*
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
Directions:
Heat a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add bacon and cook until brown and crispy, about 6-8 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate, reserving 1 tablespoon excess fat in the stockpot.
Melt butter in the stockpot. Add garlic and onion, and cook, stirring frequently, until onions have become translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in thyme until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Whisk in flour until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk, vegetable stock, clam juice and bay leaf, and cook, whisking constantly, until slightly thickened, about 1-2 minutes. Stir in potatoes.
Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 12-15 minutes.*
Stir in half and half and clams until heated through, about 1-2 minutes; season with salt and pepper, to taste. If the soup is too thick, add more half and half as needed until desired consistency is reached.
Serve immediately, garnished with bacon and parsley, if desired.
Notes:
*Half and half is equal parts of whole milk and cream. For 1 cup half and half, you can substitute 3/4 cup whole milk + 1/4 cup heavy cream or 2/3 cup skim or low-fat milk + 1/3 cup heavy cream.
*Cooking time may need to be adjusted depending on the thickness of the potatoes.
Grilled Mahi with Grilled Avocado Peach Salsa
Ingredients:
The salsa:
1 ½ avocados
1 large peach slightly under ripe
Olive oil spray
Juice of 1 small lime divided
1 tablespoon minced jalapeno pepper
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon minced cilantro
The fish:
4 (6 oz. each) mahi fillets
Olive oil spray
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried thyme
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon olive oil
Directions:
The salsa:
Preheat the grill to medium heat. Lightly oil the grates.
Cut each avocado half into 6 slices and cut the peach into 8 slices. Arrange on a cutting board or baking sheet. Lightly coat both sides of the avocado and peach slices with olive oil cooking spray and drizzle a little of the lime juice over the avocado.
Place the avocado and peach slices on the grill. Cook just until grill marks appear, about 2 minutes per side. Remove from the grill.
Once the fruit is cool enough to handle, roughly chop and transfer to a bowl. Gently mix with the remaining lime juice, jalapeno pepper, salt and cilantro.
The fish:
Turn the grill to high heat. Lightly oil the grates.
Place the fillets on a baking sheet or cutting board. Lightly spray both sides with olive oil spray.
In a bowl, stir together the paprika, chili powder, cumin, thyme, salt, garlic powder and olive oil until a paste forms.
Rub the spice paste all over the mahi fillets.
Place the fillets on the oiled grill. Cook for 2 minutes, then flip and cook until the fish is just cooked through, 1 to 2 more minutes.
Crab Stuffed Flounder
Ingredients:
16 ounces crab meat lump or jumbo lump
24 ounces flounder fillets
2 Tablespoons melted butter
Imperial Sauce:
½ cup mayonnaise
1 large egg lightly whipped
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tsp Italian parsley finely chopped
1 teaspoon old bay seasoning
Sprinkle Old Bay seasoning on top of the flounder before baking.
Directions:
In a small bowl mix all the ingredients for the imperial sauce together until well blended.
Gently blend the sauce into the crab meat, don’t add it all in just in case you don’t need quite that much sauce.
Place a small piece of flounder in the bottom of your baking dish, and place some crab imperial mixture on top of each fillet.
Place a piece of flounder on each side of the stuffing, leaving the top visible. It will look great as it browns, and you want your guests to see all of that lovely crab meat!
Place a little water in the pan with your stuffed flounder to help keep them moist, and if you’re feeling really decadent, top the stuffed flounder with a little melted butter (that’s how we would have done it in the restaurant) and a sprinkle of old bay or paprika. It’s definitely worth the extra effort!
Place the baking dish in a 350 degree preheated oven for 20-25 minutes. It’s important not to let the flounder dry out, but you do want your crab imperial to be hot enough (if you have a food thermometer check its internal temperature to make sure its at least 165 degrees).
Serve with your favorite side dish and sit back and enjoy!
Cobia Ceviche
Ingredients:
1 lb. Fresh white fish
5 limes
2 lemons
1 grapefuit
1 jalapeno
1 mango
1 avocado
1/2 red onion
1 large cucumber
2 plum tomatoes
Salt to taste
1/2 Tablespoon sesame oil
1/2 Tablespoon honey
Tabasco to taste
1/2 tsp. red wine vinegar
Dash of worcestershire sauce
Cilantro
Directions:
Cut the fish into small pieces, roughly 1/2”. Dice the red onion into slightly smaller pieces than the fish. Placew the fish and onion in a shallow glass baking dish. Squeeze 4 limes, the lemons and half the grapefruit on top. Be sure it covers the fish. Place in fridge for 2 hours or until the fish is not translucent in the middle.
Chop the tomato, cucumber and mango into the same size pieces as the onion and add. Place in fridge for another 15 minutes.
Take ceviche out and carefully drain the liquid. Pat dry with a clean paper towel. Add the juice of 1 lime, honey, sesame oil, vinegar, tabasco, worcestershire sauce and a splash of grapefruit juice. Add salt to taste, garnish with fresh cilantro and stir. When you are ready to serve, add the avocado. If you add the avocado too early it will become mushy.
Serve with crackers, tortilla chips or just in a bowl with a spoon! §
