Seafood Noob

[SeafoodSuzy]

Question for Suzy...where do the golden trout that you have frequently, come from?  I assume they are farmed?

I am afraid you have put me off cod for good! As you said, YUCK!!!!

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Sorry Ted! We would not sell you a wormy cod, we would trash it. And the frozen cod from Iceland is great. Only the fresh, I've had problems with. Yup, the golden trout are farm-raised. The tag on the box proudly proclaims "Product of the U.S." but does not tell me the exact state. I'm sure I could do a little digging and find out!

Edited January 24, 2008 by SeafoodSuzy (log)

[Chufi]

My "go to" for salmon is to warm some apricot jam and mix in about half as much mustard...this usually happens in a coffee cup in the microwave

Salt and pepper the salmon and thickly spread with apricot mix

bake or broil...10 min per inch

tracey

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just when you think you've read it all, something like this comes along.

Am going to try this soon! I can taste it just thinking about it!

I love eGullet!

Edited January 24, 2008 by Chufi (log)

[ghostrider]

Suzy- this is good for 2 fillets, 6 - 8 oz. each:

For a simple, yet delicious fish fillet of virtually any kind, heat up a good 10" - 12" sautee pan over medium heat, add equal parts olive oil and butter, say 2TBS of each.

While the pan is heating, put about 1/4 - 1/2 cup of flour on a piece of parchment, or wax paper, or a plate, for that matter.  Add a good pinch of kosher salt, a few  grinds of pepper, maybe a pinch of paprika and mix it up.

WARNING! - this part sounds goofy: taste a small pinch of the flour.  Adjust seasonings. If the flour is bland, most likely the fish will be.

Dry the fish on paper towel if necessary.  Coat both sides of the fish lightly in the seasoned flour, gently shake off excess.

Lay fillets into pan, they should make a good sizzle sound. Cook for about 4 -5 minutes on the first side, it should be a LIGHT golden brown. Flip and cook for another 3 - 4 minutes.

Remove fillets to warmed plates.  Squeeze a lemon into the pan and swirl it around.

Spoon the sauce over your fish, maybe add some parsley, and voila!  You have a simple, delicious dish. The French call this "meuniere" - in the style of the miller's wife.

As you experiment with this concept, you can add additional seasonings to the flour for more fun and enjoyment!

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This is basically my approach for any sort of light white fish filets (flounder, sole, turbot, etc.). The differences:

I use peanut oil for the neutral flavor & high smoke point.

No salt (low-sodium diet, fish inherently salty enough for my taste).

I use FRESH bread crumbs purchased at a local Italian deli - you'll notice the difference between them & the packaged supermarket variety immediately once you try them.

I often sprinkle herbs (thyme &/or marjoram &/or sage etc., fresh or dried depending on what I have) over the fish as it cooks.

I just bought a dedicated fish spatula after all these years. What a difference!

[Mr. Delicious]

I had been craving good fish for so long, last night I had some sea bass quick marinated in oj, pineapple juice, soy, gralic, ginger, dried asian chilis, sriracha. i removed fish from marinade and steamed using the marinade, then reduced it to a sauce, it was quited good. I really hadnt cooked anyfish since my spring trout fishing. I also poached salmon in olive oil, after having such in a spanish restaurant in Minneapolis. The oil first cooked down some fennel, garlic, thyme and peppercorns, it was good but should have been served more towards midrare. I hate living in the center of the US, at least technology allows us good fish but not without paying the price, no wonder I hadnt cooked fish lately.

[Alex]

My "go to" for salmon is to warm some apricot jam and mix in about half as much mustard...this usually happens in a coffee cup in the microwave

Salt and pepper the salmon and thickly spread with apricot mix

bake or broil...10 min per inch

tracey

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I do a very similar preparation using orange marmalade, about 1/4 as much Maille Dijon mustard, and a dash of soy sauce. Good stuff!

[SeafoodSuzy]

Yay!! Back to resurrect my thread from the spooky clutches of Page 4! I had a wonderful time trying out some interesting fishies in the past few weeks. It has been absolutely awesome. On to the food! We had some beautiful Tigerfish last week, that had a gorgeous spotted skin. It's flesh reminded me of a firm catfish's. Soo... I bought one piece that weighed about a half a pound, and I cut it in half and removed the skin. I used steverino's "miller's wife" recipe for one piece(Guess who found Meyer lemons! ) and it was really awesome. It had a nice flavor, not strong at all. I used a little smoked paprika in the flour. Now, I googled and Yahoo-ed recipes for Tigerfish (also called Pintado) and came up with Nada. And I can't let it go to waste! So i froze it It did come in fresh, but I hate to freeze fish. Right now, we have some fresh Rainbow Trout from Idaho (finally found the state, Ted!), and in trying to sell three cases of it by the sell-by date, it has been marked down to $2.99plb. Should I get some? Is it tasty? Please report on any experience with these lovely creatures. Thanks in advance!

[Sony]

Trout is an oily fish, but to me, milder in taste than salmon, mackarel or bluefish. It's kind of like a "starter" oily fish, if that makes any sense.

The other day, I made it with a friend and he said it was some of the best fish he ever had. I think it had to do with the freshness of the original product, but the prep we did (for skin-on fillets) was:

Stir 3 parts grainy dijon mustard to scant 1 part honey. Add light amount of salt and pepper and a few dashes of Louisiana-style hot sauce.

Smear this mixture on the fish, but especially on the flesh of the fish. Allow to marinade briefly (10-15 minutes).

Heat a small amount of olive oil in a nonstick pan on high-ish medium heat till the oil starts to shimmer and it just begins to wisp smoke.

Add fish to the pan, flesh side down. Allow to cook for about 2 minutes, till lightly brown.

Carefully flip the fish and allow to cook through skin side down (about 5-6 minutes longer- depends on thickness of fillet). This allows the skin to crisp up (if you're into that sort of thing).

Remove fish when it has just cooked through. Squirt on lemon juice, grate on some lemon zest and sprinkle with a little Cajun seasoning (which usually has salt, hence the light salting early on) and some fresh chopped parsley.

I bet that trout would also work well in this recipe for bluefish (which is one of my favorite recipes period). Basically the same as Marcella Hazan's original recipe:

http://beyondsalmon.blogspot.com/2005/10/b...y-potatoes.html

Trout for $2.99?! Is it whole, fillets......?

[jsmeeker]

Suzy- this is good for 2 fillets, 6 - 8 oz. each:

For a simple, yet delicious fish fillet of virtually any kind, heat up a good 10" - 12" sautee pan over medium heat, add equal parts olive oil and butter, say 2TBS of each.

While the pan is heating, put about 1/4 - 1/2 cup of flour on a piece of parchment, or wax paper, or a plate, for that matter.  Add a good pinch of kosher salt, a few  grinds of pepper, maybe a pinch of paprika and mix it up.

WARNING! - this part sounds goofy: taste a small pinch of the flour.  Adjust seasonings. If the flour is bland, most likely the fish will be.

Dry the fish on paper towel if necessary.  Coat both sides of the fish lightly in the seasoned flour, gently shake off excess.

Lay fillets into pan, they should make a good sizzle sound. Cook for about 4 -5 minutes on the first side, it should be a LIGHT golden brown. Flip and cook for another 3 - 4 minutes.

Remove fillets to warmed plates.  Squeeze a lemon into the pan and swirl it around.

Spoon the sauce over your fish, maybe add some parsley, and voila!  You have a simple, delicious dish. The French call this "meuniere" - in the style of the miller's wife.

As you experiment with this concept, you can add additional seasonings to the flour for more fun and enjoyment!

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this is my standard, "go-to" method for any fairly thin filet of fish. Trout, sole, etc..

Shellfishfiend gives a good variation that I also sometimes use. Wine instead of lemon. Or, maybe I'll use wine to deglaze, a knob of butter, then off heat, a sqeeze of lemon. Then on the fish. Sometimes with pasrsley, sometimes without. I'm not a huge caper fan, but I keep some on hand and will sometimes use them. Oh, and I really like a little cayenne pepper on the fish before giving it the light dredge/coat in flour. Just shake a small amount onto the flesh of the fish.

it's quick, easy, and tasty. Classic preperations stay with us for good reason.

[markk]

I cook a lot of fish, and basically once you're familiar with the rule of not overcooking it, and once you get a handle on what can be grilled (tuna, swordfish, etc.), and what fish take better to baking or broiling (flaky white fish) - as a general rule - it's basically a matter of using your imagination for flavor combinations.

My fish photos may hopefully give you some ideas. Aside from learning pretty quickly what fish take to what methods, you also develop a sense of how strongly the fish itself is flavored, and you get a sense of what goes with what.

But fish is pretty easy to come to terms with. Hope this helps.

[SeafoodSuzy]

Trout is an oily fish, but to me, milder in taste than salmon, mackarel or bluefish. It's kind of like a "starter" oily fish, if that makes any sense.

The other day, I made it with a friend and he said it was some of the best fish he ever had. I think it had to do with the freshness of the original product, but the prep we did (for skin-on fillets) was:

Stir 3 parts grainy dijon mustard to scant 1 part honey. Add light amount of salt and pepper and a few dashes of Louisiana-style hot sauce.

Smear this mixture on the fish, but especially on the flesh of the fish. Allow to marinade briefly (10-15 minutes).

Heat a small amount of olive oil in a nonstick pan on high-ish medium heat till the oil starts to shimmer and it just begins to wisp smoke.

Add fish to the pan, flesh side down. Allow to cook for about 2 minutes, till lightly brown.

Carefully flip the fish and allow to cook through skin side down (about 5-6 minutes longer- depends on thickness of fillet). This allows the skin to crisp up (if you're into that sort of thing).

Remove fish when it has just cooked through. Squirt on lemon juice, grate on some lemon zest and sprinkle with a little Cajun seasoning (which usually has salt, hence the light salting early on) and some fresh chopped parsley.

I bet that trout would also work well in this recipe for bluefish (which is one of my favorite recipes period). Basically the same as Marcella Hazan's original recipe:

http://beyondsalmon.blogspot.com/2005/10/b...y-potatoes.html

Trout for $2.99?! Is it whole, fillets......?

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It is whole rainbow trout, heads and tails still remain. Good for stock? Too oily? Should I buy a few and freeze them? can they be cooked whole?

[chefjustinbasta]

Quick Recipe for salmon of the Asain type flavor.

Using a very hot pan lightly coated with SESAME OIL......... sear the salmon on both sides. A little dab of oil will do you since salmon has a lot of natural oils which eventually increase the oil in the pan and spit at you Sear both sides for Only 3-4 minutes on each side.

Take the salmon out of the oil & pan off the heat and then SHALLOW POACH the salmon IN WHITE WINE OR MIRIN in a seperate pan, then place in the oven for an additional 8-10 minutes on 400-500 F. (when dealing with YOUR customers tell em 350 for 13-15 minutes)

While the salmon is in the oven, and your sesame oil is still hot in your first pan- put it back on the stove and throw in;

tbl spoon minced pickled ginger

1/2 tbl spoon minced garlic

Some chopped cilantro (as much as you like, as i cilantro is 50/50 to people)

1 tsp red pepper flake

sliced green onion (bout a small palm full)

and saute for a minute.

then add 5-6oz of MIRIN (you can use white wine instead) to the mixture in the pan to deglaze, then a touch of soy, and a regular spoonful (not heaping) of HOISIN SAUCE. Stir to blend well while it BOILS (keeping pan on high heat)

Let this reduce until it coats the back of a spoon.

By that time your salmon should be finished and your ready to sauce your fillet. You can pair the salmon with baby bok choi, snap peas, raddish any-&-or- All to compliment your protien and round off your meal. good luck and keep at it. If you try all the dishes above including this one, you now have several to rattle off to your fish loving customers.

Enjoy

[JimmyWu]

I shop at the H.T. in High Point, and am always on the lookout for the head-on shrimp.

It usually is on sale for around $5.99 @ pd. Being from Baltimore the classic way is to steam or boil/simmer them. Old bay, kosher salt and bayleaf is all you need. They're done when they turn orange... not long !!!

The shrimp cocktail dipping sauce is Tulkoffs horseradish and ketchup, preportioned to taste (Tulkoffs on the butter isle, LOL).

To me, the head of the fresh shrimp are the best part of the meal. Twist and pull the head from the tail, bite, chew and enjoy all the goodness inside. It's quite a delicacy.

-Jimmy

[SeafoodSuzy]

I shop at the H.T. in High Point, and am always on the lookout for the head-on shrimp.

It usually is on sale for around $5.99 @ pd. Being from Baltimore the classic way is to steam or boil/simmer them. Old bay, kosher salt and bayleaf is all you need. They're done when they turn orange... not long !!!

The shrimp cocktail dipping sauce is Tulkoffs horseradish and ketchup, preportioned to taste (Tulkoffs on the butter isle, LOL).

To me, the head of the fresh shrimp are the best part of the meal. Twist and pull the head from the tail, bite, chew and enjoy all the goodness inside. It's quite a delicacy.

-Jimmy

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I miss the heads-on shrimp here in this Teeter. we have not had them in months. they were awesome!!! I used them to make some unbelievably good shrimp and grits.

[Ted Fairhead]

Suzy, I have to disagree with Sony that rainbow trout is an "oily" fish, at least , not the ones I have bought at HT. Bluefish, yeah, now they are oily!

I love to cook rainbow trout whole or "en papier" with some nice fresh vegetables wrapped up in the parchment. After baking they serve up very well with the meat separating very nicely from the backbone with very few "loose" bones.

I have never made fish stock, I use clam juice from the bottle for the few recipes that need it, and I doubt if I'd ever 'waste ' the trout doing it, even though they are relatively inexpensive.

Also, as they seem to be a fairly regular item at HT I don't think I'd freeze 'em. Of course, if you know something that I don't about a break in the supply then I would freeze a bunch!

[JimmyWu]

Hey Suzy....send me your shrimp and grits recipe, I'd like to try it out !

-Jimmy

[SeafoodSuzy]

Great News! 13-17 count heads-on shrimp will be back at the Teeter next week! And here's the recipe for shrimp & grits, courtesy of a wonderful customer:

Chelsea Shrimp and Grits

The Grits

16 oz. heavy cream

21.5 oz. whole milk

6.5 oz. grits, preferably stone ground

2 Tbl. salted butter

Bring milk and cream to a boil, then add grits and butter. After mixing well, turn the heat to low and cook for about twenty minutes. Season with salt and white pepper to taste.

The Shrimp

6-8 large shrimp per person ( About two pounds of the heads-on)

1 pound andouille sausage, sliced

1 1/2 pounds sliced white mushrooms

1 large diced red tomato, or several smaller tomatoes

2 diced scallions

1 1/2 tsp. chopped garlic

12 oz. shredded cheddar-jack cheese blend

(Optional; 1/4 cup of Durkee's or other hot sauce, mixed with 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce)

cooked grits

Saute shrimp and set aside. Saute garlic, sausage, mushrooms, tomatoes, and scallions. Add shrimp, and then pour in hot sauce mixture a little at a time to taste. Portion grits on plate. Using a slotted spoon scoop shrimp mixture on top of grits and then add a little of the sauce to taste. Top each portion with a handful of cheese. Serves six.

** Note, I did tweak this recipe a bit. I didn't use a "handful" of cheese, but I am not really a cheesy person. I also ommited the hot sauce mixture completely the first time I made this, and it still turned out fantastic. I was entertaing some friends with terribly jaded tastebuds.

[jmcgrath]

Coquille St. Jacques, or for a variation, seafood St. Jacques. If you use seafood instead of scallops, I'd suggest scallop sized chunks of a firm white fish.

Jim

[FoodMuse]

Great thread!

I just picked up some blue fish at my local spot today. I love oily fish, but usually just grill it. Sadly, too cold in NY for that.

Any good recipes out there? I would like to pan fry for the crispy skin.

These are very thin fillets. I'll be cooking them up tomorrow nite. I meant to cook them tonight, but ran out of time. I'm a little considered with what I read here:

http://nymag.com/nymetro/food/features/12263/

. Oily fish like fresh mackerel, weakfish, bluefish, snapper, blues, sardines, and anchovies must be consumed the day you buy them.

I bought it today(Sunday). I wonder where they came from?

Thanks

Grace

[Doodad]

[Abra]

I did a little fish photo shoot yesterday that might give you some display case ideas.

[jmcgrath]

I just picked up some blue fish at my local spot today. I love oily fish, but usually just grill it. Sadly, too cold in NY for that.

Any good recipes out there?  I would like to pan fry for the crispy skin.

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One of the Legal Seafoods cookbooks has a recipe that I greatly enjoy. It involves coating the flesh side of the fillet with a mixture of Dijon mustard and mayonnaise and then running under the broiler to cook. I've never done it, but you could try a quick fry, skin side down, in a very hot skillet to crisp the skin and then finish under the broiler to lightly brown the topping and finish the fish.

Jim

[CharityCase]

I love the flavour of what's labeled Whiting here. Last time we had some our monger cleaned and gutted them, and clasped the tail in the mouth of the fish, forming a circle. WE bake them on a bed of chopped fennel, carrots and onions. They only take 10 minutes at about 400 or 450F and when they're finished you can carefully yank the whole bone piece out.

They could conceivably be cooked like smelts too..floured and pan fried and served with a lemon wedge...yum!

[FoodMuse]

My Blue fish fillets turned out great. Little flour, salt and pepper and sauteed with plenty of butter. Took fish out of pan, more butter and lemon juice to deglaze. Yum.

It does have a strong flavor though. I might prefer it next time cooked with tomatoes, wine and garlic with a little paprika.

Grace

edited to add:

jmcgrath Next time I will definitely try that recipe. I think the Dijon would be a nice counterpoint to the oiliness of the fish.

Edited February 20, 2008 by FoodMuse (log)

[jmcgrath]

My Blue fish fillets turned out great. Little flour, salt and pepper and sauteed with plenty of butter. Took fish out of pan, more butter and lemon juice to deglaze. Yum.

It does have a strong flavor though. I might prefer it next time cooked with tomatoes, wine and garlic with a little paprika.

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The dark belly meat has a particularly strong taste. I always trim that off before cooking. The rest of the fish still has enough flavor to stand up to anything you throw at it.

Blue fish are close to the top of the ocean going food chain, and older fish pick up an undesirable level of PCBs. I always shop for smaller fillets or steaks.

Jim

[Shel_B]

For a variety of reasons, I'll be eating a lot more fish and cutting back on red meat and some dairy products. Although I've cooked a fair amount of fish in my day, a lot of it has been very simple, like poaching salmon or baking and grilling. This was fine as I didn't eat fish often and my limited cooking methods were adequate. Now I'd like to get some more exciting ideas for cooking fish and sea food, but at the same time I'd like to keep the cooking methods low in saturated fat. Using olive oil and other flavored oils is fine, and calories are not an issue.

Learning more about what herbs go best with what fish would be helpful. And recommendations for fish cookbooks would be appreciated.