LEMON-ONION SALMON

This is one of my innovations. I had some salmon steaks on hand plus some good fresh red onions (also known as Spanish onions). I decided to combine the two; and the result is given below. I find that red onions have a sharper flavor than common yellow onions. That’s what makes them great for this dish.

Served with a grain like rice, quinoa or couscous, the dish is a winner. It’s also great by itself with good crusty bread, potatoes or a side vegetable.

Ingredients:

4 salmon steaks (about 8 ounces each)
1 tablespoon olive oil
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 medium red onion, peeled and sliced thinly
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Rinse salmon steaks under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels
3. Place in a bowl and sprinkle with olive oil. Season well with salt and pepper. Place in a baking pan or dish (we prefer cast-iron). Drizzle with lemon juice and top with onion slices.
4. Place in oven and bake, uncovered, for 20-25 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.
   Yield: 4 servings.

This dish is a family favorite. We like it because it’s one of the easiest ways to cook salmon.  Just mix lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper, and that’s it. Initially we would bake the salmon fillets at 375 degrees F. for 15-20 minutes. Later on I discovered that the salmon could also be broiled, an even quicker method of preparation—and that’s how we’re serving it today. Back on the block, we would serve the fillets over white steamed rice, or yellow rice. This time around we’re pairing it with farro, that ancient whole-grain popular in Italy. But, whatever side dish you prefer, you won’t be disappointed with the piquant delicious nature of these fish fillets.

Note that, in our family, we always referred to pepper, ground or otherwise as pimiento. If you check a Spanish dictionary, it is noted as pimienta. In other words. a feminine pronoun. For linguistic purists, my apologies, but I’ll stick with the family designation. To us, pepper was pimiento, and what can I say? Just enjoy the dish.

SALMÓN CON LIMÓN Y PIMIENTO
(Lemon-Pepper Salmon)

Ingredients:

4 salmon fillets with skin (about 6-8 ounces each)
6 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons lemon juice
½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
½ teaspoon salt
1 red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
fresh chopped rosemary or tarragon for garnish

Instructions:

1. Preheat broiler.
2. Rinse fillets under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels.
3.  Mix oil, lemon juice, pepper and salt in a bowl with a fork until blended.
4.  Place salmon fillets in a greased broiler pan (we prefer cast-iron), 6 inches from heat source, skin side down. Drizzle half of the juice mixture over the salmon and place in the broiler for 5 minutes.
5. Remove from broiler and drizzle remaining oil mixture over the fish and top with slices of red onion.
6.  Place salmon back in broiler. Turn off the broiler and let salmon stand for 5 minutes or until the edges of the fish turn golden brown and flake with a fork. Garnish with rosemary or tarragon and serve.
   Yield: 4 servings.

Today’s recipe is a meal for a special occasion. It’s sablefish, that species of deep-sea fish common to the North Pacific Ocean. The fish is also known as black cod. Now, let me say it up front, sable is not cheap. It’s one of the kings of fishes in terms of price. Why? Well, another nickname for sable is “butterfish.” That’s because it’s fattier than Pacific cod or halibut, which gives a luxurious mouthful, but milder than salmon or tuna. It  has a creamy white flesh balanced by a black skin that gives the fish a rich buttery flavor and a smooth silky texture. Every bite is heavenly.

Given its pedigree, sablefish it’s best prepared by simple pan-frying. No fancy sauces, preparation or crusting for this sucker. Simple cooking lets you savor the depth of flavor in sablefish. The easiest way to cook is with a simple mix of garlic powder, salt, black pepper and oregano. For the recipe given, I still had some fresh herbs leftover from my summer plantings. They were tarragon, thyme and sweet marjoram, and that’s what I used. If you don’t have fresh, you can substitute dried. And it can be herbs of your choice. You can use sage, dill, rosemary, chives, whatever is available. Cooked in butter, or a butter/olive oil combo, and you have an easy but fabulous dinner.

SABLEFISH

Ingredients:

4 6-ounce sablefish fillets
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh chopped tarragon or 1 teaspoon dried
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon dried
1 tablespoon fresh sweet marjoram or 1 teaspoon dried
½ teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons dry white wine

Instructions:

1. Rinse fillets under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels.
2.  Brush with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Season well on both sides of fillets with the tarragon, thyme and sweet marjoram. Sprinkle with garlic powder.
3.  In a large skillet or frying pan, heat the butter and reaming 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add sablefish fillets and cook about 3 minutes per side. In the end the fish should be golden brown on the outside but opaque white on the inside. Add white wine and cook over high heat, one minute more. Serve immediately.
   Yield: 4 servings.

In Portuguese and Spanish culture, churrasco is the name for grilled beef. Eventually the name came to refer to any cut of meat that was grilled, inclusive of chicken and, yes, fish. And that is the recipe given today: Grilled Fish in Churrasco Marinade. In this recipe, the best fish used for grilling, are fish steaks, They are meaty and can benefit from the marinade. You can try fish fillets. But my experience is that fillets are just too delicate for the marinating and grilling process involved.

The recipe is basic and simple. It just requires that the fish be marinated overnight in the churrasco mix. In terms of the fish steaks, any good fish steak will do, be it haddock, kingfish, tuna, halibut,  bluefish, salmon, even shark meat. When grilling, be aware that fish steaks cook best over a medium-hot fire.

This time around we served the fish steaks with Israeli couscous, also known as “pearl” couscous. Of course, you can serve it with any side dish desired, or even a salad.

GIRLLED FISH IN CHURRASCO MARINADE

Ingredients:

4 fish steaks, about 8 ounces each, 1 to 1½-inches thick
½ cup beer or ale
¼ cup white wine (any kind)
1 lemon, sliced into rings
1 packet sazon
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon dill
Salt and ground black pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Rinse fish steaks under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels.
2.  For churrasco marinade: In a small bowl, combine remaining ingredients.
3.  Place fish in a zip lock bag, add marinade and refrigerate overnight.
4.  Next day, grill 1 to 2 minutes per side for rare, 2-3 minutes per side for medium-rare, or 1-2 minutes longer for well-done.
   Yield: 4 servings.

Recently we got some fresh trout. About the only time we get trout is when some friend goes fishing in some nearby lake and brings back some. The classic way of cooking trout is the way we did it when we went camping: breaded and fried in a cast-iron skillet. The I thought about the elegant Trout Almondine, or trout with almonds. Wanna make the ordinary trout shine? This is it. It’s a great dish that goes well with boiled parsley potatoes, and your favorite vegetable. Add a well chilled white wine, like a Pouilly Fuisse, and you have the makings of an unforgettable meal.

TROUT WITH ALMONDS

Ingredients:

4 medium-sized trout, cleaned
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons lemon  juice
3/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon dried thyme
3/4 cup milk
2/3 cup butter
1 cup slivered almonds

Instructions:

1. Placed fish on a working surface and rub them all over with the salt, pepper and 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice.
2.  Season the flour with the nutmeg and thyme, and place in a shallow dish.  Place the milk in another dish. Dip the trout, one by one, first in the milk and then in the seasoned flour.
3. In a heavy-bottomed frying pan or skillet large enough to hold the fish in one layer, melt half of the butter over moderate heat. When the foam subsides, add the trout and fry from 4 to 6 minutes on each side or until the flesh flakes easily. With a spatula, transfer the fish to a warmed serving dish.
4. Add remaining butter to the frying pan. When the foam subsides, add almonds and remaining lemon juice and cook, stirring frequently, for 3 to 5 minutes or until the almonds are lightly browned. Remove the pan from the heat and pour the mixture over the trout. Serve at once.
Yield: 4 servings.

This is a recipe I acquired from my Jewish brethren. It’s Fish Baked in Milk. In my culture, we would never consider baking fish in milk. But leave it to the chosen people to come up with this dish which, by the way, is delicious. Nothing could be simpler to prepare with minimal ingredients. Served with a baked potato, or with a grain, or even pasta, it’s a dish made in heaven.

FISH BAKED IN MILK

Ingredients:

1 pound fish fillets, your choice
Flour
Salt and ground black pepper to taste pepper
Pinch  of dried oregano
1¼  cup milk
1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Rinse fish fillets under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels.
3.  Placed in a greased baking dish. Dust with flower, sprinkle with salt, pepper and oregano. Pour milk over fish and bake about 30 minutes or until tender. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.
   Yield: 4 servings.