I’m always on the lookout for easy ways to cook fish, especially fish fillets And one the most convenient, economical ways is what is called “Meunière” style. This is a classic method where the fish is dusted with flour, then sauteed in butter until crisp and golden. The whole thing is finished with brown butter, a sprinkle of parsley, and garnished with lemon. “Meunière” translates as “miller’s wife.”  Presumable, in the old days, a miller’s wife would dredge the fish in flour before cooking it. This type of cooking usually applies to mild flavored fish such as halibut and sole. But it also works with any lean fish such as cod, haddock, and tilapia.

Recently I tried this dish with a more firm flavored fish, red snapper. And it came out pretty good. If figures since one can cook a whole fish, normally trout, and you get that famous combination: trout meunière. Red snapper has a more pronounced flavor, and it goes will with the flour and brown butter. Served with boiled potatoes and/or grilled tomatoes, and you got a winner.

RED SNAPPER MEUNIÈRE

4 red snapper fillets
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup olive oil, vegetable or peanut oil
Juice of 1/2 lemon
6 thin slices lemon, for garnish
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley

1. Rinse the fillets under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels.
2. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, oregano, and garlic powder.
3. Place fish in a dish large enough to hold in one layer. Pour milk over fillets.
4. Dredge fillets on both sides with the flour. Shake off any excess.
5. Heat oil in a large skillet and add the fillets. Brown nicely on medium-low heat on one side about five minutes and turn. Continue cooking until fish is cooked through (about 5-8 minutes).
6. Transfer the fillets to a serving dish, and sprinkle with the lemon juice. Garnish with the lemon slices.
7. Quickly wipe the skillet clean with paper towels. Add the butter and cook, swirling it around, until it has a hazelnut brown color (what is known as a beurre noisette). Pour this over the fish. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.
    Yield: 4 servings.

I have some Portuguese friends who informed me of this recipe. They state this is the way codfish is normally prepared in Portugal. As a Puerto Rican, I am a fan of codfish. Also, the icing on the cake is that it calls for eggplant, another of our favorite foods. The recipe is easy, nutritious, and delicious. Who could ask for more?

I’m told that this dish is usually served with rice. If not rice, then baked or steamed potatoes will do.
 
CODFISH – PORTUGUESE STYLE

1/4 cup olive oil
1 medium eggplant, peeled and sliced into rounds about 1/4-inch thick
3 onions, peeled and sliced into rings
2-3 pounds codfish fillets
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon paprika
4 tomatoes,sliced into rings
3 cloves garlic, peeled and finely minced
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons butter 

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. In a large skillet or frying pan, heat the oil and cook the eggplant slices and onions until the eggplant begins to brown and onions are clear and translucent. If you don’t have a large frying pan, you can cook the onions and eggplant separately and get the same results (depending upon the amount of vegetable used, you may need more oil).
3. In a baking dish (I prefer cast iron), spread the eggplant, and then layer the onions rings over the eggplant.
3. Rub the fish fillets with salt, pepper, and paprika. Place the fish over the onion rings. Cover with the tomatoes and garlic. Pour the wine and lemon juice over fish and vegetables. Top with butter.
4. Bake for 1/2 hour or until the fish is tender.
    Yield: 4-6 servings.

I’m told that one of the first things they teach in cooking school is preparing a dish “meunière” style. I’ve never been to cooking school but its seems we in the Rivera family have been cooking “meunière” style all along. It’s simply dipping fish fillets (or a whole fish) in milk, coating with flour, and frying. A variation of this is meunière with lemon and capers. This is called grenobloise style. My mother had been preparing fish like this for years without knowing of its highfalutin background. In French classical cuisine they use mainly an unflavored oil such as peanut or corn oil for the frying. Given our Latin roots, we in the Rivera clan use olive oil.

What’s great about this dish, whatever you want to call it, is its simplicity. It’s one of the most basic of entrées. Boiled potatoes is the classic accompaniment to this dish, but you can serve it with rice or pasta, or any other preferred grain.  With a crusty piece of bread, it’s the best thing around.

FISH FILLETS WITH LEMON AND CAPERS

4 boneless fish fillets, such as haddock, cod, flounder, turbot, ext. (about 1/4 pound each)
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup flour
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried
1/2 cup olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon (plus three-four thin lemon slices for garnish)
6 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup drained capers
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley

1. Rinse the fillets under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels.
2. Place the fillets in  shallow dish and add the milk. Turn the fish to coat evenly with the milk.
3. Place the flour in another shallow dish and season salt, pepper, and oregano. Dredge each fillet in the flour; and shake to remove excess flour from the fish.
4. Heat the oil in a large skillet (I prefer cast-iron), and cook the fillets over moderate to high heat about 4-5 minutes until golden brown on one side. Turn and cook until golden brown on the other side. As the fish cooks, baste with the oil in the skillet. Total cooking time is about 10-15 minutes.
5. Remove the fillets to a warm serving dish. Sprinkle with the lemon juice.     
6. Pour off the oil from the skillet, and wipe the skillet with a kitchen towel or paper towel. Heat the butter in the skillet over medium heat until it starts to brown. Add the capers and cook about 15 seconds. Pour the butter sauce with the capers over the fish fillets. Sprinkle with the parsley. Garnish with the lemon slices, and serve.
    Yield: 4 servings.

Pickled fish has long been a mainstay in our culture. It was my father’s favorite seafood snack. When my mother prepared this gem she always used kingfish steaks. Her reasoning was that this particular fish has one center bone, so one doesn’t need to worry about bones sticking in your throat. If you don’t want or can’t find kingfish, swordfish may be substituted. This dish is unique in that it taste better the day after. The longer it marinates in a  jar or bowl the more flavorful it becomes. When my mom prepared it back in the old neighborhood she made enough so that we had pickled fish sandwiches to last the entire week.

In my family we make escabeche either of two ways. In one method we first brown the fish steaks lightly. Then we cook the onions and remaining condiments in another skillet. Finally, we add the precooked fish to this sauce and simmer the whole thing over low heat for half an hour or so. The other more traditional way of making escabeche is to fry the fish steaks until they’re done. Then, in the same or a different pan, we cook the onion sauce. In the final step we alternate layers of steak and sauce in a jar, and marinate till ready to eat. Both methods work equally well. In the recipe given we’ve used the second method, which is the most common for preparing escabeche Nuyorican style.

PESCADO EN ESCABECHE
           (Pickled Fish)

8 kingfish steaks, 6 or 8 ounces each (can substitute swordfish steaks, if desired)
12 whole black peppercorns
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons vinegar
1 cup vegetable or corn oil
3 medium onions, peeled and thinly sliced
1 bay leaf

1. Rinse fish steaks and pat dry with paper towels.
2. In a mortar, crush peppercorns, 2 cloves garlic, oregano, basil and salt.
3. Rub fish steaks thoroughly with seasoning, and place in a bowl.
4. Combine 1/2 cup of the olive oil with 1 tablespoon of the vinegar, and pour over fish steaks. Cover bowl and place in refrigerator for 1 hour.
5. In a heavy saucepan or skillet, heat vegetable oil and lightly brown fish steaks over moderate heat on both sides. Reduce heat to low and cook the fish until done (about 15 minutes or so). Depending on how large the skillet, this may be done in batches. Drain on absorbent paper towels,
6. In a frying pan, heat the rest of the olive oil and add remaining garlic clove (crushed). Remove garlic when it is brown. Add onions, bay leaf and remaining vinegar. Cook on low heat until tender.
7. In a deep glass jar or dish, arrange alternate layers of onions and fish steaks.  Make sure you begin and end with the onion sauce.
8. Cover and set aside in the refrigerator for 24 hours or more. Serve cold or at room temperature
    Yield: 8 servings.