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Curried Fish Fillets

April 5, 2016 / Oswald Rivera / 0 Comments

I cook with curry quite a bit. It’s one of my favorite methods. And, like most people, I use curry powder or curry paste when preparing a dish. But, before the powder and paste came along, cooks would make their own curries or a particular dish. The word “curry” originates from the Tamil word “kari” which means “spiced sauce.” And that’s all curry is: a sauce with a combination of ingredients, many of them dried spices ground and mixed mixed together to create a sauce.

The dish that follows is that vein. It’s simply fish fillets in its own curried sauce. The fish used can be any firm fleshed flesh such as pollock, haddock, turbot, bass, etc. I use cod fillets. They’re inexpensive, goods, and nutritious. The side dish is steamed white rice. In this instance, since the recipe has an Indian slant to it, I prefer basmati rice.

CURRIED FISH FILLETS

2 pounds fresh skinless, fish fillets
3 tablespoons peanut oil
1 cup mustard seeds
1 medium onion, peeled and sliced into thin rings
1 tablespoons ginger, sliced into thin strips
1 jalapeño chili, seeded, and sliced into thin strips
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/4 cup dry sherry or white wine
1/2 cup chicken broth
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
Juice of 1/2 lime
1 teaspoon dark brown sugar

1. Wash fish fillets under cold running water and wipe dry with paper towels. Then cut into serving portions. Set aside.
2. In a large skillet, heat the oil. Add mustard seeds, and when they start popping, add onion. Saute until they start to brown. Lower heat, add ginger, chili, coriander and turmeric, and cook for 2-3 minutes.
3. Add dry sherry or wine. Add fish, cover, and simmer 5 minutes.
4. Add chicken broth, cover and simmer 5 minutes more, or until fish is just cooked through. Transfer fish to a serving platter.
5. To skillet, add salt, pepper, lime juice and sugar. Stir to combine, adding a little water if needed.
Spoon sauce over fish and serve.
Yield: 4 servings.

Pilaf Rice with Golden Raisins

March 28, 2016 / Oswald Rivera / 0 Comments

We Nuyoricans can’t do without rice. It goes back to our island culture where rice was the main side dish (along with beans) to almost any entrée. And it wasn’t just plain white rice. It was yellow rice; rice with squid (arroz con calamares—or what in my family we call black rice since the ink from the squid gives the rice a dark hue); rice with pigeon peas (arroz con gandules); the famed arroz con pollo (rice with chicken); a sumptuous paella; or even rice pudding (arroz con dulce).

Once I left the block and discovered other rice dishes out there from various cultures, I started experimenting. I discovered Indian rice, and Syrian rice (made with Syrian noodles), Italian rissoto, and Persian rice (Chilau or steamed). But my vantage point has always been pilaf rice, which is also popular in our cuisine. One can do wonders with pilaf rice, mixing it with almost any ingredient (except for Jello). I’ve done pilaf with peas, turmeric, cumin, you name it. Yet, among my favorites has always been pilaf rice with raisins; and this can be black raisin or golden raisins. The raisins give it that sweet tang that makes it adorable.

The recipe that follows shows what I mean. It can serve as an accompaniment to any vegetable, meat, fish, or fowl dish. Or even on its own, it’s a marvel. Go at it.

RICE PILAF WITH GOLDEN RAISINS

1 cup rice
2 tablespoons butter
1 small onion, sliced into thin rings
1 1-oz (28.3g) box golden raisins (can use black raisins, if desired)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 1/4 cups water
1 bay leaf
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander

1. Wash rice at least three times in cold water and drain to rid it of starch. What in Pennsylvania Dutch country is known as “washing in several waters.”
2. Melt one tablespoon butter in a medium heavy saucepan (I prefer cast iron). Add onion and cook, stirring until wilted and translucent.
3. Add rice, raisins, cumin, water, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Stir, cover pan and simmer until water is absorbed (about 20 minutes). Let sit, covered, for another 10 minutes.
4. Discard bay leaf. Add coriander and remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Stir with a fork, to distribute butter in rice. Serve, or keep covered in a warm place until ready to eat.
Yield: 4 servings.

The Easter Ham

March 24, 2016 / Oswald Rivera / 0 Comments

Here we are again, the Easter holidays. Easter dinner was a big deal in our family back in Spanish Harlem. And it was always lamb. Sometimes my mother would make lamb and a roast pork shoulder (pernil) for those who didn’t like lamb. But lamb was the mainstay.

It wasn’t until I traveled down South that I discovered that ham was the biggie. And by that I mean a big, juicy Smithfield ham. This ham is a specific type of ham that comes from Virginia. It is usually a country ham that been naturally cured in salt and brown sugar. The other type is a smoked ham, which is cured in a brine consisting of sugar, salt and spices, and are fully cooked. You get them bone-in (with the bone) or boneless for easy slicing. Of course, if all fails or you can’t get these items, then there is canned ham, like Spam, but larger. This is the last option, short of death. There is also what is know as “Virginia ham.” This is similar to the Smithfield, but it does not come from Smithfield Virginia proper.

Now that I’ve got you properly confused, let me say that I used a smoked ham for the following recipe. It’s the only type I could get at the time. And it wasn’t too bad. In fact, it was pretty good since I cooked it in maple syrup ( a suggestion from my wife—who loves maple syrup, especially from Vermont). The recipe is amazingly easy, and the result are fabulous. Not the Nuyorican pernil, but a good substitute.

BAKED HAM

1 smoked ham (3-4 pounds)
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 stick butter
1/3 cup maple syrup

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Prick ham all over with the tines of a fork; and rub with ground cloves.
3. In a small saucepan, heat the butter over medium-low heat. Add the maple syrup and combine.
4. Rub ham with maple-butter mixture, using a brush or, of you don’t have a brush, using your hands.
5. Place in a baking pan and bake 15 minutes per pound or until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees.
6. Place in serving dish or platter and slice thinly.
Yield: 4 servings.

Shrimp with Black Beans

March 19, 2016 / Oswald Rivera / 0 Comments

I was recently given a jar of fermented black beans as a gift. The first thing I asked is, How do I use this thing? Then I discovered it is very common in Chinese cuisine, and it’s an item found in Asian stores. I also learned that, in cooking, it should be used rather sparingly. Its not like opening a can of beans and adding it to your stew. A little bit goes a long way. The recipe I tried it with is stir-fried shrimp.

The dish is easy to cook and calls for the usual ingredients found in Cantonese dishes: soy sauce, sesame oil, bok choi (or other cabbage, if desired), ginger, and scallions. I decided to give it a sweet and sour affect by adding honey to the mix. The result is given below. Served over steamed rice, or, if you like, lo mein noodles, it’s delicious.

SHRIMP WITH BLACK BEANS

2 tablespoons fermented black beans
2 tablespoons white wine or dry sherry
2 1/2 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 clove garlic, peeled and sliced
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 pound bok choi, trimmed, washed and dried (can use regular cabbage)
2 tablespoons peanut oil
1 clove garlic, peeled and finely minced
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and minced or grated
1 cup minced scallions

1. Soak black beans in wine or sherry. In a large bowl, marinate shrimp in 1 tablespoon honey, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, sliced garlic, salt and 1 teaspoon sesame oil. Set aside.
2. Separate bok choi leaves from stems. Chop stems into 1-inch pieces, and chop leaves roughly.
3. Preheat a wok, large skillet or frying pan over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon peanut oil. Raise heat to high, and when it begins to smoke, add minced garlic and immediately add shrimp with its marinade. Cook for about 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Spoon shrimp out of wok into a plate and set aside.
4. Add remaining tablespoon peanut oil to wok and, when it smokes, add ginger and bok choi. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 4 minutes.
5. Add shrimp to wok. Stir in black beans and their liquid, scallions, and remaining honey and soy sauce. Cook for 1 minutes. Turn off heat, drizzle remaining sesame oil on top, and serve.
Yield: 4 servings.

Picadillo

One of the most popular dish is our repertoire is picadillo (pee-kah-dee-yoh). It’s also common in Cuban cuisine. And it’s one of the easiest entreés to prepare. It’s basically a ground meat stew. But you can use ground chicken, turkey or lamb in lieu of beef, if desired. The Puerto Rican version differs from other types in that we add sofrito to the dish.

Sofrito is a base flavoring that is prevalent in our cooking. At it’s basic, it’s an aromatic mix of herbs and spices that is used in countless criollo dishes. This concept can be found in other cultures as well. One example is the India mix garam masala. Sofrito can be quickly whipped up in a blender or food processor. You can find processed sofrito by the jar in almost any supermarket or Caribbean store. Let me add this proviso: most suck. The home product is best. That being said, the only marketed one I can recommend is the sofrito made by Ricomida (myricomida.tumblr.com). It’s the only one that’s as good as the home made stuff. I’ve tried it and it’s the genuine article. If, for some reason, you don’t have the inclination to make your own, or can’t find the Ricomida brand, then mix a teaspoon of turmeric and one minced clove garlic in 3 tablespoons of olive oil and use that as a substitute. It won’t be kosher, but it’ll come close.

Traditionally, sofrito is served over steamed white rice. This time around, I experimented and served it with quinoa, a grain from Peru (it was a staple of Inca cuisine) that has gained popularity in the last few years. Hell, want to be even more adventurous, you can serve the sofrito over pasta.

In my cookbook, Puerto Rican Cuisine in America, the wine I recommend with the dish is Demestica, a lively red wine from Greece. But, since this is a Spanish dish, you can also serve it with a good Rioja. My favorite Rioja is Marquez de Riscal. If you can’t find it, then go for Marquez de Iberica. Both are good accompaniments to the picadillo.

PICADILLO
(Ground Meat Stew)

4 tablespoons olive
1 pound ground beef (sirloin preferred)
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
1 medium green pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped
1 medium potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-nch cubes
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
2 teaspoons sofrito
10-12 pimento stuffed olives

1. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large skillet or kettle. Add beef and cook on high heat until meat loses its red color. Drain excess pan drippings.
2. Reduce heat to medium, add onion and bell pepper and sauté until onion is transparent and meat is browned (about 3 minutes). Remove from heat and set aside.
3. In a separate skillet or frying pan, heat remaining olive oil and stir-fry potato cubes until golden (about 5-7 minutes). Remove potatoes and drain on paper towels.
4. Return beef to stove and, over low heat, add tomato sauce, salt, pepper, sofrito, potatoes and olives. Stir to combine. Cover, and simmer 10 minutes.
Yield: 4 servings

Chicken in Green sauce

March 5, 2016 / Oswald Rivera / 0 Comments

When I first offered this dish to my posse, the initial reaction was “Green sauce? What the hell is a green sauce?” Well, green sauce has been with us for a while. In Mexican cuisine it’s known as salsa verde. And then there is the famed chili green sauce. Most salda verde is made with cilantro, tomatillos, and, sometimes, avocados. My version follows more of the green sauce popularized in Spain. It uses parsley as the base ingredient. In this recipe I make it with tostones (fried green plantains) as an accompaniment. For the tostones recipe check out my posting of 9/9/10

The versatility of green sauce is that it can be used with vegetables, seafood, or meat. My favorite is with boiled or steamed chicken. It’s an easy enough recipe to prepare: the chicken is seasoned, then boiled; the sauce ingredients are pureed in a blender or food processor—and that’s it. Try it for your next special dinner. Your significant other, or guests, will truly regard it as SPECIAL

GREEN CHICKEN IN GREEN SAUCE

2 chicken skinless, boneless breasts, halved
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon oregano
1 teaspoon ground coriander
3 tablespoons cup olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 bunch fresh parsley, washed and dried
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1/2 cup light or heavy cream

1. Wash chicken breasts under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels.
2. Rub chicken breasts with pepper, salt, oregano and coriander. Place in a bowl, drizzle with olive oil and vinegar. Mix to combine with the spices and let stand 15 minutes.
3. Place chicken in a skillet or pan. Add one cup water, bring to a boil, cover and simmer on low heat for 30 minutes.
4. While chicken is cooking, put parsley, garlic and cream in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth.
5. Remove chicken from pan, cut into bite sized pieces, and transfer to a serving platter. Pour sauce over chicken and serve.
Yield: 4 servings.

Mussels Cooked with Beer

February 27, 2016 / Oswald Rivera / 0 Comments

Mussels are very easy to cook. Most everyone knows that. You wash the mussels, scrub them well, pop them in a pan, add a little white wine or sherry, and cook until they open. I’ve cooked mussels in almost every sauce combination imaginable: from a soy sauce blend to mustard based, and everything in-between. Then I came across beer as a steaming agent. And I’ve discovered that when I use beer, the heartier the beverage, the better the result. Forget using a nondescript mass produced American beer. They generally suck, especially those “light beer” that are flavorless. Go for a dark beer or hearty type ale. Thank goodness we have in a this country a resurgence of regional and local breweries that have put our beer back on the map. If it wasn’t for that, American beer wouldn’t be worth drinking.

For this recipe I would recommend a good IPA, brown ale, or even better, stout. I cooked the mussels using an Otter Creek Copper Ale. This gem hails from Vermont and is a good example of native brewing. I also serve the dish with hot, crusty grilled bread.

MUSSELS COOKED WITH BEER

2 1/2 pounds mussels
4 tablespoons butter (unsalted)
2 shallots, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely minced
2 bay leaves
2 cups beer or ale
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1 bunch fresh basil
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons butter

1. Melt butter in a heavy bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat.
2. Add shallots and garlic and cook until soft and transparent (about 3 minutes, but don’t let garlic get brown).
3. Add bay leaves and beer or ale. Bring liquid to a boil, add mussels, cover, and steam until the shells open (5-8 minutes). Discard any shells that do not open.
4. Using a slotted spoon, remove mussels to a large bowl or platter. Sprinkle 1/4 cup parsley over mussels.
5. Remove bay leaves from liquid in pot. Add basil and return liquid to a low heat. Stir in cream and remaining parsley. Cook until sauce coats the back of a spoon. Stir in additional 2 tablespoons of butter. Pour sauce over mussels and serve with hot bread.
Yield: 4 servings.

Linguini with Caviar

February 19, 2016 / Oswald Rivera / 0 Comments

If you ever wanted to enhance a common, nondescript pasta dish, then add caviar to it. It will garner “oohs” and “aahs” at your table. Most people think of caviar as that fancy-dan appetizer served at diplomatic functions or the debutante cotillion. And it is true, caviar is considered a dish of the upper orders. Yest caviar is simply processed, salted, fish row eggs. The three leading grades or types are Beluga, Osetra, and Sevruga caviar. This is prime caviar that comes from wild sturgeon in the Caspian Sea. At the supermarket, most caviar sold these days is the pasteurized caviar which is less expensive than wild sturgeon; and is heat treated and vacuum packed in containers or glass jars.

Caviar, whether the prime or less expansive type is a great addition to pasta. And in this recipe I recommend any string pasta you favor, be it bucatini spaghetti, fettuccini, angel hair, etc. You can even do it with noodles, like fusilli. I use linguini. But, again, you’re not limited. Bear in mind, for this recipe you don’t need the high-priced product—unless you really want to splurge.

LINGUINI WITH CAVIAR

5 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, sliced into thin rings
2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely minced
2 2-ounce jars caviar
1 shot vodka
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 cup heavy cream (1/2 pint)
1 pound linguini
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh basil, washed, dried, and chopped

1. In a medium-sized frying pan or skillet, heat oil over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add onion and garlic. Sauté until soft but not brown.
2. Add caviar and mix for a few seconds. Pour in vodka and cook until it has evaporated almost completely.
3. Sprinkle with Worcestershire sauce and blend in cream. Remove from heat, mix and keep warm.
4. Boil linguini until al dente, or desired tenderness. Drain, leaving a little cooking water and blend in the tablespoon of olive oil.
5. Pour caviar sauce over the pasta and mix well. Sprinkle with fresh basil and serve immediately.
Yield: 4 servings.

Steamed Duck

February 8, 2016 / Oswald Rivera / 0 Comments

Until recently I would get my steamed duck from Chinatown. Then, almost overnight, it couldn’t be found anywhere. The stores where I had gotten the steamed duck, hole-in-the-wall joints that had been making it for years, were no longer offering it. This was disconcerting to me. Unlike everyone else I know, Asiatic or not, I prefer steamed to roast duck. Chinese roast duck is ubiquitous. We all know it and it’s featured at almost every Chinese dinner. This being the week of the Chinese lunar New Year, the Year of the Monkey, every banquet will serve it. But, to my mind, where roast duck is the preferred dish, steamed duck is for the connoisseur. Roast duck I can pass by. Steamed duck I cannot. So, here I was now, bereft. I couldn’t find my beloved fowl. I asked more than one proprietor, why no steamed duck anymore? They told truthfully, it didn’t sell as well as its other cousin. This further baffled me. Didn’t sell? In anger I thought, What do you want from the Great Unwashed. What the hell do they know?

Still, it didn’t solve my problem. Which meant that now I would have to make my own duck or go unrewarded. I canvassed my friends and acquaintances in Chinatown and finally came up with the following recipe. My one criteria: it had to be easy. I wasn’t going to mess with fandangled steamers and fryers and what-have-you. Some would question whether the recipe given could be categorized as steamed duck, some would say it’s mote like braised duck—and I don’t use a steamer. It’s all semantics. My friends call it steamed duck, and so do I. The dish is delicious. That’s all that matters. With some hot rice on the side, and a light red or chilled white wine, it can’t be beat.

One final note. Most places in Chinatown use Long Island duck, which is notoriously fatty. I’ve discovered there is other duck out there where the fat content is minimal. If you can, try to obtain a wild duck, or Muscovy duck, or Bavarian duck—which need no trimming of fat. If you do use the Long Island species, then remove fat from the cavity of the duck, and trim excess fat from the neck and body. And follow the recipe as is.

STEAMED DUCK

1 duck (4-5 pounds)
1 tablespoon salt
3-4 strips orange peel, about 2-inches long
1 tablespoon Chinese 5-Spice Powder
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1 whole star anise, smashed with the side of a cleaver
2 tablespoons ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon fennel seed
3 whole cinnamon sticks
1/2 cup dark soy sauce

Vinegar Sauce:
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 red chopped, chili pepper

1. Rinse duck under cool running water, and pat dry with paper towels. With the tines of a fork or sharp knife, prick the duck all over.
2. Place duck in a large wok or pot. Add water to cover. Bring to a boil and blanch duck in the boiling water for about 1 minute. This is done in order to rid the bird of its gamy taste. Remove duck from pot, drain well, and rub evenly with the salt, including the cavity.
3. Stir in the rest of the ingredients (minus vinegar sauce) to the water in the pot or wok. Bring to a second boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and gently lower the duck into pot.
4. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 1 hour or until duck is tender (internal temperature using a meat thermometer should register 165 degrees F.)
5. Turn off heat and leave duck immersed in sauce liquid for another hour.
6. Remove duck from pot. Using sauce liquid, rub or brush duck all over. Cut into serving pieces. At this point, make vinegar sauce: combine ingredients in a small pan and heat briefly (about 3-4 seconds).
7. Heat a large nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Add duck pieces, skin side down, and saute until skin begins to sizzle and brown. Turn and brown on other side.
8. Transfer duck to a serving platter and serve with vinegar sauce.
Yield: 4 servings.

Fish Fillets with Spinach

January 26, 2016 / Oswald Rivera / 0 Comments

I love cheesy fish fillets. You know the type, the more cheese the better. There’s something comfy and down home about such a meal, especially in the midwinter doldrums. And I like it simple: no mess, no fuss, just stick to the ribs cooking. The type of food that puts meat on your bones. In terms of what fish to use: any firm fish fillets will do: cod, halibut, turbot, tilapia, salmon, blue fish—whatever is available.

This entrée works with almost any kind of vegetable—broccoli, cauliflower, peas—but it works especially well with greens, even such suspects as bok choy and collard greens. In this rendition, I use spinach. What makes this recipe unique is that even if you have kids who don’t eat fish and hate spinach, they’ll savor this dish. The cheesy sauce will hook ‘em every time.

Now, you can elect to use frozen veggies or fresh. If you can get them, go for the latter. If using a frozen vegetable, just make sure it has thawed and is well drained. Otherwise, you’ll have too much liquid and the dish will be runny.

With a good hunk of bread, and a light red or white wine, this beauty hits the spot.

FISH FILLET WITH SPINACH

1 pound fish fillets

3 tablespoons butter or margarine

3 tablespoons flour

1 packet instant chicken bouillon granules or 1 chicken bouillon, crushed

Pinch or dash teaspoon ground nutmeg

Pinch or dash of cayenne pepper

Pinch or dash of white pepper

1 cup milk

2/3 cup shredded Swiss or Cheddar cheese (or any cheese-mix desired)

1 bunch fresh spinach, washed, and coarsely chopped

Juice of ½ lemon

¼ teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Pinch or dash of paprika

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Rinse fillets under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels. Cut into serving

pieces, set aside

3. Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat. Stir in flour, bouillon, nutmeg, cayenne and white

pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is smooth and bubbly.

4. Stir in milk. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.

5. Add cheese, cook and stir until it melts. Remove from heat and set aside.

6. Place spinach in an ungreased baking pan or baking dish (I prefer cast-iron). Sprinkle with

lemon juice .

7. Arrange fish over spinach, sprinkle with salt, and spread cheese sauce on top. Bake, uncovered for about 20 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and paprika. Return to oven and bake 5 minutes. Place on serving dish, or serve straight out of the baking pan.

Yield: 4 servings.

Oswald Rivera

Author, Warrior, and Teacher