Pan-Seared Red Snapper with a Roasted Corn Succotash

“Succotash” comes from the Native American word “msikwatash” or “msickquatash”, which means "broken into bits" or "boiled corn kernels" and can refer to any cooked mix of vegetables with corn and beans in it. ‘Tis the season for fresh, local produce so be creative with your vegetable blends. The tart bite of arugula and the acid from the roasted red peppers soaked in vinegar add texture and depth of flavor to the roasted corn. Smoked Paprika is one of my favorite flavors; smoky, like bacon. This dish took a total of 30 minutes from start to finish.

2 pcs of Striped Bass Filets

4 Cobs of corn
2 Roasted Red Peppers
1 ½ Cups of Arugula
2 Tbls of Greek Yogurt
2 Tbls of Olive oil
2 pinches of Smoked Paprika
Salt & White Pepper

1. Husk all 4 cobs of corn. Boil two for 3-4 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 400F. Shave off the kernels of the other two cobs with a chefs knife in a vertical motion. Place the shaved kernels in a large mixing bowl. Add smoked paprika and olive oil. Mix together and spread out evenly in a roasting pan. Cook until the kernels start to brown – 10 minutes approximately.
3. Dice up the roasted red pepper and arugula. Set aside in a mixing bowl.
4. Shave off the kernels of the cooked corn and place in a food processor. Add yogurt and ¼ cup of water. Puree.
5. Combine corn puree, roasted kernels and yogurt into the red pepper/arugula mixture. Stir and season with salt and pepper to taste. Add more paprika here if you like a strong smoky flavor.
6. The hard part is over. Just pan sear the fish. A crispy skin is always delicious and a great textural addition. Coat the fish with some vegetable oil, salt and pepper. Heat a skillet with some oil until the oil begins to ripple. Sear skin side down for 6 minutes depending on the thickness of the filet. Flip and sear for a 1-2 minutes. Plate.

Pan-Seared Salmon with a Mirin-Dijon Sauce and Chorizo Brussel Sprouts

Damn I cannot get enough of this sauce. Its like that ginger dressing at sushi joints, I could just drink it and slurp it down with anything…even shoes.

1 Lbs. Salmon, sliced in two pieces
Vegetable Oil

½ Lbs Brussel Sprouts
½ Cup Chorizo, sliced and quartered
¼ Cup Dry White Wine
Black Pepper

1 large Tbls Dijon Mustard
2 Tbls Tamari (High Quality Soy Sauce)
½ Cup Mirin
1 Rstd Red Pepper, diced
3 Cloves Garlic, minced
1 Shallot, minced

Procedure:
Brussel Sprouts:
1. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Cook the brussel sprouts for 3 minutes and strain.
2. In a sauté pan, drizzle some vegetable oil and put the flame up to high. Add the diced chorizo and sauté until crisp. Deglaze with the white wine and add the brussel sprouts. Coat well. Turn off the heat and set aside.
Sauce:
1. In a sauté pan add 2 tbls vegetable oil, shallots, garlic and red peppers. Put the flame on medium and stir with a wooden spoon until the shallots start to brown.
2. Add Mirin, Tamari and Dijon mustard. Whisk together and cook for one minute. Set aside and keep warm.
Salmon:
1. In a sauté pan add 2 tbls of vegetable oil. Put the flame up to high and wait until the oil starts to ripple. Add salt and pepper to both sides of the fish and place in the pan. If the oil does not sizzle when you add the fish, the oil is not hot enough.
2. Pan sear the fish on one side for 4 minutes. The skin should be a beautiful, crispy brown, if its not, sear for another 1-2 minutes.
3. Flip the fish and sear for another 1-2 minutes. At this point it should be medium depending on the thickness of the fish. **
To Finish:
1. Reheat the brussel sprouts and sauce while the salmon is cooking. Place the fish on a paper towel lined plate first to absorb any excess oil. Put the fish on the plate, drizzle the sauce on and plate the brussel sprouts.

**I had a very thick cut of Salmon. If the fish you find is thin, then adjust your cooking times accordingly. For thin slices it will take only 2 minutes one each side to bring to mid-rare.

Pan-Seared Sable with a Carrot Miso Puree & Olive Citrus Salad

Compared to the scallop dish, this fish preparation is much quicker and the flavors really pop in your mouth. Plus it is really healthy. Black Cod or Sable or Butterfish is not a true cod but its one of the most delicious fishes I have ever tasted when fresh. This is because of all the Omega-3 fatty acids in it.

Miso is one of the healthiest foods you can eat and is an essential part of the macrobiotic diet. If your local grocery does not carry it ask them to or buy it online. I’ll tout more pro-miso propaganda in upcoming recipes. Enjoy.

Fish:
1.5 Lbs Halibut or Sable/Black Cod (serves 3 or 4 small portions)
Oil
Salt & Pepper

Puree:
1 Carrot
1 ½ Tbls of Blonde Miso
½ Tbls Tamari or Soy sauce to taste
1 Tspn Sesame Oil

Salad:
Arugula
½ Cup Pitted Kalamata Olives, chopped coarsely
1 Orange, supreme

Citrus Dressing:
3 Tbls Orange Juice
2 Tbls Lemon Juice
1/8 Cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper

Procedure:

Carrot Puree
1. Bring salted water to a boil. Add the carrot and cook until tender.
2. In a food processor or blender, add the carrot, miso, sesame oil and soy sauce. Puree. I added some of the water that I boiled the carrot in to make the puree more viscous. I added a drop or two more of the sesame oil as well. Trust your palate here and it get it to where you think it tastes good. Miso is a powerful flavoring agent so be careful if you add more of this. Set aside the puree and keep warm.

Salad
1. Dice up the olives and reserve.
2. Supreme the orange. Follow the link for a demonstration. Reserve.
3. Wash the arugula. Dry and reserve.
4. Dressing: Add the citrus to a mixing bowl and in a slow steady stream whisk in the olive oil. Add 2 large pinches of salt and taste. Salt enhances the citrus flavor so don’t be afraid of adding more salt to develop a stronger citrus flavor. Add pepper to your taste.
5. Add the olives & oranges to the arugula but do NOT dress yet.

Fish
1. Rinse the fish and pat dry. Leave the skin on. With a sharp knife make 3 scouring slices across the skin. This is important because the fish will contract into a horseshoe when you apply heat and it will cook unevenly.
2. Bring vegetable oil to almost smoking point. There should be a heat-haze coming off the pan. Season the top and bottom of the fish and place in the pan. Beware of spitting oil.
3. The fish is going to contract a little so with a flat spatula apply pressure to the top of the fish for appx. 30 seconds. Lower the flame to medium. As the fish cooks you will notice that the rawness gives way to a cooked white color that creeps up to the top of the fish. Once that cooked-white color is ¾ the way up the fish, flip it. The skin should be a beautiful brown not burnt. If it did burn don’t worry the fish isn’t ruined.
4. Cook the fish on the flipped side for 30 seconds. No longer.

Assembly
1. If you have a helper, once the fish is halfway done have the helper dress the salad and warm up the carrot puree either in a microwave or in a skillet.
2. Place the dressed salad on a plate, the fish on top and spread the carrot/miso on top of the fish. Devour.

Shrimp with Steel Cut Irish Oats and a Saffron Beurre Blanc

Were you one of those people this year that bought John McCann’s Irish Oatmeal around St Patty’s day to feel more Irish? You know the one in the steel can that looks like mother antiquity herself birthed it? I wasn’t. I was the person who bought it LAST year and still have not used it all because the three times I followed the ‘Irish Porridge’ instructions on the back I was duped by marketing and a nostalgia that wasn’t even mine. I was raised with ‘Cream of Wheat’ and Honey Nut Cheerios.
I am currently in the midst of Operation Clear-Out-the-Cupboard. An effort to use victuals in there that I rarely, if ever, use. The first assassination; John McCann. The great thing about 100% Whole grain oats, besides being good for you (lots of Fiber, protein, iron and high in B-Viatmins) is the amount of sticky starch they give off when cooked properly. For oats, this characteristic gives a velevety mouth feel without the butter and cream. There is cheese and yogurt in this recipe, but it is in very small amounts and you could leave these out if need be.
Porridge is pretty poor tasting without the addition of lots of maple syrup, sugar or some other flavoring agent. This recipe takes these oats away from breakfast altogether and uses it in a savory application (My Irish grandmother would refuse it on principle).

Shrimp

1 Bag of Uncooked, Frozen U/10 Shrimp
Vegetable Oil
Butter

Saffron Beurre Blanc

½ Shallot, diced
100 ml Rice Vinegar
300 ml White Wine
1 Bay Leaf
2 ¾ Sticks of butter, cubed
3 Pinches of Saffron

Oats

3 Tbls Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Bay leaves
1 Cup McCann’s Steel Cut Irish Oats
4 Tbls Cup Rice Vinegar
1 Generous Pinch of Saffron
1/2 Tbls Sriracha
Salt, to taste
2 Rstd Red Peppers, diced
1/2 Cup Greek Fage Yogurt
1/2 Cup Goat Cheese
Cheese Rinds (Optional)
Scallions, sliced thin

Procedure:

1. Oats: Bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Add Olive Oil and bay leaves. Pour in 1 cup of Steel Cut Oats. Continue at a rolling boil until the water begins to thicken. Once the water is viscous, adjust the flame and continue at a low simmer for 15-20 minutes. If you have leftover cheese rinds you can add them now. After 8 minutes of simmering you’ll need to keep an eye on the oats because they will stick to the bottom if you don’t stir frequently. Think of it as a risotto, the more you stir the more starch is let off and the more velevety it will feel in your mouth.
2. While the oats are cooking add the pinch of saffron to warm water and let soak for 5 minutes. Dice up red peppers and slice the scallions.
3. Once the oats are thickened and most of the water has reduced, you have in front of you Porridge or Gruel. Take the oats off the heat and add vinegar, sriracha, yogurt, cheese, peppers, scallions and salt if needed. Taste and adjust. Set aside and keep warm.
4. Beurre Blanc: Add saffron to warm water and let soak. Place shallots, vinegar, bay leaf and wine into a skillet and reduce. Once the mixture has reduced to nearly a syrup, take skillet off the heat and whisk in the cold butter a little at a time. Add saffron and continue to whisk until everything is incorporated. Strain through a fine mesh sieve. Keep warm. If you want, you can add the shallots to the oats.
5. Shrimp: I bought one frozen bag of uncooked shelled U/10 Shrimp which means 10 per pound at Trader Joes for this dish, use what your supermarket has. Sub scallops for shrimp if the scallops are fresher. Devein and shell your shrimp. Keep the shells. Heat a skillet with 1 Tbls of butter and 1 tbls of veg oil. Saute shrimp with the shells. Shrimp cook quickly so this should be no longer than 5 minutes or so depending on how thick your shrimp are. Remove shrimp and shells separately. As long as your butter/oil mixture is not burned incorporate this into the beurre blanc.
6. Reheat oats, plate shrimp and drizzle the beurre blanc around your masterpiece.

Seared Scallops atop Piquillo Pepper Coulis with Cilantro Lime Sauce

Ingredients:

1 Lbs Scallops
½ Onion
5 Piquillo Peppers or 2 Roasted Red Peppers
1 ½ Cloves Garlic
2 Pinches of Salt
1 Tbls Butter
Salt & Pepper
Thick palmful of Cilantro, stems and leaves
½ cup Fage Greek Yogurt or Sour Cream
Juice of 1 Lime

Procedure:

1. Finely dice up the onion, garlic and peppers.
2. Coulis: Heat butter up in a skillet with low-med heat and add the onions. Cover pan for 10 minutes. Uncover and add salt. Sweat for 3 minutes. Add garlic and peppers. Sweat for 5 more minutes. If at this point there is remaining liquid from the onions and peppers increase the heat slightly and watch carefully until there is no more liquid left in the skillet. Reserve and keep warm.
3. Creamy Cilantro: Greek yogurt is probably the healthiest option but heavy cream can be subbed and it’s great. In a blender add the cilantro, lime, 2 pinches of salt and yogurt and blend. The consistency should be thick and it will taste tart and sour; this serves to cut the buttery flavor of the coulis and scallops. Add more cilantro or yogurt if needed. Taste and adjust seasoning. Keep chilled.
4. To Serve: Heat up a skillet and add 2 tbls of butter on med heat. Once melted and beginning to bubble or pop add the scallops slowly one at a time. The pan will cool down quickly if you add them all at once and the scallops will not brown as evenly. Sear the scallops until golden brown on the bottom, appx 5-8 minutes depending on heat. Reheat the coulis and add to the plates. Place the scallops on top and drip the creamy cilantro on top.

Seared Tuna with Lavender Risotto & Orange Supremes

Tuna :

1 Lbs Tuna, cut into 4 even
segments
Panko Bread Crumbs
Olive Oil

Ponzu Glaze :

60ml Soy Sauce
15ml Rice Vinegar
30ml Mirin
15ml Fish Oil
½ Lime, Juiced
¼ Cup Brandy
3 Tbsp Sugar

Risotto :

500g Purple Cauliflower
1L Chicken Stock
2 Tbsp Lavender
1 ½ Cups Heavy Cream
300g Arborio Rice
125ml White Wine
Butter
2 Tbsp Parmiggiana
Reggiano
½ Vidalia Onion, ciseler
1 Bay Leaf
Salt

Garnish :

1 Large Navel Orange,
supremes

1. Risotto: Bring stock to a boil and cook purple cauliflower. Boil Cream with lavender and reduce. Combine half the stock, cauliflower and cream in a blender and puree. Set aside.

2. Melt butter in a sautoir and soften the onions without coloration. Add rice and bay leaf and cook until chalky white. Deglaze with white wine and reduce.

3. Add 1 cup of remaining stock and let the rice absorb it. Continue to add ½ cups of stock until rice is just tender. Set aside.

4. Ponzu: Combine soy sauce, rice vinegar, mirin and lime in a small sateuse. Bring to a simmer. Pull the pan off the heat and add brandy. Ignite and reduce slightly. Whisk in fish oil. Add sugar and cook until a syrup consistency develops. Keep warm and reserve.

5. Slice oranges into supremes.

6. Finish: In a small sautoir combine risotto, parmiggiana, lavender/cauliflower cream puree and a small dollop of butter and reheat. Taste and adjust. Place in the center of 4 hot bowls.

7. Tuna: Dip the top of the tuna filet’s into oil. Then dip the tops into panko bread crumbs that have been laid out on a plate. Heat a sauteuse with blended oil and sear the tops of the filets. Flip and sear bottom portion. Place on sizzle platter and drizzle ponzu glaze on top of tuna. Replace tuna into bowls atop risotto. Garnish with orange supremes.