Fish

Blueberry and Artic Char Tartare

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The dog days of Texas’ summer are rough. Texans are now virtually either confined to our air conditioned houses or a body of water for the next six to seven months.  In my kitchen, I am noticing a trend towards raw, cold, crunchy dishes to offset the sweat I worked up walking from my car to the front door. Apart from the eggs the kiddos are cooking on the concrete, I really do not have much of a desire to be near my stove or oven for very long. This Tartare uses Arctic Char,  quite similar to salmon boasting a nice firm texture and is a bit more mild salmon taste. It also generally comes with a cheaper price Fresh Wild Coho Salmon (which is the only Salmon you should buy in stores). I picked some up because it was beautiful and the Coho was a little less than stellar that day. I needed to use up some fruit, green onion, and avocado. Given my love of all things raw, it really is not shocking that I threw fruit together with fish (particularly since I routinely eat salmon with apples and kale). This salad is light, refreshing, healthy, full of antioxidants, and – most importantly – stove-free.  I served this with Kale Avocado Salad and was a supremely happy and sweat-free girl.

Blueberry and Artic Char Tartare 

Serves One (or two smaller portions)

Four ounces Fresh Arctic Char, skinned and cut into dice
Half cup blueberries
One cup papaya, cut into small dice
One quarter avocado, cut into dice
Two green onions, diced
Two tablespoons Lars Crispy Onions
One tablespoon Ginger People Ginger Lime Sauce
Juice of One-Half Lime or Lemon
Pinch of Salt

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Adjust sauce and seasoning according to taste preference and serve immediately.

Zucchini Ribbon Salad with Seared Scallop

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Zucchini Ribbon Salad with Seared Scallop

This is a warm, satisfying salad. It’s a dish that tastes as wonderful as it makes you feel healthy. The entire dish may be 300 calories total – and most of that is olive oil. I added very thinly shaved apple to brighten the dish and help bring out the scallop’s sweetness. I was out of fresh lemons that day, but feel free to use a (very little) bit of zest to really brighten the flavor of the veggies.

The scallops I bought for this dish were HUGE!! I have never seen U-10s this big. They were more like U-6 scallops. And they also happened to be some of the driest scallops that I have been able to buy away from the coast. Ergo, the size made one per person a perfect portion. Lucky for me D doesn’t eat fish so I ate both….they were glorious.

Zucchini Ribbon Salad with Seared Scallop

Serves two (or one in Andiland)

 

One Zucchini, sliced lengthwise into thin ribbons
Three cups Baby Spinach
One large shallot, thinly sliced
Two Garlic cloves, finely minced
Two Large U-10 scallops
About a cap full of white wine (optional)
One-Half Pink Lady Apple, very thinly sliced with a peeler
Fresh Squeezed lemon to taste

Wrap the scallop in a paper towel and let drain for at least a half hour. Prepare veg whilst the scallop dries out. In a large skillet (or cast iron), sauté the garlic and shallots with a bit of olive oil. After about seven minutes, hit the pan with a (very) small amount of white wine and add spinach. Allow spinach to wilt just slightly and then add zucchini ribbons., add a pinch of salt, a good amount of fresh ground pepper, . Meanwhile, heat about a tablespoon of olive oil over a medium high heat and add scallop that has been dusted with salt and pepper. Cook for two minutes per side (the scallop should have a nice brown caramelization on it).  Spoon the greens onto a plate, top with scallop and shaved apple.

Nairagi Tartar with Mango and Zucchini

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I know, I know….you are probably getting sick of seeing this variation of my favorite dish, but what can I say – I love it! So simple, so satisfying, so not bad for you, such a better bargain than restaurant tartar, so amazing and addictive! Sorry, groan all you want but I eat a variation of Tuna/Salmon/Nairagi tartar EVERY week. Here is this weeks!

Tartar

  • 1/3 pound of fresh Nairagi, cut with a Sushi Knife into small dice
  • 1/2 Large Avocado – diced
  • 1 cup Green onions – large dice
  • Sesame seeds – black or white – to taste (I use about two tablespoons)
  • Sriracha – to taste – I use about a tablespoon and a half
  • Soy sauce – to taste about a 1/2 tablespoon
  • One Lime, Juiced
  • Eel sauce, 1 tbsp
  • Ginger Lime marinade/sauce, 1.5 tbsp
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 Mango, diced
  • 1Small Zucchini, cut into small dice

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well, adjusting flavors as desired.

Coconut Rice

  • One cup Coconut Milk
  • Two Tablespoons Ginger People Minced Ginger
  • One tsp salt
  • Half cup of Basmati Rice

Bring milk, ginger and salt to a boil in a small saucepan. Add rice, cover, reduce to simmer. Cook for ten minutes and fluff.

To Assemble:

Pack Rice into a small, round ramekin. Turn upside down in the middle of the plate, then remove ramekin leaving a small mound of rice. Top with the tartar, drizzle with additional eel sauce – or place a small dot in various spots on the plate. Feel free to top with fried shallots if desired. Alternately, you can Julienne the zucchini and arrange the zucchini below, above, or around rice, then top with tartar and shallots if desired. I went for the all-in-one combo to make life simple.

Wasabi Crusted Nairagi with Mango Salsa and Coconut Rice

/ andreah94 / 2 Comments

Nairagi is a Hawaiian fish that is very similar in texture to Big Eye Tuna. Central Market (at least in Austin carries it) and it is cheaper than big eye and yellow fin tuna (more expensive than albacore). Lately the price has been about two dollars higher than normal, luckily my fish monger likes to talk to me about food and gives me a fantastic discount whenever I go! Gotta love fish mongers! This dish is one half of what I made last night. I needed a recipe that I could use for both fish and beef and I wanted a twist on my classic fish dish (I seriously eat Ahi poke with coconut rice WAY too much), so I sort of said hey this sounds good and this sounds good and this sounds good. In truth, in making the nightly menus for the week I decided to just take components from three different meals and put them together. Had I had more time I would have loved to do a couple more things, which I plan to just include in my recipe. Additionally, the mango that I bought was deceptively un-ripe and the salsa, though it tasted great was a bit off texturally and looks less like salsa than I would like. This will be remedied soon when mangoes come into full season so it will be great if you try it over summer. Also, word of caution – I HATE cutting mangoes. It is one of those fruits that I just cannot figure out regardless of how many times i do it, see it, read about it – you get the picture – so I will not be telling you how to cut a mango.

Serves One

Fish

  • One four oz Nairagi steak (can sub tuna if you wish)
  • One tsp Wasabi powder
  • Half Cup of crushed Wasabi Peas
  • One tablespoon Sesame Seeds
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Olive Oil for coating

Combine salt, pepper, Wasabi powder and crushed wasabi peas, and sesame seeds on a plate – mix well. Dip the fish in olive oil on both sides then coat each side with the wasabi mixture. Bring olive oil or canola oil to temperature over medium heat, place fish in pan and sear for about 45 seconds on each side. Remove and reserve.

One recipe Coconut-Ginger Rice

Mango Salsa

  • One Mango, diced
  • One half a red onion or one large shallot, fine dice
  • 2 garlic cloves, made into a loose paste
  • 1/3 cup minced green onions
  • 1/2 large avocado, diced
  • 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
  • Cayenne Pepper to taste
  • Squeeze of lime juice, about half a lime
  • Salt and Pepper to Taste
  • One Jalapeno, seeded and finely diced
  • A few tablespoons of fresh basil or mint (optional)
  • 2 tablespoons Ginger, minced

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well (but gently) keep in fridge until ready to use.

Fried Shallots(had I had time I wanted to make this, you can also use pre-made ones that you can buy in Asian markets)

  • One shallot, thinly sliced
  • Canola Oil (can use olive oil but Canola or Safflower oil will be best for frying) 
  • A small handful of flour
  • Salt

Heat oil in a skillet (about a cm worth of oil) to 325 degrees. Toss Shallots with flour then put into the hot oil. Fry until a LIGHT golden brown (anywhere from 2 minutes to 12 minutes depending on heat and depth of oil and amount of shallots being fried) and remove to a napkin lined drying rack or plate. Sprinkle with a bit of salt.

Dish Assembly
Place a small mound of rice in the center of a plate (can be done in free form, with a molding ring, or with an upside down measuring cup. Place the fish on top of the rice once it has finished searing. Drizzle fish with eel sauce then top with the Mango Salsa. Top the Salsa with Fried Shallots and serve (fish can also be sliced before serving if desired – this is recommended if you do not have sushi knives or smaller sharp knives).

Fish Tacos

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I love fish tacos. I have not made these in a while, but I really do love them and I think they are way better than a lot of fish tacos that you can buy at restaurants. You can get as crazy as you want with the toppings – I typically like them a certain way. Incidentally, this is the only way that I will eat Tilapia. Not sure why, but I just do not like it any other way.

Serves 4 (one taco each)

  • 2 Fresh Tilapia fillets
  • 4 corn tortillas
  • 1.5 cups Chile Corn Crust (you can buy this pre-made from Central Market or make your own crust using tortilla chips and various spices – I have done both they are equally good one is much simpler)
  • Half head of radicchio or red cabbage, shredded
  • 1 carrot, julienned
  • Chipotle Aioli
  • Large handful of Cilantro, chopped
  • Avocado Slices
  • Olive oil, egg or soy sauce for coating fish
  • Shredded cheese of choice *optional

Marinated fish in soy sauce – if using for a few minutes. In a small bowl beat an egg, then coat the fish on both sides (after salt properly seasoning the fish). On a plate, spread the crust out and then dip the fish onto the crust, coating well on both sides. Place the fish in a large skillet with heated oil (canola oil poured at least a half inch high), flip after about 2-3 minutes depending on thickness of fish. Remove fish to a plate covered with a napkin to absorb excess grease. Squeeze with a bit of fresh lime juice.

Warm tortillas in oven (laid directly on the rack. Prepare the Chipotle Aioli and put into a small bowl. Into individual bowl, place radicchio, carrots, avocado slices, cilantro and shredded cheese if using (I don’t like mine with cheese but feel free).

Build taco as you wish and enjoy (the fish will be divided into two pieces per fillet).

I like to serve this with black bean-corn salsa or black bean-mango salsa.

Halibut with Artichoke-Tomato Broth

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For some reason this dish just soothes my soul. It has a ton of flavor and is one of my favorite things to make. Bear with the recipe me as I have not made this in a while and it may need updating.

Serves 2-4, adapted from Giada de Laurentiis

Use any kind of thick white fish – I prefer Halibut when it is in season or fresh caught, but you can use Orange Roughy as a good sub (though this is not on the sustainable list), or Sea Bass – just please no Chilean Sea Bass – incredibly unsustainable
Several Shallots – sliced thin – I use at least four medium to large shallots per half pound of fish
Garlic – minced – I use about 4 larger cloves
Dry white wine – at least a half cup – more to taste (I use about a cup)
One or two cans of artichoke hearts (can also use frozen) – with a little bit of the liquid reserved
One pint grape tomatoes – halved and seeded
4 tablespoons butter
Chicken broth – maybe a half cup
Red Pepper Flakes to taste
Salt and pepper

Season the fish, heat olive oil or butter in a sauté pan on medium high heat and sear fish quickly to get a nice crust, remove fish to a plate and turn heat to low. Using the same pan, sauté shallots, red pepper flakes, and garlic (with a pinch of salt) in olive oil or butter. Once glassy, Add wine and reduce to cook the alcohol off, add chicken broth and reduce (if you like more wine at this point add to taste). Add in artichokes, artichoke water, and tomatoes and butter. Simmer for about five minutes or until the tomatoes begin to lose their shape just a bit. Depending on how you like the doneness of your fish, return the fish to the pan at some point during the five minutes. Salt and Pepper to taste.
Once done, plate the fish and smother with the sauce. If using garnish (such as fresh herbs, fried leeks or shallots, or crispy prosciutto) add now. Serve with steamed veggies or roasted dark greens and toasted ciabatta bread to soak up sauce (can also use rice).
Variations: You can add a bit of bacon, pancetta or prosciutto to this for more flavor if you are a pork lover. I like to add something crispy on top for texture – crispy leeks or prosciutto are my favorites. If using pork of some type crisp it before you sear the fish to add flavor to the pan and the sauce.