Spicy Red Snapper

Dear Devon,

Since resolving to eat more fish, I have collected several fish recipes that I'm dying to try out. This recipe for spicy red snapper was at the top of the list. It came from my latest cookbook obsession, the Korean Table. Sadly, NYPL recalled the book, and I must content myself with photocopies...at least, until my birthday. Lucky for me, my birthday is in a few weeks.

A month ago, I made a huge batch of the red pepper paste used in Korean kimchi. Other than as a spicy topping, I thought I would have limited use for the sauce. However, I am pleasantly surprised to find that the 16 ounce jar of paste is steadily diminishing. When whipping something together, I find myself reaching into the fridge for that jar. I like the convenience of the paste for marinades and the spicy and sweet notes it adds to any dish. It has become an absolute staple.

The best part is this dish requires two ingredients: 1) red snapper 2) red pepper paste. Smother the fish with red pepper paste and roast in the oven. It couldn't be easier. The level of spiciness can be adjusted by adding less or more of the paste. If the paste is too spicy, dilute with a bit of water or a sprinkle of lemon juice.

My red snapper reminded me more of Sichuanese fried fish, only without the dancing pepper sensation. The fleshy snapper had a nice firm consistency, giving weight to the spicy sauce. I sprinkled fresh lemon juice over the fish to cut some of the spice and bring the flavor of the fish and pepper together. The dish was comfortably spicy, enough to give a consistent burn on the lips but mild enough to be calmed with water and a bowl of vinegary sushi rice. A crisp and spicy cucumber and seaweed salad balanced the meal, providing some freshness and a range of flavors.


Spicy Red Snapper
from At the Korean Table by Taekyung Chung and Debra Samuels

1 whole red snapper (roughly 1 pound)
salt
4 tbsp seasoned red pepper paste (see post from March 10 , 2010)
2 scallions chopped
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 tbsp sesame oil

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking tray with foil.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together red pepper paste, sesame oil, scallions and lemon juice.

Wash fish and check for scales. With a sharp knife, make several incisions into the flesh of the fish on both sides. Salt the fish all over and inside the cavity. Place fish on baking sheet. Bake for about 8 minutes, until firm to the touch. Remove from the oven. Increase oven temperature to 425 degrees. Spread the red pepper mixture all over the fish on both sides. Return to oven. Cook for an additional 5-7 minutes. To check for doneness, insert a knife in the thickest part of the fish. The flesh should be opaque and flaky. Cooking time for the fish will vary depending on the thickness of the fish and the calibration of your oven.

Fish Soup

Dear Devon,

For the past few years, I have been making a simple fish soup. It's not a recipe I read about or learned from anyone, but a dish that I threw together on a whim one wintry night. It was so successful that I've repeated it many times. Over the years, I've played around with the recipe, creating two versions. One is tomato-based, infused with garlic and spiced with red pepper flakes and parsley. The second is made from a more classic vegetable stock of carrots and onions or leeks, and flavored with dill. A fillet of firm fish is nestled into the hot stock and slowly poached until flaky.


Herbs bring a sensation of freshness to any dish. In the winter, I stock up on dill and parsley, in part to remind myself that snow melts and warm sunny days will return. Aside from flat leaf parsley, dill is one of my all time favorite herbs. I love its strong distinctive flavor and bold green color. I mix a handful into salads, eggs, soups, and beans. A friend of mine told me that his mom often added dill to her soups. I was shocked I hadn't thought of it and quickly incorporated this flavoring technique into my cooking. Numerous bowls of soup later, my boyfriend has requested a hiatus from dill.


A light stock is essential. Otherwise, you will lose the flavor and texture of the fish, and perhaps overpower the dill. I begin with onions, garlic, and carrot sauteed in olive oil. I don't want to brown the veggies too much. I use both chicken broth and water. You can use all water, if you prefer, but I like the heartiness of the chicken broth. It gives the soup a bit more substance. I advise against using only chicken broth, as it creates an overly salty soup and disturbs the flavor.

There's nothing quite like sitting down to a nice bowl of warm soup. As my glasses steam up, I'm struck by the bright fragrance of dill. The fish is moist and easily flakes against the sharp tines of my fork. A piece of hand-torn day old bread quickly soaks up any remaining juice, melting into a soft delicious mush.


Fish Soup

1 large Tilapia filet, roughly 1 lb
1 yellow pepper, sliced
2 cloves garlic
1/2 small onion, chopping
2 carrots, diced
2 scallions, chopped
1/2 cup, chopped dill
1/4 cup, chopped parsley
1 1/2 cup chicken broth
1 cup water

Prepare vegetables in roughly equal size pieces. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium high heat. Gently saute yellow pepper, onion, carrots, and garlic in olive oil until onions become translucent. Pour in chicken stock, water, and a bit of salt. Cover and let simmer over medium low heat until the carrots are tender, about 15 minutes. Cut the fish fillet into large chunks. Add to hot soup and poach until just cooked through, 8 - 10 minutes. Toss in fresh herbs and scallions. Cook for 2 minutes. Taste for salt. Ladle into large bowls and serve with crusty bread.

A Fish By Any Other Name

Dear Devon

I have a sleek and shimmering branzino on my cutting board. I am going to roast it whole at 500 degrees for a crispy, charred skin. Delicious!!

I love fish. Whenever fish appears on the menu, I resolutely snap it shut and look for the server. Everyone at the table knows what I'm eating. My first time in Germany (I was 15), I ordered a roasted fish. The entire fish, head and all, came out. With a few deft cuts and movements, my dad showed me how to filet a fish. I have never looked back. It stands out as one of my better meals.

For years, I drooled over recipes for roast fish, but I didn't have the nerve to try it for myself. What finally brushed away my insecurities? I don't know, but what a mistake to have let that time pass. Roasting must be the easiest way to prepare fish. None of that fishy smell, no hot oil spills, and quick, easy clean up. When selecting fish, I look for a few things: clean, bright skin, clear eyes, and the absence of a fishy smell. I always ask the fishmonger to gut it for me. I once saw my grandmother gut and clean a fish. It takes both skill and a strong stomach. I was surprised at her skill, but I don't feel the need to perfect that technique.


I like to roast branzino or trout, seasoned with salt, pepper, and fennel, and stuffed with fresh herbs like dill, parsley, or thyme. The subtle flavor of the fish with a trace of herbs really sings. A sprinkle of lemon juice and a splash of olive oil enhances the soft sweetness of the fish. Some people choose not to eat the crackly charred skin. I find it one of the better parts. It imparts a wonderful salty and slight fishy taste to the flaky meat. It's quite possibly the most wonderful meal. I serve it with a generous helping of spinach sauteed in garlic with a pinch of chili flakes. A crisp white wine adds the perfect note.



Here's an interesting side note: Branzino is actually part of the sea bass family. In Europe, it is sometimes called sea perch. It has been on dining tables since Roman times!!


Whole Roasted Branzino
serves 1 hungry person or 2 moderate eaters

1 beautiful branzino, roughly 1 to 2 pounds
1 teaspoon, sea salt
1 tsp white peppercorns
1 tsp fennel
10 sprigs parsley
5 sprigs dill
1 lemon, cut into wedges
olive oil (optional)

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil. Set aside.

Roughly grind the salt, peppercorns, and fennel with the mortar and pestle. Don't pulverize the mixture. You should be able to see pieces of each ingredient.

Remove fish from wrappings. Rinse under cold water, inside and out. Pat dry with paper towels. Using a sharp knife, cut three slashes in each side of the fish. Rub the fish all over inside and out with the salt / pepper mixture. Make sure to get some flavoring into the slashes. Stuff the inside with the herbs. Carefully place the fish on the prepared baking sheet.

Roast in the oven, undisturbed, until the meat is translucent right down to the bone and flaky, about 8 to 12 minutes. The Joy of Cooking recommends 8 minutes per inch of thickness. To get that wonderful blackened skin, turn the broiler on at the last moment until the skin reaches your level of crispness. Every broiler is different, so I am hesitant to give a time. For instance, my mother's super high-power oven can broil something to the point of charcoal in 30 seconds, while my broiler can take 5 minutes. Use your best judgment.

Serve with a sprinkle of lemon juice and generous glug of olive oil.

Fish Tacos with Two Salsas

Dear Michelle,

Finally, here is the recipe for those fish tacos we made earlier in the summer. It's hard to remember, now, with a chill in the air and the wind rushing through my apartment, that not long ago light dresses and sandals felt perfect and nothing sounded more enticing for dinner than light fish with the freshest sweet-tart-spicy salsas all wrapped up in a fresh corn tortilla.


Although we made two salsas for these, and homemade tortillas, store-bought could be substituted for both in a pinch. If the pinch is laziness instead of timeliness, though, get over it; there's no comparison. Both of these salsas are bright and clean, with none of the bland-if-spicy taste of cooked, jarred salsas. Sometimes when I'm full but I just can't stop eating, I will make a taco with just salsa. Can you say that of store-bought?

Fresh tortillas are new in my life. My friend Amy introduced me to them, and I went out the next week to buy a tortilla press. Not as rubbery or crumbly as those available in stores (and we have a fairly large Latino population around here, so I'm assuming what we can buy is pretty authentic), these are soft and tender, far superior in both flavor and texture. Plus, not only are they fun to make, but you won't end up with 50 when you only need 10.

So, here goes, an ambitious first post:

Tortillas

Masa Harina - this is a particular type of corn flour which has been treated with slaked lime. The brand available around here is Maseca, which has worked fine for me.
warm water
salt (about a 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon per cup of dough)

Mix some salt into the flour, then pour in warm water in parts and mix till the dough is soft but not sticky. I always use more than is called for on the package. Dough should be soft enough to puff slightly when cooking, but not so soft that it will stick to the plastic wrap when using the press. Nothing I've read calls for the addition of salt, but it really helps with the flavor. If you've used too little, more can easily be added later.

At this point, wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it sit while you make the salsa.

While salsas sit, start making the tortillas. Heat skillet (I use a cast iron) without oil till hot. Line a tortilla press with a large piece of plastic wrap, then roll a ball of dough a little larger than an inch in diameter in your hands. Place in press and press to about 1/8 inch thick. This should be very easy as the dough should be soft. You do not want it to ooze out the sides, and if it is, then you are using too much dough or pressing too hard. Peel plastic from dough carefully, and put dough on skillet. Turn once the underside has colored, about a minute or two. Wrap tortillas in a towel to keep them warm. While making tortillas, marinate fish (see below).

Salsas

Here we have two kinds of salsa, a tomatillo-tomato-avocado and a peach-papaya-avocado. Can you tell how much I like avocados? Salsa is one of those things it's impossible write a recipe with perfect amounts for. I'm going to approximate; so if you like onion, or spice, or whatever, add more, or less if you hate it. You can substitute, too. Hate peaches, but love mango? There you go!

This made a lot of salsa.

1/2 red onion
limes (2-4)
bunch cilantro
2 tomatillos
2 peaches or nectarines
1/2 papaya
1/2 red bell pepper
chili oil or hot sauce
1 avocado
1 medium tomato
1 clove garlic

(Optional) roast tomatillos over gas burner. I use fondue picks to hold them. You could use a bbq, or probably even a broiler. In any case, char the skins and then set aside to cool.
Finely chop 1/2 a red onion and divide between two bowls, then finely chop the garlic and add to one bowl. Zest 1 lime into both bowls, then squeeze half of it into each. This mellows the onion and garlic. Rinse the tomatillos under the faucet, rubbing off the charred skin, then chop and add to the bowl with the garlic. Chop and add tomato.

Now chop peaches, papaya and bell pepper and add to other bowl. Vary amounts of each as desired. Chop cilantro and add to both bowls, reserving a little for the tacos. Drizzle a touch of chili oil or hot sauce in both. Stir and taste. Add the additional lime if necessary, or more heat. Let sit to meld flavors, but the avocado is added just before eating.


Fish

Use any mild white fish, about a half a pound per person, more for heavy eaters.

About 5-10 minutes before tortillas are done, put fish in a large ziplock bag with lime (zest and juice), chili powder, garlic, cumin, salt, pepper and a little olive oil. Don't marinade for too long, or you will have ceviche! I have a DIY vacuum-packing method: put the bag in a large bowl of water, sealed but for the very edge. The water will force the air out of the bag, allowing you to seal it with the marinade touching all sides of whatever it is being marinaded. That way you don't have to bother with shaking it, or flipping it, to make sure it's been evenly exposed.

Once the tortillas are done, add a little oil and then the fish to the pan, cooking quickly till it flakes. It doesn't matter if it breaks apart.

And finally, Tacos

salsa
tortillas
cooked fish
queso fresco
cilantro

Add avocado to salsas. Put fish and cheese in bowls. Dig in.



Ah, well, Summer will come again.