Cod-Potato Fritters

 

Ingredients

• 1 lb (450 g) Yukon gold or russet potatoes, peeled and cut in chunks
• Some form of cod (See note)
• 1 small onion, very finely minced
• 2–3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 large eggs
• 2–3 tbsp (or more!) chopped parsley (or chives)
• 2–4 tbsp all-purpose flour (as needed to bind - optional)
• 1/2 tsp baking powder (optional, for extra lightness)
• Salt and black pepper
• Neutral oil for shallow or deep frying
• Lemon wedges, for serving

Prep the potato and cod

• Peel, dice and boil potatoes in well-salted water until very tender, 12–15 minutes. Drain, then return to the hot pot a minute to steam off excess moisture.
• At the same time, open the cod tin or jar. (Or poach the cod if using fresh) (I reserved the cod EVOO and used it to sauté the onion and garlic, and saved the rest for a dog food enhancement!)
• Drain cod well, and flake finely with a fork, removing any stray bones.

Make the fritter mixture

• In a pan, sauté the minced onion and garlic in a little (cod) oil over medium heat until soft and just starting to color; cool slightly.
• Mash potatoes until smooth (a few small lumps are fine).
• In a large bowl, combine mashed potatoes, flaked cod, sautéed onion/garlic, parsley, salt, and pepper.
• Add eggs and mix until evenly combined.
• Sprinkle in 2 tbsp flour and baking powder; mix. If the mixture feels too soft to hold a loose ball or quenelle, add more flour a tablespoon at a time until it holds but is still soft and moist.

Fry the fritters

• Heat thin layer of oil (I used avocado, but could use EVOO) in a heavy pan on medium heat.
• Using two spoons or a small scoop, hand form portions (I went football shaped), and gently lower into the oil, not crowding the pan.
• Fry 3–5 minutes on one side, then flip and smash down a bit with a spatula. Get both sides deep golden brown and crisp. You’ll likely need to replenish the frying oil.
• Transfer to paper towels and lightly salt while hot.
• You can then put these into a baking dish to reheat or keep warm in the oven until ready to serve. Theoretically, you could make these a day before and reheat in the oven.

Note

We had a tin of fancy cod in EVOO and garlic via Meredith and a small jar of cod in EVOO (Callipo brand from PennMac). We thought this worked out great and saved us from buying a massive slab of salted baccala and soaking it for 3 days! Some recipes do use baccala, of course or even fresh cod can work.

Smoked Trout Dip / Potted Smoked Trout (le Budget le Gourmet)

 via (RecipeTin Eats) (with slight modifications)

Ingredients

• 1 stick / 4 oz / 120 g unsalted butter (consider 90 grams)
• 1 eschallot (golden shallot), finely diced (Note 1)(We used regular old shallots)
• 1 garlic clove, very finely chopped
• Rind of 1 lemon, very finely grated (yellow part only)
• 1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 lb / 500 g (we used about 8 oz) whole smoked trout
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• 4 oz / 120 g crème fraîche (or full‑fat sour cream — Note 2)
• 1 tbsp cream (full‑fat, not whipped)
• 1/4 cup fresh dill, coarsely chopped
• 2 tbsp chives, coarsely chopped

Instructions

1. CLEAN THE TROUT: remove as many bones as possible!
2. Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until melted. Pour 1/4 into a bowl and set aside.
3. Add shallot, garlic, and lemon rind to the pan. Cook gently for 3–5 minutes until soft and translucent (do not brown).
4. Remove the skin from the trout and discard. Remove the flesh, avoiding bones, and place in a bowl. Flake with a fork and discard bones.
5. Pour the shallot‑butter mixture over the trout.
6. Add lemon juice, cayenne pepper, crème fraîche, cream, and herbs. Stir gently to combine.
7. Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed (trout is often salty already).
8. Spoon into jars or ramekins (1 large, 2 medium, or 4 small). Smooth the surface.
9. Pour the reserved butter over the top to cover.
10. Refrigerate to set. (Original recipe suggested freezing 5–10 minutes, but this caused cracking.)
11. Serve the same day or make up to one week in advance. Serve with fresh or toasted bread.

Notes

1. Shallots: Golden/french shallots look like small, pointy onions. Scallions, spring onions, or regular onions can be substituted — use about 2 tbsp very finely diced.
2. Crème fraîche substitute: Full‑fat sour cream is a very close substitute. Do not use low‑fat.
3. Butter seal: The butter layer seals the spread and keeps it fresh for up to a week.
4. Make ahead: Best made at least a day ahead; flavor improves with time.

Karen’s and Karen’s Mom’s Tuna Sauce

 Ingredients

2 or 3 cans of good tuna in oil, preferable Italian (We use Genova brand Tuna in Extra Virgin Olive Oil from Costco) Drain the oil off the tuna and set aside to sauté the veg.

1 small to medium sized carrot, finely diced

1 medium sized onion, finely diced

1 stalk celery, finely diced

Salt

2 - 4 garlic cloves, peeled and finely diced

Crushed red pepper, to taste

1 large or 2 small bay leaves

1 - 2 tbls chopped capers

Tomatoes: 

1 can (28 oz.) whole tomatoes (like La Valle brand from PennMac)

1 bottle passata (like Mutti or La Valle)

OR for faster prep, shorter simmer time:

2 (28 oz.) cans Hunt’s Tomato Sauce (not puree)

Procedure
1. Heat the reserved tuna oil in a 2- to 3-quart nonreactive saucepan over medium heat. Add the carrots, onions, celery, and some salt, and cook until carrots are soft, about 10 minutes. Add crushed red pepper, bay leaf and garlic, sauté 2 minutes or so and then quickly add…

2. Add tomato sauce, diced tomatoes and passata into the pot. Crush tomatoes with a potato masher or by hand. Bring to a simmer, and season lightly with more salt to taste. After 15 minutes, add the tuna and capers. Lower the heat so sauce is at a lively simmer, and cook until somewhat thick, about 30 minutes. (We like more cooked flavor, but if you like it less cooked, cook it less).

3. Taste sauce, and season with salt and red pepper if necessary. Serve over pasta of choice.

Sauce Rémoulade (Bittman)

(From The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005)

Forget tartar sauce. Rémoulade is its predecessor, and it’s superior in every way, the ideal sauce for grilled (and other) fish.

Ingredients

makes about 1 cup

1 cup mayonnaise, preferably homemade (page 602)

Salt and black pepper to taste

1 small garlic clove, minced

2 tablespoons chopped capers

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

1 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon leaves or a pinch of dried

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

2 anchovy fillets, minced, optional

1/4 teaspoon cayenne, or to taste

1.       Step 1

If you’ve already made the mayonnaise, combine it with all the remaining ingredients. If you’re making the mayonnaise for this recipe and you’re using a food processor or blender, you can save yourself some mincing by adding the garlic at the beginning and pulsing in the other solid ingredients while the sauce is still in the machine.

Step 2

The sauce will keep well in the refrigerator for a few days, though it will lose a bit of intensity each day. To freshen it before serving, squeeze in a little lemon juice.

 Just for comparison, here's Bobby Flay's Tartar Sauce recipe:

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  
  
• 1/2 cup sour cream
  
  
• 1/3 cup finely chopped dill pickle (or relish)
  
  
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, plus more to taste
  
  
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped capers
  
  
• 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped chives or ¼ tsp onion powder
  
  
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill or 1 teaspoon dried
  
  
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  
  
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  
  
• 1/8 tsp each salt, and pepper, plus more to taste

 

 

 

 

Monkfish Brodetto | Recipes | PBS Food

Monkfish Brodetto Recipes PBS Food


Ingredients
8 plump garlic cloves, peeled
3 pounds monkfish fillet
1½ teaspoons salt
1 to 2 cups flour, for dredging the fish
1½ to 2 cups canola oil
4 tablespoons butter, in chunks
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
½ cup white wine
¾ cup vegetable broth, or water
¼ cup dry toasted pine nuts
¼ cup shredded fresh basil, about 12 big leaves

Directions

Making the garlic purée: Put the garlic cloves in a small saucepan with about 1½ cups of water. Bring the water to a steady, bubbling boil and cook uncovered for 15 minutes. Drain, then add a fresh 1½ cups of water and boil again for about 30 minutes, until the cloves are completely soft but still whole and hardly any water is left in the pot. Reduce the heat as the water evaporates so nothing burns. Purée the cloves and any drops of cooking liquid in a food processor, mini-chopper or blender; you should have about ⅓ cup of purée.

Preparing the fish: If the monkfish is covered with translucent membrane (the fishmonger may have trimmed it) use a sharp paring knife to lift and strip it off. Cut the monkfish into chunks, about 2-inches wide, and sprinkle ½ teaspoon salt over all the surfaces. Roll the chunks in the flour to coat well; shake off excess. Pour enough oil into the pan to a depth of ⅓- to a ½-inch and heat rapidly for several minutes until the oil bubbles instantly if you dip a piece of fish into it.

Frying the fish: Lay a batch of fish chunks in the pan, with plenty of space in between each piece. Fry for a couple of minutes on each side until crusted and golden brown all over, about 6 minutes in all, then remove them a bowl lined with paper towels to drain. Sprinkle lightly with salt. Fry all the pieces the same way, adding oil to the pan as necessary; drain on paper towels and salt lightly with an additional ¼ teaspoon of the salt. Pour the hot vegetable oil out of the skillet.

Preparing the fish for the brodetto: Set the skillet back on the stove; put in the chunks of butter, and start melting them over medium heat. Return all the monkfish to the pan and heat, turning the pieces on all sides, until everything is sizzling again, about 3 minutes.

Adding the garlic purée: Clear a large hot spot in the skillet and scrape in every bit of the garlic purée. Raise the heat a bit and shake the pan to spread the garlic, rolling the fish pieces in it at the same time. After a minute, when the purée is sizzling, sprinkle the lemon juice and the remaining ¾ teaspoon salt all over, and turn the pieces.

Making the brodetto: Pour in the broth and the wine; bring the sauce to a bubbling boil, and cook 3 minutes or more, turning the fish chunks, as the sauce thickens and coats them. Scatter the pine nuts in the pan and toss them with the fish. When the sauce has the density you like, turn off the heat, sprinkle the basil shreds over the fish, turn the chunks in the sauce one more time, and serve right away.

Lidia's Clam Sauce

From her PBS show "Lidia Celebrates America"

Ingredients


6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

6 garlic cloves, sliced

4 anchovies, sliced

36 littleneck clams, scrubbed

¼ teaspoon peperoncino

¼ teaspoon dry oregano

1 pound linguine

¾ cup chopped fresh Italian parsley

Directions

1.Bring a large pot of water to boil for pasta. In a large straight-sided skillet, heat 4 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add sliced garlic and cook until sizzling, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add anchovies and stir until the anchovies break up and dissolve into the oil, about 2 minutes.

2.Add the clams to the skillet, along with the peperoncino and oregano. Ladle in about 2 cups pasta water. Bring to a simmer and cover until clams open, about 5 to 7 minutes. As the clams open, remove to a bowl. Meanwhile, add linguine to pasta water.

3.When all the clams are out, increase heat to high and add ½ cup of the parsley. Cook until reduced by half. Meanwhile, shuck the clams.

4.When the linguine is al dente and the sauce is reduced, add the pasta directly to the sauce and drizzle with remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Cook and toss until the pasta is coated with the sauce. Add shucked clams and remaining 2 tablespoons chopped parsley, Cook a minute more to blend the flavors and serve.

Tips/Techniques

Linguine with red clam sauce is almost never found in Italy, but is a big seller in Italian American restaurants here in the United States. So when you go to Italy, eat it as they do with white clam sauce and never ever ask for cheese to put on your linguine with white clam sauce.

2011 Christmas Eve Menu

Our "Feast of the Seven Fishes" menu:

(1) Shrimp Cocktail,
(2) Fried Clamari
(3) Bacalao Fritters aka Buñuelos de Bacalao (or this one)
Pierre Robert Cheese, and assorted cheeses.
(3.1) Smoked Salmon spread
(4) Charley's Chowder
(5) Caesar Salad (with anchovies)
Karen, Meredith and Christians HOME MADE Spaghetti with
(6) Sicilian Tuna Sauce with capers
(7) Langostino Fra Diavalo
(7.1) White Clam Sauce

Clam Sauce for Pasta

Adapted from Rachel Ray and Emeril Lagasse recipes!

Ingredients


1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
4 to 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tin flat fillet of anchovies, drained, 6 or 7 fillets
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, 4 or 5 sprigs stripped or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup clam juice
1 pound fresh chopped clams
1 lemon, zested

1 pound linguini, slightly undercooked, about 6 to 7 minutes

1/4 cup chopped parsley leaves

Lots of black pepper and some coarse salt

Crusty bread, for mopping

Directions

Heat a large deep skillet over medium heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil, 4 turns of the pan in a slow stream, red pepper flakes, garlic and anchovies and cook until anchovies melt into the oil. Add thyme and wine. Reduce wine 1 minute. Add clam juice or stock, clam juice will give the dish a stronger clam flavor, chicken stock will give it a buttery personality. Stir in clams and lemon zest. Drain pasta. Add to skillet and toss with sauce 2 to 3 minutes, until pasta is al dente and has absorbed some of the sauce and flavor. Add parsley, pepper and salt, to your taste and serve with bread for mopping up remaining juices.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

Our "Feast of the Seven Fishes" menu:
(1) Shrimp Coktail, (2) Fried Clamari, and (3) Fried Smelts (all courtesy of Joyce!).
(4)  Sardine Pate, Pierre Robert Cheese, and assorted cheeses.
(5) Charley's Chowder
Cold Lemony Asparagus-Mushroom-Red Pepper Salad
Karen, Meredith and Christians HOME MADE Spaghetti with
(6) Grandma's Tuna Sauce (resicpe forthcoming)
(7) Langostino Fra Diavalo
(8) White Clam Sauce

For Desert, Christian and Meredith's Cookie and Bar assortment, and Meredith's Famous Tiramasou

Thanks for coming, everyone!

Sherried Sardine Toast

From Food Network: Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2009

.Prep Time:15 minInactive Prep Time:--Cook Time:5 minLevel:

4 servings.

Ingredients

•2 (3.75-ounce 2-layer) tins brisling sardines in olive oil
•2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley leaves, divided
•1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
•1/4 teaspoon lemon zest, reserve the lemon and cut into 4 wedges
•Freshly ground black pepper
•4 (1/2-inch) thick slices crusty bread, such as sourdough, country loaf or rye
•1 ripe Hass avocado
•Coarse sea salt

Directions

Drain the oil from 1 tin of sardines into a small bowl and set aside. Drain the oil from the other tin into another small bowl and whisk in 1 tablespoon of parsley, vinegar, lemon zest, and black pepper, to taste. Add the sardines, stir to combine and set aside for up to 1 hour.

After 45 minutes, put a rack 3-inches from the broiler and heat the oven to the broiler setting on high. Brush each slice of bread on 1 side with the reserved oil. Put the bread, oil side up, onto a cooling rack set inside a half sheet pan and broil 2 to 3 minutes or until golden brown and crisp.

Halve the avocado and remove the pit. Smash the flesh in each half with a fork.

Spread the avocado evenly onto the toasted bread. Top evenly with the sardines. Pour any remaining dressing on top and garnish with the remaining parsley.

Season lightly with sea salt and serve with lemon wedges.

Crab Alfredo

Ingredients:


4 tablespoons Butter or margarine
4 tablespoons Flour
2 cups Half-and-half (heavy cream If you REALLY feel wicked)
1/2 cup (or more to Taste) grated Parmesan Cheese
Salt and white pepper to Taste
Few grains cayenne pepper (optional)
6 (8 oz.) cooked snow crab meat, Cut into chunks

Directions:

Melt the butter in a saucepan. Stir in the flour, and cook briefly until the mixture looks sandy. Do NOT let it color. Wisk in the half-and-half, and stir until the mixture forms a thick sauce. Stir in the cheese, and season to taste. Simmer for a few minutes to blend the flavors, and stir in the crab meat. Cook JUST until the crab is heated through. Serve over cooked linguini, with additional Parmesan cheese and hot red pepper flakes on the side.

Before some purist jumps me, I KNOW this isn't a classic Alfredo, but it is a very good dish, and remarkably easy to make.

This may be varied by substituting cooked lobster meat for the crab, or by adding 36 cooked, peeled and deveined medium shrimp, and about a quarter of a cup of chopped cooked broccoli instead of the crab meat.

This recipe from CDKitchen for Red Lobster Crab Alfredo serves/makes 6

ALTERNATIVE from AllRecipes.com

Ingredients


8 ounces dried fettucine
3 tablespoons butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
salt and black pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 cups half-and-half
1 (4 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
8 ounces crabmeat, flaked

Directions

1.Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain. Keep warm and covered.

2.Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and cook until garlic releases its aroma, about 2 minutes, being careful not to let the garlic brown. Stir in the flour, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper. Reduce heat, and cook, stirring constantly for about 2 minutes. Add the half-and-half and stir over medium heat until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes.

3.Add the cream cheese and Parmesan cheese to the sauce and stir until cheeses melt and mixture is smooth. Mix in the crabmeat and continue cooking until crabmeat is heated through, about 3 minutes.

4.Divide the fettucine between 2 plates or bowls and top with the crab sauce.

OR here is Classic Alfredo to add crab to:

2 cups whipping cream
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper

1 In 1-quart saucepan over medium-high heat, heat cream to boiling (ensuring not to burn).
2 Reduce heat to medium; gradually stir in 1 cup Parmesan cheese.
3 Add butter, 1 tbsp at a time, stirring.
4 Add salt and pepper.
5 Makes 2 1/2 cups sauce or enough to serve over 1 1b cooked pasta.
6 To serve, sprinkle with some grated parmesan cheese.

Granville Moore's Blue Cheese Moules

Teddy Folkman's Moules Fromage Bleu (From Washingtonian.com )

Serves one as a meal; two to four as an appetizer

1 1/4 pound rope-grown P.E.I. mussels
4 tablespoons blended oil (40 percent extra-virgin olive oil, 60 percent canola oil)
1/3 cup diced applewood-smoked bacon
1/3 cup thinly sliced shallots
1/4 cup Hook's Blue Cheese, or a similar mild, creamy blue
1/3 cup white wine, preferably a dry Chardonnay
Juice of 1 lemon
1/3 cup baby spinach, cleaned and destemmed
Sea salt, as needed
Black pepper, as needed

Heat the oil in a pan over high heat. Cook the bacon until the fat is rendered and it is slightly browned. Add the shallots and mussels and toss together. Add the white wine and lemon juice and toss together.

When the mussels start to open, add half of blue cheese, melting it into the broth. As soon as all mussels are open, toss in the spinach. Season to taste with sea salt and black pepper.

Plate the mussels and top them with the remainder of the blue cheese. Serve with a French baguette and frites.

Cioppino from Food Network

Ingredients
STEW BASE
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups sliced onion
2 tablespoons minced garlic
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 cup dry white wine
2 1/2 pounds vine-ripened tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped
1 red bell pepper, trimmed, seeded, and diced
2 tablespoons minced flat-leaf parsley leaves
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves
1 bay leaf
3 cups fish stock or 1 cup bottled clam broth mixed with 2 cups chicken broth, homemade or low-sodium canned
1/4 cup julienned fresh basil leaves
SEAFOOD
12 little neck clams
1 cooked Dungeness crab, chopped into large pieces, or 2 Alaskan king crab claws, cracked and quartered
12 mussels
1 pound large shrimp, butterflied in the shell, and deveined
1/2 pound cleaned squid, cut into rings, and tentacles halved
1/2 pound sea scallops, trimmed, or firm fleshed fish, like halibut, cut into 1-inch cubes
Serving suggestion: hot crusty sourdough bread
Directions
Make the stew base. Heat a large stew pot or Dutch oven over medium heat with the olive oil. Add the onions and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, season with salt and pepper to taste, and cook 2 minutes more. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Add the wine, and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits in the pot. Simmer the wine until reduced by about half. Add the tomatoes, peppers, parsley, thyme, and bay leaf and cook for 5 minutes. Add the stock or broths; bring to a boil, then adjust the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook the base, with a cover slightly ajar, for 30 minutes. (The base may be prepared ahead up to this point, refrigerated for 1 day or frozen for 1 month).

Finish the Cioppino. Bring the base to a simmer. Add the basil and the clams, and cook covered, over high heat, for 5 minutes, or just until the clams open. Add the crab and cook for 1 minute. Add the mussels, shrimp, squid, and scallops. Cook, stirring frequently, until the mussels open, the shrimp curl, and squid and scallops are just firm, about 3 minutes. Serve in large heated bowls with plenty of crusty bread.


Copyright 2001 Television Food Network, G.P. All rights reserved

Quick Crab Cakes

1 pound canned crab meat
2 slices fresh bread* processed into crumbs
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp Old Bay Seasoning
Black pepper to taste
Crushed garlic (optional)

Thoroughly combine all ingredients in a bowl.

Shape into patties and pan grill on lightly oiled skillet until nicely browned on both sides and firmed up to touch.

*I use low carb bread at 2 net carbs per slice making the whole batch only 4 grams carbs!

Also found this recipe from Fog City Diner for crab cakes
Crab meat
Red onion
Basil
Capers
Mayo

Blackened Fish

Paul Prudhomme's Blackened Redfish


1 teaspoons salt (he calls for 3, I use 1 tsp)
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons paprika

8 skinless, boneless fillets of fish, preferably redfish, pompano or tilefish, about 1/4 pound each (see note)
1/2 cup melted butter


1. Combine the salt, red pepper, white pepper, black pepper, thyme, basil, oregano and paprika in a small bowl.

2. Dip the fish pieces on both sides in butter. Sprinkle on both sides with the seasoned mixture.

3. Heat a black iron skillet over high heat about five minutes or longer until it is beyond the smoking stage and starts to lighten in color on the bottom.

4. Add two or more fish pieces and pour about a teaspoon of butter on top of each piece. The butter may flame up. Cook over high heat about a minute and a half. Turn the fish and pour another teaspoon of butter over each piece.

Cook about a minute and a half. Serve immediately. Continue until all the fillets are cooked.

YIELD 4 servings

I make the seasoning mix in large quantities and store it in the fridge.
Ratio is
4 salt (or less)
2 cayenne pepper
2 white pepper
2 garlic powder
2 onion powder
1 black pepper
1 dried thyme
1 dried basil
1 dried oregano
8 paprika

NOTE: Redfish and pompano are ideal for this dish. If tilefish is used, you
have to split the fillets in half. Place the fillet on a flat surface, hold
the knife parallel to the surface and split in half through the center from
one end to the other. The weight of the fish may vary from a pound to a
pound and a half, depending on your skillet, but they must not be more than
about an inch and a half thick.

Pan Roasted Salmon (Bittman)

25 minutes
Roasting pan or baking dish that just holds the fish
475-degree oven

1 pound salmon filet, skin left on
2 T. butter
Salt and pepper
A small handful chopped parsley

1) Heat the oven to 475 degrees.

2) When the oven's up to speed, melt the butter in the roasting pan (you can do this in the oven while it's heating up).

3) Rinse and pat the salmon dry with paper towels. Lay the filet in the pan, skin up, and bake for 5 minutes. Then turn the fish and bake another 5 minutes, or until the fish is done.*

4) While the fish cooks, chop a small handful of parsley. To serve, put the filet on a serving platter, sprinkle with salt, pepper, and parsley, and pour the melted butter over the fish. If you're fast, the parsley will sizzle a bit from the hot butter.

*Done—Timing will vary depending on how thick the filet is, but make sure your oven is 475 degrees before putting the fish in.

Now ultimately, the only way to tell when fish is done is to get in there and look. Press on the fish, if it flakes apart, it's definitely done. But if it doesn't quite fall apart, look between the flakes at the thickest point. A thin streak of raw at this point is perfect--the fish will continue to cook itself.

With salmon, "done" is really a matter of taste. If the fish is really fresh, medium-rare can be delicious. But if you have any doubts about a fish's absolute freshness (supermarket fish counters), be conservative and cook the fish until it's done, that is, until you see the hairline of raw in the middle.

Shrimp Fra Diavolo

Rao’s Shrimp Fra Diavolo Serves 4

Note: Tried doing this (2025) with thawed shrimp and adding just before serving, and it made the sauce to watery. I'd advise either grilling or oven frying the shrimp prior to adding to the sauce to avoid this. I'm still no keen on pan frying, but might try next time.

Ingredients
2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and de-veined, butterflied, tails removed, patted dry
 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 
1/2 cup fine-quality olive oil
6 small garlic cloves, peeled
1 cup dry white wine
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
Dried red-pepper flakes to taste
Salt & pepper to taste 
4 cups hand-crushed, canned imported San Marzano Italian plum tomatoes
8 fresh basil leaves, torn
1 lb. linguine or other pasta (optional)
Method:   Dredge shrimp in flour, patting to make sure that all sides are well coated. Heat oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. When oil is very hot, but not smoking, add shrimp and saute for 2 minutes. Stir in garlic and saute for an additional minute or until shrimp are just beginning to brown. (Do not crowd pan; prepare shrimp in batches, if necessary.) Remove from heat and drain off all excess oil. Set shrimp aside and keep warm. All of this is unnecessary and made for clumps of flour and overcooked shrimp. See NOTE: Just add the shrimp a few minutes before serving to cook through.
Using heavy pan add olive oil and garlic to medium-high heat.
Stir in wine, oregano, pepper flakes, and salt and pepper.
Bring to a boil and cook for 3 minutes.
Stir in tomatoes and cook for 15 minutes or until sauce has thickened slightly.
Stir in basil and shrimp and cook for 3 minutes, remove garlic cloves.
Serve with or without linguine pasta (optional). 
Also make a chili pepper oil with good EVOO and let it marinate while cooking all of this. Serve with the chili oil at the table.

CHARLEY'S CHOWDER

CHARLEY'S CHOWDER
Recipe by Chef Larry
(Yield: 8 servings)

1/4 cup olive oil
3 medium garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1 cup onion, finely diced
1/2 cup celery, finely diced
1/4 teaspoon basil
1/4 teaspoon oregano Pinch of thyme
8 to 10 whole plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped into 1/4-inch pieces
(or 2 cups stewed tomatoes, finely chopped, without the juice)
1 cup tomato sauce
6 cups clam juice
1 pound boneless pollack, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
Salt to taste

1. In a 4-quart soup pot, heat olive oil. Add garlic. When the garlic turns brown,
remove it quickly with a slotted spoon and discard. Reduce the heat.
2. Add celery, onions and spices to oil. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes.
3. Add tomatoes and tomato sauce; simmer for 5 minutes.
4. Add clam juice and pollack. Cover and bring to a boil.
5. Remove cover and boil for 10 minutes longer. With a wire whisk, whip soup to break up fish into pea-sized flakes.
6. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes.
7. Add parsley and salt to taste.

©1998-2003 C.A. Muer Corporation