All posts tagged: fish

smoked salmon on cucumber rounds from Luscious Tender Juicy

Succulent Smoked Salmon Cucumber Rounds from “Luscious, Tender, Juicy”

My latest cookbook “Luscious, Tender, Juicy” (Countryman Press, 2021) began with one word, one texture, one mouthfeel — moist. My goal was to change the perception of moist from cringeworthy expression to valued culinary term. Think about it. If the food that you eat isn’t crisp, crunchy, gooey, or runny, chances are that it is one thing and one thing only. It is moist. The luscious mashed potatoes served at holidays. The tender fried chicken eaten at a summer picnic. The melt-in-your-mouth tiramisu topping off an evening out. They all possess that same luxurious characteristic that comes from including the proper amount of moisture in a dish. How to make food luscious, tender, juicy How do you make food luscious, tender, juicy or, to use that dreaded word, moist? You do it through cooking techniques, temperatures, and times, and moisture-rich ingredients. Because “Luscious, Tender, Juicy” discusses all of this and more, I won’t delve into the tips and tricks here. Instead, I’ll offer a recipe that illustrates how easily you can attain that lovely texture. …

wild rice pilaf with swordfish

Wild Rice and Mushroom Pilaf

When the nights grow colder and daylight begins to wane, I start to crave heartier dishes. One of my favorites is Wild Rice and Mushroom Pilaf. Warm and earthy, this pilaf tastes lovely on its own or when paired with a moist, firm, meaty protein such as swordfish. A technique and a dish The name of the Middle Eastern cooking technique and the dish it creates, pilaf consists of rice cooked in a meat or vegetable stock. You might think, “Big deal. I cook my rice in stock all the time. It gives it more flavor.” Fair enough. However, it’s not only in what the rice cooks but also how it’s prepared that makes this dish special. To make pilaf, you first thoroughly rinse and/or soak the rice in cold water. This initial step removes the starch from the rice’s surface. Robbed of exterior starch, each grain remains separate from the others; the rice won’t clump together in your pan. Boiling and then steaming rice Once you’ve washed the rice, tumble it into a saucepan …

herring under a fur coat dish

Herring under a Fur Coat

I am a bit obsessed with eating famous dishes in their countries of origin so it’s no surprise that, while visiting St. Petersburg this summer, I had to order Herring under a Fur Coat. This Russian specialty features layers of sour cream, grated carrots, beets, potatoes and hard-boiled eggs blanketing herring fillets. In Russia it’s called shuba or seledka pod shuboi, which roughly translates to Herring under a Fur Coat. In my world it means a moist, flavorful and absolutely delicious meal. Traditionally, Russians eat Herring under a Fur Coat at New Year’s Eve gatherings. It’s a staple of the holiday buffet table and, as I experienced, a common offering in restaurants. Savory and quite filling, it can serve as a starter, salad or entree. I had it for lunch as well as dinner and managed to eat it every day during my all-too-brief, 72-hour stay. That’s how extraordinary this dish is. Fresh herring fillets Living on the U.S. East Coast, I can access herring fairly easily. Usually, I buy it in pickled and smoked …

grilling scallops in their shells

9 Tools for Grilling Seafood

Whether you’re a newcomer to or longstanding fan of seafood, the thought of grilling fish and shellfish can be intimidating. I used to worry about what would happen after I placed a delicate piece of fish onto a searing hot grill. I might cook it too long or not long enough. If I did grill it correctly, the fish might stick to or fall through the grate. Even if the fish made it safely to the dinner table, it could end up as dry and flavorless as parchment paper. Rather than avoid grilling seafood, I selected several tools to ease my concerns and enhance my grilling techniques. With the exception of the grill itself, none were costly. Yet, all helped to make my grilled shrimp, clams, salmon, tuna and other fish look and taste delicious. The Tools Grill or grill pan – If you already own a grill, you can skip this suggestion. If you don’t have one, you should decide whether you want to cook with gas, charcoal or electricity. Once you’ve determined your …

Saffron and Cinnamon-Scented Monkfish Kebabs

After reading an article about the possible demise of Kashmiri saffron, I started to think of the dishes that I would miss if this earthy, orange-red spice disappeared forever. The Provencal fish stew bouillabaisse, Spanish paella, South Asian biryani, Milanese risotto and currant-studded saffron buns would be far less flavorful and satisfying without it. The same holds true for a recipe featured in my seafood cookbook “Fish Market,” saffron and cinnamon-scented monkfish kebabs. What is saffron? Saffron comes from the perennial crocus plant. Each plant produces small, purple flowers with three delicate, reddish strands at their centers. Known in the plant world as stigmas and styles, these colorful threads are saffron. Because they are fragile, these filaments must be picked by hand and then dried. Unfortunately, you can’t go outside and collect a few crocuses to flavor your cooking. The saffron-yielding species, Crocus sativus, blooms in the fall in such regions as East Asia, the Mediterranean and Iran. Plus, you would have to pluck roughly 14,000 flowers to produce one ounce of dried saffron. Hence …

beet, apple and herring salad

Beet and Apple Salad with Herring

Beets, apple, potatoes and herring. They may not sound like an obvious combo but these four come together in a delicious chilled salad known as sillsallad or, as I call it, beet and apple salad with, or without, herring. (Yes, I’m still preaching the joys of herring. How could I not? It’s an amazing, oily, omega-3 rich fish!) The perfect dinner companion In Sweden, the country from which this salad hails, sillsallad often shows up at holiday meals. With its ruby red hues and splashes of pink and green it makes for a festive dinner companion. A versatile dish, it pairs well with a variety of foods, including roast chicken and grilled or baked fish. Beet and apple salad with, or without, herring is also hearty enough to be served as a main course. It’s beet season! If you’ve dropped by a farmers’ market recently, you may have noticed the mounds of fresh beets for sale. We’re in the midst of the beet season, making this the perfect time for this salad. If you question …

ceviche with sides of calamari and corn

Ceviche — It’s fresh and fast!

The national dish of Peru I love learning how to make a local speciality the right way. On a recent trip to Peru that specialty was ceviche. Considered the national dish of Peru, ceviche, or cebiche as it’s sometimes spelled, got its start during the Inca Empire. During that time Peruvian cooks along the coast would marinate freshly caught fish in the Andean corn alcohol chicha. After the Spanish conquest of the 16th century they began to incorporate European ingredients into their cooking. This included adding citrus to their seafood. Although it began as a coastal dish, ceviche is found throughout Peru. Inland, where rivers and lakes are common, cooks use Peruvian trout (truncha) and prawns (camarones). In the capital Lima sea bass, corvina drum and other semi-firm to firm white-fleshed fish are featured. What does it take to make an outstanding ceviche? Obviously, in a dish that features raw seafood, you should have very fresh, clean tasting fish. The fish itself should be semi-firm to firm in texture; you don’t want your fish falling …

stack of cookbooks

The Annual Cookbook Review: Books to Give, Get and Gobble!

Although I write and buy books and cookbooks, I am always amazed by the tremendous number published every year. Who does cookbooks? Celebrities, celebrity chefs, musicians, athletes, bloggers, restaurants, farmers’ markets . . .. The list goes on and on. With so many new books on store shelves—and seemingly more coming out each week—it’s tough to know which ones will satisfy and which will leave you hungering for something more substantial. To help separate the filets from the hot dogs, the Bordeaux from the Two-Buck-Chuck, it’s the annual cookbook review! Included this year are baking books, a cocktail guide, vegetarian, Italian, German, Mediterranean and English cuisines as well as several food writing books and a graphic novel-like book. Happy shopping, reading and cooking! The Baking Bible by Rose Levy Beranbaum (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2014) If you want to learn the proper way to mix, bake and decorate a myriad of cakes, pies, tarts, cookies, breads, pastries and candy, reach for The Baking Bible. Perfect for bakers of any skill level, this comprehensive, IACP Award-winning cookbook …

pickled herring on brown bread in Denmark

Further Fish Tales: Now It’s “Herring!”

By now most know the African proverb “It takes a village to raise a child.” In my case it takes a village of friends and family to launch another book. Two Fridays ago a wonderfully supportive group whom I’m honored to have as members of my village celebrated the publication of my nonfiction book Herring: A Global History. Part of Reaktion Books‘ Edible Series, Herring  explores the historical, economic, cultural and environmental impact of this small, omega-3-rich, silvery fish. When people hear the topic of my book, they invariably ask the same thing. “Herring?” There are always a few who misunderstand and ask, “Hairy?” No, I didn’t write about hirsute people but I’m sure that would be a fascinating topic, too. Once everyone is on the same page about the subject, we get into what attracted me to it. After the publication of Fish Market I had a wealth of knowledge about seafood. I also had a desire to share more about a specific, historic and fascinating fish, the Atlantic and Pacific herring. Although a …

uncooked lime-marinated swordfish kebabs

Grilling Lime-Marinated Swordfish Kebabs

Want a quick, crowd pleasing seafood dish for your next summer cookout? Try lime-marinated swordfish kebabs. Officially, I created this recipe for my seafood cookbook Fish Market (Running Press, 2013) but I’ve made variations of it for years. Lime appears often in my seafood cooking. I love the slightly sweet, clean flavor of this citrus and how it adds complexity and life to fish and shellfish. That dash of green zest on a white-hued fish isn’t bad, either. When I can’t find sustainable, North Atlantic handline or harpoon-caught swordfish, I substitute another firm, white fish. That can be anything from Pacific yellowfin or longtail tuna and mackerel to U.S-sourced snapper, mahi mahi and striped bass. When making this and any other seafood dish, I consult Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch to ensure that I use sustainable fish. Because I’m always a little concerned about losing chunks of my fish kebabs to a scorching hot grate, I lay these skewers on lightly oiled tin foil before placing them on the grill. If you’re not the worrying …