Fish Recipes

Something Fishy



Knoxville has a good fish store that sells fresh (not previously-frozen) fish delivered twice a week from the Gulf of Mexico. The fish is very good, particularly on delivery days, but expensive so I don’t buy there often and so I don't eat a lot of fish. This used to bother me back when fish was healthy, but now that we know fish contains mercury and other toxins, not so much. (Note: I still eat fish, but I no longer think I should eat more of it.) But here's the weird thing…

This used to bother me back when fish was healthy, but now that we know fish contains mercury and other toxins, not so much.

When I lived in Eugene, Oregon I was only 100 miles (2 hours) from the Pacific Ocean. Nevertheless the only place I could find fresh fish was at Eugene's one fish monger. All the grocery stores sold was frozen — fish. Then I moved to Nashua, New Hampshire. Again 100 miles from the ocean, and Nashua didn't even have one fish monger — frozen fish was all I could get. Washington, DC? Same deal. Sacramento, California? One grocer with fresh fish. I simply don't understand this.

At any rate, as I said I still eat fish and thought I'd share some of my favorite recipes for fish.

Broiled Trout with Lemon Cream Sauce: One fish I can (sometimes) find fresh at a supermarket is trout. The trout is reasonably local — regional, anyway — and farm-raised. I love trout's delicate flavor and lack of bones. In addition the fillets cook in five minutes so it's a great weeknight meal. This dish offers a surprising combination of flavors, all of which work together, and is also surprisingly elegant: I wouldn't hesitate to serve it at a party.

Jerked Salmon with Dill Mayo:
I came up with this recipe for a class I taught on Herbs and Fish at a local herb farm. Despite my problems making the mayo (read the link) it was a big hit. Back before the fire marshall interfered and I could still cook over fire I frequently coated salmon with dill mayonnaise and then grilled it - so I knew dill worked with salmon. I'd also knew hot pepper worked with salmon. The combination is great with the tart and creamy mayo, balanced against the spicy jerk seasoning complementing the sweet salmon.

Tuna au Poivre: I've got three cookbooks by Jacque Pepin, whom I admire tremendously. Nevertheless, I haven't cooked much from these books. These days, as someone who publishes recipes for a living (if you call this living) I need to develop my own recipes. Also I tend to rely more on the Internet for research than cookbooks. Nevertheless, this recipe is taken straight from one of his books and is one of my favorite recipes when I can get fresh tuna, come to think of it, I haven't made this in a while, time to do so again.

Lemon Tilapia:
Tilapia was one of the first farm-raised fish with a history that stretches back 2500 years to Israel. It's not the best fish in the world, a little bland, slightly tough (for fish). However, because it's farm-raised there are no issues with mercury or over-fishing. Additionally, it's highly adaptable as a food. I've broiled it, grilled it, poached it, and fried it. This recipe adds interest to the fish in the form of briny capers, tart lemon, and crunchy croutons.

Crab Cakes: Ok, so crabs are crustaceans, not fish, but I have a friend who considers himself a connoisseur of crab cakes and he says mine are among the best. Not surprising given that my recipe was adapted particularly to his specifications. First, he states that old-style crab cakes had more filler than modern "hoity-toity, fancy-ass" crab cakes. According to him this actually enhances the crab flavor - especially using real, homemade bread crumbs. Also, he objects to big chunks of crab claiming smaller pieces more evenly distributed produce a more texturally cohesive result. What can I say? He convinced me. And they're cheaper too.

Salmon en Papillote: This is one of my more popular dishes with clients. Despite the fact it can't be frozen, must be eaten the day I deliver it, they have to add the cooking liquid, and they have to cook it themselves. But fish cooked in parchment is so much fun and makes such a great presentation that I end up preparing it several times a year. It probably helps that it also tastes great.

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