Super Easy Paprika and Spice Grilled Trout

Huge brook trout awaiting their fate!

As you may notice, I have been on hiatus from blogging, as well as cooking and musing about food because this spring we welcomed Matilda Mae into our lives and have been doing much more eating, feeding, and baby-cooing than cooking. Priorities have been focused on sleeping, drinking water, and just scrounging up something nutritious to eat rather than imagining up clever preparations or guilty pleasures. Raw veggies and store-bought hummus have been a staple in my diet these past few months and the only cooking I have done is using up fresh ingredients before they go bad but only if Daddy is around to care for our sweet precious. Such is the life of a new mother.  Every week I have been learning to accomplish a bit more than the last and I (now we) am(are) up and around NYC once again. Our little dumpling is turning 3 months this week and we are continuing to inch back into a routine of normal functioning (Our "new normal", that is!).

My in-house fisherman and future fisherwoman

My hard-working husband is finished for the semester with his intense MFA program and I am more than relieved to have him around and less stressed out. We have even made our way out of the city a few weekends and he finally got a fishing trip worked in after wishing for free time for months. We joined him, of course, so we could visit with family while we were up there.  Stream fishing is what he does and brook trout makes a regular appearance in my life and my kitchen. For years we just stuffed those suckers with onions and butter and grilled them (my husband's own recipe). We then began to beer-batter and fry them. Of course, that is tasty, but not the healthiest preparation and really greases everything up. Last week, when he and my father-in-law (also now known as PopPop) headed down to the stream, they returned home with 3 big ones and 1 really big one. Of course, I hadn't given any thought whatsoever to preparation and ended up improvising a not-so-basic marinade made of very basic ingredients I dug up in my in-laws' kitchen. This turned out so tasty I just made it again to finish off the rest of the trout for tonight.

Honestly, she seems more interested in the tutu than the fish...

?

This marinade would be great on all types of fin fish and also would perk up chicken breasts nicely. It also works into many different menus. You can serve it with Asian or Latin-inspired sides or with traditional American sides, too.  Happy grilling season!

Super Easy Paprika and Spice Grilled Trout

4-6 Trout fillets (with skin on if grilling, deboned as much as possible)

MARINADE:

1/2 t garlic powder

1 T sweet paprika

1/2 t ground cinnamon

1/2 t sea salt

1/2 t freshly ground black pepper

3 T extra-virgin olive oil

1 T white wine or red wine vinegar

2 T fresh lemon juice

1/4 c orange juice

1 T honey

Crushed red pepper to taste (opt.)

Rinse fillets well and lay out on a plate or platter in a single layer. In a small bowl, whisk together marinade ingredients and evenly pour over fish fillets. Sprinkle with crushed red pepper, if you like. 

Grill skin side down on high heat for 5 minutes and do not turn. Trout is too delicate and you will lose it in the grill. If you need to cook it inside, just broil on high with skin side down on a broiler pan lined with foil for easy cleanup.

Serve with a fresh lemon wedge.

Freshly Caught Rainbow Trout 2 Ways

Good old-fashioned brook trout has become a regular part of my spring ritual.  With a husband who can't stand to be in the city on opening day of fishing season, I have become accustomed to the excitement and drudgery of preparing freshly caught fish.  Wielding my sharpest knives, yesterday I dove into a tray of nine, that's right NINE rainbow trout, two of which were gigantic. With my Grandmas's beer batter in mind, I thought I would improve upon the recipe by adding Old Bay, cornmeal, and some other impromptu additions.

In the midst of filleting all those fish and prepping my batter, I notice how adorable a cut through the cross-section would be on such a small, light pink fish, so I tried it. Making little steaks seemed like a great experiment for my enthusiastic audience (husband and my parents) and also it was one less fish to fillet. The tiny fish steaks were cute but it was tough to remove all the rib bones, so beware and warn diners when you serve this. Nonetheless, I decided a little fish steak appetizer while I was battering and frying would be the perfect way to entertain myself and my family. Make these both and serve with a simple tomato-cucumber-green pepper salad.

Beer Battered Trout

1 room temperature beer
1 cup flour
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
2 t Old Bay Seasoning
1/2 t garlic powder
1 t paprika
1/2 t sea salt
2 t agave nectar or honey
expeller-pressed canola or sunflower oil for frying
trout fillets, rinsed and bones removed


Mix ingredients together in a large mixing bowl, adding a bit more cornmeal if too thin or a bit more beer or water if too thick.  The mixture should be like a thick pancake batter.

Heat oil for frying. Put trout pieces into the bowl and gently mix so fish pieces are well coated with batter. Fry in batches and drain on paper towels.

Trout Steak Appetizers

1 5" bamboo skewer for each fish steak

a small trout cut into 1" thick steaks, with as many bones removed as possible

2 T tamari

1/2 t dried lemongrass

1/2 t dried ginger

1 clove garlic 

2 T extra-virgin olive oil 

1 t rice wine vinegar

Soak skewers in a bowl of cold water. Carefully remove rib bones from each fish steak. Rinse and set aside. Whisk tamari, lemongrass, ginger, garlic, extra-virgin olive oil and rice wine vinegar. Marinate fish for 30 minutes-2 hours.  Skewer each fish steak sideways and arrange neatly on the skewer.

Heat a saute pan on medium high. Sear fish 2 minutes on each side. Finish with fresh lemon juice and serve.

 

Nantucket-style Smoked Bluefish Pate

My Perfect Summer Appetizer

Well, the dog days of summer are upon us.  As usual, I don't feel like I have accomplished as much as I would like, nor do I feel like I have done all the summer-y fun activities that I had dreamed of for all those long, cold months.  It has been a fun one and a very busy one, too!  Since June, I have made it to Los Angeles, Atlantic City, the Ozark mountains/Tablerock Lake in Missouri, and spent a week on Cape Cod.  Not too shabby, I know. As far as local fun goes,  I have sunbathed on Rockaway Beach, picnic-ed in McCarren Park many times,  tinkered at flea markets, and eaten my way through farmer's markets.   On Thursday, I will have my annual trek to Coney Island.  We have a wedding in the Hudson Valley the following weekend, then Poof!  Summer will be over in the blink of an eye.

Summer Relaxation!

 It has been a season of relaxing, organizing, and regrouping a bit from a very busy few months previous.  In a few weeks I might just start getting bored so maybe the promise of fall isn't necessarily a bad thing.  I'm gathering my wits and brainstorming new menus...but not too much yet, don't worry.  I have a week and a half left of this glorious season and intend to enjoy it.

The family fishermen at work

Last week during our annual week on Cape Cod, the fishermen in our family caught some bluefish on their chartered fishing trip.  I long ago lost interest in trying to make those little buggers palatable with just basic ingredients and a grill, but they brought a few home anyway.  Luckily, a friend of the family offered to fix them up by smoking the fillets in a backyard smoker.  Thank goodness for that!  As far as I am concerned smoked bluefish is the one and only way to eat them.  Here is my recipe for smoked bluefish pate.  It's a Nantucket tradition and everyone has a slightly different variation. Here is mine--simple and elegant.  It doesn't need many ingredients because the oily, rich fish and smoky fragrance stand tall all on their own!

Nantucket-style Smoked Bluefish Pate

If you don't have freshly smoked bluefish available, you could substitute a hearty wood-smoked salmon (the cooked kind, not lox)

1 smoked bluefish, crumbled and carefully picked through for bones, scales, and skin
3 T capers
1 small clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 T flavorful mustard (Dijon, Swedish, or grainy)
1/3 cup mayonnaise

In a food processor, combine fish, capers, garlic, and onion.  Pulse until uniform and large chunks have broken down.  Add mustard and mayo to bring it together.  Taste for seasoning.

Spread on a baguette slices with coarsely ground black pepper and maybe some cucumber matchsticks.  Enjoy this hearty New England summer flavor!

Branson, Missouri, Part Two

While the southern midwest does often tend towards chain restaurants and processed/pre-packaged foods, even in the Ozarks, there are some favorite local dishes and ingredients that we enjoyed on our visit that are noteworthy.  Freshly caught, local trout, local catfish, and barbeque in it's many forms can be enjoyed and savored here.  Sorghum, a molasses-type, mineral-rich syrup is a popular local ingredient that reminds me of my childhood is popular in the Ozarks and is found in all the stores and even at the Wal-Mart in Branson.  I have never seen it anywhere else, so I definitely bought a large tin.  Stay tuned for a posting that features what I come up with for that! 

There were two meals that made an impression on me during our stay.  Funny, I ended up getting the trout at both places--I guess that's how the cookie crumbles when you don't eat meat and try to eat local in the Ozarks.  Thankfully, both meals were delicious.

Hold on to your seat when I say this...The first of the two trout dinners was at Andy Williams Moon River Grill found next to the Moon River Theater on the main drag in Branson.  We had tickets to see Paul Revere and the Raiders opening with The Comets (the surviving ones at least) and decided to eat at the adjacent restaurant beforehand (reservations at 5--early bird country!).  The Comets were adorable, still played great music, and impressed us with their 76 year old lead singer, and 86 year old drummer.  Paul Revere and the Raiders?  There was more slapstick humor and really corny jokes than there was music and the show was geared for the 70+ set.  Well, at least it ended early...Dinner before was good, though.  The salads were fresh, the drinks were decent, and my Pecan-encrusted Trout served with Maple Sherry Butter Sauce was outrageous.  A simple crust and pan-searing turned an otherwise bland, woodsy fish into a gourmet, but still un-pretentious treat.  Hearty and flavorful, the trout is something I would order if I ever found myself here again.  We also stuck around near the booth where Andy sits, in the hopes that we might see him but no such luck.  We had to leave for the show before he came in.

The next memorable trout was served to me at Devil's Pool Restaurant at Big Cedar Resort.  This place was a lesson in local ambiance.  It was a taxidermists dream with stuffed 'possum, birds, mooseheads, deerheads, maybe a mongoose or an armadillo here or there, all perched amidst the log beams, fireplace, and long plank tables.  The stuffed carcasses were not my favorite part, but at least none were looking at me while I ate.  The trout, on the other hand, was maybe a rainbow trout.  It's flesh was a bit pinker in color than the previous night's, but also very fresh.  The preparation was simple.  Pan-seared and finished in Lemon-Thyme Butter and accompanied by a shaved asparagus and snap pea salad, which was just as delightful as the trout--thinly shaved and barely sauteed, though I suspect use of margarine here...I guess they haven't heard....It was another winning trout meal.

If you can find fresh trout fillets without bone or skin, I would highly recommend giving it a try.  There is fresh, local trout in many regions of the country so there is most likely some near you if you look for it.  Even better, though, is if you have a fisherman in your midst who can just catch you some.  I am blessed with an in-house fisherman and next catch you can be sure I will pull out my boning knife and cook up some...

Pecan-Encrusted Trout with Sherry Butter Sauce

2 lb fresh trout fillet (boned, skinned, and sliced into 4-6 serving size pieces)

1 cup milk

1 1/2 cups pecans

1/2 cup whole wheat bread crumbs

1 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp sugar (or sucanat)

5 T unsalted butter

2 t maple syrup (use the real stuff, if you don't have any, then substitute honey!!)

2 t sherry

1/2 t sea salt

quick shirt of freshly squeezed lemon juice

coarsely ground black pepper to taste

4-6 T extra-virgin olive oil or olive oil/butter combo for pan-frying

Rinse fillets in cold water and place in a shallow bowl with milk.  Let sit while you prepare the crust and butter sauce.

In a food processor, combine pecans, bread crumbs, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and sugar or sucanat. Pulse in food processor until mixture in uniform and fine, about 20-30 pulses.  You may need to scrape the sides down once or twice to get it all blended. Transfer the mixture to a large plate or bowl.  Set aside.

Melt butter over medium-low heat in a saucepan.  Whisk in maple syrup and sherry.  Cook 5-7 minutes, lowering heat if it goes above a gentle simmer.  Finish with salt, lemon juice, and coarse black pepper. Turn heat to the lowest setting to keep warm.

Return to the fillets and drain the milk; discard.  Pan fillets dry and roll in pecan crust mixture.  If it is having trouble sticking, you can add some bread crumbs or just press the mixture firmly into the fillet.  Coat them thickly!

In a large frying pan, melt oil/butter for frying and bring it the medium heat.  Cook the fillets about 4 minutes on each side.  Don't move them around (except for flipping) once they are in the pan or the crust will fall off.

Drain for a minute on paper towels, if necessary.  Transfer to a serving plate and drizzle butter sauce over the top. 

Pissaladiere

It's Thursday again.  An always busy day, but also often the signal that my week of marketing, planning, menu changes, cooking, and clean-ups is coming to a close (unless, of course, I was insane enough to book weekend parties). Once I sum up the week in invoices, totals and laundry, then the next few days are all mine.  To end each week, I always take some time go over the next week's schedule and plan out menus to try and  fulfill each client's wishes for the following week.  I email them out to each client and then just call it quits for a few days. After three parties and four "stock the fridge" sessions in three days (or something like that), you would think my plans would be really simple for the next week.

In reality, though, when I over-book myself, I begin to plan more and more ambitious and creativity-required menus and dishes, including new recipes that I have no idea about or haven't a clue what the results will be. It is truly frightening to show up to a three-course dinner party for 12 without having even read the dessert recipe yet.  I guess I really like living on the edge.

I'm not sure why I do it.  Maybe to keep myself entertained or maybe I get cocky about how fast I can make a nice crudites on the fly while cooking off 16 Filets, then leaving and starting all over again somewhere else numerous times in a day.

Probably what happens, though, is that while doing the end of the week planning,  in retrospect I think to myself, that wasn't so bad and so then plan another week of challenging and confusing menus where I  must rise to the occasion and accommodate my own high maintenence menus once again.  It's what I do and I do it to myself so I won't complain.  Without working in a "real" kitchen, maybe the insanity of it all keeps me feeling connected to the restaurant folks. Some really great food comes out of these off-the-cuff sort of menus and I find that the frantic prep sessions often turn out the best recipes.

Ever since I was in culinary school, I have fantasized about whipping up a Pissaladiere, which is a French pizza-savory tart type of thing.  It is traditionally made with caramelized onions, anchovies, and French oil-cured olives.  I LOVE it, but until yesterday have never gotten around to actually making one.  I was hired to cook for a party in honor of and to raise campaign funds for the governer of Maine.  It was a simple wine and hors d'ouevre event where the governer would be speaking.  What better time to fulfill a food fantasy and try something brand new that I have never made before?  Ha.  Well, all went well and thanks to Ina Garten, I printed off a perfect recipe for pissaladiere.  It was gorgeous, lovely, and beautiful and I highly recommend making one to munch on this weekend.

While the party was going on, the kids were in the kitchen and they loved this, too! If you have adventurous eaters at home, they will make this disappear, so better go ahead and make two.

The recipe I used is from Barefoot in Paris, by Ina Garten.  Hers is a classic, traditional pissaladiere, but I added some freshly grilled artichokes from Citarella.  I thought it would be a nice seasonal adjustment that would accommodate more palettes.  Here it is.  Don't be put off because it uses a yeasted crust.  It's very simple and very fast.  Really, you should make it. 

Pissaladiere

adapted from Barefoot in Paris, by Ina Garten

makes two 10"x15" pissaladieres

For onion topping (halve this to just make one):
1/2 cup good oliveoil, plus extra for brushing
4 pounds yellow onions, halved and sliced 1/4" thick
2 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
3 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 whole cloves garlic

For the dough:
1 1/4 cups warm water
2 envelopes dry yeast
1 tablespoon honey
3 tablespoons good olive oil
4 cups all purpose flour, plus extra for kneading
2 teaspoons kosher salt

To assemble:
Cornmeal, for baking
12-18 anchovy fillets (and/or 3-5 large grilled artichoke bottoms, thinly sliced)
12 French black olives, preferable oil-cured, pitted (I halved mine)

DIRECTIONS
For the topping, heat the olive oil in a very large saute pan and cook the onions, thyme, salt, pepper, and garlic over low heat for 45 minutes, until the onions are sweet and cooked but not browned.  Toss the onions from time to time.  After 30 minutes, take out the garlic, chop it roughly, and add it back to the onions.

Meanwhile, for the dough, combine the water, yeast, honey, and olive oil in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook.  (If the bowl, is cold, start with warmer water so it's at least 100 degrees F when you add the yeast.) Add 3 cups of the flour, then the salt, and mix on medium-low speed.  While mixing, add 1 more cup of flour or just enough to make a soft dough.  Mix the dough on medium-low speed for about 10 minutes, until smooth, sprinkling it with flour to keep it from sticking to the bowl.  When the dough is ready, turn it out onto a floured board and knead it by hand a dozen times.  It should be smooth and elastic.  Place the dough in a a well-oiled bowl and turn it to cover lightly with oil.  Cover the bowl with a damp kitchen towel.  Allow tho rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Divide the dough into 2 equal parts, rolling each one into a smooth ball.  If you're only making 1 pissaladiere, place 1 ball on a baking sheet and cover it loosely with a damp towel.  Allow the dough to rest for 10 minutes.  (If you're making just one and not using the other dough, wrap it well and refrigerate or freeze it for the next time.)  Roll the dough lightly with a rolling pin, then stretch it to a 10"x15" rectangle and place it on a baking sheet that is sprinkled with yellow cornmeal.

If the onions are very oily, you can drain them in a mesh strainer for a few minutes before you move on to the next step
.
Spoon the onion topping onto the dough, leaving a 3/4" border all around.  Artfully arrange the artichokes or anchovies and olives on top, brush the edge of the dough  with olive oil, and bake for 15 minutes, or until the crust is crisp.  Serve hot on a cutting board.

It is so good.

Foraging with the Wild Man

My treasures from foraging in Prospect Park

Ready to Forage!

Foraging with 'Wild Man'. It's something that has interested me since I first caught wind of it a few years back. Steve Brill, botanist and self-proclaimed forager, lives in Westchester and offers foraging exhibitions in local parks and wildlife areas in New York, Connecticut, and New Jersey. It is his business, but clearly also his passion. His vast knowledge of wild plants and sense of humor combined makes the tour not just any old walk in the park. On these outings, he identifies and gathers wild and native edibles that are found growing in our public spaces and offers advice on their uses and recipes, as well.

Such a beautiful day in Brooklyn!

For those of you who know that I live in New York City, this may sound like a joke--what would I forage to eat in NYC? Rocks? Birdseed? Old bagels in trash cans? Probably, but all it took was a quick call, a desire to spend the day in the one of our many urban green spaces like Central Park or Prospect Park, and $15 to the Wild Man (and an ambitious foraging buddy--thanks, Sarah) and I was foraging real edibles!!

Flowers are popping up everywhere!

I was shocked and amazed at how many things are already growing in the chilly northeast in early March. Some forage-able items were year-round like things that came from trees, but we managed to find a good amount of tiny, tender green sprouted leaves of various sorts and even spotted some tiny early enoki mushrooms.

Witch Hazel in it's purest form!

I love the contrast of Brooklyn buildings in the background here.

As we entered the Prospect Park, immediately someone in the group spotted green! We had come upon chickweed popping up all over the hillside right at the Grand Army Plaza entrance! It was freshly sprouted and tiny, but it was there! Then we came upon such a beautiful tree-like shrub unlike any I had grown up with. Despite being somewhat un-usable to the amateur forager, this witch hazel tree was still such a sight to behold amidst the still bare branches that it was nestled among.

The Wild Man himself

As we hiked and noticed plants and green sprout-y things, the Wild Man would identify edibles and assist in finding enough for everyone in the group to take home, when appropriate. It is worth noting that in plants that need their greens to regenerate, he would identify and discuss the plant, then instruct us not to take them for the sake of their survival in the park. He also entertained the group with plant-inspired stories and played his instrument, the "Brillophone", which was apparently invented by his father and involves air moving through a round mouth and clapping cupped hands--you have to see it to believe it. At lunchtime, we stopped to munch on whatever snacks we brought along. He was generous and shared some delicious sour rye bread that he made by harvesting wild yeast from the air and fruit leather that was so delicious that he made from oliveberries in Central Park. Yep, this guy was a character, alright. All in all, it made for a fun and satisfying day. Check out Wild Man Steve Brill's website for booking a foraging day, ordering books, or just checking out his delicious vegan recipes featuring foraged ingredients. http://www.wildmanstevebrill.com/

Northern Bayberry Leaves

Here are some other things we foraged and their uses:

Gingko nuts: about the size of acorns and can be roasted and eaten. They had an interesting flavor to rice or salad that tastes like a combination of green peas and Limburger cheese. Whoa, right?

Daylilies: have a flat shoot and are light green in color. Has a string bean taste with a mild onion bite. The tubers are also edible and taste radish-y. Both are great in stir-fries.

Garlic Mustard Greens: beautiful tiny leaves that look like heart-shaped mint leaves. They have a fresh garlic bite and the wild man recommends making pesto with them.

Kentucky Coffee Tree: huge green pods the have big beans in them. The recommended usage is roasting the beans and grinding them. Then, making a hot chocolate-type beverage with soy milk, carob chips, cocoa powder, soy lecithin, stevia, and a bit of orange extract.

Common Spice Bush: a large bush that has fragrant twigs that are reminiscent of allspice. Can be used in sweet or savory dishes.

Black Birch: a tree with wintergreen flavored twigs that offer a mild aspirin-like effect. Apparently, aspirin is derived from elements from this tree. The twigs make a nice minty tea, but also are the best for teething babies since they have a pain killer effect.

Northern Bayberry: leaves of this tree were dried, but still hanging on. They are the native, wild version of bay leaves.

Mugwort: powerful Chinese herb

Common Thistle: cook in soup/smells like parsley

Sassafrass: the tree that is used in the making of natural root beer, has medicinal uses, as well

Garlic Chives were everywhere!

Wild Salmon and Asparagus with Garlic Chives

4 6-8 oz wild salmon fillets, rinsed and patted dry
2 T white wine vinegar
1/2 t minced garlic
1 T Dijon mustard
1 T extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 t sea salt
1/4 t freshly ground black pepper
1 bundle thin asparagus stalks, trimmed and/or peeled at the bottom
1/4-1/2 cup snipped garlic chives (regular chives work if you can't find them!)
1 lemon, cut into wedges


Place fillets in a shallow bowl. Mix vinegar, garlic, Dijon, oil, salt, and pepper in a small bowl and reserve half of the mixture. Pour other half over fish. Cover and chill for 30 minutes to 6 hours.

Preheat oven to broil and line a broiling pan with foil to prevent a mess. Toss asparagus with reserved marinade and transfer to lined broiling pan. Remove fish from marinade and pat fillets dry. Arrange on lined broiling pan and sprinkle generously with snipped garlic chives.

Broil 8-10 minutes or until fish is just done in the center. This is approximate and depends on the thickness of your fillets and also on your oven. Serve immediately with lemon wedges.

Braised Fish, Italian Style

Upper West Side Citarella--my favorite fish market in NYC!

Here is one of my favorite tried and true fish recipes. It's hearty and healthy and makes a great meal all by itself with the artichokes, mushrooms, and carrots. You only dirty one pan and end up with a fabulous dinner--just serve on a bed of arugula. I like using tilapia, halibut, or cod with this one.

Braised Fish, Italian Style

Adapted from James McNair’s Fish Cookbook

2 lb very fresh petite artichokes (or 1 can)
5 T fruity extra-virgin olive oil
8 oz fresh porcini mushrooms (or assorted mixed)
Sea salt

1 c finely chopped yellow onion
¼ c finely chopped carrot
2 T coarsely chopped garlic
1 cup dry white wine
2 lb fish (salmon, tilapia are good here)
2 anchovy fillets
1 T minced fresh thyme
Lemon wedges
½ cup pinenuts

½ cup basil chiffonade

fresh, fresh, fresh porcini mushrooms!

Steam artichokes or drain can.

Heat oil to medium in large, deep sauté pan, or braising pan. Cook mushrooms for 5 minutes and season with sea salt.

Add onion, carrot, garlic, and wine to the pan. Cook 3 more minutes. Transfer to a bowl.

Reheat pan, adding a bit of oil, if needed. Sear fish, 2 minutes each side. Transfer mushroom mixture back in. Add artichokes, anchovies, and thyme. Bring to a medium simmer. Cook for 4 -5 minutes, until fish is cooked.

Squeeze lemon wedges over finished fish, add pine nuts, and sprinkle basil on top. Serve.