Fish

Branzino crusted with sea salt and roasted who is so damn delicious. I'm also like it sauteed with white wine, lemon, capers, and fresh herbs.

one great way to cook salmon (in my first book, technique from Michel Bras by way of Paula Wolfert):
Put a skinned fillet of salmon on a jellyroll pan. heat the oven to 250 degrees, with a baking dish on the bottom. Bring a pot of water to the boil. Put the salmon in the oven and fill the baking dish with boiling water. close the door and let it cook until the salmon flakes, about 25 minutes. it's amazing, the color doesn't change much and the meat stays incredibly moist. i like to serve this with an herb mayonnaise. it's as good cold as it is hot.

a couple of other recipes. (sorry these run long ... but not as long as vox' boobie shots).

Salt-roasted whole snapper with parsley sauce

Total time: 55 minutes

Servings: 4 to 6

1 lemon

2 (1 1/2 - to 2-pound) whole Tai snapper, gutted and scaled

1/3 cup chopped parsley leaves

6 cups coarse salt

1/2 clove garlic

1/2 cup olive oil

1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Halve the lemon lengthwise, then cut each half in half crosswise. Slice one of the lemon quarters very thinly crosswise. You'll need 5 or 6 slices per fish. Stuff the cavities of the fish with the lemon slices and a few parsley stems.

2. Place the salt in a large bowl and stir in 1 cup of water until the texture is that of gritty snow. Line a jellyroll pan with parchment paper and spread some of the salt in a layer about one-fourth-inch deep that is roughly the size of both fish. Place the fish on top of that, then mound the rest of the salt on top, covering them completely in a smooth, even layer. Roast the salt-encased fish in the oven for 20 minutes.

3. While the fish is cooking, put the parsley leaves on a cutting board with the half garlic clove and chop them together fairly fine. Place this in a bowl and add the olive oil. Whisk in 2 tablespoons lemon juice from the lemon and adjust seasoning for salt and lemon. The mixture should be savory and slightly tart.

4. After 20 minutes, remove the fish from the oven and let stand 5 more minutes to finish cooking. With a sturdy metal spoon or chef's knife, chip a crack around the base of the salt crust and carefully lift off the top. Use a dry pastry brush to brush away any salt on the surface of the fish.

5. Using a long spatula, carefully lift the fish onto the serving platter, turning it over in the process so you can brush away the salt on the underside. If you prefer, you can skin the fish -- the skin will be quite loose and come up easily.

6. Using a sharp knife, make a cut the length of the fish along the backbone. Carefully work the knife down the backbone until the fillet is freed. Make another cut right behind the head to free the fillet. Carefully lift the fillet to a warm serving platter, skin-side down, and remove any loose bones that are still attached.

7. Lift the tail of the fish, and the spine and ribs will come free. Cut behind the head again to free the second fillet. Transfer this fillet to the platter, skin-side down, and remove any loose bones. Spoon some of the sauce over the fillets and pass the rest at the table.



Halibut and shimeji baked in parchment


Total time: 40 minutes

Servings: 6 to 8

Note: Shimeji mushrooms are generally available at Asian markets.

Canola or vegetable oil

1/2 pound brown or white shimeji mushrooms, tough base removed (leave stems on), and broken into sections

Salt

2 teaspoons minced shallots

1 teaspoon minced tarragon

1/4 cup white wine

Freshly ground black pepper

2 (1-pound) halibut steaks

1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut 2 (15-inch-square) pieces of parchment paper or aluminum foil and lightly oil one side.

2. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large nonstick skillet over high heat. When the oil shimmers, add the mushrooms, three-fourths teaspoon salt and cook, tossing frequently, until the mushrooms start to soften, 2 to 3 minutes. They'll begin to sizzle and shine as they release their moisture.

3. Add the shallots, tarragon and white wine, reduce the heat to medium and cook until the wine evaporates, about 2 minutes. The mushrooms should be tender and lightly browned in places. Season with just a dash of black pepper.

4. Lightly season each halibut steak with three-eighths teaspoon salt and a few grindings of pepper. Place a steak in the center of each piece of parchment paper and spoon the mushrooms evenly over the steaks. Crinkle together the edges of the parchment paper to make an airtight packet, with some room left for the packet to expand. Place the packets on a baking sheet. (The recipe can be made to this point several hours in advance and refrigerated until ready to cook.)

5. Bake the packets until they puff slightly, 25 to 30 minutes (you may need to unwrap the packets a little to make sure the halibut is firm and opaque). Remove from the oven and place the packets, still sealed, on a platter. To serve, open the packets and divide the halibut and mushrooms onto plates.

^^^ In my head I'm saying "I mean, seriously, how can anyone compete with that sort of reply? You know, like what do you even say after someone posts that. I got nothin' on that guy, I'm just gonna shut up and move along. Nothin to see here..."

but please ... carry on with the poast ....

Angler Fish last night for first time, in a wonderful stock sprinkled with Sicilian olives and capers. Interesting.

giving en papillote a try tonight, looking foward to it

Originally Posted by Master-Classter

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^^^ In my head I'm saying "I mean, seriously, how can anyone compete with that sort of reply? You know, like what do you even say after someone posts that. I got nothin' on that guy, I'm just gonna shut up and move along. Nothin to see here..."

doh! sorry. that was absolutely not my intent. honest: i love styleforum, but i am a complete newbie for most of the discussions and so when i get a chance to contribute back, maybe i go overboard. just enthusiastic, you know.

Originally Posted by jaydc7

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giving en papillote a try tonight, looking foward to it

Report back on how it was. Preferably with pictures.

I love fish, too. Great thread.

Man, I dont eat enough fish but I did have some amazing branzino the other night. It was a filet wrapped with very thin slices of potato and zucchini and roasted in the oven. After it was served over satueed escarole and a sweet pepper sauce. Amazing.

Originally Posted by foodguy

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doh! sorry. that was absolutely not my intent. honest: i love styleforum, but i am a complete newbie for most of the discussions and so when i get a chance to contribute back, maybe i go overboard. just enthusiastic, you know.
Keep up that enthusiasm! For that salmon recipe...you mean the baking pan with water is on a lower rack and the fish on a higher rack, right?

yeah, exactly. it's called oven-steaming. it's even good cold. it's been years since i've poached a salmon.

Kwilk stole my thunder with the en papillote, which is my standard answer as well.

Some other ideas I use -

1> Pesto Crust (make fresh pesto, cover a piece of salmon and bake, then put over some pasta with the rest of the pesto mixed in)

2> Grill a piece of tuna medium rare dusted with a little chili powder, make a quick black bean chili (can of black beans, some cheese, hot salsa, chili powder, tobasco) and put the tuna, and garnish with some fresh fried tortillas - this was from an episode of emeril when I was in college... its a standby for me. --- edited, I do this with Tuna, not Salmon

3> Lemon, salt, and butter - good fish tastes good with a minimalist approach.

another great trick with salmon: you can get a really crisp, wafer-thin skin by drying the skin thoroughly (wipe the back of a knife like a squeege across it to pull out moisture), then saute skin-side down over high heat in just a film of oil. when the color has changed a little more than 1/3 of the way up the side of the fillet, reduce the heat, flip it and cook briefly on the meat side. it'll be medium-rare in the center.

I just got back from lunch, so I'm not at all hungry, and this thread is still making my mouth water. I will definitely be trying a couple of these recipes sometime in the near future!