Alaskan Halibut Season has Begun!

Thursday, March 25th, 2010 | posted by mike

Halibut is a very versatile and delicious fish…sweet, delicate with a firm meaty texture. Cook it in any style—braise, bake, fry, steam and it’s even firm enough to grill the steaks or fillets. We’re getting the best halibut in our 30 year history right now!

Up until 1995, halibut season in Alaska was limited to two 24-48 hour openings of derby-style fishing where tons of fish were caught quickly and handled poorly.

We now have an individual vessel quota system, which stretches out the season over an 8-month period. The fish are handled much better than the derby days, iced properly and flown to market fast.

Come in and try our freshest, most gorgeous halibut yet…in season all through the summer for grilling.

Looking for more information about halibut? Here’s a great source from Fortune Fish.

Check our recipe archive for ways to cook halibut!

More in Saveur Magazine: Halibut with Braised Fennel and Bread Crusted Halibut with Leek Ragoût and Red Pepper Purée.

Our friend, Mary, at Everyday Wines (right around the corner here on the market floor of Kerrytown) has suggested a great pairing for halibut: Huguet de Can Feixes ($15). “Don’t be fooled by the tall, skinny bottle.  This totally dry white comes from the Cava region of Penedes and combines the typical Cava grapes of Parellada and Macabeo with a smattering of Chardonnay and Malvasia.  This unusual combination produces a stony, aromatic nose followed by flavors of pear, apple, and mineral all wrapped up in a really cool viscious texture (thank you Malvasia grape).”

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Mahi-Mahi Al Greco

Monday, March 22nd, 2010 | posted by mike

Serves 2

3/4 lbs. skinned Mahi-Mahi cut into cubes
1 T toasted pinenuts
1/3 c crumbled feta cheese
1/2 c pitted kalamata olives
1/2 c chopped artichoke hearts
5 oz (half a bag) rinsed spinach
2 large cloves of garlic (minced)
1/4 c extra virgin olive oil
1/2 medium-sized red onion, chopped
juice of one large lemon
2 t dried oregano (or 1 T fresh)
2 t dried basil (or 1 T fresh)

Combine lemon, olive oil, herbs and garlic and marinate fish cubes for 30 minutes. Remove fish from marinade and stirfry in a skillet with onion and a little more olive oil over medium-high heat for approximately 5 minutes. When fish is almost opaque in the middle, add the olives, artichoke hearts, feta and spinach to wilt. Sprinkle with toasted pinenuts.

Serve with rice or pasta.

* substitutions: any firm fleshed fish such as monkfish, swordfish, striper, or halibut.

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Cioppino

Sunday, March 21st, 2010 | posted by wendy

The great Italian-American fisherman’s stew from San Francisco:

• 2 T olive oil
• 1 yellow bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and cut into large chunks
• 1 large clove of garlic
• 1 large plum tomato, sliced
• 3 T fresh lemon juice
• 1 lb. mussels, scrubbed and beards removed
• 1 1/2  Manilla clams or small little necks, scrubbed
• 1/2  lb. snapper, rockfish or other mild, firm fish, cut into chunks
• 1/2  lb. shrimp, in-shell
• 1 (about 2 lbs.) cooked Dungeness crab (or other crab), cleaned and cracked with the body section cut into pieces
• 1/2  lb. squid mantles cut into rings
• Sweet pepper sauce

Heat olive oil in large Dutch oven or kettle over medium-high heat.  Add yellow pepper, onion and garlic and sauté 5 minutes or until soft.  Add tomato slices and lemon juice;  cook 2 minutes.  Add mussels, clams, fish and prawns; cover and cook over medium heat 5 minutes.  Add crab and sweet pepper sauce (see sidebar); cover and simmer 5 minutes. Stir in squid; cover and cook 2 to 3 minutes longer or until squid is opaque throughout, shrimp is pink and opaque, fish is cooked through, crab is hot and mussels and clams have opened.  Discard any unopened mussels or clams.  Serve Cioppino in a tureen or large soup bowls, dividing the various ingredients among the bowls. Serves 4–6.

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Sweet Pepper Sauce

Sunday, March 21st, 2010 | posted by wendy

This sweet pepper sauce is a wonderful addition to Cioppino.

2 T olive oil
1 medium red bell pepper (stemmed seeded and chopped)
1 medium green bell pepper (stemmed seeded and chopped)
1 medium onion (chopped)
2 cloves garlic (minced)
2 T minced fresh basil leaves
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 can (28 oz.) whole tomatoes in juice (coarsely chopped)
1 bottle (8 oz.) clam juice or Monahan’s fish stock
1 T tomato paste
1 cup dry red wine (such as Merlot)

Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium heat.  Add peppers, onion and garlic and sauté until soft, about 10 minutes.  Add herbs, tomatoes and their liquid, tomato paste, clam/fish stock and the wine.  Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.  Keep warm.

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Steamed Whole Walleye (Shanghai Style)

Sunday, March 21st, 2010 | posted by mike

Steaming is one of the simplest and gentlest methods of fish preparation. It allows the fish’s natural flavor to take center stage, enhancing by only subtle seasoning. Great low-cal potential since steaming imparts no calories on the fish whatsoever.

1 1/2 lbs. whole walleye, or black sea bass, cleaned
3 scallions, sliced lengthwise
1 clove garlic, minced
2 t grated fresh ginger
3 T black bean sauce
1 T chopped cilantro

Optional:
1/4 c vegetable oil
2 cloves of garlic
2 T sesame oil

To prepare a whole fish for steaming:
Score fish on one side with diagonal slices at 1 inch intervals, just deep enough to pierce the skin.

Steaming equipment: Use a bamboo steamer placed in a wok—or improvise with a disposable aluminum roasting pan punched full of holes over a pot. (Mike Monahan broke the center post off his vegetable steamer and it works great!) A good steamer is anything that accommodates the fish, keeps it above the water, and has a tight fitting lid to keep the steam from escaping.

To steam: Bring 2 inches of water to a full boil. Position the steaming rack over the water. Then place scored fish on rack and coat with black bean sauce. Sprinkle with garlic and ginger. Cover with lid and steam for 15-20 minutes or until fish is opaque to the bone at its thickest part.

To serve: Place the whole fish on a serving platter and garnish with scallions and cilantro.

An optional flair for this dish: Prepare a hot garlic oil by heating 1/4 c vegetable oil and 2 cloves crushed garlic. Cook 1 additional minute, then remove garlic with a slotted spoon. Add 2 T sesame oil at the end. At this point the oil should be hot and the fish should have just finished steaming. Put whole fish on serving platter, carefully pour hot oil over it, then garnish as above and serve.

Substitutes: red snapper, black sea bass, mangrove snapper or porgy

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Sautéed Skate with Brown Butter

Sunday, March 21st, 2010 | posted by wendy

3/4– 1 lb. skate fillet
1/4 c flour
2 T olive oil
1 T capers
3 T butter
1 T raspberry vinegar (or other fruit vinegar)
Italian parsley to garnish

Dust skate fillets in flour, In a sauté pan on medium-high heat, melt 1 T butter with 2 T olive oil and heat until bubbling, but not smoking (fillets should sizzle when placed in the pan). Sauté for about 3 minutes per side or until the fillets are opaque to the center. Remove skate from pan and turn temperature down to medium. Add remaining 2 T butter, when butter just begins to brown, add the capers and the fruit vinegar, stir and immediately drizzle brown butter over skate portions. (This brown butter can also be served over poached skate.)  Bon appetit!

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Braised Sturgeon with Dijon, Basil & Balsamic Vinegar

Sunday, March 21st, 2010 | posted by wendy

Columbia River Sturgeon is one of the most prized of all Northwest seafood. The history and lore of these prehistoric giants would fill pages. Supply has dwindled in recent years, so when you have the opportunity to prepare sturgeon, you want to give it special attention. This recipe from Chef Ken Hayes at McCormick & Schick’s in Portland falls comfortably into that category: truly something special.

1 lb. sturgeon fillet
flour to dust
2 T oil for frying
1/4 c sherry
1/4 c balsamic vinegar
2 T each (minced carrot, onion, celery & red pepper)
1 t minced shallots
2 T dijon mustard
2 T shredded fresh basil
pinch salt & pepper
1 T butter

Lightly flour the sturgeon and brown in the oil over medium-high heat for 2 minutes per side.

Add the minced vegetables, sheery and vinegar to the pan. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan and continue cooking for another 3–4 minutes, until the vegetables soften and the liquid is reduced by half.

Add the shallots, mustard, basil and salt & pepper.

Remove the fillets to dinner plates. With the sauté pan off the heat, swirl the butter into the sauce. Then pour the sauce over the fish. Serves 2.

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Salpicon Sauce

Sunday, March 21st, 2010 | posted by wendy

This relish is a wonderful accompaniment for any baked or grilled fish (or even chicken). Recipe by Penelope Cassas.

• 1/2 c extra virgin olive oil
• 2 1/2 T sherry vinegar (or red wine vinegar)
• 5 T chopped cornichon pickles
• 2 T small whole capers
• 2 T minced videlia onions
• 2 T pimento or roasted red pepper, chopped
• 1 T chopped parsley
• salt & fresh ground black pepper

Mix all ingredients together and let it set for at least an hour to meld flavors.

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Pan Seared Cod (Spanish Style)

Sunday, March 21st, 2010 | posted by wendy

• 2 cod fillets (about 1 pound each)
• flour for dredging
• 1/4 c olive oil
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
• 1/2 c dry white wine
• 1/4 minced fresh Italian parsley
• 3 scallions or chopped shallots (about 1/4 cup)

Preheat oven to the highest temperature short of broiling (500° or more).  Heat a 10” nonstick skillet with an ovenproof handle over medium-heat for a minute or two.  Dredge the flesh side of the cod fillet in flour.  Add the olive oil to the pan and heat it until a pinch of flour sizzles when dropped into the pan.

Cook the cod, floured side down, until it is browned (4–4 minutes). Turn it and season with salt and pepper, then add the garlic, wine, parley and scallions.  Immediately transfer pan to oven and bake until the cod is done about 5–7 minutes (cod begins to “gape” and it will be opaque throughout, offering no resistance to a thin bladed knife).  Avoid overcooking.

Serve immediately with rice or fried potatoes and something green. Wonderful with our Salpicon sauce! Serves 4–6.

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Crispy Skin Rainbow Trout

Sunday, March 21st, 2010 | posted by wendy

1 lb. rainbow trout fillet (skin side scored)
2 T canola or peanut oil
3 T chopped green onion
1 T chopped fresh ginger
1/4 cup saké

Pre-heat skillet on medium high heat until oil is sizzling hot. Place fillets skin side down in pan and cover. Do not peek for 4 minutes, then remove lid, reduce heat to medium and continue cooking until fish is opaque. (Do not flip fish.)

Remove fish to plate, then put green onion and ginger into the hot pan and sauté for one minute. Add sake and reduce for 2–3 minutes, scraping pan to make sauce, Pour over fish and rice. Great with steamed greens on the side. Serves 2.

Substitution: This recipe can also use the tail end of a salmon fillet, though cooking time might need adjustment.

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