Baked Skate with Cucumber, Capers, Tomato & Dill

Friday, April 29th, 2011 | posted by wendy

This refreshing and healthful preparation for skate wing is quick, easy and gorgeous on the plate. Some crusty bread is great for mopping up the sauce Serves 2.

  • 1 lb. skate wing (filleted)
  • 1/2 c finely diced cucumber
  • 1/2 c finely diced tomato
  • 3 T capers
  • 1/4 c extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 T balsamic vinegar
  • a few sprigs of fresh dill
  • salt & pepper to taste

Combine all the ingredients (except the skate fillet) in a bowl to mix. Lightly oil and place skate fillets on a a non-stick baking sheet (or one lined with parchment). Spoon some of the cucumber-caper-tomato mixture over each fillet and bake at super high heat (475°) for a few minutes until skate is cooked through. Serve with the pan juices and more garnish of fresh dill.

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Pan-seared Pollack with Caramelized Onions

Friday, April 22nd, 2011 | posted by wendy

This recipe serves 4. You may substitute any firm-fleshed ocean fish such as cod, haddock, hake or halibut. Inspired by New Scandinavian Cooking with Andreas Viestad.

  • 4 6-8 oz. pollack fillets
  • 2 cups Caramelized Onions (see below)
  • 2 to 4 whole cloves
  • Sea salt
  • 2 to 3 T flour
  • 2 to 3 T unsalted butter or bacon fat
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • Balsamic vinegar (optional)

For the Caramelized Onions:

  • 2 pounds yellow onions
  • 1 to 2 t salt
  • 2 to 3 t sugar
  • 2 to 4 T unsalted butter or olive oil

Caramelizing the onions:

Peel, halve and thinly slice the onion. Place the onion slices in a bowl, sprinkle with salt and sugar, and toss. Set aside for at least 10 minutes.

Melt the butter over medium heat in a wide iron pot or skillet (teflon will not work for caramelizing). Add the onion (save any liquid left in the bowl). Cook over medium heat under close observation, stirring or tossing often with a spatula, until the onions begin to brown. Reduce the heat and add the liquid from the bowl. For the best results, the longer they cook, the better–reduce the heat to lowest setting, cover and cook for an hour or more, stirring every 10 minutes or so. For a shorter process, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook under close observation for about 20 minutes.

Cooking the fish:

Place the fish in ice water for 15 to 20 minutes. Place the caramelized onions in a medium saucepan and add the cloves. Reheat over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally.

Pat the fish dry and rub the fillet pieces with salt to taste and sprinkle them (on the top and bottom only) with flour or Drake’s batter mix. Heat the butter or bacon fat in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high and add the fish, skin side up. Cook for 1 minute, then turn the pieces over and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, until the fish is opaque in the center. The exact time depends on the thickness of the fish. (We like to finish by putting the whole skillet in the oven after flipping skin-side down.)

Remove the cloves from the onions and distribute among individual plates and place the fish on top. Season with pepper and a drizzle of Balsamic vinegar to taste. Serve hot.

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Hake with Clams

Thursday, April 14th, 2011 | posted by wendy

The North Atlantic stocks of Hake are plentiful and sustainable. They fit the profile of a white, delicate, sweet fish that Americans traditionally love.

l lb. hake fillet
Drake’s batter mix or seasoned flour
16 manila clams or 10 small littlenecks
3 T olive oil
5 threads of saffron
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 c dry white wine or fish stock
1/4 c parsley, chopped

Heat olive oil in the bottom or a medium frying pan. Coat the fish in Drake’s batter mix (available at Monahan’s) and fry in the pan for about 3 minutes a side. Space saffron threads lengthwise along the fish, then add garlic and stir until it starts to brown. Add wine, clams and parsley, reduce heat to low and cover until clams are open and fish is opaque in the center.

Transfer fish to platter, stir the sauce and clams, then surround the plated fish. Serve with crusty bread for dipping. Bon appetit.

Cooking time will vary with the thickness of fish. Manila clams will cook in 2-3 minutes, littlenecks take 4-5. Total cooking time will be about 10 minutes per inch of thickness of fish. Serves 2.

Substitutions: cod, pollack, haddock, halibut

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Corned Hake (Slack Salted Hake)

Wednesday, April 13th, 2011 | posted by wendy

Here’s an old new England style slack-salted Corned Hake recipe that Bill Gerencer shared with us. Bill is the buyer for our oldest (30 years) supplier, M. F. Foley, in Boston and New Bedford. He was a commercial fisherman in his younger days and this is a dish he used to cook onboard his vessel (notice the canned cream corn from the galley’s pantry). Thanks Bill!

  • 3 lbs. Hake fillet
  • kosher salt
  • 5 large potatoes
  • 1 can creamed corn (heated)
  • 1 lb. diced salt pork (fried)
  • 1 fresh onion and 1 large cucumber diced and marinated in white vinegar for 20 minutes

Day 1
Cover the bottom of a glass baking dish with about 1/4 inch of salt. Lay the hake fillets on top of the salt. Cover the hake fillets with another 1/4 inch of salt—lighter over the thinner parts of the fillet. Place in the refrigerator over night.

Day 2
Remove from the refrigerator, drain off liquid and rinse fillets. Cut and boil the potatoes. Cut the hake into 5 oz chunks. In a separate pot, cover the hake with water and bring to a boil. Once the hake starts to boil, remove from heat, drain and add to the potatoes and let boil for 2 more minutes. Remove and drain. Serve with creamed corn and marinated onions/cucumbers and add the salt pork on top. Enjoy!

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Monahan's Fried Smelt

Friday, April 8th, 2011 | posted by wendy

The days of truck loads of smelt are, at least for now, over. Populations have gone down over the years and there is even a 2 gallon limit for sports fishermen now. Fortunately, there is still a pretty fair commercial catch. As far as cooking methods, in my opinion, there’s only one way to properly cook smelt and that’s to fry them. Lightly dusted and hot pan or deep fried. Here’s our style at the Market. Serves 2.

  • 3/4-1 lb. Dressed lake smelt
  • Milk
  • Drakes batter mix or fine corn meal
  • Salt and pepper
  • Canola or peanut oil

Heat a heavy pan or iron skillet over med high heat and add about 1/2 inch of oil. Dip smelt in milk and dredge in Drake’s. When oil is sizzling hot (370 degrees if you have a thermometer), add smelt one at a time and fry for about a minute a side for small smelt, longer for big ones or until a crunchy golden brown.

Drain on paper bag or paper towel. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with lemon & tartar sauce or hot sauce.

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Monahan's Fried Oyster Po'Boy

Friday, April 1st, 2011 | posted by wendy

We serve these every Saturday at the Market on a Café Japon Baguette, but here’s the recipe in case you feel like making them at home. Serves 4.

  • 1 baguette (choose a baguette with a softer crust so that oysters won’t get squashed with each bite)
  • 4 nice leaves of romaine lettuce
  • 3/4 lb. fresh shucked select oysters
  • Drake’s batter mix or fine cornmeal for dredging
  • Peanut or vegetable oil for frying
  • Tomato slices
  • Red onion slices
  • Remoulade sauce (make at home or buy at Monahan’s)
  • salt and pepper
  • wedges of lemon

Cut baguette lengthwise, then into 4 equal pieces and slather bottom piece with remoulade. Arrange lettuce, tomato and onion over remoulade sauce.

Heat skillet or heavy pan and add enough oil so it will just cover oysters (about 1 inch).

Dredge oysters in their liquor, then in the Drakes or cornmeal. When oil is sizzling hot but not yet smoking, around 360 degrees, add oysters one at a time and fry for 2 or 3 minutes or until golden brown. Drain on paper towel, season with a touch of salt and pepper.

Arrange oysters over each Po’Boy and attack!.

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