Vietnamese Bluefish Sandwich

Friday, September 23rd, 2011 | posted by wendy

Mike Monahan created this great sandwich as a special for the lunch counter. It incorporates the wonderful flavors of Vietnam—Asian hot-spicy-sweet-sour vinaigrette and crunchy shredded cabbage—that perfectly compliments the fantastic rich flavor of bluefish. It’s great with a simple cucumber salad on the side. This recipe serves 4.

  • Fresh baguette
  • 2 T olive oil
  • 1 1/2 lbs bluefish fillet pin bone removed
  • 1/4 cup Drake’s batter mix or seasoned flour
  • 1/4 cup Cajun seasoning or Prudholms Cajun magic
  • 1 1/2 cups finely sliced cabbage (purple and green)

The vinaigrette

  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 3 T rice wine vinegar
  • 2 T Fish sauce
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • 3 T Thai sweet chili sauce
  • 2  t  Shiracha sauce
  • 2 T basil finely chopped
  • 2 T cilantro finely chopped
  • 1 T mint finely chopped
  • 3 scallions finely sliced

Combine vinaigrette ingredients in a bowl and set aside.

Preheat oven to 400°.

Slice baguette in half lengthwise and then into 4 6-8 inch lengths.

Angle cut bluefish fillets into 4 slices about 6-8 inches in length. Dust fillets in Drake’s batter mix and a little Cajun seasoning. Heat ovenproof pan or iron skillet over high heat on stove, then add 2 T olive oil. When sizzling hot, place fillets in flesh side down. Pan sear for about 3–5 minutes or until the fillets are brown and crispy around edges. Flip and pop the skillet  into your pre-heated oven for another 5-7 min or until fish is opaque in the center.

Place fillet on baguette and top with cabbage. Drizzle vinaigrette over cabbage and serve.

Posted in Recipes | 1 Comment »
Tags: , ,

Grilled bluefish fillets with oven roasted tomatoes, green olives & capers

Friday, September 16th, 2011 | posted by mike

Fresh, local tomatoes and bluefish are at their peak this time of year…it’s a flavor explosion!

Serves 4

  • 1 1/2-2 lbs. bluefish fillets
  • 2 lbs. fresh plum tomatoes (sliced in 1/2 lengthwise)
  • 4 T green olives with pimientos, coarsely chopped
  • 2 T capers
  • 2 large cloves garlic- peeled
  • 6 fillets anchovies- chopped
  • 1 T balsamic vinegar
  • Olive oil
  • Kosher salt and pepper

Pre – heat oven to 500º. Toss tomato halves and garlic in olive oil and arrange on a sheet tray or cookie sheet with sides, sliced side up. Sprinkle with kosher salt and pepper. Roast for 15-20 min. or until tomatoes are browning around the edges.

Chop the garlic and cut the tomatoes in large chunks.

Heat pan over med- high heat. Add about a tablespoon of olive oil and add anchovies and garlic. When anchovies start to break up, add tomatoes, olives, capers and vinegar. Stir then take off heat until bluefish is ready.

Fire up the grill and with these large thick fillets, use indirect heat method (do this by separating the coals and piling them up on opposite sides). Make sure grill is clean and oiled.

Cut fillet in half or if you want to present a whole fillet, flip carefully with 2 spatulas. Lightly baste fish with olive oil on both sides and season with salt and pepper. Make sure grid on grill will be diagonal to fish, so you’ll get those nice grill marks.

Place fillet meat side down in center of grill (so that it’s not over coals). Cover with vents open and grill lid slightly ajar (to give it a little more air and heat). Don’t move the fillet, let it set.

Grill for 4 min. a side or until fillet is opaque in center (gently cut into center to check). Carefully transfer to platter and spoon heated tomato mix over center of fillet.

Posted in Recipes | Comments Off
Tags: , , ,

John Dory en Papillote

Friday, September 9th, 2011 | posted by wendy

Serves 4

  • 4 John Dory fillets- 6-8 oz. each
  • 2 carrots cut thin julienne
  • 2 tomatoes, diced
  • 2 Leeks cut in thin julienne (use white and part of green)
  • 3 cloves garlic, fine chop
  • 2 zucchini, cut thin julienne
  • 3 T chopped fresh dill
  • 4 T olive oil
  • 1/4 cup fish stock (available at Monahan’s) or dry white wine
  • Salt and pepper
  • 4 pieces of parchment paper 12 x 16 inches

Pre heat oven to 375º.

Because the John Dory fillets are fairly thin do a quick sauté of the veggies. Heat pan over med- high heat, add 2 T olive and add garlic until it just starts to brown. Add vegetables (save tomatoes and dill till the end, save a little dill to top the fillets). Sauté until vegetables start to soften ,toss in tomatoes and dill and take off heat.

Fold parchment paper in half and divide vegetables equally on one side of each paper and season with salt and pepper.

Place each fillet over vegetables and drizzle with rest of olive oil and stock or wine, then sprinkle a bit of dill over fillets. Make a pouch by folding parchment in 1/2 circle.

Place on cookie sheet or broiling pan and pop in oven for 12 min.

Serve in pouch – tear into center of pouch at the table and get hit with the steaming hot and aromatic whiff.

Posted in Recipes | 1 Comment »
Tags: ,

Grilled Spanish Mackerel with Oven Roasted Tomato Sauce

Friday, September 2nd, 2011 | posted by mike

This sauce is loaded with flavor; a little will go a long way. Serves 4

For the tomatoes:

  • 2 lb. plum tomatoes cut in 1/2 lengthwise
  • 1 med. onion sliced
  • 3 cloves garlic, peeled
  • 8 sprigs thyme
  • 1 small jalapeño pepper
  • Olive oil
  • 1 t balsamic vinegar
  • Splash of dry red wine
  • 3 anchovies fillets (optional)

Pre heat oven to 375 degrees

In a mixing bowl toss all ingredients except vinegar and wine with olive oil on an oiled sheet tray or cookie sheet (with sides on it). Arrange ingredients with tomatoes sliced side up

Sprinkle with kosher salt and pepper

Roast for 25-30 min. or until tomatoes are caramelizing and browning around the edges

Heat a med. saucepan over med. heat

Coarsely chop everything and add to pan, drizzle in a bit of the oil from the sheet tray and add a splash of wine and the balsamic vinegar

For the fish:

  • 1 1/2 – 2 lb. Spanish mackerel fillet- substitute bluefish, North Atlantic mackerel, or swordfish
  • Olive oil
  • Salt and pepper

Heat coals until white or over med- high heat on gas grill

Clean and oil grill

Lightly baste fillets with olive oil and season with salt and pepper

Place fillets meat side down, diagonal to grids

Don’t move fillets, let them firm up

After 3 min. flip and grill for another 3 min.

Grill until fish is barely opaque in center (cooking time will vary with thickness of fish, rule of thumb – total time 10 min. per inch of thickness

Serve with sauce in the center of fillet

Posted in Recipes | 1 Comment »
Tags: , , , , , ,