Crazy for Cod Cakes!

Friday, October 26th, 2012 | posted by mike

spanish shrimp tortillitas

Spanish Shrimp Tortillitas

 

We’ve been making all kinds of fish and shellfish cakes at the market for years! We’ve offered recipes for crab cakes, Thai fish cakes, salmon cakes, Maine shrimp cakes, tortillitas de Camerones, but never have we shared our good old-fashioned cod cake recipe.

Whether you’re making crab, shrimp or fish cakes, the best ones always showcase the main ingredient, with minimal filler. Just as a great crab cake is made up of mostly crab, and sometimes barely holds together as a cake, a fine cod cake should have nice flakes of fish throughout.

 

Today’s recipe I think works best with the firm flake of codfish but I’ve used haddock and the less expensive fish from the cod family, pollack. These cakes also are great with almost any leftover fish.

Posted in Blog | Comments Off
Tags: ,

Cod Cakes

Friday, October 26th, 2012 | posted by mike

Serves 4

1 1/4 lb. cod fillet, skin off, bones removed (pollack, haddock or any firm flaked fish will work)

Olive oil

Tartar sauce (Monahan’s is great)

1 lemon, cut into wedges

1 cup panko crumbs

2 cups russet potatoes, cut into 1/4inch cubes, boiled and mashed

2 ribs celery fine chop

3 T onion fine chop

3 t Old Bay seasoning

3T roasted red pepper or piquillo pimientos chopped

3 t sriracha sauce

1 egg

2 T mayonnaise

1 large or 2 small cloves garlic minced

3 T parsley fine chop

Salt and pepper

Pre heat oven to 375º

Place cod in a lightly oiled baking pan, baste with a little olive oil, season with salt and pepper and bake for 10 min. per inch of thickness, or until fish is just opaque in the center

Set fish aside

Boil potato cubes for 10  -15 min or until soft

Mash the potatoes in a mixing bowl and stir in rest of ingredients, except the fish

At this point the mix should be fairly firm, to hold together for the cakes, if it seems too soft, add in a T or two of panko crumbs

Break cooked cod into large flakes (remove any bones)

Gently mix in cod flakes (try not to break them up too much)

Make cakes about 3 inches wide and about an inch thick and dredge in panko crumbs

Heat about 3 T olive oil in a non-stick frying pan over med. heat

Fry until nicely browned on both sides, approx. 3-4 min. a side

Serve with tartar sauce

Posted in Recipes | Comments Off
Tags: , ,

Thai fish cakes (Tawd Mun Pla )

Friday, May 6th, 2011 | posted by mike

I use cod, pollack or hake and get great results. Typically served as an appetizer with cucumber relish in Thai restaurants, I serve them as a main course with a sweet roasted red chili sauce, jasmine rice and cucumber salad.

For the fish cakes

  • 1 lb. cod, pollack or hake fillet skinned and cut in cubes
  • 2 T sweet chili sauce
  • 2 sriracha sauce.
  • 2 T fish sauce
  • 1 T lime juice
  • 4 scallions sliced very thin
  • 6 T cilantro chopped ( save 2 T for garnish)
  • 2 T red curry paste
  • 1 t brown sugar
  • 3 kafirr lime leaves fine slice ( chiffonade)
  • 4 T snake or green beans sliced thin
  • Egg whites from 1 large of two small eggs
  • Flour for dredging
  • Peanut or vegetable oil
  • Lime wedges

Roasted red sweet chili sauce

  • 1/4 cup sweet chili sauce
  • 2 T roasted red chili paste
  • 1 T fish sauce
  • 1 T rice vinegar
  • 1 T lime juice

Pulse-chop all ingredients except beans, scallions and lime leaves in food processor. Transfer to mixing bowl and stir in the beans, scallions and leaves. Refrigerate for 1/2 hour.

Heat oil for deep frying in wok or skillet over medium heat. Smack and stir batter with wooden spoon (to fluff it up and aerate). Wet your hands and form small cakes (uniform thickness but uneven shapes are O.K.) and dredge in flour. Fry cakes for about 2 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through. Drain on paper towel, then serve topped with sauce (or on side). Sprinkle with remaining cilantro. Garnish with lime wedges

Posted in Recipes | Comments Off
Tags: , , , ,

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.

Posted in Recipes | Comments Off
Tags: , , , ,

Hake: Unsung Hero

Friday, April 15th, 2011 | posted by mike

A great fish that most people outside of New England have never heard of is Hake. It’s not that there aren’t enough of them—the North Atlantic stocks are plentiful and sustainable. They fit the profile of a white, delicate, sweet fish that Americans traditionally love. They are also usually sold at a great price compared to it’s more famous cousins like cod, haddock and even pollack.

There are many different species of hake. The one we sell is called white hake, which is similar in texture and flavor to the European hake. Now here is another of the many examples of  “one mans trash is another mans treasure.” Although hake is familiar to folks in New England, I’ve never seen it on a menu (outside of our own) in the midwest, except for a few big city spanish restaurants. Spain’s national fish is Hake (Merluza). One third of the total of fish consumed in Spain is Hake, and there’s a lot of diffrerent fish in Spain. It’s incredible that something that is such a huge part of entire cultures is little known and underutilized in most of the U.S.

Out of all the fish in the cod family, Americans have always preferred cod and haddock over hake and pollock. Part of it is because of texture. Cod for example has large, firm flakes. Hake is tighter textured, fairly soft and delicate. It’s flavor is mild and subtly sweet, but if you were to simply bake it, some might find it to be soft and bland. However, if you were to visit San Sebastian, Spain and experience Basque style ‘Merluza a la Koxkera’ (hake with clams), the sweet flavor of the hake with a rich clammy green sauce might be the best thing you’ve ever eaten. It’s all in the right preparation for the right fish.

Hake is always good cooked with a little texture to it. Hot-pan searing and serving over a pepper tomato sauce; or coating it with seasoned breadcrumbs, such as panko parmesan herb crust and baking it at high heat, the results will be a super light, delicate and sweet fish with a bit of a crust instead of a soft boring texture.

Another problem with Hake in America is that it doesn’t travel well. Since it’s softer and more delicate than other fish, it’s more perishable which means that the chances of buying less than fresh fish outside of the east coast is greatly increased. We bring in whole hake and fillet them fresh so that’s not a problem at Monahan’s.

Here’s our version of hake with clams, in Spain this dish would be cooked in a clay cazuela and be spun over a stove for 20 minutes til the sauce gels and thickens. Our version of this recipe is a lot easier and pretty darn good.

We’re also including 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!

Posted in Blog | Comments Off
Tags: , , , , , , , ,

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

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

Parmesan herb crusted halibut over marinara sauce

Friday, March 25th, 2011 | posted by wendy

This recipe is great, with or without the marinara sauce. Serves 4.

For the sauce

  • 1 28 oz. can Italian plum tomatoes, San Marzano is a good brand.
  • 2 T imported Italian plum tomato paste
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 4 cloves garlic finely chopped
  • 2 T chopped fresh basil
  • 1/2 t dried oregano
  • Splash of white wine
  • salt and pepper

Heat medium sauce pan over medium high heat. Add olive oil, when oil is hot add garlic and stir ’till it just starts to brown. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, basil, salt and pepper. Stirring occasionally, bring to boil, add a splash of wine, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes.

For the Fish & coating

  • 4   6-8 oz. Halibut fillets
  • 1 T light mayonnaise
  • Olive oil to drizzle

In a mixing bowl combine

  • 1 cup panko crumbs
  • 1T dried basil
  • 1 t dried oregano
  • 1 T Reggiano Parmesan
  • 1/2 -1 t red pepper flakes
  • 2 t thin sliced and chopped nori sheet  (just for looks)

Pre neat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly coat fillets with mayo, then coat all around with panko herb mixture. Place on lightly oiled baking dish or broiling pan. Drizzle (or spray) a little olive oil over fillets then season with salt and pepper. Bake for 10-14 minutes or until fish is barely opaque in the center. Serve over marinara sauce.

Posted in Recipes | Comments Off
Tags: , , , ,

Cod en Papillote

Friday, January 7th, 2011 | posted by wendy

fish in parchmentIf you love a healthy, simple dish with the easiest clean-up ever, try cooking some fish en papillote (in parchment paper). You can cook using this method with just about any combination of fish, vegetables or rice, herbs & spices or condiment you like. The possibilities are endless! Just ask for suggestions at the fish market counter.

1 piece of parchment paper approximately 12″x16″
1–8 oz skinless cod fillet
1 T scallions
2 t fresh thyme (1/2 t if you use dried thyme)
2 t sundried tomatoes (finely chopped)
2 T fresh tomatoes (coursely chopped)
1 cup fresh spinach
optional: 8 Maine Shrimp (peeled)

Preheat oven to 375°.

Fold parchment paper in half, then open on work surface. Drizzle a tiny bit of oil (or use a bit of cooking spray) on the parchment paper. Arrange spinach, cod fillet on half of the parchment, then combine remaining ingredients and top the fish, placing the peeled Maine Shrimp on top. Fold the other half of the parchment over the top (as though you are closing a book) and crimp the outer edges of the parchment to seal the fish and other ingredients in the parchment. Make sure to leave enough air in the packet for the dish to steam in the oven. When we make fish en papillote at the market, we crimp the edges twice, just to make sure there is a tight seal and so the steam won’t escape.

Place the parchment-wrapped packet on a baking sheet and put in the preheated oven for 13 minutes. Remove to a plate and open the steaming parchment for a wonderful and healthful dish.

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

For the Love of Cod

Friday, October 15th, 2010 | posted by mike

For a while there it looked like the fish upon which our nation was founded, funded, and fed was about to slip into overfished oblivion. Canada’s cod fishery completely collapsed in the ’80′s (and is still recovering), and rumors about the closing of our own cod grounds, the George’s Bank and the Gulf of Maine, were buzzing for several years. Well, the good news for us is that stocks in both areas are growing with the Gulf of Maine seeing cod at levels not seen in 30 years! Strict fisheries management such as, permanent and rolling fishing ground closures, net mesh changes (to allow juvenile fish to escape), fleet buy backs from the government in order to reduce the number of boats that are fishing, as well as total catch limits have begun to pay off.

Now that we can feel good about purchasing cod again it’s time to try some great ways to enjoy it. A lot of folks think of cod as the world’s generic mild, or bland, ultimate whitefish, made famous by Mrs. Paul, McDonald’s, or those yummy fish sticks in the high school cafeteria. Well, I’m here to say that if you’ve ever tasted a nice thick, moist, firm-flaked fillet of codfish you would truly appreciate its subtle delicate sweetness. Cod has to be super fresh and preferably filleted just before cooking in order to keep its moisture, fat, flavor and goodness. I think Monahan’s is the only market in Michigan to buy cod whole ( from the cod fathers- M.F. Foley in New Bedford & Boston, MA), and fillet them as we need them. The result is a fillet that hasn’t evaporated and dehydrated its goodness away. The finer chefs know the wonderful qualities of truly fresh cod.

It’s a fish that is super versatile- pan-searing, baking, broiling, frying, roasting, steaming, this fish can do anything (except maybe grilling- its a little too delicate).

Try our easy, delicious cod en papillote recipe!

Posted in Blog | Comments Off
Tags: , ,

Cod en Papillote with tomatoes & herbs

Friday, October 15th, 2010 | posted by mike

This is a quick, easy, and delicious meal! We sell made to order papillotes at the market and would be glad to make this one for you.

  • 1 piece of parchment paper- 12″ x 16″
  • 1/3 – 1/2 lb. cod fillet (thick end)
  • 1T olive oil
  • 2t minced garlic
  • 2t shallots finely chopped
  • splash of dry white wine
  • a handful of fresh spinach
  • 1/2 cup diced fresh local tomatoes (if available, otherwise use the next best thing)
  • 2t sun-dried or oven-dried tomatoes finely chopped
  • 2t chopped, fresh thyme – save a sprig for garnish
  • 3t finely chopped flat leaf parsley
  • 3t finely chopped fresh oregano
  • 1/2 lemon
  • salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

In a mixing bowl combine 1/2 T olive oil, the tomatoes, garlic, shallots, and herbs. Fold the parchment paper in half and open it up. Place the spinach on the right half of the paper and sprinkle with 1/2 T oil and juice of the 1/2 lemon. Place cod fillet on top of spinach and coat with the tomato herb mixture, add a splash of wine, season with salt & pepper and place a thyme sprig on top. Now fold the parchment in half, making 2″- 3″ folds while forming a half circle and pressing firmly with your thumb to form a seal all around. Place on a baking sheet or broiling pan and pop it in the pre-heated oven for 14 minutes.  Best served in the pouch or transfer fish to a plate.

Posted in Recipes | 2 Comments »
Tags: , ,