The following recipe comes from an Australian based blog 3 Hungry Tummies:
Asam laksa (asam meaning tamarind in Malay) also popularly known as Penang laksa, is a lesser know member of the laksa family outside of Malaysia and Singapore. It is a fish and tamarind-based noodle soup believed to be invented in the “street food capital of Malaysia”, Penang.
Not a lot is written about the origin of this wonderful dish; I personally think it definitely has a southern Thai connection as the taste and ingredients used are very similar to keang som (sour orange curry)
makes 8 serves as a very satisfying one dish meal;
for the broth you’ll need;
1kg of the freshest mackeral or any type of fresh fish you can lay you hands on, boiled and picked
8p pcs of tamarind peel (asam keping/gelugor) pictured above
6 tbs of tamarind paste (asam jawa)
10 stalks of Vietnamese mint (daun kesom)
4 l of water
Method:
Boil fish in boiling water for 5 minutes, remove fish, strain stock and add in the rest of the ingredients.
Add spice paste (recipe follows) and bring to a boil, then simmer for 30 minutes.
Add in flaked fish just before serving.
for spice paste you’ll need:
500g of shallots, chopped
4 stalks of lemongrass, chopped white part only
10 red chilies, chopped
10 dried chilies, soaked and chopped
small knob of turmeric
a small piece of shrimp paste (belachan)
you’ll also need;
1 cucumber, jullienne
1 red onion, thinly sliced
1 ginger flower (bunga kantan薑花), thinly sliced - pictured in the second photo
The following recipe comes from Sankeerthanam a wonderful blog full of delicious Indian recipes
Ingredients
Fish- 2-3 Medium sized whole fish any desired fish
Chili Powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
Ginger - One piece - thinly sliced
Green Chili -2 -thinly sliced
Garlic - 2 large pods(10 small pods) - thinly sliced
Onion - 1/2 medium size - sliced
Tomato - 1 small - sliced
Onion - 1 medium sliced
water - 1/4 cup(for cooking fish)
salt - according to taste
Basmati Rice or Biryani rice - 2 cups
Onion -1 medium - sliced thinly for frying
Raisins and Cashews(Optional)
Water - 4 cups
Ghee(Clarified Butter) - 2 tsp
Vegetable oil - 1 tsp
Preparation method:
Clean the Fish and apply the chili powder, turmeric powder. Coarse grind Green chili, Garlic and Ginger and add to Fish pieces. Keep it aside for 15 minutes.
Heat 2 tsp oil in a thick bottomed pan. Add onion and tomato and cook until the onion start turns pale. Add enough salt and chili and turmeric powder add the fish start cooking. Keep it covered with onion and tomato to keep the fish moist.
Wash the Basmati rice with water to remove any impurities.
In a thick bottom vessel(must have a properly fitting lid), add the oil and ghee and heat it.
Fry the onion slices over low heat till golden brown, separate from oil and keep it aside.
Fry Cashew and raisins and keep it aside.Add the basmati rice to the oil and fry for 1 minute(just warm up only, so that rice is covered with oil) Add the remaining liquid from fish to the rice
Add the enough warm water so that total liquid in rice is around 3 and 1/2 cups.(Rice cooking time and water requirements varies by variety of rice, add the remaining water if rice dries up)Add salt to taste and some gharam masala or whole spices.
Cook the rice at high heat till the water starts to boil and cover the lid and Cook at low heat till the rice absorbs all the water(This is the tricky as there are chances that rice sticks to the bottom if dries up, or the rice is not cooked properly, make sure the the water used is slightly less than the amount of rice and cook at low heat and check the rice when you see the steam coming out of the rice almost stops). When complete, rice must be soft, but it should not stick to each other
In a 12 inch baking pan add 1/2 of the rice as a layer at bottom and then add the fish pieces and spread half of the pudina and coriander leaves and the fried onions ,cashew and raisins.Spread the remaining rice and spread some Gharam masala on top of the rice and cover with aluminium foil and bake it at 300 degree F for 25 - 30 minutes.
Garnish with remaining Pudina (mint) and Coriander leaves, fried onions, cashew and raisins.
While this dish has quite a lot of steps it will not disappoint you.
2009 is the year of the Ox, according to the traditional Chinese zodiac, a calendar made up of 12-year cycles. People born in the year of the Ox are considered stubborn, loyal, patient, and capable of inspiring great confidence in others. They are also known for having considerable mental and physical stamina, and often make great leaders. President Barack Obama was born in the year of the Ox, as were Richard Nixon, Walt Disney, Charlie Chaplin, George Clooney, and Napoleon Bonaparte. If you were born in any of the following years, you are an Ox, too!
New Year’s celebrations, or Spring Festivals, as they’re known in Chinese, vary from region to region throughout China and the Chinese diaspora. Common elements include fireworks, feasting, and the color red. Some traditional foods include jiaozi (dumplings) and melon seeds, along with a number of fish dishes, often consumed on New Year’s Eve. The word for “fish” in Chinese is yú (鱼), and is a homonym for “surplus” - these kinds of similar-sounding words are considered auspicious in Chinese culture, and so fish is symbolic of plenitude and a successful harvest for the coming year.
This is a tasty version of a traditional Chinese fish dish.
1. Soak the fillets in salt water for half an hour. While they are marinating, move on to step 2.
2. Soak the dried mushrooms in warm water and set aside. Prep the vegetables, and combine them in a small bowl; set aside. Combine the garlic and ginger in a small bowl; set aside. Mix together the rice wine, broth, oyster sauce, salt, sugar, soy sauce, and vinegar; whisk until well blended, and set aside.
3. Drain and rinse the fish, and pat the fillets dry with paper towels. Dip each in beaten egg and then dredge in cornstarch until they are evenly coated. Fry in hot peanut oil until they are golden brown; remove with a slotted spoon, drain briefly, then transfer to a serving dish. Keep warm.
4. Remove the dried mushrooms from the bowl and squeeze out any excess liquid. Trim and discard the stems, and then slice into think strips and add to the bowl of vegetables.
5. Heat a few tablespoons of peanut oil in a wok, swirling it around to coat the sides of the pan. Fry the ginger/garlic mixture until it starts to turn golden, and add the rest of the vegetables, stirring quickly. Saute for a few minutes, then add the liquid mixture. Allow it to come to a simmer, then whisk in the water/cornstarch combination. Bring the whole lot to a boil, and test the vegetables for doneness.
6. Season liberally with sesame oil and white pepper, then pour the vegetable sauce over the fish. Serve immediately.
This hearty stew uses traditional Indian flavors - coriander, cumin, mustard, turmeric, cayenne - to warm the palate, but lacks much of the intense heat of some Indian cuisine. This preparation is relatively delicate, and tastes best on the day it is prepared. Serve it over rice for a complete one-dish meal.
You will need:
1 1/4 lbs. white fish, such as halibut, cod, or rockfish, cut into 2″ cubes
2 medium russet potatoes, cut into the same size as the fish
vegetable oil
1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
1/4 tsp. turmeric
2 small serrano chilies, quartered length-wise
3-4 large cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1 cup water
salt
a 15-oz. can of coconut milk; I find that this is worth paying for - thinner, “low-fat,” or cheap varieties will provide cheap results
1 tsp. rice vinegar (apple cider vinegar will also work)
1. Heat a few tablespoons of oil in a soup pot over medium heat, and saute the onion until golden. Add the turmeric and stir to coat the onions.
2. Toss in the potatoes, chilies, garlic, and ginger, and stir until the potatoes are coated in the oil, around 2 or 3 minutes.
3. Add the water and 1/2 tsp. salt and bring the entire mixture to a boil. Cook around 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.
4. Add the coconut milk, the fish cubes, and another 1/4 tsp. salt. Let the entire stew simmer, but don’t bring it to a full boil. Cook only until the fish is opaque and springy to the touch - about 5 minutes.
5. Stir in the vinegar and let the stew sit for a few minutes before serving.
Note - if you really want to reduce the heat of this dish, remove the serranos after the potatoes are cooked. However, pepper bellies may want to consider grinding an extra serrano and tossing it in as a paste to boost the heat. Be advised, however, that too much extra zing may overpower the delicate flavor of the fish. The vinegar in this dish creates a lovely balance with the curry flavors that you won’t want to miss.
This is a quick and beautiful presentation for whole, high-quality fish. Serve it with steamed rice and a spicy vegetable stir-fry for a colorful and heart-healthy meal for guests.
2whole fish (about 2 lb each, such as rockfish or wild salmon), scaled, gutted and scored
1/2cupsliced scallions
2tablespoonsfresh ginger, julienned
1/2cupsoy sauce
1/4cuppeanut oil
1teaspoonsesame oil
1/2teaspoon brown sugar
2 T Thai sweet chili sauce
1. Heat oven to 450°. Cover two baking sheets with aluminum foil. Rinse whole fish under cold running water, and season well on both sides with salt and pepper. Place one fish on each sheet.
2. Whisk remaining ingredients in a bowl and spoon the sauce over each fish, making sure some of the sauce gets into the scores on the skin side.
3. Seal the fish inside the foil, making a pouch rather than wrapping it tightly.
4. Bake 10 minutes per inch of thickness of fish at its thickest part (typically 20 to 25 minutes for a 2-inch-thick fish). Remove foil and serve with juices.
When it comes to seafood, often simplest is best - quick and easy cooking techniques ensure that fish retains its natural flavor and keeps it from becoming overcooked or dry. Pan sauté any thin fillet – halibut, swordfish, tuna, salmon, sole, tilapia – or even lobster meat or scallops, and serve drizzled in piccata, a classic Italian sauce that shows off the succulence of fish oils and balances them with sea-salty brine.With just a couple of ingredients that you can keep on hand at all times, you can have a light and yet robustly-flavored meal ready in a matter of minutes.
handful of flour (this can be omitted for gluten-free diets), poured onto a plate
olive oil
3 T butter
4-5 shallots, minced
½ lemon, thinly sliced
¼ cup white wine or dry vermouth
1-2 T capers
salt and freshly cracked black pepper
1.Heat a little olive oil and a tablespoon of butter in a heavy skillet over high heat.Rinse the fish in cold running water, dust each side with salt and pepper, and dredge the fillets in the flour.
2.When the oil is hot, gently place two of the fillets in the skillet, sautéing until golden and then turning them over and browning on both sides.Remove from heat and keep warm in the oven while you cook the second two fillets the same way.
3.Pour the used oil and any bits from the skillet and return it to the heat.Add 1 tablespoon of butter and allow it to melt.Add the shallots and 4 or 5 lemon slices, sautéing until the shallots turn golden and translucent.Pour in the wine or vermouth, and stir briskly with a wooden spoon or small whisk.Remove the lemon slices, and place them over the fish fillets.
4.Add the rest of the butter to the pan, along with the capers.Let the sauce thicken, and add salt and pepper to taste.
5.Spoon the sauce over the fish and serve immediately with crusty bread to mop up leftover sauce.A crisp green salad and orzo cooked with chilies and saffron make nice accompaniments.
The Pacific Northwest is home to a number of precious culinary gems - some classic, like wild Alaskan seafood, Washington berries and apples, and Oregon cheeses and hazelnuts, and others more recently polished to take their places in the repertoires of cooks - Oregon pinot noir, for one, and the only certified organic saké brewed in the US. Local chefs have been combining these flavors for years to excellent effect, but the simple tricks behind Northwest flavors have yet to make their way into the mainstream. For those for whom saké is a hot, acrid bit of exotica choked down as a gesture to tradition at late-night sushi bars, here is a revelation: the good stuff is smooth, complex, easily as varied as wine, and is best enjoyed chilled. It also makes a great cocktail, and can be used for a number of different cooking purposes. This simple marinade combines some of the more interesting flavors in Northwest cuisine, and works great with everything from wild salmon steaks and halibut to scallops or shrimp skewers.
1 cup soy sauce (lighter is better in this case, to reduce sodium and allow other flavors predominance - good quality soy sauce is worth the small price difference)
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup saké - something on the sweeter end of the spectrum; use filtered saké - the cloudiness of nigori styles is less desirable for this application, (although it doesn’t hurt to experiment - there are locally-made flavored sakés that add an interesting dimension to this recipe, like “coconut lemongrass”)
3 or 4 large cloves garlic, peeled, smashed, and minced
1 inch peeled fresh ginger, shredded or finely sliced
a handful of coarsely chopped cilantro
juice of 2 limes
optional: 1/2 cup Thai sweet chili sauce, 3 T hot sauce (Sriracha, Tabasco, Habanero), ground cumin or anise, cracked black pepper
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Rinse the fish well under cold running water, then nestle the fish into the marinade, making sure the flesh is entirely covered. Refrigerate for 2-6 hours, turning the fish occasionally, then remove from marinade and bake or grill as desired. If you use an outdoor grill, reserve part of the marinade to pour over the fish as it cooks - be prepared for flames, but the flavor will be outstanding.
Sometimes the most interesting creations are accidents. This recipe is not the one I intended to write, and yet it is now one of my favorites, a discovery I made thanks to the uniform bags I buy bulk goods in, and the remarkable resemblance of flour to powdered sugar. I was in a hurry, things got mixed up, and…voila! A new fish preparation is revealed. The combination of sweet and savory is found in nearly all world cuisines, and yet gives unexpected depth to this dish. If you’re not feeling adventurous, go ahead and use flour like I had originally intended. If you’re up for something new (and wonderful), follow this recipe.
You will need:
1 lb. (fresh or thawed) skinless, boneless white fish - halibut or cod are both excellent
a handful of powdered sugar
2 lemons, one zested
5 cloves of garlic, sliced
2 cups strong vegetable broth
1/2 cup coarsely chopped Greek olives; kalamatas or mixed green olives are good
salt, pepper, and cayenne
olive oil
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Rinse the fish under cold running water. Dust a plate with the powdered sugar, and then dredge the fish, coating it lightly but completely on both sides.
2. Heat the olive oil in a heavy, ovenproof skillet. Add the garlic and sautee until golden. Place the fish over the garlic and sear it well, so the sugar browns on both sides. Season liberally with salt, pepper, and a shake of cayenne (optional).
3. Before the fish is cooked through, remove the skillet from heat and douse the fish with the juice of two lemons. Toss the lemon wedges or halves in with the fish, and pour the broth into the pan until the level of the liquid comes most of the way up the fish.
4. Sprinkle with chopped olives and bake for 5-8 minutes, or until the fish is cooked through and flakes with a fork. Serve immediately.
I served this with rice that I’d steamed with lemon zest, oregano, and pepper; I caramelized an onion and added some cashews at the last minute to warm them, then covered the rice in the onions and nuts. We had a simple salad on the side: coarsely chopped greens with onions and gorgonzola cheese, and a sharp lemon vinaigrette. Warmed coriander pita finished it off, and was perfect for swabbing up the sauce from the fish.
This is one of the easiest, quickest preparations I’ve tried, but don’t let its simplicity fool you - the flavors are complex and well suited to a variety of sides or servings. I used black cod, which has a tender and flaky consistency that responds well to broiling; the heat of the spices balances the flavorful oil of the fish and brings out the roasted quality that comes from high-temperature cooking. Black cod also has even more healthy Omega-3s than salmon! Any dense white fish would work, however - try halibut, mackerel, or even mahi mahi, although the more delicate the flavor of the fish, the more likely it is to be overpowered by the spice.
You will need:
1 lb. black cod or other dense, flaky white fish; a thick fillet works nicely and doesn’t dry out
1-2 T butter (salted)
1 T ground chipotle; chipotles are jalapenos that have been roasted and smoked - you can get them ground to a powder at most stores that sell spices in bulk. For this recipe, a fine powder should be used, but if all you can find is adobo, or canned chipotles in sauce, then try that. The result will likely be hotter and less delicate, but very tasty.
2 limes - one juiced, one wedged
a handful of cilantro, minced
1 vegetable bouillon cube, dissolved in warm water
splash of olive oil
an oven-proof casserole dish
1. If the fish is frozen, force-thaw it, and then rinse it under cold running water. Preheat your broiler.
2. Splash your baking dish with olive oil, and then set your fillet in it, turning it over a couple of times to coat it. Dust the fish liberally with salt, and then set it aside.
3. Melt the butter and add the chipotle powder and half of the lime juice. Mix it all together with a fork, and then pour it over the top of the fish, trying to keep as much on the fillet itself as possible. Rub it in a little with your hands, making sure it’s well-coated.
4. Sprinkle half the cilantro onto the surface of the fish, and then slide the dish under the broiler. I keep the top rack of the oven about 10 inches away from the broiler to prevent burning.
5. Cook the fish until the chipotle becomes fragrant - about 7 minutes. Pour half of the vegetable stock into the baking dish, and spoon some over the top of the fish.
6. Continue to let the fish cook, basting it occasionally, until it is flaky and opaque in its thickest part. Test periodically with a fork. Add broth as needed to keep some liquid in the bottom of the pan, but don’t smother the fish - too much liquid, and it will poach rather than broil. We just want to keep it moist and still let the edges crisp.
Serve in a dish that holds juice, and spoon the butter-broth mixture over each portion. Toss on the remaining cilantro and lime juice, and offer extra wedges of lime at the table. This preparation goes beautifully with Asian-style fried rice, sesame noodles, Cuban rice and beans, and astringent green salads. The leftovers make excellent filling for fish tacos - just add black beans and cabbage slaw!
In a renewed lawsuit pitting economics against environmental concerns, judges are again being asked to consider whether hatchery-raised fish should be considered identical to wild salmon when counting fish populations. Although a ruling last year declared that they were, in fact, not the same, an Oregon-based business alliance has objected to the decision, claiming that the distinction unfairly lowers salmon counts and unnecessarily disrupts development and commerce in favor of protecting salmon habitat.
Wild salmon and hatchery-raised salmon are genetically similar, environmentalists counter, but wild salmon have adapted behaviors that contribute to much greater survival numbers in natural habitat, as opposed to the higher death rates of hatchery fish released into the wild. 16 salmon and steelhead species are listed as endangered in the Pacific Northwest, and their habitats are protected and managed under the Endangered Species Act. Fishermen and conservation groups argue that including human-raised fish in wild fish counts leads to an inaccurate portrait of fish stocks, and thus irresponsible management of their waters.
An estimated 137 other species depend upon the health and stability of wild salmon stocks for their own ecological survival.
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