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.

You will need:

• 4 fish fillets – try halibut or swordfish
• 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.

Like This Post? Share With Others:

Close Bookmark and Share This Page

Save to Browser Favorites / Bookmarks

Ask backflip blinklist BlogBookmark Bloglines BlogMarks Blogsvine BuddyMarks BUMPzee! CiteULike co.mments Connotea del.icio.us

Digg diigo DotNetKicks DropJack dzone Facebook Fark Faves Feed Me Links Friendsite folkd.com Furl Google

Hugg Jamespot Jeqq Kaboodle kirtsy linkaGoGo LinkedIn LinksMarker Ma.gnolia Mister Wong Mixx MySpace MyWeb

Netvouz Newsvine oneview OnlyWire PlugIM Propeller Reddit Rojo Segnalo Shoutwire Simpy Slashdot Sphere

Sphinn Spurl Squidoo StumbleUpon Technorati ThisNext Twitter Webride Windows Live Worlds Movies Yahoo!

Email This to a Friend

Link to This: 

 If you like this then please subscribe to the RSS Feed.

Powered by Bookmarkify™

More »

Ivory King salmon is a delicacy of the Pacific Northwest – milder than the reddish varieties and rich in Omega-3s, it has the appearance of halibut and the flavor of wild Chinook (king) salmon. Once tossed aside as defective, this delicious fish has recently taken its rightful place at the head of the table, and is one of the most sought-after of fine seafoods. While no one knows for sure why the flesh is paler than common varieties, some speculate that the Ivory Kings produce an extra enzyme that allows their systems to metabolize carotenoids, the nutrients responsible for the ruddy color in most salmon.

Ivory king fillets Chanterelles

This recipe was originally developed by Chef Kevin Davis of the Oceanaire Seafood Room. It uses chanterelle mushrooms, another hard-to-find, seasonal wonder of Northwest cuisine. It’s well worth the hunt to find them; however, if price or timing makes chanterelles out of the question, any combination of rich woodland mushrooms can work: porcini and shiitake are good options.

You will need:

• 4 Ivory King steaks (request center cuts – 8 to 10 oz. each)
• ½ pound chanterelle mushrooms, sliced
• olive oil
• 1/3 c dry white wine
• 2 cups organic vegetable or chicken stock
• fresh Thyme, chopped – reserve some sprigs for garnish
• 2 small shallots, minced
• 4 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped
• 3 T butter
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
• salt and pepper
• more lemons for garnish

1. Preheat grill to medium-low. Rinse steaks under cold water, pat dry, and then brush them with olive oil. Dust them liberally with kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper, and place them on the grill. Cook to desired doneness, flipping once. Do not overcook – timing will depend upon thickness of the steaks. Salmon should be cooked through but not dry.

2. While the fish is grilling, heat a generous splash of olive oil in a heavy skillet over high heat. Add the mushrooms, and season with salt and pepper. Allow the mushrooms to cook slowly, without much stirring – they should begin to caramelize. Turn the mushrooms and brown on both sides. Then, strain off the liquid, reserving it in a bowl, and set the mushrooms aside.

3. Return the pan to the heat and add 1 T of butter; once it melts, add the shallots and garlic and sautee. Add the thyme, then remove from heat and deglaze the pan with the white wine.

4. Return the pan to the heat and allow the wine to reduce by half. Add the stock and allow the liquids to reduce again, to sauce consistency.

5. Add the mushrooms to the pan, along with the mushroom juices and the remainder of the butter, and finish with lemon juice and zest. Swirl well and be sure the chanterelles are well coated with the sauce. Taste and adjust the seasonings.

6. Place the salmon on a large serving platter or plate them individually. Divide the mushroom ragout between the filets and cover the fish with the mixture. Garnish with lemons and thyme and serve.

(Ivory king photo and Chanterelle photo links.)

Like This Post? Share With Others:

Close Bookmark and Share This Page

Save to Browser Favorites / Bookmarks

Ask backflip blinklist BlogBookmark Bloglines BlogMarks Blogsvine BuddyMarks BUMPzee! CiteULike co.mments Connotea del.icio.us

Digg diigo DotNetKicks DropJack dzone Facebook Fark Faves Feed Me Links Friendsite folkd.com Furl Google

Hugg Jamespot Jeqq Kaboodle kirtsy linkaGoGo LinkedIn LinksMarker Ma.gnolia Mister Wong Mixx MySpace MyWeb

Netvouz Newsvine oneview OnlyWire PlugIM Propeller Reddit Rojo Segnalo Shoutwire Simpy Slashdot Sphere

Sphinn Spurl Squidoo StumbleUpon Technorati ThisNext Twitter Webride Windows Live Worlds Movies Yahoo!

Email This to a Friend

Link to This: 

 If you like this then please subscribe to the RSS Feed.

Powered by Bookmarkify™