once cooked: fish (printer friendly page)

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FISH

COOKED HALIBUT OR ANY WHITE FISH

Level 2
Halibut Cakes
from Bruce Sherman of North Pond Restaurant, Chicago

Bruce’s halibut cakes - modeled after traditional fish cakes, are born from last night’s Halibut. Blended with a variety of aromatic sautéed vegetables that can include onions, carrots, celery and herbs, the final ingredient usually is some type of binder like breadcrumbs from dried French brioche or baguettes and a beaten egg. The blended mixture is scooped into a mold, pressed down with the back of a spatula to eliminate air pockets, and then is eased into a buttered skillet using a spatula to cook to a crispy gold.

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Cookware Tip: Don’t own a mold? Rubbing a drop or two of olive oil into your palms helps
you mold the fish mixture into exactly the shape you want without having the mixture stick
to your hands.
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Cooking Tip: Raw or rare Tuna or any other firm-fleshed fish can always be cut into bite
size pieces and slipped into potato or tomato-based soups.
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COOKED SALMON FILET

For us, cooking salmon filets to sushi-like levels is an obsession. We also like our salmon to remain as glossy and salmon-colored the day after as the day its cooked. No surprise then that we will eat an undercooked salmon as is, straight from the fridge, on a bed of greens or over cold pasta.

But assume this time you’ve been caught off guard. Your salmon’s been cooked through and the fleshy center is gone. Your only alternative is Total Transformation. Unlike slicing grilled gourmet sausages, the two-tone trick won’t fly - crispy and dark skin on the outside, lighter, speckled surface on the inside. Depending on the climate, we suggest transforming your salmon into spoonfuls of chilled salmon mousse, or a comforting salmon chowder.

Courtesy of some smoked salmon tidbits, onions, capers and horseradish, this sassy Salmon mousse tastes like Sunday brunch at The Bagel. You don’t have to limit yourself to mousse as a first course. You can also paint with it. Decorate a Belgian endive leaf and other crudités by squeezing this salmon mousse out of a pastry bag or any plastic storage bag with a corner snipped off. Trace an outline around a plated fish, hot or cold. Spoon over cold poached salmon or any poached fish served chilled. Refrigerate it overnight in a ramekin and offer it as tomorrow’s dip, plated with crackers or rounds of crispy toasted French bread.

Level 2
Smoked Salmon Mousse
Yields approximately 2 cups

1 cup cooked salmon filet, flaked (skin and bones removed)
½ cup chopped smoked salmon (tidbits or cut strips)
1 tsp. chopped onion
2 tsp. nearly expired capers
2 tsp. lemon juice (or more for added tartness)
4 oz. cream cheese cut into cubes
½ cup heavy cream
2 tsp. fresh horseradish
1 tsp. chopped dill, fresh or dried (optional)
Salt and white pepper to taste

In a food processor fitted with a blade, purée salmon and salmon tidbits, onions and capers. Add lemon juice, cream cheese, heavy cream, horseradish and dill. Season with salt and pepper. Purée until completely blended.
Cover tightly with plastic wrap. Chill for three hours, or overnight.

Salmon as the basis for salmon chowder is out of this world. The smoked salmon just bellows, intensifying the flavor of this pretty pink and dill-flecked chowder. This creation is the most creamy salmon-infused broth you’ve ever tasted, enhanced by intermingling layers of salmon, potatoes, onions, celery, and leeks.

Level 2
Smoked Salmon Chowder
Serves 4

3 Tbsp. salted butter
½ cup chopped celery
2 cups finely chopped leeks, white and green parts
½ cup finely chopped medium onion
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
4 medium size cooked potatoes, peeled and cubed
½ cup dry white wine
5 cups chicken broth (approximately 2 cans)
½ cup half and half
1 cup cooked salmon,flaked
1/2 cup chopped smoked salmon (package of tidbits or strips), chopped
1 tsp. dried dill
Salt and pepper to taste
Garnish: sprigs of fresh dill, chopped chives, a dollop of sour cream

In a large soup pot, melt butter. Over medium heat, sauté celery, leeks, onions and garlic until wilted, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Add potatoes to vegetables and mix gently to coat, using a wooden spoon.

Pour in wine and broth; bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes. If using raw potatoes, cook until potatoes are soft.

Stir in half and half, cooked and smoked salmon and dill, and continue to simmer for 10 more minutes. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, and garnish with sprigs of dill, chives and sour cream.

RAW OR RARE TUNA

If you enjoy ultra-fresh fish, there are two options: a melt-in-your-mouth sushi or high heat searing. The day after, though, your choices narrow. So w hat interesting things can be done with sushi or pink-centered fish?

Level 2

Oil-Poached Tuna Salad with Capers & Shallots
from Erick Williams of mk, Chicago

Erick suggests taking raw or rare Tuna and poaching it in enough extra virgin olive oil to cover over a low flame (not past a simmer). He adds hard herbs like fresh or dried rosemary, thyme, basil, and a few cloves of crushed garlic.

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Prepping Tip: Smack-n-cracking garlic with the back of a wooden spoon helps release the
chemical perfume inside the garlic.
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Erick simmers the oil very slowly until the fish flakes easily when poked with a fork. He puts the fish aside on a platter lined with greens, discarding the herbs and garlic. In the remaining oil, he drops a tablespoon of capers, give or take some finely chopped fresh shallots, rosemary and a dollop of whole grain mustard. He whisks the mixture together just before drizzling it over the Tuna. Garnished with chopped parsley or chives, this “fruit-flavored salad” (as in the olive fruit of the oil) you could swear the Tuna tastes fresh all over again – a far cry from the canned stuff.

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Flavoring Tip: When choosing dressings to complement your creations, remember the
operative word - complement. Think of dressings as a kind of sauce for salads, enhancing
without over-powering. And remember this simple rule of thumb; the more flavorful the fish,
the more it can support a fuller-bodied dressing. Delicate fish often does best with something
simple and light, for instance Tarragon and olive oil vinaigrettes.
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Level 2
Water-Poached Tuna Salad with Dijon Dressing

As an alternative to poaching in oil, Erick poaches raw or rare Tuna or other firm-fleshed fish in water with a pinch of celery salt. Erick suggests setting the fish aside to cool after it’s poached. He strains the poaching liquid, returns it to a mixing bowl and adds freshly chopped garlic, Dijon mustard, chopped celery, chives, fresh shallots and garlic. Mix well, folding in a tablespoon or two of mayonnaise. The effect is a spicy sweet touch that in Erick’s words, “really pushes the flavor forward.”

Seared fish can be enjoyed straight up by slicing and arranging slices of the fish on top of a bed of delicate greens, with any dressing of your choice.