Friday, September 3, 2010
Fish Recipes
Brandade de Morue (French)
Cream of Salt Cod
Brandade de Morue is believed to have originated in the south of France where garlic and oil are the most important components of nearly every dish. The word brandade implies beating or blending to a thick paste. Today, thanks to the food processor, it is an easy end to achieve. The French, who serve it as a spread on triangles of fried toast, sometimes even embellish it with sliced truffles or blend in a dollop of truffle oil. I think such grandiose treatment is superfluous; it is, after all, a most down-to-earth dish. Some recipes call for the addition of a mashed potato to give the brandade extra body, but in this recipe, adapted from one created by Sally Darr, former chef-owner of New York's three-star La Tulipe, it is certainly not necessary. Sally cautions against using a very fruity, greencolored extra-virgin olive oil. You want, she says, "a pure white blend."
1 pound prepared boneless, skinless salt cod
2 to 3 cloves garlic, according to taste, peeled and sliced
2/3 cup olive oil
2/3 cup light cream
1 to 2 drops Tabasco sauce (optional)
freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
Cut the salt cod into 2-inch pieces. Place in a skillet and cover with water. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer the fish for 10 minutes. Shut off the heat and let the fish rest undisturbed for 15 more minutes. Drain. Pat the fish dry with paper toweling.
Mince the garlic by dropping the slices through the feed tube into a food processor while the motor is running. Add the salt cod, and whirl until the fish is well broken up. Pour in the olive oil followed by the cream in a steady stream, stopping occasionally to scrape the sides of the bowl down. The fish will attain a stiff but creamy consistency. Taste for seasoning, adding the Tabasco, if desired, and pepper. Finally, whirl in the softened butter.
Transfer the brandade to a bowl, mounding it attractively. Serve with triangles of fried white toast or rounds of melba toast. Yields 3 cups.
Legal Sea Food's Fish Cakes
Codfish cakes and codfish balls are very New England, though they can be found outside our own six states. But fish balls and cakes are not composed of identical ingredients presented in two different shapes. There are subtle variations, and people seem to have strong preferences. Although I personally like fish balls better (see "Whiskery Codfish Balls"), the fish cakes in the recipe below, adapted from those served at Boston's renowned Legal Sea Food restaurants, are so good — with the unexpected presence of unsalted cod, the crunch of scallions, and the visually pleasing green of the minced parsley — that I am almost ready to shift allegiance.
2 large baking potatoes (about 2 pounds)
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, divided
1 tablespoon sour cream
1/4 pound boneless, skinless fresh cod fillet
1/4 pound prepared boneless, skinless salt cod
1/3 cup chopped scallions, white parts only
1 large egg
1/4 teaspoon powdered English-style mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
1 cup toasted bread crumbs
1 tablespoon olive oil
Preheat the oven to 375º F. Prick the potatoes in several spots, then bake them for 1½ hours, or until they are very soft. When they are just cool enough to handle, split them down the center and scrape out the flesh. Mash it well, then measure it, reserving 2 cups. (Save any remaining potato and the skins for another use.) Add 1 tablespoon butter and the sour cream, and beat well. Set aside.
Meanwhile, place the cod and salt cod in a small skillet and cover with water. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 10 minutes. Drain and dry both fish on paper toweling. Flake into small pieces and add to the mashed potatoes, mixing very gently.
In a small skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter over low heat. Add the scallions and sauté them, stirring occasionally, until they are soft, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.
In a bowl beat the egg well with the mustard, salt, and pepper. Stir in the scallions and parsley. With a spatula gently fold the egg mixture into the potatoes. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
Divide the potatoes into four equal portions, and form each into a cake about 4 inches wide by 1 inch thick. Dust each cake on both sides with toasted crumbs. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before frying.
In a large skillet melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter with the oil over high heat. When it is foaming, carefully place the cakes in the fat and fry them for 4 minutes on each side, or until they are nicely browned and heated through. Serve immediately. Serves 4.
Cape Cod Salt-Cod Stew
Years ago I had a neighbor on Cape Cod, a garrulous widow with a slew of cats, who delighted in taking "fixin's" from her "icebox" and improvising them into wonderful, gutsy dishes. She always seemed to have a supply of salt cod on hand because, as she said, "a little goes a long way." This is my re-creation of one of her classics, repeated many times because, indeed, it feeds many for little — and tastes very good besides.
1 pound prepared boneless, skinless salt cod
1 tablespoon butter
1 pound boiling potatoes, peeled and sliced thin
1 pound parsnips, peeled and sliced thin
1 teaspoon minced garlic
3/4 pound purple onions, peeled and sliced thin
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano leaves
5 cups whipping cream
1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Preheat the oven to 375º F. Place the salt cod in a skillet and cover with water. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer 10 minutes. Drain and pat the fish dry on paper toweling. Break into 1-inch chunks. Taste a small piece to determine how salty it is.
Grease the bottom and sides of a 4-quart ovenproof baking dish with the butter.
In a large bowl combine the potatoes, parsnips, garlic, onions, oregano, and salt cod, and with two large spoons or your hands, toss to mix thoroughly. Transfer the mixture to the buttered baking dish.
In a saucepan bring the cream with the salt and pepper to just under a boil. (The amount of salt you use should be determined by the saltiness of the cod. Better less than too much.) Pour it over the salt-cod mixture. Cover the baking dish loosely with foil. Set in the oven and bake 45 minutes. Remove the foil, and bake an additional 45 minutes, or until the potatoes and parsnips are tender and the surface is a bubbling deep brown. Serve immediately. Serves 6.
Grandpa Hatch's Fish Hash
I have some friends living in Plymouth, Massachusetts, whose lineage goes right back — you guessed it — to the good ship Mayflower. It occurred to me that if anyone had an old family recipe utilizing salt cod, one of these latter-day Pilgrims would. Indeed, one member of the family came up with a favorite hash, and because I liked it just as well as, if not more than, the better-known "red fish hash" — red for the inclusion of chopped beets — I decided it was a fine addition to this collection of salt-cod recipes. (The name "Hatch," I must hasten to add, is not "pure" Pilgrim, but one must allow for some intermarriage with later arrivals.)
1/4 pound salt pork, rind removed, cut into 14-inch cubes
1 pound prepared boneless, skinless salt cod
2 pounds boiling potatoes, barely cooked through, peeled and cut in 1/2-inch cubes
3/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 to 1½ cups half-and-half
In a 12-inch cast-iron skillet, fry the salt pork cubes over low to moderate heat until they are crisp and brown and all the fat has been rendered. With a slotted spoon, remove the bits to paper toweling to drain, and reserve. Pour off and discard all but 3 tablespoons of the fat remaining in the skillet.
Meanwhile, place the salt cod in a separate pan, cover it with water, and bring it to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Drain and dry on paper toweling, then break the fish into bite-size pieces.
Transfer the fish to a large bowl. Add the potatoes, onion, and pepper and toss thoroughly to mix.
Heat the fat left in the skillet until it is almost smoking. Add the hash, spreading it out and packing it firmly down. Drizzle the half-and-half over the mixture. Partially cover the skillet and cook over moderately high heat for 10 minutes. Remove the lid, lower the heat to moderate, and continue to cook the hash undisturbed for 15 minutes longer or until the bottom has nicely browned. With a spatula, turn it over in sections. Pour 1/4 to 1/2 cup more half-and-half over the top if the mixture seems too dry, and continue to cook, scraping and turning occasionally, until the new underside has also browned, about 20 minutes. Serve immediately, garnished with the reserved pork bits. Serves 6.
Whiskery Codfish Balls
My late husband, Harry, had an ongoing love affair with codfish balls. (He could not tolerate codfish cakes.) But, to be truly enjoyed, the balls had to be "whiskery," that is, have crisp little tendrils of salt cod whisping out from their salty potato interiors. One person who could cook them to Harry's fussy satisfaction was his cousin, Mary Spilhaus of Cape Cod. To my delight, not only are her codfish balls superlative, but she also makes them with Potato Buds, a delightful shortcut that saves mashing potatoes without sacrificing any of the flavor!
vegetable oil
1 pound prepared boneless, skinless salt cod
1 (5-ounce) box Potato Buds
2 to 2 2/3 cups boiling water
1 egg, beaten
Pour the vegetable oil into a deep fryer and heat to a temperature of 37Sº F. Preheat the oven to 200º F.
Shred the salt cod in a food processor fitted with a steel blade by pulsing the machine off and on until the right texture is achieved. (It is not necessary to precook the salt cod.) Reserve.
Place the Potato Buds in a mixing bowl, and with electric beaters or a wooden spoon, beat in 2 cups boiling water. Beat thoroughly. Scrape in the shredded fish and stir until thoroughly combined. Add as much of the remaining 2/3 cup boiling water as is needed to have the mixture adhere to itself. (A lot depends on how thoroughly the salt cod has been drained after its soaking.) Beat in the egg.
Carefully drop the salt codfish mixture into the hot fat by the heaping tablespoonful. Do not fry more than 5 balls at a time. Fry for about 4 minutes or until they are golden on all sides. Remove from the fat with a slotted spoon. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with paper toweling and hold in the warm oven until all the batter is fried. Serve immediately. Yields 20 to 25 balls.
Bacalao a la Vizcaina
(Salt Cod Basque Style)
Like their immediate neighbors, the French and Spanish, the Basques utilize a lot of salt cod in their cuisine. I encountered this particular dish one evening when I was having dinner at the home of some Portuguese friends in Stonington, Connecticut, who, in spite of their heritage, claimed that it was derived from a Basque recipe. Whatever. It's delicious and it's cheap, and if there is any left over, pureed in the food processor, it makes a hearty, pungent soup especially good on cold winter days.
1 pound prepared boneless, skinless salt cod
1/2 cup olive oil, divided
2 teaspoons minced garlic
3/4 pound onions, peeled and sliced thin
1 green pepper, cored, seeded, and cut in thin strips
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon rosemary, crushed
1 (20-ounce) can chickpeas, washed and drained
1 (3½-ounce) can pitted black olives, chopped
1 unpeeled eggplant (about 1 and 1/2 pounds), cut in 1-inch cubes
1 (16-ounce) can Italian-style peeled plum tomatoes, drained and coarsely chopped
1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt, depending on taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup minced parsley
Cut the salt cod in 1- to 2-inch squares and place in a skillet. Cover with water, bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Drain and reserve. (Since salt cod tends to be chewy, some people prefer less chunky pieces of fish for this dish, in which case flake the meat at this point and reserve.)
Pour 3/4 cup olive oil into a 12-inch skillet with high sides. Over moderate to low heat, add the garlic, onions, and peppers, and sauté them, stirring occasionally, until they are soft, about 5 minutes. Add the oregano and rosemary, mix well, and cook a couple of minutes longer. With a slotted spoon, transfer to a mixing bowl. Add the chickpeas and olives to the onions, and toss to mix. Reserve.
Pour the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil into the skillet. Increase the heat to moderate, and when the oil is hot, add the eggplant. Sauté, stirring frequently, until the pieces are lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and transfer one-half the eggplant to a plate. Spread the remaining pieces across the bottom of the skillet. Spoon half the onion mixture on top, followed by half the salt cod and half the tomatoes. Taste the fish for saltiness, and season with salt and pepper accordingly. Repeat the layering of the ingredients. Pour the wine over the mixture and set the skillet back on a low heat. Cover and simmer for 1-1/4 hours. Serve immediately, sprinkled with parsley. Serves 6.
Cream of Salt Cod
Brandade de Morue is believed to have originated in the south of France where garlic and oil are the most important components of nearly every dish. The word brandade implies beating or blending to a thick paste. Today, thanks to the food processor, it is an easy end to achieve. The French, who serve it as a spread on triangles of fried toast, sometimes even embellish it with sliced truffles or blend in a dollop of truffle oil. I think such grandiose treatment is superfluous; it is, after all, a most down-to-earth dish. Some recipes call for the addition of a mashed potato to give the brandade extra body, but in this recipe, adapted from one created by Sally Darr, former chef-owner of New York's three-star La Tulipe, it is certainly not necessary. Sally cautions against using a very fruity, greencolored extra-virgin olive oil. You want, she says, "a pure white blend."
1 pound prepared boneless, skinless salt cod
2 to 3 cloves garlic, according to taste, peeled and sliced
2/3 cup olive oil
2/3 cup light cream
1 to 2 drops Tabasco sauce (optional)
freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
Cut the salt cod into 2-inch pieces. Place in a skillet and cover with water. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer the fish for 10 minutes. Shut off the heat and let the fish rest undisturbed for 15 more minutes. Drain. Pat the fish dry with paper toweling.
Mince the garlic by dropping the slices through the feed tube into a food processor while the motor is running. Add the salt cod, and whirl until the fish is well broken up. Pour in the olive oil followed by the cream in a steady stream, stopping occasionally to scrape the sides of the bowl down. The fish will attain a stiff but creamy consistency. Taste for seasoning, adding the Tabasco, if desired, and pepper. Finally, whirl in the softened butter.
Transfer the brandade to a bowl, mounding it attractively. Serve with triangles of fried white toast or rounds of melba toast. Yields 3 cups.
Legal Sea Food's Fish Cakes
Codfish cakes and codfish balls are very New England, though they can be found outside our own six states. But fish balls and cakes are not composed of identical ingredients presented in two different shapes. There are subtle variations, and people seem to have strong preferences. Although I personally like fish balls better (see "Whiskery Codfish Balls"), the fish cakes in the recipe below, adapted from those served at Boston's renowned Legal Sea Food restaurants, are so good — with the unexpected presence of unsalted cod, the crunch of scallions, and the visually pleasing green of the minced parsley — that I am almost ready to shift allegiance.
2 large baking potatoes (about 2 pounds)
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, divided
1 tablespoon sour cream
1/4 pound boneless, skinless fresh cod fillet
1/4 pound prepared boneless, skinless salt cod
1/3 cup chopped scallions, white parts only
1 large egg
1/4 teaspoon powdered English-style mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
1 cup toasted bread crumbs
1 tablespoon olive oil
Preheat the oven to 375º F. Prick the potatoes in several spots, then bake them for 1½ hours, or until they are very soft. When they are just cool enough to handle, split them down the center and scrape out the flesh. Mash it well, then measure it, reserving 2 cups. (Save any remaining potato and the skins for another use.) Add 1 tablespoon butter and the sour cream, and beat well. Set aside.
Meanwhile, place the cod and salt cod in a small skillet and cover with water. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 10 minutes. Drain and dry both fish on paper toweling. Flake into small pieces and add to the mashed potatoes, mixing very gently.
In a small skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter over low heat. Add the scallions and sauté them, stirring occasionally, until they are soft, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.
In a bowl beat the egg well with the mustard, salt, and pepper. Stir in the scallions and parsley. With a spatula gently fold the egg mixture into the potatoes. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
Divide the potatoes into four equal portions, and form each into a cake about 4 inches wide by 1 inch thick. Dust each cake on both sides with toasted crumbs. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before frying.
In a large skillet melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter with the oil over high heat. When it is foaming, carefully place the cakes in the fat and fry them for 4 minutes on each side, or until they are nicely browned and heated through. Serve immediately. Serves 4.
Cape Cod Salt-Cod Stew
Years ago I had a neighbor on Cape Cod, a garrulous widow with a slew of cats, who delighted in taking "fixin's" from her "icebox" and improvising them into wonderful, gutsy dishes. She always seemed to have a supply of salt cod on hand because, as she said, "a little goes a long way." This is my re-creation of one of her classics, repeated many times because, indeed, it feeds many for little — and tastes very good besides.
1 pound prepared boneless, skinless salt cod
1 tablespoon butter
1 pound boiling potatoes, peeled and sliced thin
1 pound parsnips, peeled and sliced thin
1 teaspoon minced garlic
3/4 pound purple onions, peeled and sliced thin
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano leaves
5 cups whipping cream
1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Preheat the oven to 375º F. Place the salt cod in a skillet and cover with water. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer 10 minutes. Drain and pat the fish dry on paper toweling. Break into 1-inch chunks. Taste a small piece to determine how salty it is.
Grease the bottom and sides of a 4-quart ovenproof baking dish with the butter.
In a large bowl combine the potatoes, parsnips, garlic, onions, oregano, and salt cod, and with two large spoons or your hands, toss to mix thoroughly. Transfer the mixture to the buttered baking dish.
In a saucepan bring the cream with the salt and pepper to just under a boil. (The amount of salt you use should be determined by the saltiness of the cod. Better less than too much.) Pour it over the salt-cod mixture. Cover the baking dish loosely with foil. Set in the oven and bake 45 minutes. Remove the foil, and bake an additional 45 minutes, or until the potatoes and parsnips are tender and the surface is a bubbling deep brown. Serve immediately. Serves 6.
Grandpa Hatch's Fish Hash
I have some friends living in Plymouth, Massachusetts, whose lineage goes right back — you guessed it — to the good ship Mayflower. It occurred to me that if anyone had an old family recipe utilizing salt cod, one of these latter-day Pilgrims would. Indeed, one member of the family came up with a favorite hash, and because I liked it just as well as, if not more than, the better-known "red fish hash" — red for the inclusion of chopped beets — I decided it was a fine addition to this collection of salt-cod recipes. (The name "Hatch," I must hasten to add, is not "pure" Pilgrim, but one must allow for some intermarriage with later arrivals.)
1/4 pound salt pork, rind removed, cut into 14-inch cubes
1 pound prepared boneless, skinless salt cod
2 pounds boiling potatoes, barely cooked through, peeled and cut in 1/2-inch cubes
3/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 to 1½ cups half-and-half
In a 12-inch cast-iron skillet, fry the salt pork cubes over low to moderate heat until they are crisp and brown and all the fat has been rendered. With a slotted spoon, remove the bits to paper toweling to drain, and reserve. Pour off and discard all but 3 tablespoons of the fat remaining in the skillet.
Meanwhile, place the salt cod in a separate pan, cover it with water, and bring it to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Drain and dry on paper toweling, then break the fish into bite-size pieces.
Transfer the fish to a large bowl. Add the potatoes, onion, and pepper and toss thoroughly to mix.
Heat the fat left in the skillet until it is almost smoking. Add the hash, spreading it out and packing it firmly down. Drizzle the half-and-half over the mixture. Partially cover the skillet and cook over moderately high heat for 10 minutes. Remove the lid, lower the heat to moderate, and continue to cook the hash undisturbed for 15 minutes longer or until the bottom has nicely browned. With a spatula, turn it over in sections. Pour 1/4 to 1/2 cup more half-and-half over the top if the mixture seems too dry, and continue to cook, scraping and turning occasionally, until the new underside has also browned, about 20 minutes. Serve immediately, garnished with the reserved pork bits. Serves 6.
Whiskery Codfish Balls
My late husband, Harry, had an ongoing love affair with codfish balls. (He could not tolerate codfish cakes.) But, to be truly enjoyed, the balls had to be "whiskery," that is, have crisp little tendrils of salt cod whisping out from their salty potato interiors. One person who could cook them to Harry's fussy satisfaction was his cousin, Mary Spilhaus of Cape Cod. To my delight, not only are her codfish balls superlative, but she also makes them with Potato Buds, a delightful shortcut that saves mashing potatoes without sacrificing any of the flavor!
vegetable oil
1 pound prepared boneless, skinless salt cod
1 (5-ounce) box Potato Buds
2 to 2 2/3 cups boiling water
1 egg, beaten
Pour the vegetable oil into a deep fryer and heat to a temperature of 37Sº F. Preheat the oven to 200º F.
Shred the salt cod in a food processor fitted with a steel blade by pulsing the machine off and on until the right texture is achieved. (It is not necessary to precook the salt cod.) Reserve.
Place the Potato Buds in a mixing bowl, and with electric beaters or a wooden spoon, beat in 2 cups boiling water. Beat thoroughly. Scrape in the shredded fish and stir until thoroughly combined. Add as much of the remaining 2/3 cup boiling water as is needed to have the mixture adhere to itself. (A lot depends on how thoroughly the salt cod has been drained after its soaking.) Beat in the egg.
Carefully drop the salt codfish mixture into the hot fat by the heaping tablespoonful. Do not fry more than 5 balls at a time. Fry for about 4 minutes or until they are golden on all sides. Remove from the fat with a slotted spoon. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with paper toweling and hold in the warm oven until all the batter is fried. Serve immediately. Yields 20 to 25 balls.
Bacalao a la Vizcaina
(Salt Cod Basque Style)
Like their immediate neighbors, the French and Spanish, the Basques utilize a lot of salt cod in their cuisine. I encountered this particular dish one evening when I was having dinner at the home of some Portuguese friends in Stonington, Connecticut, who, in spite of their heritage, claimed that it was derived from a Basque recipe. Whatever. It's delicious and it's cheap, and if there is any left over, pureed in the food processor, it makes a hearty, pungent soup especially good on cold winter days.
1 pound prepared boneless, skinless salt cod
1/2 cup olive oil, divided
2 teaspoons minced garlic
3/4 pound onions, peeled and sliced thin
1 green pepper, cored, seeded, and cut in thin strips
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon rosemary, crushed
1 (20-ounce) can chickpeas, washed and drained
1 (3½-ounce) can pitted black olives, chopped
1 unpeeled eggplant (about 1 and 1/2 pounds), cut in 1-inch cubes
1 (16-ounce) can Italian-style peeled plum tomatoes, drained and coarsely chopped
1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt, depending on taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup minced parsley
Cut the salt cod in 1- to 2-inch squares and place in a skillet. Cover with water, bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Drain and reserve. (Since salt cod tends to be chewy, some people prefer less chunky pieces of fish for this dish, in which case flake the meat at this point and reserve.)
Pour 3/4 cup olive oil into a 12-inch skillet with high sides. Over moderate to low heat, add the garlic, onions, and peppers, and sauté them, stirring occasionally, until they are soft, about 5 minutes. Add the oregano and rosemary, mix well, and cook a couple of minutes longer. With a slotted spoon, transfer to a mixing bowl. Add the chickpeas and olives to the onions, and toss to mix. Reserve.
Pour the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil into the skillet. Increase the heat to moderate, and when the oil is hot, add the eggplant. Sauté, stirring frequently, until the pieces are lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and transfer one-half the eggplant to a plate. Spread the remaining pieces across the bottom of the skillet. Spoon half the onion mixture on top, followed by half the salt cod and half the tomatoes. Taste the fish for saltiness, and season with salt and pepper accordingly. Repeat the layering of the ingredients. Pour the wine over the mixture and set the skillet back on a low heat. Cover and simmer for 1-1/4 hours. Serve immediately, sprinkled with parsley. Serves 6.
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