James Beard's New Fish Cookery (29 page)

BAKED STRIPED BASS

Split a whole fish and place it on an oiled baking pan or dish. Dot with butter and salt and pepper to taste. Bake at 425° according to the Canadian cooking theory (page 8). Serve with parsley butter (page 33).

STRIPED BASS SAUTÉ

You may sauté either a small whole striped bass or the fillets. Follow directions for sauté meunière (page 10). The fish may be served in this manner with any of the following sauces:

1. Tomato sauce (page 23)

2. Sauce Provençale (pages 30–31)

3. Sauce duxelles (page 27)

STRIPED BASS EN PAPILLOTE

First, see the instructions on page 162 for cutting and folding parchment paper for baking.

1 striped bass, filleted,
or
2 pounds fillets

White wine sauce (page 24)

1/4 cup chopped mushrooms, sautéed

1/4 cup chopped shallots, sautéed

1/2 cup finely chopped cooked shrimp

Truffles
or
mushroom caps

Cut a striped bass into fillets or buy the fillets. Cut these into portions small enough to fit a piece of parchment 8 by 11 inches. Prepare the white wine sauce and add to it the mushrooms, shallots, and shrimp. When the sauce is cool, spread it over half of each piece of paper. Place a piece of fillet on top of the sauce and top each fillet with another spoonful of sauce and a slice of truffle or a mushroom cap. Fold the paper over and crimp it securely.

Bake at 425° according to the Canadian cooking theory (page 8), adding 5 minutes for the paper. Serve at once in the paper. When you pierce the paper to get at the fish, a mouthwatering odor pours out – one reason why this method of serving fish is so delightful.

POACHED STRIPED BASS

Poach a striped bass in boiling salted water or in a court bouillon (pages 18–20) and serve it with any of the following sauces:

1. Hollandaise sauce (pages 25–26)

2. Sauce mousseline (page 26)

3. Shrimp sauce (page 21)

4. Lobster sauce (page 21)

5. Oyster sauce (page 21)

6. Sauce velouté (page 21)

7. Parsley sauce (page 23)

STRIPED BASS CURRY

Poach 2 pounds of filleted striped bass in boiling salted water according to the Canadiancooking theory (page 12). Remove and cool. Prepare a curry sauce (pages 22, 29). Flake the fish and mix it with the sauce. Heat thoroughly. Serve in a ring of saffron rice and pass chutney, chopped toasted almonds, chopped hard-cooked eggs, sliced cucumbers, and thinly sliced bananas in a vinaigrette sauce. The secret of this dish is to be sure not to over-cook the fish. It is wonderful for a buffet dinner.

COLD STRIPED BASS

Cold striped bass, which must resembles the French fish
loup de mer,
or
bar,
has become one of the most popular dishes in the great French restaurants in New York. It is often served as a main course in the spring, summer, and fall, and equally frequently as an hors d’oeuvre.

Poach the fish according to the Canadian cooking theory (page 12) and remove from the bouillon. Cool. Serve with a sauce gribiche (pages 36–37), mayonnaise (page 34), or mustard sauce (page 23), and a wilted cucumber salad. With a chilled white wine, bread, and butter, it makes a superb luncheon or dinner dish. It is sometimes served with a garnish of lump crabmeat and the same sauce, giving it added luxury and glamour. Certainly it is one of the two or three greatest fish on the East Coast of the United States.

STRIPED BASS SALAD

Poach 3 pounds of striped bass fillets in boiling salted water according to the Canadian cooking theory (page 12). Dice the cooked fillets or flake with a fork. Combine with 1 cup of finely chopped celery and 1 cup of mayonnaise or Russian dressing. Arrange on a bed of watercress. Decorate with additional mayonnaise, quartered hard-cooked eggs, strips of pimiento, green pepper, and ripe olives.

Sturgeon

This fine fish used to be plentiful on the West Coast, in the Great Lakes, and in some Eastern rivers. Now it is scarce indeed. Fishing for sturgeon is prohibited by law in many states, and you will rarely see a freshly caught specimen in the market. Its scarcity is a pity, for besides being delicious in itself, the American sturgeon is a source of excellent caviar.

Of all varieties, including the giants of the Columbia and Sacramento rivers, none compares in flavor and texture to the lake sturgeon. A considerable amount of smoked sturgeon is sold throughout the country. It is very expensive, but when you buy it you may console yourself with the thought that you are paying for a great delicacy.

BRAISED STURGEON

1 large onion, finely chopped

2 carrots, finely chopped

2 stalks of celery, finely chopped

4 sprigs of parsley, finely chopped

A pinch of thyme

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

9 tablespoons butter

A few mushroom stems
or
peelings

11/2 cups white wine

5-to-6-pound piece of sturgeon

3 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons freshly grated horseradish

1 teaspoon sugar

2 tablespoons vinegar

Combine the onion, carrots, celery, parsley, thyme, salt and pepper to taste, and sauté in 6 tablespoons of the butter until soft. Transfer to a large braising pan or Dutch oven. Add the pan juices, the mushroom stems or peelings, and the wine. On a rack over this arrange the sturgeon and steam it in a 350° oven for about 1 hour. The container– braising pan or Dutch oven – must be sealed tightly. When the fish is cooked remove it to a hot platter and baste with the liquid from the pan.

Now, put the pan juices and the vegetables through a food mill, a fine sieve, or a food processor. Add 3 tablespoons of butter, the horseradish, and the sugar dissolved in the vinegar. Blend thoroughly, taste for seasoning, and pour over the fish. Serve with wild rice and mushrooms.

STURGEON SCANDINAVIAN

5-pound cut of sturgeon

Anchovy fillets

Bacon

White wine court bouillon (pages 19–20)

Beurre manié (page 475)

1 tablespoon anchovy paste

1/4 cup finely chopped sour pickles

Bone the sturgeon and replace the bone with anchovy fillets and pieces of bacon. Tie the fish securely.

Prepare the bouillon and soak the fish in it for 2 hours. Bring it to a boil. Remove all to a 425° oven and bake according to the Canadian cooking theory (page 8). Put the fish on a hot platter. Strain the sauce, reduce by two-thirds, and thicken with beurre manié. Add the anchovy paste and the pickles. Pour the sauce over the fish.

STURGEON STEAK SAUTÉ MEUNIÈRE

Dip sturgeon steaks in flour and season them with salt and freshly ground black pepper. For every 2 pounds of steak, melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet. Sauté the steaks gently according to the Canadian cooking theory (page 10), browning them nicely on both sides. Baste with butter during the process. Remove the fish to a hot platter and pour the butter over it. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve with lemon wedges and Béarnaise sauce (page 26).

BRAISED STURGEON, SWEET AND SOUR

4-pound piece of sturgeon

Larding pork

3 onions, sliced thin

3 carrots, sliced thin

2 cups white wine

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Bouquet garni: leek, stalk of celery, bay leaf, thyme

SAUCE

1/4 cup vinegar

1/2 cup brown sugar

3 tablespoons cornstarch

Soy sauce

Green onions, sliced thin

Green peppers, sliced thin

Pineapple chunks

Skin the sturgeon and tie it with pieces of larding pork. Place it on a rack in a braising pan or Dutch oven over the onions and carrots. Add the wine, salt and pepper to taste, and the bouquet garni. Cover and cook in a 425° oven according to the Canadian cooking theory (page 11). Remove the fish to a hot platter and make the sauce.

Sauce.
Put the pan juices through a food mill or fine sieve. Return to the heat, add the vinegar, brown sugar, and the corn-starch mixed with a little of the broth. Stir until thickened. Season with soy sauce. Add the green onions, green peppers, and chunks of pineapple. Cook them just until well glazed. Pour over the fish.

Rice is a must with this dish.

COULIBIAC OF STURGEON

See coulibiac of salmon, pages 189–191.

STURGEON STEAKS WITH CREAM

2-inch-thick steaks

Salt pork
or
bacon

Finely chopped onion

2 cups white wine

Butter

1/2 cup heavy cream

Beurre manié (page 475)

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Cognac

Skin the steaks and tie them with salt pork or bacon. Arrange them on a bed of finely chopped onion in a gratin dish or baking pan and pour the wine over them. Butter the steaks well and cover the pan with a piece of buttered paper. Bake at 425° according to the Canadian cooking theory (page 8). Remove the fish to a hot platter. Add heavy cream to the pan juices and boil for five minutes to reduce. Put the sauce through a food mill or fine sieve and thicken if necessary with beurre manié. Taste for seasoning. Add a dash of cognac and pour over the fish.

My choice of accompaniment for this dish is wild rice or a rice pilaf baked in the oven with strong consommé. For salad, cucumbers in a sweet-sour sauce are ideal.

Caviar

True caviar, which is always gray, is the roe of the sturgeon and is one of the most expensive foods in the world.
^*
The best-quality sturgeon caviar is priced at about $100 a pound. The gray roe of the whitefish and the red caviar, which comes from the salmon, are less expensive, but could never be called cheap.

Nowadays the finest caviar comes from Iran and the Soviet Union. Its quality is judged by the largeness of the eggs – the sevruga and the sterlet are regarded as the finest of all. Another test of quality is the amount of salt. The less salt, the better the caviar.

In the past, really excellent caviar came from the Great Lakes region and from the mouth of the Columbia River, but the present output is very small as a result of years of wholesale slaughter of sturgeon.

TO SERVE CAVIAR

Caviar is the perfect hors d’oeuvre. If you have the finest with practically no salt in it, store it at around 28° until you are ready to use it. About 2 ounces, or 2 good-sized spoonfuls, are considered an ample serving. My contention is that there is no better way to serve it than straight, with nothing save perhaps a little lemon juice, and some toast or dark bread.

Serve it in a glass bowl placed in another bowl full of chopped ice. Or, if you prefer, use a silver bowl. On very elaborate occasions caviar is sometimes served in ice carved into the figure of a swan or some other design. There are even special caviar bowls on the market for those who can afford to serve this great delicacy often.

The drink usually associated with caviar is vodka, straight, although many people prefer champagne. This is entirely a matter of personal taste.

If you wish to embellish the caviar serving there are certain accompaniments that are considered
de rigeur
. Besides the usual lemon, they include chopped hard-cooked egg – yolks and whites chopped separately; chopped raw onion; sour cream. Any or all of these are good, but I am definitely of the opinion that they are not needed unless the roe is exceedingly salty.

The perfect after-theater supper, or the perfect celebration of any special event, is certainly as much fresh caviar as you can afford along with toast, sweet butter, and champagne.

CAVIAR CANAPÉS

To serve caviar as canapés: Arrange a bowl of the roe surrounded by small bowls of chopped onions, chopped egg – whites and yolks separate; quarters of lemon, and sour cream. Have plenty of hot toast fingers, and let the guests spread their own canapés. Or arrange fingers of toast topped with caviar on a platter along with small dishes of the condiments, and pass the platter. Be certain the canapés are fresh. There is no dish less interesting than tired flabby dabs of food on cold, dank toast.

BLINIS WITH CAVIAR

This is one of the most popular hot hors d’oeuvres in Europe. It should be made with the true caviar and served with sour cream. Often, however, you will find it served with the red caviar or herring.

1 package yeast

3/4 cup milk

1 teaspoon sugar

2 cups flour

1/2 cup butter

3 egg yolks

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup cream, whipped

3 egg whites, stiffly beaten

Dissolve the yeast in 1/4 cup of the warm milk. Add the sugar. Add the remaining 1/2 cup of lukewarm milk and the flour. Make a paste of this, cover, and put in a warm place to rise until it is doubled in bulk.

Cream together the butter, egg yolks, and salt. Combine this with the sponge when it is risen, and beat thoroughly. Let it rise again for 1 hour. Finally add the whipped cream and the egg whites and let rise again for 15 minutes. Bake into small pancakes about 3 inches in diameter in a buttered pan or griddle.

Serve the cakes very hot with melted butter, caviar, and sour cream. From 3 to 6 pancakes will make a serving.

CAVIAR OMELET

This is sheer luxury, but exceedingly delicious luxury. Prepare an omelet in your usual fashion. Fold in about 2 tablespoons of chilled caviar and serve with a dollop of sour cream on top.

TO SERVE RED CAVIAR

Red caviar, or salmon roe, is not so delicate as the caviar of the sturgeon, but it is excellent in appetizers. It may be used for canapés with chopped onion, sour cream, and chopped egg. Or make this dip of red caviar:

RED CAVIAR DIP

1 pint sour cream

1/4 cup cream
or
milk

11/2 cups red caviar

1 small onion, grated

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Chopped hard-cooked egg

Dilute the sour cream with cream or milk. Add the caviar, onion, pepper, and lemon juice. Heap in a bowl and sprinkle the top with the hard-cooked egg. Serve with raw vegetables, toast, or bread sticks.