James Beard's New Fish Cookery (31 page)

VARIATIONS

1. Mix grated Parmesan cheese and a good deal of chili powder in with the crumbs. Roll the fish in this, fry, and serve with a hot Mexican sauce.

2. Mix the crumbs well with sesame seeds. Roll the fish in this, fry, and serve with sauce diable.

3. Roll the fish in sesame seeds alone, fry, and serve with a sweet-sour sauce.

HELEN EVANS BROWN’S BAKED ALBACORE

4 pounds albacore steaks
or
fillets

1 large onion, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped

4 or 5 stalks of celery, chopped

6 sprigs of parsley, chopped

1 large clove garlic, chopped

1/2 cup olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon oregano

1 cup red wine

1 No. 21/2 can of tomatoes

Sauté the onion, pepper, celery, parsley, and garlic in the olive oil. Season with salt, pepper, and oregano and add the wine and tomatoes.

Place the fish on a well-oiled baking dish and pour the sauce over it. Bake at 450° according to the Canadian cooking theory (page 8). Baste frequently during the cooking.

Serve it in the dish in which it was baked and pass plenty of sourdough bread with garlic butter or – if you live on the East Coast – garlic bread.

MARINATED ALBACORE

2 cups red wine

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 or 2 leeks, cleaned and chopped

1 or 2 stalks of celery, chopped

1 carrot, thinly sliced

1 teaspoon salt

1 heaping teaspoonful of dried basil
or
several leaves of the fresh basil

4-pound piece of albacore
or
other tuna

4 tablespoons butter

Beurre manié (page 475)

Make a marinade of the wine, vegetables, and seasonings. Soak the fish in this for 6 hours. Remove the fish and strain it. Melt the butter in a skillet, add the vegetables from the marinade, and cook until they are just soft.

Oil a baking dish, place the vegetables on the bottom, and top with the fish. Dot it with butter and pour the wine around it. Bake at 450° according to the Canadian cooking theory (page 8), basting often during the cooking process. Remove the fish to a hot platter. Force the sauce through a fine sieve, return it to the stove, and thicken with beurre manié. Taste for seasoning.

POACHED TUNA WITH VARIOUS SAUCES

Since albacore has the lightest meat, it is, of course, the best of the various tunas for poaching.

Poach a 3- or 4-pound piece of tuna in court bouillon (page 18) according to the Canadian cooking theory (page 12). Serve with sauce Béarnaise (page 27) or oyster sauce (page 21).

COLD POACHED TUNA

Serve the poached fish cold with a good olive oil mayonnaise, sauce rémoulade (page 25), or Russian dressing (page 35).

Canned Tunafish

The finest canned tuna is the albacore, or all white meat solid pack. Tuna flakes, tuna hunks, and tuna bits in cans are excellent for salads and other dishes in which the fish must be cut up.

CANNED TUNA AS HORS D’OEUVRE

I think one of the finest first courses or luncheon dishes is a good can of tuna with some capers, some homemade mayonnaise, and crisp French bread and butter.

TUNA AS A COCKTAIL SPREAD

1 No. 1 can of tuna, mashed

1/2 cup capers

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

1 teaspoon paprika

2 tablespoons onion juice

3 egg whites, stiffly beaten

Blend all ingredients. Spread on fingers of toast and place under the broiler flame until lightly browned and puffy.

CURRY OF TUNAFISH

1 large onion, chopped

1 unpeeled apple, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

6 tablespoons oil
or
butter

11/2 tablespoons curry powder

1/2 cup water

1 cup tomato sauce

Salt

1/2 cup white wine

11/2 cups canned tuna

Sauté the onion, apple, and garlic in oil or butter. Add the curry powder and blend well. Add the water and let it cook down. Gradually stir in the tomato sauce and blend thoroughly. Taste for seasoning. Stir in the wine and add the tunafish. Heat thoroughly. Serve with rice, chutney, French-fried onions, and chopped hard-cooked egg.

TUNAFISH PLATE

For each serving, arrange a bed of shredded greens topped with 1 small can of solid pack tuna broken into pieces. Garnish with paper-thin slices of onion, sliced hard-cooked egg, and capers. Serve mayonnaise separately.

TUNAFISH SAUCE FOR SPAGHETTI

This is an authentic Italian recipe. It is simple, but delicious.

1/4 pound dried mushrooms

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1/4 cup olive oil

11/2 cups tomato sauce

1 teaspoon basil

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1/2 can of tuna, drained

Chopped parsley

Soak the mushrooms in water for 2 hours. Sauté the garlic in olive oil for a few minutes. Add the tomatoes and simmer until thick. Add the mushrooms and basil, season to taste with salt and pepper, and add the tuna. Cook for 10 minutes. Serve over spaghetti or other pasta, and top with more pepper and chopped parsley.

SCALLOPED TUNAFISH

11/2 cups cracker crumbs

1 cup celery, chopped fine

1 cup onion, chopped fine

2 cloves garlic, chopped fine

1 green pepper, chopped fine

1/2 cup parsley, chopped

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

11/2 cups tuna bits

1/2 cup butter

2 eggs, lightly beaten

Use rather coarse cracker crumbs. Combine them with the chopped vegetables, seasonings, and tuna. Add the butter and eggs. Blend well and pour into a buttered casserole. Dot the top with butter and bake at 375° for 25 or 30 minutes.

TUNAFISH OMELET

Use 1/2 cup of flaked tuna for each omelet. Heat the fish in a little olive oil or butter, and season with onion juice and freshly ground black pepper. Make omelets according to your usual method and fold the hot tunafish into them. Garnish with chopped parsley, or parsley and chives mixed.

SALADE NIÇOISE

This will make a salad for 3 or 4 people or a first course for 6 people.

Arrange greens on a large platter. Open 2 cans of solid pack tunafish and place it in the center of the platter. Around the edge arrange fillets of anchovies (about 3 2-ounce cans), 6 small or 3 large tomatoes cut in wedges, onion rings, 6 hard-cooked eggs quartered, and strips of green pepper and pimiento. Garnish with chopped parsley and ripe olives and serve with sauce vinaigrette (page 36) or sauce gribiche (pages 36–37).

VARIATION

Sometimes sliced cooked potatoes and cooked green beans are added.

TUNA SALAD SUPREME

This will make a salad for 6 people.

Grate 2 heads of raw celery root. Add 2 7-ounce cans tunafish, 2 chopped hard-cooked eggs, 6 chopped green onions, and blend with a vinaigrette sauce (page 36) to which you have added 1 tablespoon prepared mustard, 1 teaspoon chopped parsley, and 1 teaspoon tarragon. Serve on endive spears or chicory. Garnish with ripe olives and pimiento strips.

OLD-FASHIONED TUNA SALAD

Combine 11/2 cups tuna bits with 1/2 cup finely chopped celery, 8 chopped green onions, 2 tablespoons capers, and enough mayonnaise to bind the salad. Serve in a nest of romaine or lettuce. Garnish with mayonnaise, ripe olives, tomato wedges, and sliced hard-cooked eggs.

TUNA SALAD BUFFET PLATE

Make a good French potato salad: Pour white wine and olive oil over hot sliced potatoes; add slivered almonds, chopped chives, onions, and parsley; add a dash of vinegar and chill it well.

Make a Russian salad with finely cut cooked vegetables: peas, carrots, string beans, and potatoes bound together with mayonnaise.

Arrange greens on a long platter. In the center place a smoked whitefish, the tuna from 3 large cans, skinless and boneless sardines from 3 cans. Spoon the French potato salad and the Russian salad around the fish. Garnish with paper-thin slices of onion, quartered hard-cooked eggs, and wedges of tomato. Serve with a bowl of mayonnaise and a dish of fresh horseradish mixed with sour cream and dill.

Hard Swedish bread and a bottle of chilled white wine will make this a summer buffet of exceptional flavors.

Whitebait

These minnowlike fish are much discussed. Some experts say they are a mixture of various infant fish, while others claim they are a definite species. Who knows, who cares, and what can we do about it? They are wonderful eating.

When you sample whitebait for the first time, you may find it disconcerting to have a whole plateful of eyes staring up at you. I did. This initial reaction soon passes, and they become one of your favorite delicacies. They are often served with tiny oyster crabs, and when offered in this fashion at a smart restaurant they are definitely on the expensive side.

SAUTÉED WHITEBAIT

Use 1 to 11/2 pounds of whitebait for 4 servings. Soak them in ice water for an hour or two. Drain them on a towel and roll in corn meal. Sauté them very quickly in olive oil, shaking the pan often to move the fish around, and shifting them carefully with a wooden spoon. Salt and pepper to taste and serve with a rémoulade (page 35) or tartar sauce (pages 35–36).

VARIATIONS

1. Serve with sautéed oyster crabs as a garnish.

2. Dust with flour instead of corn meal.

FRIED WHITEBAIT

Prepare whitebait as above and fry in deep fat heated to 375°. The fish will take about 15 seconds to cook – at the most a half minute. Drain on absorbent paper and season to taste.

VARIATION

Let the fish cook until very crisp. Sprinkle with a little cayenne and dry mustard and squeeze lemon juice over them.

WHITEBAIT PANCAKES

Wash and dry a pound of whitebait. Mix with the following:

3 eggs, lightly beaten

1/4 cup chopped parsley

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon sweet basil

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Add enough flour to hold the fish and egg mixture together – about 1 cup. Form into small cakes. Dust them lightly with flour and fry in olive oil until browned on both sides. Serve with a rémoulade (page 35) or tartar sauce (pages 35–36).

WHITEBAIT ITALIAN

11/2 pounds whitebait

Corn meal

Olive oil

2 teaspoons grated onion

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon paprika

4 eggs

4 tablespoons cream

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Wash the whitebait and roll them in corn meal. Sauté in olive oil until just barely cooked through. Remove fish to an ovenproof serving platter or baking dish. Sprinkle over it the onion, salt, and paprika. Beat the eggs well and add the cream and cheese. Gently pour over the whitebait. Run under the broiler for 3 or 4 minutes to set the eggs.

Whiting

Whiting, or silver hake, are caught off the coast of New England, New York, and New Jersey, and as far south as Virginia. They are most plentiful in the spring and the fall. The frozen product is shipped throughout the country and has a ready market, especially in “fish ’n’ chips” shops.

The flesh is white and delicately flavored. It adapts well to nearly all forms of preparation. The average whiting is about 12 to 14 inches long, but occasionally one may reach 24 inches and weigh as much as 8 pounds. One small whiting is usually considered a portion.

GRILLED WHITING

Have small whiting – one per portion – split and dressed. Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper, brush with melted butter or oil, and grill about 4 inches from a medium flame according to the Canadian cooking theory for broiling (page 9). Baste often with butter or oil. Serve sprinkled with chopped parsley.

VARIATIONS

1. Serve with Hollandaise sauce (pages 25–26) or sauce Béarnaise (page 26).

2. Sprinkle the split whiting heavily with sesame seeds.

3. Grill as above, sprinkle with fried crumbs, and serve with lemon wedges.

4. Mix together 1/2 cup oil, 1/2 cup chopped parsley, 1 tablespoon paprika, and 1 teaspoon salt. Baste the fish with this mixture while it is cooking.

WHITING SAUTÉ MEUNIÈRE

Choose 1 small whiting per person and have it dressed. Cook according to directions for sauté meunière, page 10.

FRIED WHITING

The usual method is to remove the backbone from the whiting before frying in deep fat. Dip the fish in flour, then in beaten egg and milk, then roll well in crumbs or corn meal. Fry in fat heated to 375° according to the Canadian cooking theory (page 11). Drain on absorbent paper and season to taste. Serve with tartar sauce (page 36) or lemon wedges.

VARIATIONS

1. Mediterranean. Sauté 6 green peppers, cut in strips, in 6 tablespoons of olive oil until just tender. Season to taste; add 1 teaspoon of wine vinegar and swirl it around the pan. Deep-fry 4 whiting according to the directions above. Arrange them on a bed of the peppers and serve with rice pilaf and a tomato sauce.

2. Serve the fried fish with sautéed onion rings and fried parsley (page 253).

3. Serve the fried fish on a bed of eggplant slices that have been dipped in flour and sautéed in olive oil until nicely browned. Garnish with sautéed green peppers and grilled tomatoes. This combination of flavors is delicious.

POACHED WHITING

Poach whiting in boiling salted water according to the Canadian cooking theory (page 12). Be very careful not to overcook. Serve it with:

1. Melted butter, lemon, boiled potatoes, parsley.

2. Hollandaise sauce (pages 25–26), boiled potatoes, parsley.

3. Tomato sauce (page 23), sautéed potatoes.

4. Black butter (page 31), capers, lemon juice.

STUFFED ROLLED WHITING

6 whiting fillets

Fish forcemeat (page 41)

11/2 cups sauce velouté (page 21)

Lemon juice

1/2 pound mushrooms

4 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup chopped parsley