James Beard's New Fish Cookery (9 page)

FRIED SEA SQUAB

Follow directions for deep frying, page 11.

Bluefish

This fine-looking, fine-tasting fish is fairly common all along the Atlantic Coast and in the Gulf. It is a spirited fish that often puts up a good fight before landing.

Bluefish may run up to 10 pounds, but about 3 to 6 pounds is its usual weight. It is nicely meated and may be prepared a number of ways, although I think it is best broiled or baked. Bluefish is so delicate in flavor that it does not need heavy seasonings to enhance it. Simple herbs, white wine, salt, and freshly ground pepper are the only additions necessary.

BROILED BLUEFISH

You may either split the fish or broil it whole, whichever you prefer. Follow the Canadian cooking theory for broiling (pages 9–10).

VARIATIONS

1. Serve the broiled fish on a bed of dried herbs: thyme, fennel, bay leaf, parsley. Pour 1/4 cup cognac or rum over the fish and herbs and ignite it. Let it burn, smoking the herb flavors into the fish. Serve with lemon butter and plain boiled potatoes.

2. Split the fish, dot it with butter, and add bacon strips. Broil it about 4 inches from the flame until the bacon is crisp and the fish cooked through.

SAUTÉED BLUEFISH

Small whole bluefish or pieces of bluefish may be sautéed à la meunière (page 10) or à l’Anglaise (page 142).

Avoid the highly spiced sauces for this delicate fish. Serve with something simple, such as lemon butter (page 31), parsley butter (page 33), or anchovy butter (page 32).

BAKED BLUEFISH

Clean and split a bluefish and place it on an oiled baking dish or pan. Dot it heavily with butter, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and bake at 425° according to the Canadian cooking theory (page 8). Serve with lemon or parsley butter.

VARIATIONS

1. Stuff the bluefish with crabmeat; sprinkle the stuffing with salt, pepper, and butter. Tie the fish up, place it on an oiled baking dish, dot with butter, and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Bake at 425° according to the Canadian cooking theory (page 8). Serve with lemon butter (page 31).

2. Arrange a split bluefish on an oiled baking dish. Lay strips of bacon or salt pork across the top of the fish. Bake at 425° as above. Serve with lemon wedges, boiled potatoes, and a cucumber salad made with a sour cream and dill dressing.

3. Stuff a bluefish with a few sprigs of parsley, fresh dill, and 2 or 3 lemon slices. Dot the interior with butter and sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Oil a baking dish and cover the bottom with 3 shallots and 4 green onions, finely chopped. Lay the stuffed fish on top, dot with butter, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add 1 cup white wine. Bake at 425° as above, basting often. Remove the fish to a hot platter.

Take out the herbs and add them to the pan juices. Put the juices through a sieve or a food mill. Return to the stove and add 1/2 cup heavy cream and 2 egg yolks. Stir until thickened, but do not let it boil. Taste for seasoning and pour the sauce over the fish. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and dill.

BABY BLUES

The small bluefish, called “baby blues,” which are caught late in the summer, are bluefish that have not yet grown to full size. They should be cleaned and cooked whole. Follow the recipes for broiled or sautéed bluefish.

Butterfish

These small silvery fish are among the most delicately meated and thoroughly pleasing fish in the sea. They are caught in great quantities and are available in Eastern markets throughout most of the year.

BROILED BUTTERFISH

Since butterfish are very small — some weighing as little as 1/4 pound — they should be broiled very quickly. My preference, as usual, is to sauté them. However, if you do broil them, use plenty of butter and oil and place them near the flame. Serve with a sauce Béarnaise (page 26).

SAUTÉED BUTTERFISH

Follow the directions for sauté meunière (page 10). Serve with lemon wedges or lemon butter. A strong sauce is not good with this delicate fish.

VARIATION

Add buttered toasted almonds to the pan at the last minute.

BUTTERFISH NIÇOISE

Sauté butterfish as for sauté meunière, but substitute olive oil for the butter. Grill or sauté tomatoes in olive oil and season them with a little tarragon and garlic. Arrange the fish on a bed of the tomatoes, top them with strips of anchovies, and garnish with ripe olives. Serve this with sautéed potatoes and a bountiful salad and you will have a satisfying meal.

BUTTERFISH WITH CURRY AND TOMATOES

Sauté 1 medium onion, finely chopped, in butter. Dip 4 small butterfish in flour that has been heavily seasoned with curry powder and salted to taste. Sauté the fish in the pan with the onion. Remove the fish to a hot platter and rinse the pan with a little white wine. Serve with rice and a tomato sauce laced with more curry (page 23).

BUTTERFISH IN CASES

This is definitely a party dish.

To prepare a breadcase, remove the crusts from an unsliced loaf. Cut bread into a rectangle large enough to hold an entire fish comfortably with a 1-inch margin on all sides. Scoop out some of the crumbs, butter the case well, and dry it out in a 300° oven until it is a delicate brown.

Make a sauce duxelles (page 27). For each fish, sauté 3 large mushroom caps in butter.

Flour the fish and sauté them according to the directions for sauté meunière (page 10). Spread a little sauce duxelles in each bread case, place a fish in each case, add more sauce, top with the mushroom caps, and garnish with chopped parsley. Serve with additional sauce.

PAN-FRIED BUTTERFISH

Dip in seasoned flour, then in beaten egg, and roll in any of the following: buttered crumbs, cracker crumbs, corn meal, chopped nuts mixed with crumbs, or sesame seeds. Sauté quickly in butter or olive oil and serve with lemon wedges.

VARIATIONS

1. Sauté whole slices of orange, peel and all, with the fish and serve as a garnish.

2. Add 1 teaspoon of tarragon to the pan and rinse it with 1/4 cup of white wine. Pour over the fish.

BUTTERFISH EN PAPILLOTE

Butterfish (1 per serving)

Cooking parchment

Ham slices (1 per serving)

Anchovy butter

Grated onion

Butter

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Thick tomato paste

Chopped parsley

Cut heart-shaped pieces of cooking parchment big enough to accommodate the fish. On each piece of parchment, place a slice of ham near one edge. Spread it with anchovy butter and a little grated onion. Top with a butterfish, dot with butter, season with salt and pepper, add a teaspoon of tomato paste, and sprinkle with chopped parsley. Fold the other side of the parchment over this and crimp the edges together so that they are tightly sealed. Bake at 425° according to the Canadian cooking theory (page 8).

SMOKED BUTTERFISH

Smoked butterfish is found in many delicatessens and fish shops. It is delicate and very pleasant. Try it as a first course for dinner or as a light luncheon dish. Serve it with lemon, a sprinkling of capers if you like, or chopped onion.

California Black Sea Bass

This Pacific Coast fish is sometimes called the jewfish, but it is not the same as the Florida jewfish or giant sea bass. It is a good game fish and is sold to a certain extent for food. The flesh is flaky, white, and well flavored. The fish is large, weighing as much as 700 to 800 pounds, and is usually sold as steaks or fillets.

Two smaller fish, the cabrilla and the grouper, are sold in fillets in California markets as “golden bass.” The rock bass, averaging about 18 inches in length, is popular in the West both as a game and a commercial fish.

BROILED CALIFORNIA SEA BASS

Follow directions for broiling, pages 9–10.

SEA BASS FILLETS PACIFIC

See recipe on page 215.

BAKED CALIFORNIA SEA BASS

Follow directions for baking on page 8.

BARBECUED SEA BASS STEAKS CALIFORNIA

1/4 cup melted butter

2 tablespoons soy sauce

Juice of 1 lemon

2 ounces whiskey or brandy

1 clove garlic, crushed

2 pounds sea bass steak

1/2 cup sesame seeds

Lemon or lime wedges

Prepare a basting sauce with the butter, soy sauce, lemon juice, liquor, and garlic. Brush the steaks with this, place them in an oiled hinged grill, and cook over a charcoal fire according to the Canadian cooking theory (page 9), basting often and turning. When nearly done, sprinkle heavily with sesame seeds and continue cooking until the seeds are toasted. Serve with lemon or lime wedges.

JEWFISH STEAKS TROPICAL

3 cups toasted crumbs

2 tablespoons chili powder

2 teaspoons paprika

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon oregano

3 eggs

4 tablespoons heavy cream

6 to 8 rashers bacon

1 clove garlic

3 pounds jewfish steaks

Flour

Roll the crumbs fine and combine with the chili powder, paprika, salt, and oregano. Beat the eggs lightly and add the cream. Try out the bacon and add the garlic to the bacon fat. When the bacon is crisp, remove it to absorbent paper. Brush the fish steaks with flour, dip them in the eggs and cream, and then cover them thoroughly with the crumb mixture. Sauté them gently in the bacon fat according to the Canadian cooking theory (page 10). Serve with tomato sauce (page 23) and a bacon garnish.

California Kingfish

In order to avoid confusion, I must resort here to Latin: the California kingfish is a
Genyonemus lineatus,
which means that it is a different fish from the East Coast fish, which is a
Scomberomorus Cavalla
and closely resembles the Spanish mackerel (page 261). The West Coast fish is sometimes mistaken for tomcod, a similar fish.

California kingfish range from about 3/4 to 11/4 pounds and are usually eaten whole. The meat is excellent.

BROILED CALIFORNIA KINGFISH

Broil the fish whole or split, according to the directions on pages 9–10.

FRENCH-FRIED CALIFORNIA KINGFISH

Clean, wash, and dry the fish. Dip it in flour, then in milk, and roll it in corn meal. Heat fat in a deep-fat fryer to 375°. Fry the fish according to the Canadian cooking theory (page 11). Drain on absorbent paper, season with salt and paprika, and serve with tartar sauce (pages 35–36) or mustard sauce (page 23).

BAKED CALIFORNIA KINGFISH WITH ANCHOVIES

Split 2 kingfish and stuff them with anchovy fillets, sliced onions, and chopped parsley. Fold them over, place on an oiled baking dish, dot with butter, and sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper. Bake at 425° according to the Canadian cooking theory (page 8). Serve with lemon quarters.

BAKED CALIFORNIA KINGFISH ITALIAN

Split the fish and stuff them with finely chopped onion, parsley, and thyme. Place them on a well-oiled baking dish and brush with olive oil. Add 1/2 cup of white wine and bake at 425° according to the Canadian cooking theory (page 8), basting once or twice during the cooking. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and serve with tomato sauce (page 23) or lemon quarters.

California Pompano

This fish is not the true Florida pompano, but is a relative of the butterfish. It is found only on the California coast. It is always served whole and is a delicious and delicate morsel.

Prepare it according to the recipes for Florida pompano, pages 161–162.

California Whitefish

This is an entirely different fish from the freshwater whitefish of the Great Lakes. It is a good game fish and is sought by anglers as well as commercial fishermen. Fairly large, it comes to the market whole, filleted, and in steaks.

BROILED CALIFORNIA WHITEFISH

Broil steaks or fillets according to the directions on pages 9–10. Serve with butter flavored with tarragon or sauce Béarnaise (page 26).

BAKED CALIFORNIA WHITEFISH AU GRATIN

3 pounds whitefish fillets

Court bouillon (page 18)

2 cups sauce béchamel (page 23)

Tarragon

1/4 cup chopped parsley

Swiss or Cheddar cheese, grated

Cut the fillets into strips 1 inch wide. Poach them in court bouillon for 3 minutes, then remove them to an oval baking dish or casserole. Using the fish broth and some cream, make 2 cups sauce béchamel. Season it with tarragon and parsley and pour over the fish. Sprinkle with grated cheese and bake at 450° for 7 minutes. Serve with buttered noodles and chopped spinach seasoned with a little garlic.

POACHED WHITEFISH HOLLANDAISE

Poach 3 pounds of whitefish fillets or steaks in salted water for 5 or 6 minutes, or until the fish flakes easily. Serve with Hollandaise sauce (pages 25–26), boiled parsley potatoes, and green beans.

VARIATION

You may substitute shrimp (page 21), lobster (page 21), or poulette sauce (page 24) for the Hollandaise.

Cod

One of the most important food fishes in the world, cod comes mainly from the banks of Newfoundland, from New England waters, and from the coast of Norway. Close cousins of the Atlantic cod are caught in North Pacific waters and other relatives are taken in the colder regions of the southern hemisphere.

An average cod weighs about 10 pounds, but specimens weighing 50 pounds and more are sometimes caught. It is an active hunter with an excellent appetite, preying relentlessly on shellfish and on practically any fish that live on the bottom or close to it. Sharks and dogfish are among the few species that can cope successfully with a husky cod.

The annual haul of cod is over a billion pounds, and it is sold as flakes, shredded, pickled, green, or smoked, in salted slabs, whole, in steaks, and in frozen and fresh fillets. Cod is also the source of cod-liver oil, a fact of slight gastronomic interest.

I am so fond of salt cod that I sometimes forget that fresh cod can be prepared in many interesting ways, and that the so-called “scrod,” which is a young cod weighing 11/2 to 21/2 pounds, is fine eating.
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If you live near the source of supply, you can buy the whole fish, steaks, or center cuts. Most unsalted cod, however, comes to market as fresh or frozen fillets, and these can be prepared in any of the ways given for ocean perch or haddock (see pages 154–159 and 113–120). Here are other recipes for fresh cod: