I Love You More Than Food

Category: seafood

  • Alaskan Halibut on Hazelnut Gomashi Corn, Peaches in Wine

    Alaskan Halibut on Hazelnut Gomashi Corn, Peaches in Wine

    Halibut on hazelnut gomashi corn

    1lb halibut fillet, no skin
    5 ears fresh sweet corn (2 white 3 yellow)
    Gomashi (toasted sesame seeds and salt in a grinder, use a mortal and pestal lightly if you dont have one)
    Rainbow microgreens
    3 green onions/scallions
    Hazelnut Oil
    Sesame seeds
    Soy Sauce
    1T butter
    Olive oil

    Marinate the halibut in soy sauce, touch of olive oil, and sesame seeds for at least a couple of hours, but not more than 12.  Cook it in a nonstick pan just big enough for it, so it’s nice and tight. More on this in a moment.

    Cut the corn off the cob. Slice the scallions thinly into the green.

    In a large nonstick pan, heat 2 T hazelnut oil and butter (alternatively use a lightly flavored oil or olive oil and toast actual hazelnuts in it–crush them well first, use low heat for some time to infuse, but it’s just not the same) at medium heat, and add the corn. Add Gomashi mixture to add saltiness. Taste as you cook to add regular salt if needed, depending on proportion of your gomashi.

    In a small nonstick pan, cook your marinated halibut on medium, top side down first. Once getting opaque, flip it over and cover it at least loosely with a lid, reduce heat slightly and continue cooking through.

    When corn starts to color, add the scallions. Keep tossing until some kernels are browned and all are cooked. Place this on the base of your plate.

    Top with clean microgreens, then portion the halibut onto each plate. This serves four with an appetizer (we had some heirloom tomato sauce & red pepper linguini, very small amount).

    There is also now a Chilean Sea Bass & Spinich version of this dish.

    White and Yellow Organic Peaches, Sliced

    Peaches in Wine

    4-5 peaches (you can mix apricots too, and yellow and white peaches)
    White sugar
    Rose or dry white wine

    No need to skin them unless you don’t like the skin

    Slice evenly and toss in a bit of sugar, then cover in rose or dry white wine, most of the way. Cover and refrigerate for several hours at least. I served them on shortcakes and reduced the liquid to syrup in a pan, putting on top.

  • Halibut with Fennel and a Roasted Beet Salad

    Halibut with Fennel and a Roasted Beet Salad

    Halibut with Fennel Recipe Photo

    1 head baby fennel (or half regular), with fronds
    1 piece fresh halibut, .5-.75 lb
    mixed salad greens
    juice of 1/2 lemon
    olive oil + macadamia oil if possible
    vanilla salt & pepper
    raw pistachios
    1/2 roasted red beet

    Heat oven to 350. Clean the fennel and cut off the fronds, placing the fronds on a parchment lined baking sheet in a pile. Add your fish skin down onto the fronds and top with 1 tsp olive oil, vanilla salt, and pepper.  NOTE: you may make your own vanilla salt by mixing sea salt with the core of 1-2 vanilla beans in a clean spice jar. The salt should be saturated, so you may  minimize the amount of salt you make at once. Leave the cleaned out beans in the jar with the salt, it will create a stronger aroma over time.

    Place the fish in the oven, you’ll be baking it 15-20 minutes depending on thickness. Should be opaque white and not jiggly when touched but the meat should not seperate when it’s done. Slice your fennel thinly from bottom to top, after removing the stiff core. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a nonstick pan on medium low heat; when heated, add the fennel, pepper, and vanilla salt. Toss occasionally until parts are golden and all is soft, about 15-20 minutes.

    Meanwhile, make salad dressing by combining 1/2 juice of lemon (or just scant), and 1/2 as much olive oil as there is lemon juice. Add a dash of macadamia oil or use it exclusively if you like. Add regular salt & pepper, and emulsify with a whisk.  Add your washed and drained salad greens, tossing. Add pistachios to taste and your 1/2 roasted beet in cubes (I had one leftover, you may omit it, probably not worth making on its own).

  • Spaghetti with Ligurian Pesto & Pan-Seared Rockfish

    Spaghetti with Ligurian Pesto & Pan-Seared Rockfish

    Spaghetti with Ligurian Pesto & Pan-Seared Rockfish

    For Two:
    140 grams spaghetti
    1 large bunch basil
    olive oil
    1/3rd cup pine nuts
    8 cloves garlic
    1 lemon
    1/2 lb Rockfish Fillet (or substitute sea bass or red snapper)
    salt
    pepper

    Start a large pot of water boiling, meanwhile using your food processor to combine washed basil, pine nuts, juice of one lemon, several tablespoons of olive oil and salt & pepper to taste to make the Ligurian-style pesto (basil grows like a weed in Liguria, and the Italian Riveria region is the origin of this now popular tapanade).

    When the water is ready for the spaghetti, add 2 T salt to the water. Add spaghetti, cook AL DENTE. The pasta should retail some stiffness when it is finished (when you roll it into a ball on a spoon, the last inch of the noodle should stick out defiantly).

    After adding the spaghetti to the pan, heat your non stick skillet to medium high, add olive oil, and then your lightly salt & peppered fish fillet. Cook most of the way with the top side down, then flip to finish.

    Drain the pasta, put back in the saucepot and add several tablespoons of your fresh pesto, mixing well. Serve in a ball (use a serving two-prong fork to roll it into one) in a soup or pasta bowl. Cut the fish fillet in half and serve on top with lemon slices.

    Wine: Vermentino from Liguria (hard to find! Will say “Cinque Terre” most likely), Sardegna, or Tuscany (in that order of preference), or a nice Sauvignon blanc or Pinot Grigio-Tocai blend.

  • Spanish Chili Shrimp in Tomato Broth & Pan-Seared Chicken with Wilted Spinach

    Spanish Chili Shrimp in Tomato Broth & Pan-Seared Chicken with Wilted Spinach

    For two, Spanish Spicy Shrimp:

    10 shrimp–shell & de-vein them yourself
    8 slices baguette, toasted with raw garlic rubbed on them
    5 cloves garlic, minced coarsely
    1/2 cap san marzano tomatoes or package fresh cherry tomatoes (cut in 1/2)
    olive oil
    vegetable stock
    1/2 tsp thyme
    salt
    pepper
    chili flakes

    Two skillets: start one cold with olive oil & chili flakes (about 1/2 tsp), heat on low until chili flakes start to brown, strain and put the oil back in the pan to pan-fry the shrimp later. In the other skillet, sautee the garlic in the oil until beginning to color; add tomatoes, 1 tsp chili flakes, & thyme, and let simmer. When reduced and broken down, add vegetable stock until “minestrone” consistency.

    Heat chili oil to medium high, sautee shrimp. Serve shrimp on top of tomato “stew” with crotistin (toasted bread with raw garlic rubbed on) in a shallow bowl.

     

    Pan-Seared Chicken with Wilted Spinach

    1/3rd orange bell pepper, diced
    1 small shallot, minced
    1 large clove garlic, minced
    olive oil
    salt
    pepper
    spinach
    zest & juice of 1/2 lemon
    1 boneless chicken breast, skin on

    Preheat oven to 375. Use a oven-safe skillet for the chicken. Sautee on medium low bell pepper, shallot, and garlic in olive oil with salt & pepper. On high heat, with 1-2 tbsp of olive oil in a separate skillet, sear chicken skin-down (season skin with salt & pepper), until skin is golden. Turn over, move skillet to oven.

    When chicken is finished cooking (by sight; should become constrained on sides and generally thicker), remove from oven and place on cutting board to rest for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, add spinach to bell pepper mixture, and turn off heat. Zest the 1/2 lemon on top and add the juice. Put a lid on top of it and let it sit in the heat to wilt 70%.

    Slice chicken and serve on top of spinach mixture.

  • Tonno Carpaccio con Yuzu (Tuna Carpaccio with Yuzu)

    Tonno Carpaccio con Yuzu (Tuna Carpaccio with Yuzu)

    Tonno Carpaccio con Yuzu (Tuna Carpaccio with Yuzu)

    Last night I took my time and made myself an appertifo of sorts: Yellow Fin Tuna Carpaccio with Yuzu and Tarragon sauce. I let the sauce sit on the tuna for about 20 minutes before I ate it so it would all come to room temperature and the tuna would cook a little like ceviche.