by zan@zeliciousrecipes.com | Favorite Recipes, Fish
I cherish every minute I get to spend with my 17-year-old son, especially in the kitchen. He is so brutally honest when it comes to critiquing my food that it has made me a better cook. (He actually could be an amazing professional food critic). I have to credit him with this creation, I was just the executor! Searing the tuna took about 6 minutes, but the prep for the sauces was a little more labor intensive. Be sure to let the fish sit out at room temperature for about an hour, as you will only be searing the outside of the fish, inside will remain rare, and you don’t want the inside of the fish to be cold.
Ingredients for Soy Reduction:
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 4 tbsp of rice wine vinegar
- 2 tsp chopped garlic
- 2 tsp chopped ginger
Ingredients for Wasabi Crème Fraîche:
- 1 cup Crème Fraîche
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 3 tsp wasabi paste (use less if you do not want it too spicy)
- salt to taste
Ingredients for Tuna:
- 2 tbsp of toasted sesame oil
- 1 tbsp of chopped garlic
- 1 tbsp of pureed ginger
- 4 – 6 oz pieces of Tuna
- salt
Directions for Soy Reduction:
Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan, medium heat, cook down until sauce reduces it becomes thick and syrupy. Prior to pouring, strain through a sieve to remove the chunks of garlic and ginger. Pour over seared tuna.
Directions for Crème Fraîche:
Stir the Crème Fraîche together with the sour cream and salt. Add in the wasabi, one teaspoon at a time, until you’ve reached your desired potency. Spoon onto each plate. Place tuna on top of the wasabi cream.
Directions for Tuna:
Using an iron skillet, heat the oil, garlic, and ginger on medium heat. Saute until garlic is cooked, but not browned. Remove garlic and ginger with a slotted spoon, leaving any remaining oil in the pan. Increase the heat to high and add the tuna, searing each side. Once you all sides are browned, remove the fish and place onto the wasabi cream, then drizzle the soy reduction, and garnish with cooked garlic and ginger. Serves 4 people. Paired nicely with sushi rice.
by zan@zeliciousrecipes.com | Favorite Recipes, Fish
This is probably not the lightest dish! But the infamous “they” said that fish has a high water content and when you fry it in oil, the fish itself does not absorb the oil, so if you put that delicious crispy skin aside, you can actually still have a healthy meal. ;-). Trout is a great local fish that we find often at the markets in Colorado. The trout is brought in fresh, and you can sure taste the difference!
This was another inspiration from my favorite guide – “The Flavor Bible“, pairing the fresh trout with butter, sage, capers and lemon. It’s actually super fast and easy to cook!
Ingredients:
- 1 cup organic canola oil
- 3 whole trout
- 1/2 cup flour for dredging
- 6 tbsp butter
- 20 sprigs of fresh sage
- 3 tbsp of capers
- rock salt
- 2 tbsp fresh chopped Italian parsley
- lemon as needed
Directions:
Sprinkle rock salt on the inside and outside of the fish. In a large deep skillet, add the oil to medium-high heat. Pat the capers dry and add to the oil. Once the capers pop, you can remove them with a sieve and place onto a paper towel to drain some of the oil. Dredge the fish in the flour, then place the fish into the oil. Cook for 3-5 minutes on each side, depending on the thickness. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan add the butter to medium high heat. Once hot and bubbling, add in the sage leaves. Cook until sage becomes crispy and the butter turns brown. Make sure not to burn the butter. Remove the fish and place onto a platter. Pour the sage butter onto fish and sprinkle with the parsley. Serve with lemon wedges. This served 5 hungry adults. Also served with the side dish of Haricot Vert (with Almonds and Parmesan).
by zan@zeliciousrecipes.com | Favorite Recipes, Vegetables
Haricot Vert are a thinner and smaller version of the standard American green beans. I cooked these last night as a side dish to my fried trout with brown sage butter (I’ll post that recipe tomorrow). The flavor combinations came from the “affinities” listed in my go-to “Flavor Bible“, pretty much my inspiration for a majority of these recipes. For a Paleo version, just omit the Parmesan cheese.
Ingredients:
- 3 cups of haricot vert
- salt for water
- 3 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp minced garlic
- 1/2 cup sliced almonds
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- salt to taste
Directions:
Boil 5 cups of salted water in a medium sized saucepan. Add in haricot vert and blanch them for about 5 minutes. Drain and set aside. In a large skillet on medium-high heat, melt the butter, add in the garlic, and saute for 2 minutes. Add in the haricot vert, stir frequently. After 5 minutes add in the almonds and saute until beans are tender. Remove from heat, and sprinkle the beans with parmesan cheese. Serves 4
