Halibut, Ling Cod, and Sand Dabs, oh my!

Cajun Style Blackened Ling Cod

After graduating high school, I discovered Cajun Chef Paul Prudomme on a TV show making his famous blackened redfish. Never having tasted redfish, I quickly substituted fresh rockfish and it looked as good as Chef Paul’s and tasted amazing. When blackening fish, you can’t be afraid of cooking with high heat. I use a cast iron skillet on high and get the pan to smoke a little before I add the seasoned filets. This recipe can be used with salmon as well.

Makes 4 Servings

• 1 Tablespoon sweet paprika
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon black pepper, ground
• ½ teaspoon white pepper, ground
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon cayenne
• ½ teaspoon dry thyme leaves
• ½ teaspoon dry oregano leaves
• 1 ½ cups unsalted butter, melted
• 4 filets (6 ounces each) of spring catch of the day (halibut, ling cod, Cabazon, greenling, or more), cut ½” to ¾” thick

Directions: In a zip-lock bag, add paprika, salt, sugar, black pepper, white pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne, thyme, and oregano. Seal the bag and give it a good shake to combine all the seasonings.

Place a large cast iron skillet over high heat until very hot, about 10 minutes. Things are going to get a little smoky while making this recipe. Turn on your kitchen hood fan to high or open the galley windows and turn off the smoke detector.

Place the chilled butter in a microwave safe dish. Place the butter in the microwave dish until the butter turns to liquid but does not boil, about 1 minute. Pour 2 Tablespoons of clarified butter into four small dishes and set aside in a warm location. Dip each filet in the remaining melted butter, coating each side. Sprinkle 2 teaspoons of spice mixture evenly on both sides of the buttered filet.

Place seasoned filets in the heated cast iron skillet, then top each filet with a teaspoon of melted butter. Cook until the underside of the filet looks charred, about 2 minutes. Turn the filets over and pour 1 teaspoon of butter on top of each filet. Cook until the other side is charred, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a warm dinner plate and serve with a small dish of warm butter for dipping

Seared Halibut Escabeche & Warm Chips

I discovered this seafood dish while in Mexico in the small village of Chacala, north of Puerto Vallarta. Our server at a small restaurant right off the beach suggested a fresh seafood appetizer that his wife had just prepared. Within minutes, an earthen dish surrounded by warm tortilla chips appeared on our beach table. I dipped a chip into the dish filled with small shrimp and delicate white fish smothered in a rich tomato sauce that included soft onions, carrots, and peppers. The delicate seafood, vegetables, and aromatic spices combined with the crunch of the tortilla chip was so good that I ignored my margarita until we had emptied the bowl. This recipe makes excellent use of the trim pieces from fish filets, and a few spot prawns from the trap would be a much-welcomed addition.
Makes 6 Servings

• ¼ cup olive oil (extra virgin if you have it)
• ½ teaspoon black pepper, ground
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• Six 2-ounce boneless and skinless halibut filets about ¾” thick (cod, salmon, or other white fish can also be used)
• ½ cup onion, sliced ¼” thick
• 1 carrot, peeled and sliced ¼” thick on the diagonal
• 6 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
• 1 lime, juiced (may substitute 3
  tablespoons vinegar)
• 2 Tablespoons cilantro, chopped
• ¼ cup chicken stock
• ½ cup salsa
• ½ teaspoon cumin, ground
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon, ground
• 2 fresh jalapeños, stemmed, seeded, and thinly sliced (may substitute ¼ cup pickled jalapenos)

Directions: In a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat, add olive oil. Season fish filets with salt and black pepper and arrange in pan so that none of the filets are touching or overlapping. Brown fish in hot oil, about 3 minutes. Carefully turn fish over and brown the other side, about 2 minutes. Remove browned filets from pan, place on a plate, and set aside.

In the same skillet that the fish was cooked in, add onions, carrots, and garlic. Cook while stirring until the carrots are soft, about 6 minutes. Add lime juice, cilantro, chicken stock, salsa, cumin, cinnamon, and jalapeños, and bring to a boil. Reduce temperature to medium low, cover pan, and simmer for 15 minutes.

Lay the browned filets over the simmering sauce, cover and let cook for 5 minutes. Remove fish from skillet and place on a serving platter. Top fish with remaining sauce from skillet and allow escabeche to cool to room temperature. As the fish cools, it will absorb the rich flavors of the sauce. Serve with warm tortilla chips and enjoy as a fresh seafood dip.

Crispy Cod BLT with Avocado

Serves 4 Sandwiches

• Four 4-ounce cod filets, sliced on an extreme bias ½” thick
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper, ground
• ½ teaspoon curry powder
• 1 large egg, beaten
• ¼ cup milk
• 1 cup Krusteaz® tempura batter
• 2 cups vegetable oil
• 8 strips of bacon, cooked crisp
• 4 brioche hamburger buns
• ½ cup Best Foods® mayonnaise
• 1 large tomato, sliced into 8 ¼” slices
• 4 leaves iceberg lettuce
• 1 avocado, sliced in ¼” slices
• ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 Tablespoon fresh garlic, minced
• ½ teaspoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
• ¼ cup Italian parsley, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper, coarse ground
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, stem removed
• ½ each lemon, cut in half
• ½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated fine
• 2 Tablespoons fresh basil, torn into ¼” pieces

Directions: Preheat oven to 350˚. Use the convection feature if your oven is so equipped. Place sourdough round on cutting board. Using a bread knife or serrated knife, cut though the center of the loaf using a sawing action, leaving the bottom ½ inch of the bread intact. Turn the bread round one-quarter turn and repeat the slicing method while leaving the bottom ½ inch attached. The bread should now be sliced into 4 attached wedges. Repeat the slicing method to create 8 wedges that are connected at the bottom of the sourdough round.

In a small bowl combine: In a large skillet over medium high heat, add vegetable oil. Heat oil to 350 degrees, about 8 minutes. Season the fish filets with salt, pepper, and curry equally. In a small bowl, combine the egg and milk and stir. Pour the dry tempura batter onto a plate. Dip the seasoned fish filets into the egg mixture and moisten. Place the moist fish filets into the dry tempura batter and coat both sides. Set aside.

When the oil is hot, add the breaded filets to the hot oil and fry on one side until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Gently turn over the browned filet and cook for an additional 2 minutes to brown the other side. Place cooked filets on a plate lined with paper towels to drain.
Slice the brioche buns in half and toast under the broiler. To assemble sandwich, spread 1 Tablespoon on each toasted bun half. On the bottom half of the bun, place two tomato slices and season with salt. Top the tomatoes with the crispy fish followed by the bacon, avocado slices, and lettuce; then close the sandwich with the top half of the bun. Using a serrated knife, gently cut the sandwich in half and serve immediately.