Fancy fish in a flash
The new cookbook One Pan, Whole Family should appeal to the busy family meal provider. If you have a big, cast-iron frying pan as well as a big saucepan and a serious chef ’s knife, you are all set to cook Carla Snyder’s more than 70 “weeknight meals,” as she calls them in her latest book (Chronicle Books/Raincoast, $34.95). A homey fish dinner is an example of her way of feeding the family fresh food in a rush. Kid-friendly aspects to the book include many pizza recipes, but grown-ups will also be satisfied thanks to an “adult tastebud” addition to each recipe, such as some horseradish to the haddock topping.
The Ohio writer and cooking school teacher suggests pounding chicken breasts so they cook faster, forgetting about exact measuring, using eggs as “dinner fallbacks” and using good wine in cooking or, if preferred, substituting orange or cranberry juice.
Recipes are international, and take no more than 45 minutes from start to finish.
GRATIN OF HADDOCK WITH TOMATO AND ZUCCHINI
Serves: 4
6 new potatoes
2 garlic cloves
2 tbsp (30 mL) olive oil Kosher or coarse salt Freshly ground pepper 3 zucchini
1 tomato
2/3 cup (160 mL) panko bread crumbs
1 tbsp (15 mL) butter, melted
1 1/2 lbs (680 g) haddock (or cod, tilapia or other firm white fish), in 4 pieces 1 tsp (5 mL) Italian seasoning (a mixture of dried basil, marjoram, oregano, rosemary and thyme) 1/4 cup (60 mL) whipping cream
1. Preheat oven to 425 F (220 C). On a chopping board, slice the potatoes thinly and mince the garlic.
2. Heat a large, heavy frying pan over medium-high heat. Heat oil, and sauté potatoes, garlic, 1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt and some pepper until potatoes are hot, about 3 minutes. Transfer pan to the preheated oven for 10 minutes.
3. Grate zucchini into a medium bowl. Slice tomato into 8 slices.
4. In a small bowl, combine panko crumbs and butter; set aside. Sprinkle the haddock with salt and pepper.
5. Remove pan from oven and stir in zucchini, Italian seasoning, 1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt and some pepper, mixing well, and cook over mediumhigh heat until hot, about 3 minutes.
6. Lay seasoned fish on zucchini mixture and spread with tomatoes, plus more salt and pepper.
7. Pour cream into the pan in a couple of places so that it doesn’t wash the seasonings off the fish. Sprinkle the panko mixture over the tomatoes.
8. Return pan to the oven and cook until fish flakes with a fork and topping is golden, about 15 minutes. Serve hot.