T e n g L n e 3 e u r i a s y r e c i p e s t o t r y d
Lent began March 6, which for many means no meat on Fridays for six weeks. Just because you may be abstaining from meat during the Lenten season does not mean you have to give up enjoying a delicious meal. Fish is surprisingly easy to cook and lends itself to myriad cooking techniques: Baking, broiling and grilling, to name a few. To make your Fish Fridays tasty, chefs at three Memphis cooking schools were happy to share recipes and some tips about purchasing and cooking fish.
Tips from the pros
“A tip I have for fish and seafood cooking is freshness,” said Aaron Winters, resident chef at Sur la Table in Germantown. “We go into depth about this during the springtime seafood class.”
When purchasing fish, look for a clean, ocean-like smell — not something fishy. Ideally, fish should be cooked the same day it is purchased.
Grilled salmon with dijon-tarragon butter is a go-to recipe for Winters and a dish taught at one of Sur la Table's cooking classes.
“Salmon can be cooked many different ways, but grilling is one of the best and simplest methods of preparing it,” he said. “Take care not to overcook the salmon. It is best bright pink and slightly translucent in the center.” Winters also recommends having the right gear. “An essential tool for cooking fish is the fish spatula," he said. "This is really the only tool in your arsenal that is going to do the job the correct way, it takes the worry out of flipping that beautiful fillet of fish and makes life easier.”
Bri Rogers, who runs Salud! Cooking School at Whole Foods Market in East Memphis, also includes fish in many of the school's cooking classes. Almond crusted cod is one such dish. Part of their upcoming “Five Ingredient Meals” class, Rogers said, “This recipe is so freakin’ good it should be outlawed.”
"For those that are intimidated by skinning a fish, my easy tip is to just cook it with the skin on and remove after cooking,” Rogers said. “Not only does it help to keep the moisture in the fish, but it is super easy to remove after cooking with just a simple tug.”
She also said the seafood mongers at your local Whole Foods Market are always happy to prep your fish as your recipe requires at no additional charge.
Fish is an ingredient that often is found on the menu of cooking classes at Church Health Nutrition Hub.
"Fish is a lean protein, so it is an integral part of the Mediterranean way of eating that we promote here at Church Health,” said Melissa Petersen, Church Health kitchen operations manager.
Fish tacos are a fun and easy dish to prepare. Versatile, they can be made using any white fish, including cod, snapper or tilapia.
This Fish Friday season is the perfect time to expand your recipe repertoire.
Jennifer Chandler is the Food & Dining reporter at The Commercial Appeal. She can be reached at jennifer.chandler@commercialappeal.com and you can follow her on Twitter and Instagram at @cookwjennifer.
At a glance
Sur La Table 7509 Poplar Ave., Germantown surlatable.com Salud! Cooking School 5014 Poplar Ave., Memphis wholefoodsmarket.com Church Health Nutrition Hub 1350 Concourse Ave., Suite 142, Memphis churchhealth.org
Grilled Salmon with Dijon-tarragon Butter
To make the Dijon-tarragon butter: To a small bowl, add butter, shallot, mustard and tarragon; stir until well combined. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Set aside. To grill salmon: Preheat a grill or grill pan to mediumhigh. Using a silicone pastry brush, coat grill with oil. Brush salmon fillets with oil and season on both sides with salt and pepper. Place salmon fillets, skin side up, on the grill and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Using a fish spatula, carefully flip the fillets and grill until still slightly pink in the center and flaking around the edges, 3 to 4 minutes, for fillets less than 1-inch thick. (For thicker fillets, finish cooking in a 425-degree Fahrenheit oven for 3 to 5 minutes.) To serve: Transfer salmon to warmed dinner plates and top each fillet with a generous pat of the Dijontarragon butter.
Almond Crusted Cod
1⁄4 4, 6-oz. cod portions, thicker part of the fillet Preheat oven to 400 Fahrenheit. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or a Silpat mat.
4 (5-ounce) salmon fillets, pin bones removed Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper Serves 4 cup blanched almonds Juice and zest of 1 lemon, divided 2 Tbsp olive oil 1 Tbsp Whole Foods Everything Bagel Seasoning
In a small food processor, combine the almonds and lemon zest; pulse until almonds are finely ground. Set aside. Arrange the cod portions on the prepared sheet pan. Drizzle with some of the lemon juice (reserving about 1 Tbsp for finishing) and the olive oil. Sprinkle the bagel seasoning evenly over the fish before coating each portion with about 1 Tbsp of the chopped almonds, pressing to adhere. Bake for 10-12 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish. Preheat the broiler and broil until the nuts are lightly toasted. Garnish with additional lemon juice before serving.
Fish Tacos with Corn Relish
2 tsp chili powder 1⁄2 tsp freshly ground black pepper 1⁄2 1 Tbsp olive oil, divided
2 tacos per serving / 4 servings 1 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp dried, rubbed oregano 1 tsp paprika tsp Kosher salt, divided 1 lb cod or other skinless, white fish
2 green onions, white and green parts sliced and colors kept separate 1 small red bell pepper, seeds remove, small dice 1 clove (or 1 tsp) garlic, minced 1 cup corn (fresh or frozen) 1 medium tomato, diced 1 Tbsp red or white wine vinegar Juice from 1 medium lime 2 tsp honey 2-4 Tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped 8 small corn tortillas Optional toppings: Minced jalapeno, or red pepper flakes Sliced avocado Finely shredded cabbage or lettuce Additional chopped cilantro or green onion Lime wedges In a medium bowl, combine all dry spices and 1⁄4 tsp salt. Sprinkle spice mixture evenly on both sides of the fish. Set aside. Over medium-high heat, add 1 teaspoon olive oil to a large skillet. Add white parts of the green onions, red bell pepper, garlic and corn. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly, until corn begins to brown. Add tomatoes, vinegar and remaining salt. Cook until liquid is mostly evaporated. Remove relish to a bowl and stir in lime juice, honey, cilantro and green parts of the green onions. Cover to keep warm. Place pan back on medium-high heat and add 2 tsp olive oil. When pan is hot, add fish and cook until just golden brown. Turn to cook other side. Add 1⁄4 cup of water to the pan. Cover and reduce heat to mediumlow. Cook until fish flakes easily with a fork. While fish is cooking, toast tortillas in a dry skillet or in broiler until they are slightly crispy. Top tortilla with 1⁄4 cup of fish and 2 tbls. of toppings.
Remove fish from heat and break fish into chunks.