Cooking zero waste with
In a new, occasional series on no-waste living, we cook with every part of every ingredient
We can all stand to reduce waste when it comes to food. There are the obvious tips such as bringing reusable bags to the grocery store checkout, turning overripe fruit into smoothies or baked treats like banana bread and using every bit of the ingredient be it a vegetable, fish or animal.
The latter can be difficult since a lot of people have no idea what to do with the stems, husks, skins and peels. This is especially true if you’re used to buying broccoli crowns, bags of pre-shredded kale and boneless, skinless chicken breasts.
However, it’s incredibly easy to use what’s typically considered to be scraps. Not only will it lead to less wastage in the garbage and your wallet, but a more flavourful dish that will make cutting down on kitch- en waste worthwhile.
This meal uses all the components, including parts typically tossed straight into the green bin: corn husks, cobs and silks; carrot tops and peels; garlic skins and ginger peels; tough stems; and fish skins.
The vegetable scraps make a flavourful stock and a perfect poaching liquid for fish (make a habit of setting aside a resealable plastic bag in the freezer to collect veggie scraps over time).
The fish skin, which would normally be discarded after poaching, is separated beforehand and fried into an addictive salty, crispy snack.
Star Tested I assemble the salad and make the dressing first so I have the ingredients for the stock. The salad and the dressing are refrigerated while the stock simmers. Then the fish is poached and the skins fried up. Just before serving, the salad is tossed with the dressing and served with everything else. For the salad 1 bunch watercress, tough stems set aside for stock 4 small carrots, carrot tops and peels set aside for stock 2 corn cobs, kernels separated and cobs, silks and husks set aside for stock 1/2 bunch flat-leaf parsley leaves, stems set aside for stock Arrange ingredients on a large serving dish. Serve with ginger-miso-dressing.
Makes 4 servings. For the ginger-miso dressing 4garlic cloves minced, skins set aside for broth 2 tsp (10 mL) freshly grated ginger, peels set aside for broth 2 tbsp (30 mL) white miso paste 1/4 cup (60 mL) apple cider vinegar 2 tsp (10 mL) sesame oil 6 tbsp (90 mL) canola oil In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together garlic, ginger, miso paste and apple cider vinegar until smooth. Whisk in sesame and canola oils until emulsified. Makes about 1/2 cup (125 mL) dressing. For the vegetable stock When using corn husks for a stock, do not use the outer browned and dried layers. Only use the inner layers of husks that are still moist and light green. Similarly, don’t use the brown parts of the silks at the tip of the corn, only use the pale yellow parts. If the cobs are too big, cut them in smaller chunks to fit into the skillet.
An hour of simmering is all that’s needed to extract the flavours, but for a more concentrated broth, simmer it uncovered for an additional 10 to 15 minutes. In addition to poaching, the stock can also be used to cook grains and as a soup base. Watercress stems Carrot peels and tops Corn cobs, husks and silks Ginger peel Garlic skins Parsley stems 1 tsp (5 mL) Italian seasoning Kosher salt and pepper, to taste In a large, deep skillet, arrange all ingredients in a single layer. Add enough water to cover everything. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Bring heat down to mediumlow and simmer covered for an hour.
Remove from heat. Using a slotted spoon, remove all scraps and discard (or turn into compost). Pour stock into a large bowl through a fine mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth or a coffee filter.
Refrigerate stock in an airtight container for up to a week or freeze for three months. For the poached trout with crispy skin Fried fish skins are delightfully crispy and addictive, just make sure to remove the skins before the fish gets poached. The key to crispy fish skin is to pat it dry with paper towels as much as possible.
If a whole trout is used, separate the filets and add the bones, head and tail to the vegetable stock as it simmers. Salmon and Arctic char are good substitutes. 2 tbsp (30 mL) canola oil 4 rainbow trout filets (about 150 g each), skins separated 2 cups (500 mL) vegetable broth, plus more as necessary Kosher salt, to taste In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil. Fry fish skins, two at a time, for about 1 minute each side or until golden brown. Use tongs to make sure they don’t touch each other or curl up.
Remove from heat and let skins rest on paper towel. Sprinkle lightly with salt.
In another large skillet, bring broth to a gentle simmer over medium heat.
Add trout filets and cover. Simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, or until trout is opaque and flakes easily.
Transfer cooked trout into bowls and ladle broth on top. Serve hot or at room temperature. Makes 4 servings. karonliu@thestar.ca