James Beard's New Fish Cookery (16 page)

BAKED DEVILED LING COD

Split and bone a small ling cod. Place it in a well-oiled baking dish, flesh side up. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, cover with crisp crumbs, and dot with butter. Bake at 425° according to the Canadian cooking theory (page 8), adding melted butter to the crumbs during cooking, if necessary. At the last minute, run it under the broiler flame to brown. Serve with sauce diable (page 30).

BAKED LING COD MORNAY

Split and bone a small ling cod. Place in a well-oiled baking dish, dot with butter, and add 1/2 cup of white wine. Bake at 425° according to the Canadian cooking theory (page 8). Baste with the wine in the pan during the cooking process. When it is done, cover the fish with sauce Mornay (page 22) and sprinkle with grated Gruyère cheese. Run under the broiler flame to melt the cheese and brown the top.

POACHED LING COD

Follow the recipes for poached striped bass (page 270).

LING COD TIMBALES

1 pound cooked ling cod

3 egg yolks

3 egg whites

1/4 cup heavy cream

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

White wine
or
sherry

Flake the fish and pound it in a mortar, or mash it well. Blend in the egg yolks. Beat the egg whites until just light and gradually work them in with a wooden spoon. (It is better to do this over a bowl of ice.) Add the heavy cream and work it in thoroughly. Season to taste with salt and pepper and add a dash of sherry or white wine.

Pour the mixture into a buttered mold and place it on a rack in a pan of hot water. Bake at 300° until the fish is firm, but be careful not to let the water boil. Keep the top from browning by placing several thicknesses of cooking parchment over the mold. Unmold and serve with shrimp or oyster sauce (page 21).

Mackerel

Every spring the first mackerel boats are eagerly awaited by those who fancy this regal, well-flavored fish. The first taste of it is every bit as good as that of the year’s first shad and salmon.

Not so many years ago, salt mackerel was a standard dish for Sunday breakfast, along with boiled potatoes and fresh hot biscuits. Nowadays, since the fresh fish is available the year round thanks to freezing, the salt variety has become rare.

Mackerel comes in sizes up to about 16 inches long. You may buy the whole fish, cuts, fillets, and frozen fillets.

BROILED MACKEREL

Split the fish and broil according to the directions on pages 9–10.

FRIED MACKEREL

See fried fish, pages 10–11.

MACKEREL FILLETS SAUTÉ MEUNIÈRE

See directions for sauté meunière, page 10.

POACHED MACKEREL I

Mackerel may be poached whole in court bouillon (page 18), or you may poach it as slices or fillets.

Poach 6 mackerel fillets in court bouillon according to the Canadian cooking theory (page 12). Remove to a hot dish and surround with thin slices of fried eggplant covered with a tomato sauce. Reduce the bouillon and add it to a sauce Mornay (page 22) well seasoned with cayenne pepper and dry mustard. Pour the sauce over the fillets and sprinkle with grated Gruyère or Swiss cheese. Brown the whole platter under the broiler for a few minutes.

VARIATION

Add 2 tablespoons of curry powder to the sauce Mornay.

POACHED MACKEREL II

Poach 6 mackerel fillets in court bouillon (page 18) and remove to a flameproof serving dish. Reduce the bouillon by half and use it to prepare a rich velouté (page 21). Season the sauce heavily with paprika. Cover the fillets with mushrooms sautéed in butter and seasoned with paprika. Add the sauce, sprinkle with more paprika, and run under the broiler flame to glaze.

VARIATION

Add 1 cup of sour cream to the sauce at the last moment. Pour over the mackerel and glaze under the broiler flame. Serve with fried toast and a cucumber salad.

MACKEREL ITALIAN

6 mackerel fillets

Flour

Beaten egg

Crumbs

Olive oil

1/4 pound sliced mushrooms

6 or 8 chopped shallots
or
green onions

Tomato sauce

Parmesan cheese

Dip the fillets in flour, then in beaten egg, and roll in crumbs. Sauté them in hot olive oil according to the Canadian cooking theory (page 10). Arrange in a flat baking dish. Add to the pan the mushrooms and shallots or green onions. Sauté them lightly and arrange on top of the fish fillets. Cover the fish and vegetables with a rich tomato sauce (page 23).

Sprinkle with crumbs and Parmesan cheese and brown under the broiler for a few minutes. Spaghetti with oil and garlic is excellent with this dish.

SAUTÉED MACKEREL FLORENTINE

2 pounds spinach
or
2 packages frozen spinach

4 tablespoons butter

Grated onion

1 teaspoon salt

Juice of 1 lemon

Pinch of nutmeg

6 mackerel fillets

Beaten egg

Crumbs

Butter for sautéing

French-fried onions

Wash the spinach and cook, or prepare the frozen spinach. Drain, squeeze, chop, and mix with the butter, onion, salt, lemon juice, and nutmeg. Oil a baking dish and arrange the spinach in a layer on the bottom.

Dip the fillets in beaten egg and then in fine crumbs. Sauté lightly in butter according to the Canadian cooking theory (page 10), or until browned. Place the cooked fillets on the bed of spinach and top with a layer of crisp French-fried onions. Serve with a tartar sauce (pages 35–36) and plain boiled potatoes dusted with chopped parsley.

VARIATIONS

1. Mix 3 cups of rich mashed potatoes with 2 egg yolks. Arrange in mounds, or pipe through the large rosette end of a pastry tube onto the bottom of a greased baking dish. Brush with butter and brown under the broiler flame. Place the sautéed fillets on top of this potato bed, sprinkle with chopped parsley, and dress with lemon butter. Serve with a mustard sauce (page 23).

2. Serve the fillets on a bed of sautéed onions. Top with grated Swiss and Parmesan cheese mixed. Run under the broiler to glaze. Surround with broiled tomatoes and garnish with anchovy fillets and black olives.

ESCABECHE OF MACKEREL, HELEN EVANS BROWN

This is an excellent hors d’oeuvre or summer supper dish.

6 mackerel fillets

Lemon
or
lime juice

Flour

6 tablespoons butter

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1/3 clup olive oil

3 tablespoons lemon
or
lime juice

1/3 cup orange juice

1/4 cup green onions
or
scallions, chopped

Dash of Tabasco sauce

Salt

Dip the mackerel in lemon or lime juice, then in flour, and sauté in butter according to the Canadian cooking theory (page 10) until golden. Arrange the cooked fillets in a flat serving dish.

Prepare a sauce with the garlic, olive oil, lemon or lime juice, orange juice, green onions or scallions, and a dash of Tabasco sauce. Season to taste with salt. Pour over the fish and chill for 24 hours. Serve garnished with quartered limes or lemons and ripe olives.

VARIATIONS

1. Sauté the fillets in 1/3 cup olive oil. Remove to a serving dish. Add to the oil in the pan 5 cloves crushed garlic, 1 finely chopped onion, and one shaved carrot. Cook until they are just colored. Add 1/4 cup vinegar, 1/4 cup water, 1/4 cup white wine, 1 teaspoon salt, 2 tablespoons finely chopped green pepper, a sprig of thyme, and 1/4 cup chopped parsley. Simmer for 10 minutes. Pour over the fish and chill for 24 hours.

NOTE
: This recipe may be used for almost any filleted fish.

2. You may add any of the following seasonings to the sauces in either of the two preceding recipes: ground coriander; finely chopped Chinese parsley, or fresh coriander, or cilantro; toasted coriander seeds.

BAKED MACKEREL

Clean a mackerel weighing 2 to 4 pounds. Oil a large oval baking dish or pan and place the fish on it. Dot with butter, sprinkle with salt and freshly ground pepper, and bake 425° according to the Canadian cooking theory (page 8). Baste often. Serve with Hollandaise sauce (pages 25–26) or a tomato sauce (page 23).

BAKED STUFFED MACKEREL I

Stuff the cleaned fish with thinly sliced onions, tomatoes, green peppers, and parsley. Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper and dot with butter. Sew the fish or tie it securely with string. Cook as above.

BAKED STUFFED MACKEREL II

1 whole mackerel

2 medium onions, finely chopped

8 mushrooms, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, chopped

Butter

2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped

3 eggs

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Sauté the onions, mushrooms, and garlic in butter. Mix with the tomatoes and lightly beaten eggs. Salt and pepper to taste. Stuff the mackerel with this mixture, sew it up or tie securely. Bake as above and serve with a mustard (page 24) or a tomato sauce (page 23).

BAKED STUFFED MACKEREL WITH WHITE WINE

1 whole mackerel

Stuffing for fish

Thinly sliced onions

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

White wine

4 tablespoons butter

4 tablespoons flour

Cayenne pepper

1/2 cup heavy cream

Clean and stuff the fish with your favorite stuffing. Arrange a bed of thinly sliced onions in the bottom of an oiled baking dish. Season and cover with white wine. Place the fish on top and bake as above. When the fish is cooked, remove it to a hot platter. Put the onion and wine mixture through a fine sieve. Melt the butter in a saucepan, blend in the flour, and gradually add the strained pan juices. Stir until smooth and thickened. Taste for seasoning, add a little cayenne and the cream. Blend thoroughly. Pour over the fish.

MACKEREL, CHINESE STYLE

1 2-pound mackerel

4 stalks celery, chopped

4 green onions, finely sliced

1 clove garlic, chopped

1/4 cup bland oil

2 tablespoons soy sauce

Clean the mackerel and make diagonal slits on each side, slashing it to the bone. Mix the celery, onions, and garlic with the oil (preferably sesame or peanut oil) and soy sauce. Arrange this mixture on the bottom of a flat pan and place the fish on top. Cover, place in a bain marie, and steam gently for a half hour, or until the meat separates easily from the bone. Serve with rice and something crisp — bean sprouts with almonds, perhaps, or asparagus cooked in the Chinese manner.

NOTE
: The Chinese steam such dishes on the platter, plate, or bowl in which it is to be served.

Mullet

The mullet, of which there are about a hundred varieties, has appealed to the tastes of the most diverse civilizations. The Egyptians cultivated it in the deltas of the Nile. The Romans were fond of it and planted it successfully in freshwater ponds and lakes. It was also a favorite of the Polynesians and of the early settlers of Hawaii, where it was similarly cultivated. Today the mullet is the principal food fish of the South.

The striped, or jumping, mullet is the species that is so plentiful in the coastal waters of the Carolinas and Florida. A beautiful silvery acrobat, it is so active that fishermen locate schools of the fish at night by listening for splashing sounds.

Mullet is marketed chiefly in the South, but occasionally you find it elsewhere. It is usually sold whole, and averages 2 to 3 pounds in weight.

BROILED MULLET

The small whole fish are the best for broiling. Follow directions on pages 9–10. Serve with lemon wedges, lemon butter (page 31), or parsley butter (page 33).

SAUTÉED MULLET

Either the small whole fish or the fillets may be sautéed. Follow directions for sauté meunière, page 10.

BAKED MULLET À L’ANGLAISE

Allow 1 small fish per serving or 1 medium fish for two. Clean the fish, dip in milk, and roll in crumbs. Place on an oiled baking dish, season with salt and freshly ground pepper, and dot with butter. Bake at 450° according to the Canadian cooking theory (page 8).

Serve with maître d’hîtel butter (page 31), lemon butter (page 31), or tartar sauce (pages 35–36).

BAKED SPLIT MULLET

1 whole mullet, 4 to 5 pounds

1 cup lightly sautéed onion rings

1/2 cup chopped parsley

Thyme

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Butter

Finely chopped parsley

Clean and split the mullet. Place it on an oiled baking pan and top it with the onion rings. Sprinkle with the chopped parsley, a little thyme, salt, and pepper. Dot with butter and bake at 425° according to the Canadian cooking theory (page 8). Serve with the pan juices and a little additional butter kneaded with finely chopped parsley.

NOTE
: Recipes for striped bass (pages 266–272) may be used in preparing mullet.

Ocean Perch

The term “ocean perch” appearing on frozen fillets is the official trade name for rosefish, redfish, red perch, and sea perch. The fillets are apt to be any of these. Together, these fish account for a large proportion of the fish eaten in this country. The flesh is firm and rather coarse and the flavor is delicate. Ocean perch is ideal for those who do not like a strong fish flavor but who enjoy the texture of fish. Since it is so bland, it adapts well to all sorts of cookery and sauces and different combinations of foods.

The fillets run about 6 to a pound and are practically boneless. They will thaw overnight in the refrigerator or in 3 or 4 hours if left out. They may be cooked frozen if you allow additional cooking time.

Some ocean perch fillets will have the skin on. Refer to page 6 if you wish to remove the skin before cooking.

BROILED OCEAN PERCH FILLETS

Butter the fillets well and follow directions for broiling fish on pages 9–10. Serve wtih lemon wedges, lemon butter (page 31), parsley butter (page 33), or Hollandaise sauce (pages 25–26).

OCEAN PERCH SAUTé MEUNIÈRE

Flour the fillets and follow the directions for sauté meunière on page 10. Serve with chopped parsley and lemon wedges.

OCEAN PERCH AMANDINE