Mark Bittman's Quick and Easy Recipes from the New York Times (15 page)

1.
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Peel and thinly slice the potatoes (use a mandoline if you have one). Spread the bottom of a 9
×
12-inch baking pan with half the olive oil; top with a single layer of the potatoes (it’s okay if they overlap a little). Season with salt and pepper and top with the bay leaves and remaining oil.

2.
Roast for 10 minutes. Check and turn the pan from back to front, shaking it a little to bathe the potatoes in oil. Roast for 10 minutes more. If the potatoes aren’t browning, roast for 5 minutes more.

3.
Top the potatoes with the olives and the fish; sprinkle the fish with salt and pepper. Roast for 10 minutes more, or until the fish is tender but not overcooked. Serve immediately.

VARIATIONS

• You can mix sliced onion or other root vegetables in with the potatoes, and the results will be delicious, but the juices of the vegetables will reduce the potatoes’ browning; it’s a trade-off, and there’s nothing to be done about it.

• Substitute about 10 fresh sprigs thyme for the bay or about 2 teaspoons fresh (or 1 dried) rosemary.

• Other possibilities: 1 tablespoon ground cumin or cumin seeds; 1 tablespoon fennel seeds; 3 teaspoons curry powder (sprinkle 1 teaspoon on the fish itself); a few saffron threads; or 1 tablespoon good-quality, medium-hot paprika.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

TIME: 40 MINUTES

I USED TO
make an understated but impressive dish of monkfish with a meat sauce that was simple in appearance but tiresome in preparation, because the sauce was a reduction that began with meat bones, continued with roasted vegetables, and required four or five steps over a two-day period. The result was delicious, but so ordinary looking that only the best-trained palates ever picked up on how complex it was.

Now I make the same sauce with pan-roasted vegetables, a simple combination of onion, carrot, and celery, darkly browned in a little bit of butter, and a can of beef stock. It takes a half hour or less, and although it doesn’t have the richness of my original work of art, no one to whom I served both could tell the difference with certainty.

1.
Preheat the oven to 500°F or as close to that as it will get. It’s best to remove the thin membrane clinging to the monkfish before cooking. Just pull and tug on it while cutting through it with a paring knife and it will come off; you don’t have to be too compulsive about this task, but try to get most of it off.

2.
Put a cast-iron or other ovenproof skillet or roasting pan in the oven while it is heating. Put half the butter in a small saucepan and turn the heat to medium-high. Add the carrot and celery and stir; a minute later, add the onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables brown—be careful not to let them burn—less than 10 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste if you’re using it, then the broth or stock. Bring to a boil, then adjust the heat so the mixture simmers for about 10 minutes.

3.
Strain the broth, pressing on the vegetables to extract their liquid. Return to medium-high heat and bring to a boil; let boil until reduced by about three-quarters, or until less than ½ cup of thick liquid remains. Season the fish with salt and pepper.

4.
Meanwhile, once you’ve strained the broth and begun reducing it, carefully remove the hot pan from the oven and add the olive oil to it; swirl to coat the bottom of the pan. Add the fish and roast for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and carefully pour the liquid that has accumulated around the fish into the simmering sauce; once again, bring it to a boil and reduce until thick, syrupy, and about ½ cup. Turn the fish and roast it for another 5 minutes, or until a thin-bladed knife inserted into its thickest part meets little resistance.

5.
Stir the remaining butter into the sauce, then serve the fish with the sauce spooned over it.

VARIATION

Roast Monkfish with Asian Meat Sauce

To season the stock with Asian aromatic vegetables rather than traditional European ones, substitute 10 slices peeled fresh ginger, a lemongrass stalk, and 5 scallions for the carrot, celery, and onion. Omit the tomato paste.

MAKES AT LEAST 12 SERVINGS

TIME: ABOUT 24 HOURS, LARGELY UNATTENDED

THE INTENSE ORANGE
color, meltingly tender texture, and wonderful flavor of gravlax give it an allure shared by few fish preparations—not bad for a dish whose name means “buried salmon” in Swedish. The curing process intensifies the color, tenderizes the texture, and enhances the flavor. Although most chefs jazz up gravlax with sauces and side dishes, it is brilliant on its own or with just a few drops of lemon or mild vinegar. And the rankest kitchen novice can make it at home.

Be sure to check your salmon fillet for pinbones, the long bones that run down the center of the fillet; these are not always removed by routine filleting. Press your finger down the center of the flesh and you will feel them; remove them, one at a time, with needle-nose pliers or similar tool.

1.
Mix together the salt, sugar, and dill. Put the salmon, skin side down, on a large sheet of plastic wrap. Cover the flesh side of the salmon with the salt mixture, being sure to coat it completely (there will be lots of salt mix; just pile it in there).

2.
Wrap the fish well. If the air temperature is below 70°F and it is not too inconvenient, let it rest outside the refrigerator for about 6 hours, then refrigerate for 18 to 24 hours more. Otherwise, refrigerate immediately for about 36 hours.

3.
Unwrap the salmon and rinse off the cure. Dry, then slice on the bias. Serve plain or with lemon wedges, crème fraîche, sour cream, or a light vinaigrette.

VARIATIONS

Low-Salt Gravlax

Use ½ cup salt and ¼ cup sugar. Combine a couple of chopped bay leaves, ¼ cup minced shallot, and 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper with the dill. Refrigerate for 48 hours and proceed as directed.

Citrus Gravlax

Use 1 cup each salt and sugar, combined with the grated zests of 2 oranges, 2 lemons, 2 limes, and 2 grapefruit, 2 tablespoons juniper berries; 1 tablespoon cracked coriander seeds; and 1 bunch of dill, stems and all. Marinate for 12 to 24 hours.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

TIME: 30 MINUTES

THE PROCESS FOR
making these salmon burgers is simple as long as you have a food processor. A portion of the salmon is finely ground, almost pureed; the machine takes care of that in about thirty seconds. Then the rest of the fish is chopped, by pulsing the machine on and off a few times. The two-step grinding process means that those flavorings that you want finely minced, like garlic or ginger, can go in with the first batch of salmon; those that should be left coarse, like onion or fresh herbs, can go in with the second batch. The only other trick is to avoid overcooking; this burger, which can be sautéed, broiled, or grilled, is best when the center remains pink (or is it orange?)—two or three minutes per side does the trick.

1.
Cut the salmon into large chunks and put about a quarter of it into the container of a food processor, along with the mustard. Turn the machine on and let it run—stopping to scrape down the sides if necessary—until the mixture has become pasty.

2.
Add the shallots and the remaining salmon and pulse the machine on and off until the fish is chopped and well combined with the puree. No piece should be larger than ¼ inch or so in diameter, but be careful not to make the mixture too fine.

3.
Scrape the mixture into a bowl and, by hand, stir in the bread crumbs, capers, and some salt and pepper. Shape into 4 burgers. (You can cover and refrigerate the burgers for a few hours at this point if you like.)

4.
Put the butter or oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet and turn the heat to medium-high. When the butter foam subsides or the oil is hot, cook the burgers for 2 to 3 minutes per side, turning once. Alternatively, you can grill them; let them firm up on the first side, cooking for about 4 minutes, before turning them over and finishing the cooking for just another minute or two. On no account should the burgers be overcooked. Serve the burgers on a bed of greens, or buns, or simply plates, with lemon wedges and Tabasco or any dressing you like.

VARIATIONS

Though I am partial to the formula in the main recipe for salmon burgers, the mustard, shallots, and capers can be considered optional, so you can combine them or omit them as you like when experimenting.

• Use any fresh herbs, like parsley, chervil, dill, or cilantro. Add 2 tablespoons or more with the second batch of salmon.

• Use a combination of soy sauce (about a tablespoon), sesame oil (a teaspoon), and ginger (a teaspoon, added with the first batch of salmon). Use peanut oil for sautéing if you have it.

• Add a small garlic clove along with the first batch of salmon. (Don’t overdo it, because the garlic will remain nearly raw.)

• Add ¼ cup onion or scallion chunks in addition to or instead of the shallots.

• Add spice mixtures like curry or chili powder to the mixture—a teaspoon to a tablespoon, to taste.

• Add roughly chopped red or yellow bell pepper (about ½ cup) with the second batch of salmon.

• Add ¼ cup or more lightly toasted pine nuts or about 1 tablespoon sesame seeds along with the bread crumbs.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

TIME: 30 MINUTES

ALTHOUGH THIS MINIMALIST
but infinitely variable technique of herb-coating salmon is about as straightforward as can be, allowing the fillets to sit for a while after coating will encourage the fragrant seasonings to permeate the flesh of the fish; try fifteen minutes or so at room temperature or up to 24 hours in the refrigerator.

1.
Season the fillets on both sides with salt and pepper to taste. Grind the fennel seeds coarsely and mix them with the rosemary and orange zest. Press this mixture into the top (nonskin side) of each fillet. Let sit, refrigerated and covered, for up to 24 hours.

2.
When you’re ready to cook, preheat the oven to 450°F. Preheat a large nonstick ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat for 3 or 4 minutes. Add the oil or butter and, when it shimmers, place the fillets, coated side down, in the pan. Cook for about 1 minute, or until the herb mixture forms a nicely browned crust.

3.
Turn the fillets and cook for about a minute more, then transfer to the oven. Cook for about 4 minutes for rare salmon, 5 to 6 minutes for medium-rare, and 8 minutes for well done.

VARIATIONS

Seed-Rubbed Salmon

Combine 2 tablespoons shelled raw pumpkin seeds and about 2 tablespoons dried porcini pieces in a coffee or spice grinder and grind to a coarse powder. Press some of the mixture into the top (nonskin side) of each of the fillets and cook as directed.

Spice-Rubbed Salmon

Combine 1 tablespoon coriander seeds or ground coriander, ¼ teaspoon whole or ground cloves, 1½ teaspoons cumin seeds or ground cumin, and 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (grind all together if necessary). Press some of the mixture into the top (nonskin side) of each of the fillets and cook as directed.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

TIME: 30 MINUTES

THIS MYSTERIOUS, DARK
extraordinarily delicious sauce is a kind of
gastrique,
a relatively simple sauce based on caramelized sugar.

Note that if the sugar turns black and begins to smoke, you have burned rather than caramelized it. Throw it out and start again, with lower heat and more patience this time. And if the caramel sticks to your pan and utensils when you’re done, boil some water in the pan, with the utensils in there if necessary. The caramel will loosen right away.