Angelic Fish Salad

 

Cod with a Bite

As part of our quest for Spring-inspired salads, we offer up another quick and easy fish recipe and a precious tip from a master chef about what to do to ensure crisp, perfectly fried fish. 

The Market is a perfect foodie paradise when it comes to finding fresh fish.  You can buy everything from fish heads for soup  to more obscure fish like skate wings (my personal favorite).

We call this quickie recipe "Cod with a Bite".  We bet you'll call it heavenly.

All you need is a bit of butter for shallow-frying, a tin of Beck's Angel Dust, which you can buy from Beck's Cajun Cafe in the Market, and some firm white fish. 

This stuff is heavenly; turns basic fish or chicken into something divine!

We used cod from John Yi's but we also like Wan's Seafood, and the Golden Fish Market.

Liberally sprinkle Beck's magic powder on your cod, pop in a frypan with a knob of butter and make your fish dance to a Cajun tune.  Fry until the fish begins to fall apart and flake, about 3 minutes per side, depending on thickness.  Serve with green salad vegetables.  We were in the mood for raw spinach, strawberries, shallots and a balsamic vinaigrette dressing!

And now for the moment you've been waiting for...we've been dithering far too long!  We caught
Jack McDavid in his kitchen last week at the Down Home Diner and managed to hold him still for long enough to divulge how to avoid that horrendous food fate:  Soggy, Greasy Fish!

Shhhh.  Don't tell anyone.   The secret's in the seal!  Read all about it in our next post.

Fish for Healthy Teens (and beyond)

Fish oils are the new health 'wonder' food - not a week goes by, it seems, without yet more research confirming how good they are for you. Not only do they help children with learning difficulties such as dyslexia, ADHD and dyspraxia, and adults with conditions as schizophrenia and depression, fish oils can also protect the heart and reduce the pain of arthritis.

A recent study conducted by Boots, a national chain of Pharmacists in the U.K., found that regular doses of fish oils dramatically boosted young children's performance at school. Nearly three quarters of the youngsters - who were of mixed academic ability - showed improvements in numeracy, reading and writing after taking fish oil supplements for nine months.

Read more about the study here.

Fish is important not only for enhancing the old gray matter, it's also been proven to boost athletic performance, which is one of the reasons our friend Marla prepares this recipe for her two sporty teenagers.  The recipe is vitamin packed and super-easy.  

"This is my daughter's favorite fish dish," said Marla.  "It is kid tested and approved! One of the things I like about this is you can substitute almost any fish.  My only caveat would be don't use Flounder, because I just don't think the texture lends itself well to this recipe."

Fish with Tomatoes and Rosemary

Four - 1/4 Lb. fish fillets (Salmon, Cod, Tilapia)

salt and pepper

4 tsp. Olive Oil

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

16 slices lemon

4 sprigs rosemary

24 cherry tomatoes, halved

Green onions, sliced (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 475.  Cut four 12-inch long pieces of foil or parchment paper.

2.  Rub each fillet with salt, pepper and 1 tsp. oil, and 1/4 tsp lemon juice. For each packet, put 2 lemon sliced in the center of the foil, top with the fish fillet, a rosemary sprig, and 2 more lemon slices; surround with 12 tomato halves and sprinkle with 1 Tbsp sliced green onions (if using).  Draw up the sides of the foil and seal the packets well - leaving room around the ingredients so they can steam.  Put packets on a baking sheet.

3.  Bake 12 to 15 minutes, or until the fillet is cooked.  (Open a packet to test.)  Spoon into soup plates and serve immediately.

Dead simple!

Curry in a Hurry

What's better than a spicy, hot curry to warm up these cold wintry nights? Lest you fear the grind of grinding spices and endless simmering, fear not. We've got a gorgeous recipe that will whet your appetites, impress your friends, tantalize your tastebuds, and best of all can be done in a jiffy, courtesy of our friend Farah.

Farah Kapoor's Curry in a Hurry

Ingredients
1 1/2 lbs cod cut in 1 1/2 inch pieces--John Yi's cod is perfect for this recipe; monkfish works, too.
1 jar good quality marinara sauce
1 tsp red chili powder
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 tbsp ground cumin
2 bay leaves
Salt and pepper
2 tbsp cream
A handful of fresh cilantro chopped

Method
1. Empty the jar of marinara sauce into a pan and mix in the bay leaves, coriander, cumin and chili powders.

2. Cook on low for about 10 minutes until you smell the spices.

3. Dust the pieces of fish with salt and pepper.

4. When the mixture is simmering, add the fish and cook for about 5 minutes until just cooked through.

5. Add cream and cilantro; remove from heat and enjoy with basmati rice or naan.


We thought this speed cooking competition in China was interesting; Farah's recipe is not this quick, but her fish is no longer moving when she serves it.....

"Eat Your Fish While it is Still Fresh..."

"Eat your fish while it is still fresh and marry your girl while she is still young." Thus runs the sensible (?) sounding wisdom of an old German proverb.

Fish folklore is rich and varied, yet common threads run across every imaginable culture. The fish, almost universally, is characterized as a female symbol. Because the fish is a denizen of the deep and its domain is water (with its connotation of the womb and birth), it is understood to symbolize Mother Earth and her fecundity. As a representative of female fertility, the fish is associated with many a creation myth --generating lively tales in Indian and African mythology, for example.





The astrological sign for Pisces

For those in the know, the fish (Pisces) in the Signs of the Zodiac, is also characterized as one of the female signs (passive and receptive that is, unlike, say the supposedly 'manly' Aries).  

As a Piscean, who is married to a fellow Piscean, I can smugly say that this is one of THE optimum astrological pairings...If you too are interested in establishing your compatability with other star signs, check out this fun astrological website, which will tell you outright who to make a bee-line for...and who to avoid! 

Have fun with this: Love compatability website.

With all the feminine connotations, it's odd therefore that in terms of its alleged capability as an aphrodisiac, fish (and seafood) is most beneficial to Men.   In science-lingo "fish provides long-chained fatty acids such as DHA and EPA...these fish oils could improve blood flow to the genital region and also have beneficial effects on seminal fluid and sperm."  Hmmm.

Luckily for all our male readers, The Herbiary sells supplements with fish oils at the Market.  And, better still, you can buy the highest quality fish and seafood (of any description) from  John Yi Fish Market, or The Golden Fish Market. 


If you don't fancy the lingering smell of fish in your house, feel free to cheat and visit The Oyster Bar for fresh oysters, clam chowder and other fish-related favorites. Or try Wan's Seafood or the Coastal Cave for fresh and prepared treats from the deep.

If Octopus is not your thing...look out for the salmon, cod and mackerel recipes which we'll be posting over the next few days.