Fish

Does anybody have any ideas on how to liven up white fish? When I make it it's soooo bland. Any rubs or marinades you can recommend? Thanks in advance.

My husband likes this on just about anything.

Essence (Emeril's Creole Seasoning):
2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried leaf oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme
Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight jar or container.

We have used it on fish, chicken, you name it. Will really spice it up.

Is it available at stores or do I have to make it myself?

It seems like Trader Joe's had a few of Emeril's products, and I think I have also seen it at Bed, Bath, and Beyond.

:hi:

Might be in the section of your market where teriyaki glazes are, or might be where BBQ marinades are. It's delicious on salmon.

at Whole Foods), serve w/lime wedges. Has a kind of Carribean cuisine taste!

I often brush fish with some mayo, sprinkle with dried dill and when it's done squeeze a little bit of fresh lime over it. I almost always bbq salmon this way in the summer. I bet the olive oil and ginger makes for a great flavor, too.

Needs about 3 pounds fresh cod in one inch chunks, a couple of potatoes the cut same size as the fish, a can of corn, a can of chicken broth, a couple of slices of bacon, some onion, parsley and about a quart of milk.

Dice onions and cook bacon in the microwave, drain and reserve the bacon and dice. Put some butter in the bottom of the soup pot and heat, saute the onion until the bits are opaque. Add the bacon bits, the stock and the potato chunks and a little water. Salt the liquid appropriately and cook until potatoes are tender. Add the corn and heat through. Add the fish and make sure that the fish is gently coddled in the liquid. Add the parsley and add the milk. Be careful not to allow mixture to boil let it coddle a bit as the taste will benefit. You can add a little butter at the end if you like it rich.

Salt and pepper to taste.

I'm sorry but I rarely measure and this is an old family recipe.

.... still get big flavor.

Most marinades have some acid in them. The acid will effectively cook raw fish. If you marinate fish, do it for only a short time. Maybe an hour.

If you want a big flavor fish dish, try this:

Get some nice filets. Red snapper is a good choice.



So is mullet.



Or yellow tail.



Or green tail ..... or bream ...... or .... any nice filet, really, that comes from a 1 to 2 pound whole fish.

Have the your fish guy filet the whole fish and skin the filets.

Get a big plastic zip top baggie. Put in a few tablespoons of flour, some salt and pepper to taste. Throw the filets in and zip the top. Make sure there's enough air in the bag to inflate it. You may want to partially zip it, inflate it like a balloon, and then seal it.

Or just use a brown paper bag.

Shake the bag to coat the filets completely. Think shake'n'bake.

Heat a skillet on the range. Add half butter and half olive oil. Allow this to get hot. (The olive oil prevents the butter from burning.) Add the fish so it all lays flat in the butter, Let it cook until golden on one side then turn it. Brown the other side.

Some fish is pretty tender and consequently hard to turn. Use as large a spatula as you own. A fish spatula is ideal.

This is one kind:



This is another kind:



I have both kinds and use *two* of the top ones for this. Go under the filet with one and go over the filet with the other one. Hold them both (kinda like tongs) and turn the fish.

Anyway, when the fish is done, remove it to a warm place and keep it warm.

Add to the butter/oil mixture that remains in the pan (anything you want, but I use) white raisins (sultanas) and pine nuts, garlic, fresh, chopped flat leaf parsley and oregano. Make sure there's enough oil left. (Add a bit more if you need it.) Heat this up until the garlic is soft. Add either pernod or dry vermouth. Quarter cup, maybe? I prefer the vermouth, but some people like the pernod better. The vermouth/pernod will dissolve all the stuck bits in the pan (the fond), which is where all the flavor is. Salt and pepper to taste.

Remove the pan from the fire and add a pat or two of butter and let it melt into the sauce. This makes it nice and silky.

Pour all this over the fish as a sauce. Top with more of the fresh chopped herbs. Maybe a squeeze of lemon (lime, while wonderful on fish, doesn't seem to go as well as lemon with this particular method).

Start to finish, this is a twenty minute dish. But that's twenty minutes of undivided attention.

Instead of the sultanas and pine nuts, you could also use capers and pine nuts. Identical prep. Big flavor difference. Or capers and jarred roasted red peppers diced up. Or anything your mind can imagine!

Risotto goes real nicely with this.