Grilled Swordfish

When the Block Island swordfish is running at this time of year, there is nothing better.  I usually prepare Swordfish two ways:  grilled and served on a soft roll with homemade tartar sauce, or grilled and service with a simple butter, garlic and lemon sauce.  

Grill it the same, either way.

For the Fish:

Fresh caught, wild swordfish, ½ steak per person, usually cut 1 to 1-1/2 inches thick
½ stick unsalted butter, melted
Salt and Pepper
Grill Plate for the Grill 

• Trim the fish of all the skin and bloodline.  If you like the belly flap, toothpick it to the loin section for even cooking.  Salt and pepper the steaks and pour the melted butter over the fish.  Store in the refrigerator until you are ready to grill.  The butter will harden on the fish.  You want that.
• Preheat your gas grill, or get your charcoal grill up to its highest temperature, with the grill plate on the grates. 
• Being careful to leave the butter on the steak, flip the steaks onto the grill plate butter side down.  Once you have placed the steaks on the grill, do not attempt to move them.  Sear the steaks for at least 4 minutes, or until the fish is seared and lifts easily off the grill plate.  Don’t make the mistake of trying to flip your fish too soon, and loosing much of it to the grill.
• Flip the steaks, and then scrape the remaining butter out of the dish and spread it on top of the steaks.  Grill another 4 minutes. 
• Remove the steaks to a clean dish, and cover lightly with foil to rest, while you eat your salad.  About 10 minutes.  This will steam the fish so that it is cooked completely through, yet retain a crisp crust on the outside.
• Serve hot either on a toasted roll with Homemade Tartar Sauce, or with the Butter, Garlic and Lemon Sauce, and your favorite vegetable of the summer. 

Homemade Tartar

Chop three whole kosher dill pickles very fine, and sieve or squeeze out the liquid.  Mix with ½ cup or more good quality mayonnaise, such as Hellman’s.

Butter, Garlic and Lemon Sauce

Heat 4 Tbs unsalted butter in a small sauce pan.   When the butter starts to sizzle, add two cloves garlic, sliced or minced and allow to turn just golden, then immediately add the juice of a half lemon and remove from the heat.  Pour this over the fish for serving.

The White House Maryland Crab Cakes

I got this recipe for Maryland Style Crab Cakes from an old White House cookbook someone loaned me.  The recipe calls for a white sauce which makes a more stable binder, unlike prepared mayonnaise, which breaks down and gets greasy when cooked. 

Use the best fresh picked crab meat you can find, and handle it as little as possible to keep the it from becoming tough.  I don’t make this with anything that comes out of can.  

I make the sauce a day in advance and refrigerate for convenience and ease of handling, just pat any condensation dry with a paper towel before proceeding.  I also make the crab cakes several hours earlier, and then sauté right from the refrigerator.  You should get about 14 crab cakes, and two would make a meal.

Binder Sauce   

2 Tbs unsalted butter
1 Tbs minced shallots
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 Tbs flour
1 cup milk
1 egg, slightly beaten
2 Tbs lemon fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 tsp Dijon prepared mustard
1 tsp Tabasco Sauce                 
1 Tbs Worcester sauce
1 tsp Old Bay seasoning

For the crab cakes:

1 lb jumbo lump crab meat
1 lb back fin crab meat
2 cups panko or homemade soft breadcrumbs
Butter for sauteing

One Day in Advance, Make the Sauce

• In a small saucepan, melt the butter, and sauté the shallots and garlic until translucent.  Add the flour and stir, letting the roué bubble for a few minutes, but don’t let brown.
• Add the hot milk and whisk.  Remove the pan from the heat for this step, and while whisking, drizzle in the beaten egg, being careful not let the egg scramble at the bottom of the hot pan. 
• Add the lemon juice, dry mustard, Tabasco, Worcester and Old Bay seasoning and whisk.  Let the sauce cool, or refrigerate until ready to mix the crab cakes. 

Make the Crab Cakes:

• In a medium bowl, gently pick over crab meat, feeling for shell pieces, but not breaking up the lumps.
• Add the sauce and with a rubber spatula, very gently fold ALMOST all of the sauce in until just combined.  Hold back about 1/3 cup of the binder sauce.  It’s just a little too much sauce for this much crab, but it’s easier than trying to scale down the recipe.
• Spread the breadcrumbs in a shallow bowl.  Use a 1/3 cup measure and scoop the crab meat into it, pressing slightly into the cup.  Gently drop the crab meat into the breadcrumbs. 
• With your hands, toss the breadcrumbs around the sides and over the crab meat.  With your hands, gently pick up the cake, and pat slightly to shape and hold the crumbs in place.  Place on a plate or baking tray, cover and refrigerate until ready to cook.
• Melt the butter in a non-stick pan until it bubbles.  Gently place the crab cakes in the pan, about 6 to a 11-12 inch pan.  If you crowd then, you will have trouble flipping them without breaking them.  Using two spatulas, gently flip the cakes until they are slightly more than golden brown on each side.

Seafood Francaise

This has always been one of my favorite dishes, regardless of the type of fish, or even chicken that is used.  In Italian culture, its also known as Piccatta, with the elimination of the egg, and the addition of capers at the end.  Either way, I like it served with angel hair pasta.  

I thought this preparation quite daunting, until I realized that it was the same principal my mother taught to when frying eggplant.  The most important part of this recipe is to make sure the oil is hot enough before putting the fish in the pan.

Ingredients:

2 lbs thin, white fish filets (or thinly pounded or sliced chicken breast cutlets)
½ lbs large shrimp, shelled, de-veined and butterflied (optional)
½ cup flour, seasoned with salt & pepper
2 eggs, slighted beaten, seasoned with salt & pepper
2 Tbs Olive Oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup chicken stock
¼ cup lemon juice
¼ cup white wine
2 Tbs unsalted butter

• In a large, non-stick sauté pan, heat the olive oil.  (Before putting your fish into this oil, test with a little pinch of egg or flour.  If it starts to sizzle immediately, the oil is hot enough.  If it doesn’t, give the oil another minute or more and then test again.)
• Dredge the fish in the seasoned flour and pat off the excess.  Dip into the egg mixture to cover and allow the excess to drip off.
• Drop the fish, top side down, into the oil and sauté until you can lift up the filet and see that it is starting to turn golden.  Depending on what type of fish you are using, you may need two spatulas to flip the filets.
• Flip to the other side and sauté until golden.   Remove to a warm platter and continue with the remaining filets
• When all of the fish is cooked, add a bit more oil to the pan and sauté the minced garlic until it just finishes bubbling.  Don’t let it brown. 
• Add the stock, lemon and white wine to the pan and bring to a boil, reducing slightly.  Add the butter and swirl into the sauce.

Serve the fish by itself, or over angel hair, and pour the sauce over it.  I also add grated parmesan cheese to the dish, but then I add parmesan cheese to almost anything.

South Florida Fish Stew

This is a very spicy soup.  Its relatively quick to make though it has a large list of ingredients.  I say quick because it doesn’t require any pre-made stock.  I love this soup at the end of summer, when the end of the tomato crop is still around (I’ve tried it with canned tomatoes, but this dish just does better when they are fresh.)  It's one of those soups you want to make when Fall is starting to set in, and you feel like comfort food, but its not cold enough outside for a heavy stew.

Ingredients:

2 lbs fish fillets, cut into 1” cubes (I use Halibut)
2 slices bacon, diced (optional, use 2 more Tbs butter if not using)
2 Tbs butter
3 large onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 red pepper, diced
3 Anaheim (long, green) chilies, diced
4 large tomatoes, seeded, chopped or processed
1 cup white wine
3 16 ounce cans coconut milk
½ cup heavy cream (skip if you use regular coconut milk instead of lite)
1 Tbs sugar (if using “Lite” coconut milk)
2 tps Ground chipotle chilies (dried, not in adobo sauce)
1 Tbs ground cumin
2 Tbs oregano
1 Tbs ground coriander
½ tps saffron
2 tps savory
Salt & pepper

• In a hot 6 quart Dutch oven, add the diced bacon.  Sauté until edges just start to turn brown.  Remove from the pan onto paper towels and reserve.
• Add the butter to the pan and heat until it begins to bubble.  Add the garlic and allow it to sauté until you can smell it.  Don’t’ let it start to brown.  
• Add the onions and sauté until they are fully soft and translucent, but not caramelized.
• Add the peppers and chilies, and sauté until they are soft and wilt a bit.
• Add all the dry seasonings and sauté for another two minutes.
• Add the tomatoes and white wine.  Simmer for about 10-15 minutes, or until the tomatoes have cooked down, slightly
• Add the coconut milk (and optional cream), and bring to a slow boil.  Simmer for about 15 minutes, until the coconut milk starts to thicken.

You can stop the cooking process right here, if you are preparing in advance.  Let the stew cool, then refrigerate.  When you are ready to serve, heat until just bubbling, and then continue. 

• Add the fish and lower the heat until liquids just bubble.  Simmer 10-15 minutes, very slowly, until the fish is cooked through.  Taste, and adjust seasoning.  Sugar can be added if the stew tastes too acidic.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Add more chipotle to increase heat, if desired.