Fish Chowder

There have to be clams somewhere for it to be a true chowda

Recently I bought a halibut. Here is a good way to use the bones and bits.

Fish Chowder

for broth

• 24 clams washed
• 1 lemon
• 1 8-10 lb halibut carcass chopped into small pieces
• Fronds from 1 bulb fennel
• 1 large onion roughly chopped
• 3 bay leaves
• 1/2 bottle dry white wine
• 6 cups vegetable stock
• 2 tbsp black pepper corns
• 4 tbsp salt

In a 4 quart stock pot place 1/2 the onion, 1/2 the fennel fronds, 1 bay leaf, juice from lemon and lemon halves, wine, 750 ml water 1 tbsp black peppercorns and 2 tbsp salt. Bring to a boil then simmer covered for 10 minutes. Add clams, cover and cook for 5 more minutes. remove from heat and let stand 10 more minutes. Meanwhile in a large 12-14 quart stock pot place fish carcass and remaining ingredients. Strain clam broth into stock pot and add enough water to fill pot to 3/4 full.. Remove cooked clams from shells roughly chop and set aside discarding any that did not open. Toss shells into second broth pan. Bring to a boil and skim foam. Cook over medium simmer until reduced by 1/3 about 2 hours. Strain through cheese cloth. Clean all meat off carcass and set aside with clams.

for chowder

• 1 lb small scallops
• 3-4 whole anchovies packed in salt roughly chopped
• 4 tbsp butter
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 large onion chopped fine
• 5-6 scallion scapes diced fine
• 3-4 large fennel stalks chopped fine
• 5 cups red potatoes medium dice skin still on
• 2 cups cream
• 2 tbsp fennel fronds chopped fine

In a large stock pot melt butter and fry anchovies until they dissolve over medium heat. Add onion and saute until golden. Add fennel and saute until softened. Add flour and mix well. Cook until flour begins to slightly color then add potatoes and mix well. Add 1/2 cup wine, deglaze pan, turn heat to low and cover. Sweat vegetables for 10 minutes stirring once at 5 minutes. Uncover, add strained broth and bring to a boil. Turn down to simmer and cook until potatoes are soft. Add cream and bring back to a simmer. Add cooked fish, clams and scallion scapes. Cook until thickened and almost done. Taste for seasoning. Add scallops and fennel fronds and cook for 2-3 minutes to finish scallops. Serve.

Grilled Halibut with Fava Bean and Oyster Mushrooms

Everyone should eat more fish

Recently bought a halibut.

Make sure the fava beans are really fresh, small and tender. They can also be called broad beans. If you do not have scallion scapes then garlic scapes will do. You could serve this on top of risotto instead. Serves 2.

Halibut Steaks with Fava Beans and Oyster Mushrooms

• 1 lb Halibut steak
• 4-6 scallion scapes chopped fine
• 1 cup small fresh fava beans
• 2 cups oyster mushrooms broken into small pieces
• 1 tbsp parsley chopped
• 1 tbsp basil chopped fine
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 ear corn
• 2-3 dashes Peychaud’s bitters
• 1/2 lemon
• 1 tsp zest
• 1 cup vegetable stock
• 2 tbsp butter
• Polenta

Mix olive oil, bitters and lemon juice in a shallow baking dish and marinade fish 30 minutes per side. Prepare a fire in grill. Grill corn until done then chop from cob and set aside. Cut polenta into thick slices and grill until crisp on both sides. In a large saute pan melt butter over medium heat. Add mushrooms and fry until browned on both sides, then add scapes and basil and continue to saute until softened. Add corn and fava beans and mix well. Bring to a sizzle then add lemon zest and stock and reduce by half. Grill halibut over direct heat. Serve fish on top of grilled halibut, topped with fava sauce.

Grilled Opah Salad

This is so healthy you can have 2-3 bottles of wine to make up for it

This is a great grilled salad. Opah is a mild firm flesh fish similar to swordfish. Splurge on good potatoes for this. This serves 3-4.

Grilled Opah Salad with Asparagus and Poatatoes

• 1 lb fresh opah fillets 1″ thick cut into serving sizes
• 1 tbsp garlic scapes chopped fine
• 1/8 cup lime juice
• 1/8 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup fresh dill chopped fine
• 12-14 small purple/red or new potatoes sliced in half
• 10-12 stalks asparagus
• 1/2 head kale
• 1/2 bunch spinach
• Feta

wash fish in cold water, pat dry and season with salt and pepper. Mix scapes, lime juice, oil and dill and add fish. Marinate 4 hours flipping once. Boil potatoes in salted water for 10 minutes then remove and run under cold water to stop cooking. Mix greens together in a bowl. Prepare a dressing of 3 tbsp olive oil, 2 tbsp lime juice, 1 tbsp cider vinegar, and fresh dill to taste. Pour half of dressing over greens and toss well. Prepare barbecue and grill fish, potatoes and asparagus until done. Mix asparagus and potatoes into greens add remaining dressing and toss. Serve salad on plates, top with fish and crumbled feta.

In Our Kitchen – All Things B

Basil and arugula for pesto

The baker’s new blender

A bouquet from outside

Proofing bread

A local brew

A bushed dog

To get a peek inside other bloggers’ kitchens hop on over to Fig Jam and Lime Cordial for her monthly roundup.

Seared Porcini Mushrooms

Fresh porcini are better than truffles

This requires at least 1 lb fresh porcini. Pick caps over stems.

Florentine Porcini Mushrooms

• 1 lb porcini mushrooms
• 1 whole head garlic
• 8-12 leaves basil
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tsp dijon
• Salt/pepper
• Butter

Peel paper from garlic. place in foil, drizzle with olive oil and wrap up. Roast garlic in oven until golden and soft. Remove from oven and dump into a blender. Add basil, mustard, and olive oil and pulse until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Remove stems from porcini, peel skin and cut stems into long strips. Melt 3 tbsp butter in frying pan over medium heat. Saute whole porcini caps and stems until browned on outside. Slice caps into long slivers and serve drizzled with garlic sauce.

 

Creole Rabbit

Rabbit the better chicken

This is a great way to cook a whole rabbit.

Creole Rabbit

• 2-3 lb fresh young rabbit cut into pieces
• 1 onion diced fine
• 2 ribs celery diced fine
• 2-3 carrots diced fine
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 1/4 lb pork belly cut into small dice
• 2 cups dry red wine
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1 28 oz can tomatoes crushed
• 2 bay leaves
• 12-14 basil leaves chopped
• 4 tbsp butter

Soak rabbit pieces in a bowl of 6 cups water yo 3/4 cup white vinegar for 30 minutes. Rinse off, pat dry and season with salt and pepper. Place pork belly in a large stock pot and saute over low heat until browned and fat is rendered. Remove pork belly to a paper towel lined plate to drain. Place rabbit in pot, turn heat to medium high and brown quickly on both sides. Remove meat and add butter to pot. Melt then saute onion, carrot and celery until soft. Add garlic, bay leaves and basil and continue to saute for 3 minutes. Return pork belly and rabbit to pan and coat. Add wine and bring to boil. Turn to simmer and reduce wine by half. Add stock and tomatoes bring to a simmer the cover and braise in an oven at 365 degrees for 1 hour. Remove from oven uncover lid half way and simmer until sauce thickens and meat begins to fall off bones. Serve over a bed of creamy grits.

Pickled Radishes

Right in time for a Mexican holiday

So aside from kale the only thing at the farmers market worth buying is radishes. Luckily this helps them taste a lot better. This fills one normal sized wide mouth ball jar.

Pickled Radishes

• 1 bunch radishes tops removed and sliced very thin
• 3/4 cup cider vinegar
• 3/4 cup water
• 2 tsp sea salt
• 1 tbsp honey
• 6-10 black peppercorns
• 1/4 tsp mustard seed
• 1/4 tsp dill seed
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes

Clean and sterilize ball jar. pack in sliced radishes then top with dried spices except salt. In a small saucepan heat liquids, salt and honey to a boil. Pour over radishes and seal. Let soak overnight in refrigerator before serving.