James Beard's New Fish Cookery (8 page)

Meanwhile, cook the rice gently in broth or stock for about 45 minutes. Combine the cooked rice, the mirepoix, and the ground lobster shells and put all through a puree machine or fine sieve. Dilute the mixture with stock or bouillon until it is the consistency of a very thick soup. Season to taste. Reheat, adding the cream and 3 or 4 tablespoons butter. Add a few grains of cayenne and serve with the finely cut pieces of lobster meat and a little chopped parsley. This will serve 6 people.

Tiny quenelles (pages 325–327) are sometimes used for garnish with various bisques. This is a lot of work, but may be worth while for an extra special occasion.

VARIATIONS

Crayfish, Shrimp, or Clam Bisque.
This same procedure may be followed for crayfish (use about 18), for shrimp (use about 15 to 18), and for clams (use about 24). In using clams, save the juice for the broth. Do not try to crush the shells. Instead, combine them whole with the rice, and then strain it. Add the clam broth to the stock in which the rice is cooked.

Oyster Bisque.
Heat 1 pint of oysters with the mirepoix and when they are plumped, chop them very fine. Add the rice, which has been cooked in stock with the oyster liquor added. Force all through the puree machine or sieve and proceed as above. Serve several oysters in each dish as a garnish. (As with clams, do not try to crush the oyster shells.)

Suggestions for Using Leftover Fish

Aside from serving cold fish with mayonnaise or vinaigrette or making a fish loaf, there are many savory and attractive ways to use small quantities of fish for a second meal. These are some of my favorites.

QUICHE

Any of the quiche recipes in this book can be adapted to use with leftovers by substituting 11/2 cups flaked cooked fish — any variety, with skin and bones removed — for the fish called for in the recipe.

MARC PARSON’S FISH HASH

1/2 cup chopped onions

1/2 cup finely chopped potatoes

1/4 cup butter

1 cup cold, cooked fish, flaked and diced

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Cook the onions and potatoes in the butter until the mixture is soft. Add the fish and cook over high heat until the hash begins to brown, stirring to spread the crispy portion. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

FISH PIE

Fish pie can be made by adding a little cream to the fish hash mixture and baking it in a crust.

STEAMED FISH (HALIBUT) PUDDING OR TIMBALE

Irma Rombauer was surely beloved by thousands — or probably millions — of young Americans, and her cookbook,
Joy of Cooking,
is now edited by her daughter.

This fish pudding was one of Irma Rombauer’s favorites as a child, and she has graciously passed it on to me for this book. It it a perfect way of using up leftover fish. This recipe is for 6 people. If you wish to serve 3, cut the ingredients in half and steam the pudding in a 1-pound coffee tin or a small mold.

2 cups flaked or ground halibut
or
other fish

3/4 cup bread crumbs

1/4 cup melted butter

3 eggs, separated

2 teaspoons lemon juice
or
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Salt

Paprika

Combine the fish, crumbs, butter, egg yolks, and seasonings. Beat the egg whites stiff and fold them into the mixture. Pour into a well-buttered timbale mold or pudding tin and steam for 1 hour. Unmold onto a hot platter and serve with cream sauce flavored with Worcestershire, or a mustard or tomato sauce (page 24).

PICKLED FISH

Cold halibut, cod, tuna, striped bass, and swordfish may be pickled by covering them with a mild wine vinegar. Add 1 large thinly sliced onion, 12 to 14 peppercorns, and 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill or 1 teaspoon dill weed. Cover and let stand in the refrigerator for 24 to 36 hours before serving. It may be served as is or combined with a green salad, a rice salad, or mayonnaise.

FISH AND COLESLAW SALAD

Shred a 2-pound cabbage. Mix with 1 cup mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon mustard, and 2/3 cup sour cream (if you want a sweet-sour sauce, add 1 tablespoon sugar). Let stand 30 minutes. Fold in 1 to 2 cups cooked, flaked cold fish, any variety or combination. Garnish with watercress or chopped parsley.

FISH CAKES

11/2 cups cooked, cold flaked fish, skin and bones removed

2 cups well-seasoned mashed potatoes

1 tablespoon grated onion

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Ground ginger

Mix together the fish, potatoes, and onion and add seasonings to taste. Form into fish cakes about 3 inches in diameter and 11/2 inches thick. Sauté in butter or bacon fat until golden brown.

Garnish with bacon slices or tomato sauce, if desired.

FLORENTINE BEAN SALAD

3 20-ounce cans cannelini beans, drained and washed

21/2 cups mixed, cooked fish
or
2 7-ounce cans white meat tuna fish

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1/4 cup finely chopped parsley

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil, or 1 teaspoon dried basil

Olive oil

Vinegar

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Mix the beans and fish with the garlic, parsley, and basil. Add the olive oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper to taste. Mix well and chill several hours. Sprinkle with chopped parsley.

ESCABECHE

This isn’t really a dish you can make with leftovers but, if you have some extra fresh or frozen fish fillets, salt them lightly on both sides and marinate in lemon and lime juice, barely to cover, for about an hour. Pour off the marinade and reserve. Dry the fish well, and dust very, very lightly with flour, a little more salt, and some pepper. Melt 3 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons oil in a skillet. Sauté the fish very quickly on both sides, until heated through and delicately brown. Remove to a serving dish. Sprinkle with 2 to 3 finely chopped garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon paprika, 1 teaspoon dried cumin seed, 1 teaspoon oregano, 3 or 4 canned green chiles cut into strips, 1 large red Italian onion sliced paper-thin, and about 2 tablespoons chopped parsley. Add about 1/2 cup olive oil and 1 to 2 tablespoons of the reserved juice. Taste and refrigerate, covered, for 24 hours, until the fish is imbued with the various flavors.

Remove the fish and garnish with shredded lettuce, stuffed olives, and perhaps some little green onions, cut in long shreds.

Saltwater Fish

Barracuda

Sometimes called a sea pike or
brochet de mer,
which it resembles, barracuda is eaten principally on the Pacific Coast and is seldom marketed elsewhere. Anglers respect it as a game fish. It has treacherous teeth, and there are occasional reports of its striking at bathers close to shore.

Those who have eaten barracuda — their number is not impressively large — regard it as a good dish. It is a fat fish and I think it is exceptionally fine when smoked. The food barracuda averages 12 to 15 pounds, but some of the species may weigh as much as 100 to 150 pounds.

In some parts of the country barracuda is considered poisonous. This is an old wives’ tale.

BROILED BARRACUDA

Use either steaks or fillets. Follow the directions for broiling (pages 9–10). Serve with mustard sauce (page 23), black butter (page 31), or parsley butter (page 33).

CHARCOAL-BROILED BARRACUDA

Barracuda is really best baked, for my taste, but I do think it is wonderful broiled over charcoal. In that case, follow this California method.

Use a small whole fish, clean it, and place it in an oiled hinged grill. Broil according to the Canadian cooking theory (page 10). Baste it with soy, sesame, or peanut oil and whiskey (bourbon is best) or sherry — using equal parts of the oil and liquor. Add any seasonings you wish to the basting sauce. Sometimes you may like a few slivers of ginger or perhaps you would enjoy crushed garlic. Serve the sauce separately.

SAUTÉED BARRACUDA

Follow the basic rules for sautéing on page 10. Serve with sour cream sauce (page 38), mustard sauce with tarragon added (page 23), or a tomato-curry sauce (page 23).

BAKED BARRACUDA

The directions for baking salmon (page 179) or halibut (page 125) apply equally well to barracuda.

BAKED BARRACUDA CALIFORNIA

Select a small whole barracuda and clean it. Make a basting sauce as for charcoal-broiled barracuda (see recipe above). Place the fish in an oiled baking dish, pour the sauce over it, and bake at 425°–450° according to the Canadian cooking theory (page 8). Baste frequently with the sauce during the cooking process. When the fish is about half done, sprinkle it liberally with sesame seeds. If you have a baking thermometer, cook the fish to 140° internal temperature. You will find it deliciously juicy.

BAKED BARRACUDA NIÇOISE

Olive oil

2 cloves garlic

1 medium onion

4 barracuda steaks

Flour

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Anchovy fillets

Tomatoes, pealed and sliced

Black olives

1 cup red wine

Chopped parsley

Fresh tarragon

Oil a baking dish well. Chop the garlic and onion and sprinkle on the bottom of the dish. Dip the steaks in flour and place them on top of the garlic and onion. Season with salt and pepper. Arrange anchovy fillets and sliced tomatoes over the top and sprinkle with black olives. Add red wine and bake at 425°–450° according to the Canadian cooking theory (page 8), basting about three times during the process.

Sprinkle wtih chopped parsley and a little fresh tarragon, if available. Serve with a mound of buttered rice.

BRAISED BARRACUDA SANTA BARBARA

6 tablespoons butter

4 barracuda steaks

Flour

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 bay leaf

3 cloves

2 slices onion

Milk

Gruyère cheese, grated

Paprika

Melt the butter in a baking dish or casserole. Dust the steaks with flour and brown them in the butter. Salt and pepper them to taste, add the bay leaf, cloves, onion slices, and enough milk to cover three-quarters of the thickness of the fish. Sprinkle with grated cheese and paprika. Bake at 425°–450° according to the Canadian cooking theory (page 8).

BARRACUDA ROE

11/2 pounds barracuda roe

Court bouillon (page 18)

1/4 cup butter

1 clove garlic

4 tablespoons flour

1/2 cup white wine

1 cup cream

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Rosemary

Buttered crumbs

Poach the roe for 10 minutes in court bouillon. Melt the butter, add the garlic, and cook it for 2 minutes. Remove the garlic and add the flour to the butter, blending well. Cook for 3 minutes. Gradually stir in the white wine, 1/2 cup of the court bouillon, and the cream. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and a trace of rosemary.

Cut the poached roe into fairly small pieces. Arrange them in baking shells and cover with the sauce. Top with buttered crumbs and bake at 425°–450° for 10 minutes.

VARIATION

Poach the roe as above and serve in a Newburg sauce (pages 396–397) made with 1 cup heavy cream, 1/4 cup sherry, 3 egg yolks for thickening, salt, and cayenne pepper.

Black Drum

These are probably the most musical of all fish. They are loud and harmonious, and on a quiet evening a school of them can put on an impressive symphonic program.

Black drums are also gluttons. They often stand on their heads, sometimes with their tails showing above the water, while they suck up great quantities of clams, the shells of which they crush as they gorge.

Drums grow to a large size, but those marketed average only 8 to 20 inches long. They are more popular in the South, especially in Texas and Louisiana, than in other parts of the country.

BROILED DRUM

The drum is a rather dry fish, so oil it well before broiling and baste it frequently with oil or butter. Follow directions for broiling, pages 9–10. Serve with tartar sauce (pages 35–36), lemon butter (page 31), parsley butter (page 33), or browned butter (page 31).

BAKED DRUM

Follow any of the recipes for baked redfish.

Blowfish (Sea Squab)

Also called the puffer or globefish, this creature can suck in water and air and enlarge itself until it is nearly round. Only the meat around the spine is eaten. In Eastern markets you will see the prepared fish looking something like large chicken drumsticks from which the skin has been pulled. In this form it is known commercially as sea squab. It’s good eating but expensive.

If you catch your own blowfish, there is a special procedure for extracting the edible portion. Hold the tail of the fish in your left hand, and with a sharp knife cut right through about 1 inch back of the eyes, removing the head. Then peel the skin back, stripping it off the fish. Cut away the entrails. This will leave you one solid round piece of meat with the spine bone running through it—a sea squab.

SAUTÉED SEA SQUAB

Follow directions for sauté meunière, page 10.

BROILED SEA SQUAB

Follow directions for broiling, pages 9–10.