Tuscan Fish Stew � Just Like I Barely Remember Having in Italy

I spent a few days in Florence about 30 years ago, and while I don�t remember much, I do recall a few things that surprised me, with this Tuscan Fish Stew being the most delicious. I�d had similar stews before that, but what I found so interesting was how herbs like oregano, sage, and rosemary, which I considered �meat only� seasonings were also used with seafood. The other surprises were the partial nudity on TV and in magazines, but that�s another blog post.

Anyway, it was quite the epiphany, since at the time, being fresh out of culinary school, I thought parsley, dill, and maybe tarragon were the only herbs we cooks were allowed to use for fish. Now that seems ridiculous, but at the time it was pretty heady stuff. Speaking of which, you do need to be careful, since these more resinous herbs can easily overpower a delicate dish.

As I said in the video, any tomato product will work in this, but I really like cherry tomatoes here, since they provide a fragrant freshness you just won�t get with a can or jar. You do need to strain them after blending, but the few extra minutes of work will be well worth the effort.

By the way, I hear that for this to qualify as an official Italian fish stew you need use at least five different types of seafood, which is both insane and adorable, but I thought I�d mention it just in case any old-school Tuscans are coming over. Regardless, I really do hope you give this easy and delicious fish stew a try soon. Enjoy! 

Ingredients for 2 large portions:

3 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 sliced green onions

4 cloves sliced garlic

1 anchovy fillet

pinch of red pepper flakes

3 cups cherry tomatoes, blended with 1 cup of clam juice, or chicken broth

12 ounces halibut or other white fish

1 pound peeled, deveined shrimp or other seafood

salt to taste

2 tablespoons freshly chopped Italian herbs (basil, parsley, oregano, and pinch of rosemary)

crusty bread for soaking up the broth

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Cabbage Patch Halibut � Come On, Use Your Head

Don�t worry; this cabbage-wrapped fish recipe has nothing to do with those creepy dolls. I just thought �cabbage patch halibut� sounded a little more enticing that the other names I was considering. 

Although, anything with the word cabbage in it isn�t going to have people�s mouths watering, which is how we got �coleslaw.� Despite all that, this really is one of easiest, and most delicious ways you can cook fish. 

The leaf not only keeps the halibut moist, but also holds all your assorted garnishes and seasonings tight against the meat, which creates an even more intensely flavored final result. Just be sure to save the rest of the head, since once chilled, and sliced thin, it makes for a very interesting salad. Or simply slice it thickly, and fry it up with a few sausages.  

This technique should work no matter what fish and ingredients are used, but you may have to adjust the cooking time. The type, size and shape of your fish filet are all variables that affect how long this is going to take. Best to check with a thermometer, and I generally go to for something between 130-135 F. for halibut, but other fish have different target temps, so do some research.

One last tip is to make sure you cut your other ingredients nice and thin, so they�re able to cook during the relatively short roasting time. Other than that, you are only constrained by your imagination. So, whether you put your own twist on this or not, I really do hope you give it a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 2 Portions of Cabbage Patch Halibut:

2 teaspoons butter for the pan

2 boneless, skinless halibut filets (about 7 ounces each)

salt and cayenne to taste

2 large steamed cabbage leaves

1 tablespoon thinly sliced fresh ginger

1 Fresno chili pepper, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons sliced green onions

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1/4 teaspoon sesame oil

fresh cilantro leaves to garnish

2 tablespoons miso butter (2 tablespoons butter mixed with 1 or 2 teaspoons of white miso, or to taste)

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Lemon Jalape�o Marinated Mussels � Definitely My First or Second Favorite Way to Eat Mussels

I might give you a different answer in the middle of February, when there�s nothing better than a hot bowl of mussels, swimming in some kind of garlicky, winey broth, but this time of year, chilled and marinated are my favorite way to go.

You can dress these anyway you want, but no matter how you flavor them, you�ll want to follow the same basic technique. By cooking the mussels with a minimum of moisture, and then reducing the liquids for the base of our marinade, we get an even more intense flavor, as well as an extra little kick of salinity.

By the way, I completely forgot to strain the cooking liquids before making the dressing, which can mean some grit, or tiny pieces of shell getting into your final product, so after everything is reduced, press the onion and juices through a mesh strainer before proceeding.

Most mussels sold at the grocery store are fairly well cleaned, but if yours aren�t, be sure to scrub well, and remove any beards. To ensure top quality, depending on proximity to the store, you can cook a couple when you get home, chill them, and then give them a test taste.

Mussels should have a fresh, sweet, mild, tastes-like-the-ocean flavor, and if yours don�t, or are gritty, or odd in any way, simply take them back, and get a refund. Anyway, that�s the worst-case scenario. The best-case scenario is what you see here, and I really do hope you give these a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 2 pounds of Mussels:

2 pounds black mussels

1 tablespoon olive oil for saut�ing onions

1/2 onion, finely diced

pinch of salt

For the marinade:

reserved reduced cooking liquids (about 1-2 tablespoons)

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1/2 lemon juiced

2 tablespoons finely diced jalape�o

2 tablespoons champagne, rice, or white wine vinegar

1/4 cup olive oil, or to taste

extra pinch of salt if needed

red Fresno chili to garnish optional

NOTE: Serve on ice or a cold plate, and not on salt, unless it is very large grain, and won't stick to the shells.

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Spanish Garlic Shrimp (Gambas al Ajillo) � Top of the Tapas

If you ever find yourself in a Spanish restaurant, and they don�t have some version of this garlic shrimp recipe on the menu, immediately get up from your table, and leave. This would be the equivalent of a French bistro that doesn�t serve steak frites. What about vegetarian Spanish restaurants and French bistros? That�s a trick question, since those aren�t a thing.

Anyway, the point here is that every Spanish restaurant serves this, and for very good reasons. It�s fast to make, gorgeous to look at, and, if you�re into garlic, one of the most delicious things you�ll ever eat. Just be sure to use nice fresh, frozen shrimp. Allow me to explain.

Unless you live in a few choice locations, it�s rare to find true fresh shrimp at the market. All they do is thaw some frozen, and put it in the case, where it sits until you buy it, which is why it really makes a lot more sense to purchase frozen. Of course, not all frozen shrimp is created equal, so I encourage you to research the best sources, but the point is you don�t want something already thawed.

Speaking of which, I thaw mine by running cold water into the bowl of frozen shrimp, let it sit for about 10 minutes, before draining, and repeating once more. After that it should be fully thawed, at which point the shrimp can be drained, and prepped.

The last tip I�ll give, is to make sure you have all your ingredients together before you head to the stove, since start to finish, this only takes minutes to complete. This is another reason it�s so great for a party, since you can prep everything ahead of time, and finish it whenever you�re ready to serve. But, whether you feature this at a party, or not, I really do hope you give this amazing Spanish garlic shrimp recipe a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 2 Spanish Garlic Shrimp Portions:

1 pound peeled and *deveined shrimp (look for the 21-25 per pound size or larger)

kosher salt to taste

1 teaspoon hot, smoked paprika, optional

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

4 cloves peeled garlic, slice thin

2 tablespoons dry sherry wine (or white wine and a pinch of sugar)

1 tablespoon chopped Italian parsley

* This video from Allrecipes shows how to properly devein shrimp. 

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Beet-Cured Salmon Gravlax � Easier and Slower Than You Think

Even though I only do it once every few years or so, making salmon gravlax at home is a fun weekend project, and with very little effort, you can produce some very impressive results. I�ve always done this with the traditional fresh dill sprigs, but after enjoying a beet-stained version at Plaj, I decided to try my hand. And, also stain my hand.

If you�re just doing a small tail piece like I did, these times and measurements should get you close to what you see here, but if you're feeling adventurous, and want to do something larger, then you may have to do some research for techniques that work better when doing a thicker piece of fish.

Those slightly more complicated methods involve turning, draining, and basting, to account for a longer curing time. So what I�m trying to say is, you can avoid all that by just doing a smaller piece, which, unless you�re hosting a large party, should be plenty. Speaking of large parties, and the litigious people that sometime attend them, please be sure to get your salmon from a reliable source.

I think a brick works great for a press, but anything that weighs a few pounds would be fine, as long as it�s large, and flat enough to distribute the weight evenly. A book with a few cans of soup on it would do the trick. Regardless of how you press yours, once unwrapped, sliced, and served on a toasted bagel, I think you�ll agree it was worth the wait. So, I really do hope you give this gravlax technique a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 6 to 10 ounces of Gravlax:

8 to 12 ounce tail section of fresh salmon with skin on (scaled)

1/4 cup kosher salt

1/4 cup white sugar

cayenne and/or freshly ground black pepper to taste

enough grated beet and/or fresh dill springs to thickly cover fish

- Press with something heavy, and let cure in fridge for 1 1/2 days, or until salmon is firm, and translucent when sliced. You can carefully unwrap, and poke to test, and then rewrap, and let cure longer if need be.

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Seafood Sausage � Behold, the Rarest of All the Sausages

This seafood sausage recipe is one of those dishes you learn in culinary school, and then never make in a restaurant, the rest of your career. Unlike your more common meat-based sausages, which are made from assorted scraps, and you really don�t want to know, these seafood sausages need pristine product to shine, thereby eliminating the money-saving incentive of making sausage.

However, despite their lack of popularity, these really are a great way to take less than thrilling seafood, like some sleepy sole, and previously frozen salmon, and make something that seems far more special. The flavor is lovely, and the texture is similar to a boudin blanc, or white hot dog, if you prefer.

If you want something with a courser texture, simply make the sausage mixture as shown, but then fold in a few handfuls of chopped shrimp, scallop, or any other seafood. Once cooked, and sliced, you�ll see pieces of whatever you added studding the link. I actually prefer the smooth style, but it�s fun to experiment. Either way, I really do hope you give these a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 Seafood Sausages:

8 ounces boneless, skinless sole or other white fish

4 ounces boneless, skinless salmon

4 ounces peeled, deveined shrimp

2 tablespoons plain dry breadcrumbs

4 large egg whites

1 large whole egg

2 teaspoons kosher salt (or maybe 1 1/4 teaspoon fine salt)

cayenne to taste

2 tablespoons saut�ed shallots

2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley

For the sauce:

2 tablespoons water

1 juicy lemon

2 tablespoons cold butter

1 tablespoon chopped Italian parsley

salt to taste

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