Dijon & Peppercorn Sea Bass

The Peppercorn Dijon sauce for the striper is pretty simple to make, but add's a very unique flavor to the Bass. When I cook I don't really use a lot of measurements, relying more on preparing it to taste. Here's how it would break down for basic measurement.

1/4 cup Heavy or Light Cream (depending on how thick or heavy you want the sauce, I use light cream)

2 Tablespoons of Dijon Mustard (more or less depending on how you like it)

1/4 cup white wine (Chardonnay or plain cooking wine) 2 Tablespoons of butter Dash's or Salt, Pepper, Garlic and Onion Powder (a seafood allspice is good too)

1-2 tablespoons of whole Peppercorns (unless you like pepper a lot, don't eat these, just let them release their flavor in the sauce)

Mix this all together on low heat for about 5 minutes, until hot, then pour over the Bass filet.

Fried Striper with Parmesan Cheese Breadcrumbs

First, go out and catch yourself a nice big 40 pound Striped Bass. Second, give me some of the meat!!

Start by skinning your filets. Next cut straight down into the filet, cutting into portions. Then on the thicker portions of the filet (meat that comes from the front of the fish, middle area towards the head) lay them flat on a cutting board, lay your hand on top of the filet to hold it and cut through the middle of the filet making it two thinner filets.

Once all your filets are cut into thin pieces, add them into an egg wash that consists of egg, a little cream, salt and pepper & onion powder. Coat the filets thoroughly.

Next take the coated filets and add them one by one into your breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese mixture, making sure that the filet is completely covered.

Next heat your choice of oil (Olive, Peanut, Vegetable) in a skillet and place filets in it, making sure to drop the filet's in so that if any oil spatters out, it spatters out away from you (safety never takes a holiday now does it!).

Fry these filets for about 1 to 2 minutes per side depending on how crunchy you want them.

Some lemon or line wedges add a great flavor to these once plated and ready to eat.

I love this simple style of Striper but more importantly my kids love it, and yours will too!! Enjoy!

Whole Baked Sea Bass

Ingredients:

1 whole striped bass, gutted, scaled and de-gilled
1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 lemon
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
8 to 10 sprigs rosemary
1 garlic clove

Directions:

Rinse fish and pat dry. Select a medium to deep casserole dish in which the fish can lie flat. Coat the casserole dish bottom with a little of the olive oil. Place cut Onions, Peppers, Potatoes, Tomatoes ex.. in bottom of casserole dish and spread evenly. Stuff the cavity of the bass with additional chopped onions, peppers, thyme sprigs, lemon wedges tomatoes so that the moisture from these veggies actually steam the inside of the fish and keep it moist. Then Lay fish in casserole; on the topside of the fish, make several slashes into the meat just below the skin, and in the fleshiest part. For added flavor, fresh lemon juice can be drizzled into the slashes, as well as a few thyme or rosemary sprigs. Sprinkle fish with garlic and scatter remaining lemon slices and herbs in casserole. Drizzle fish with a little more of the olive oil and more salt and pepper over the top. Rub this evenly along the fish

Bake fish in a 450 [degrees] oven for approximately 60 minutes. To serve, slip a knife tip or spatula along the backbone to pry up slightly, then grasp crust with pot holders and lift it off fish. Test fish for doneness: meat should be moist but pull easily from the bone in thickest part (prod to test). If fish needs more cooking, return to oven until fish tests done.

Variation: Salt crust

In a deep bowl, beat 4 large egg whites on high speed until they hold soft peaks. In another bowl, mix 6 cups (about 2 lb.) salt with 6 tablespoons cornstarch. Add egg whites and stir to mix evenly. Use, or cover airtight and let stand up to 6 hours.

This “salt crust” would be the last step before fish goes into the over. Cut a piece of cooking parchment or foil at least 2 inches longer and 2 inches wider than the casserole. Lay parchment on fish and pat salt crust onto parchment evenly, pressing paper to fit down along the sides of fish.

Grilled Tuna Steaks Baja

Ingredients:

4 center cut fresh tuna filets 6 - 8 ounce each
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced shallot or red onion
1 fresh jalapeno, minced, seeds removed
zest and juice from one lime
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon minced cilantro
pinch of fresh ground black pepper

Combine all ingredients except tuna in a large bowl and mix. Pour the mixture over the tuna steaks and let sit for 1 hour under refrigeration. Grill tuna on a preheated hot grill, approximately 3 minutes each side. Can be served with tropical fruit salsa and or black beans.

Palmers Tequila-Lime Mako Shark

Recipe by John Ingalls

Ingredients:

1 Tsp Shallot, Chopped Fine

½ Tsp Garlic, Chopped Fine

8 julienne Strips of Pablano Pepper

½ Cup of Tequila

½ Cup of chopped tomato

3 Tsp Lime Juice

Pinch of sugar

Butter to finish (to taste)

Instructions:

Grille the mako steak.

While that's on the grille sauté shallots, garlic, pablano peppers with salt and pepper in a skillet. Slowly add in the Teguila (away from the flame), and allow the alcohol to burn off (app. 30 seconds). The add in the lime juice, a pinch of sugar and then lastly, the chopped tomato's. Do not cook down the tomato, add them in at the end just to warm. Plate Mako, then add the Tequila-Lime sauce on top. Enjoy!!

Mako Shark Steak - Au Poivre

Yield: 6 Servings

Ingredients:

12 sl Mako shark, (@ 4 oz each) -- skin removed
Salt
Pepper, coarsely crushed
1/2 c Butter, clarified **
3 tb Shallots, finely chopped
1/3 c Cognac, plus more as needed
2 c Whipping cream
2 tb Veal glaze ** OR
1/3 c Veal stock **

Instructions:

Pat shark slices dry. Salt lightly. Arrange crushed pepper on plate or sheet of waxed paper; dredge each slice of fish in pepper, shaking off excess to leave light coating.

Heat clarified butter (*) in heavy, large skillet until hot.
Working in batches if necessary, saute fish slices until crusty and lightly golden, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to warm serving plates, and keep warm.

Pour off all but about 1 tablespoon butter from skillet. Add
shallot and toss briefly; carefully add 1/3 cup Cognac. Add cream, veal glaze (*) and any juices from fish. Boil until reduced to consistency that will lightly coat the back of a spoon. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper and a few drops of Cognac. Strain over fish and serve.

“Portuguese Fisherman style” Thresher Shark Brian Flagg – Summer Shack

Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients:

2T Olive oil
2 Bayleaves
½ pinch Allspice (optional)
1t Crushed red pepper
3 cloves Garlic, chopped
1 Green Bell Pepper, lg dice
1 Onion, medium size, sliced (julienne)
1/4c White wine
1c Fish Fumet (may substitute chicken broth or water)
12oz can Whole peeled tomatoes, sliced (julienne)
1T Cilantro, chopped
to taste Salt & Pepper
2 Shark (thresher) Steaks
6oz Chourico Sausage, cut into ¾ inch pieces

Procedure:

-Heat 1T olive oil in a small saucepan and add the bayleaves, allspice and crushed red pepper. Cook until bayleaves turn brown.

-Add garlic and cook until golden. Add onions and peppers and sauté until soft, but not brown.

-Add wine, fumet, tomatoes, salt & pepper. Simmer 2 minutes, remove from heat, stir in cilantro. This is the sauce/stew base.

-Preheat oven to 400 degrees

-Liberally season the shark steaks. Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat, add remaining 1T olive oil. Add shark steaks and chourico. Sear 2 minutes until light brown. Turn shark and the chourico. Smother with sauce, and put in the oven for 8 minutes (or until shark is cooked through – depends on size)

-Serve with white rice on the side. Enjoy

Stew Baked Cod

1 Can of Stewed Tomatoes

2 cloves garlic, chopped

2 tbl spoons olive oil

Chopped Coriander to taste

1 lrg Red & Green Peppers, coarsely chopped

1 onion, coarsely chopped

1 medium size Cod Fillet

Start by heating the olive oil and chopped garlic together in a skillet. Then add in the stewed tomatoes and cook together for about 5 minutes to bring the garlic flavor into the tomatoes. While that's simmering, coarsely chop your Peppers, Onions and Cod into good size pieces. The cod chunks should be nice and big so that they don't break down while baking.

Add the Peppers, Onions and Cod into a baking dish and then add in the stewed tomatoes. Make sure you have plenty of juice from the tomatoes in the baking dish so that all the vegetables and fish is covered. Then add in a bit of red wine to taste. Shake the dish to settle, add in your pinches of Coriander over the top.

Bake for 25 minutes in a 350 oven. Plate and enjoy!!

Classic Baked Cod With Lemon

Ingredients:

4 cod filets (6 to 8 ounces)
1 whole lemon
4 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
pinch of sea salt or kosher salt
pinch of ground black pepper
pinch of paprika for color

Preheat an oven to 375 degrees. Rub one tablespoon of olive oil in a 2 inch shallow glass baking dish. Slice the lemon in half and slice one half of the lemon into quarters and reserve for plate garnish. Take the other half of the lemon and cut into slices. Place the cod, scrod or haddock filets in the baking dish and drizzle with olive oil. Top the fish filets with one slice of lemon and season with salt, pepper and paprika. Bake for 15 minutes *or until the fish reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees.

Broiled Bluefish with Garlic Butter

Preparation of Garlic Butter

Reduce the temperature of a stick of butter so that it can be worked with (it becomes soft). The simply add ingredients to taste. A general rule of thumb for ingredients:

2 cloves of finely chopped garlic

Juice from 2 wedges of lemons

1 teaspoon of freshly chopped Parsley

½ teaspoon of salt

¼ teaspoon of pepper

Once this is all mixed together into the soft butter it can be molded into round medallions and/or placed back into the fridge to chill back into a more solid (but too solid) form. (For best result, after the butter has chilled, take it out and leave at room temperature 5-10 minutes before it goes onto the fish. This allows the butter to be evenly distributed onto the fillet before it goes back into the broiler)

Bluefish preparation:

First take your fillet of Bluefish (about 8 oz fillet), skin side down, and score or cut into the flesh of the meat about half way down towards the skin. These cuts should be diagonal one way and then cored again diagonal across the other cuts.

Once that is done, lightly oil both sides of the fillet with vegetable oil and then generously sprinkle the meat with salt and pepper.

Lightly coat a broiling pan with vegetable oil and place fillets in, skin side down so that the meat is facing up. Place the fish into the broiler on the top rack of your broiler for app. 4-6 minutes. This step should cook the fish approximately 80% of the way.

Remove the fish from the broiler and place Garlic Butter (do this to taste, 2 or 3 medallions should do it) on top of the fish. Place fish back into the broiler for approximately 1 minute, or until the fish is golden brown and crispy.

Plate Fish and Enjoy!!

Side Dishes that go well with this:

Cherry Tomato's in garlic butter.

Simply place cherry tomatos into a frying pan and heat with some of the garlic butter that you prepared for the bluefish. Do not cook these tomatos down to the point that they become reduced or too soft. The acidic nature of these cherry tomatos compliments the Omega 3 (Healthy Oils) of a fish like Bluefish very well.

Mixed green salad with light Balsamic Vinaigrette dressing.

Baked Stuffed Haddock

Ingredients:

Ingredients
6 six-ounce filets
Filling:
1 pound crab (lump crabmeat)
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup onion
2-1/2 Tablespoons parsley
1 Tablespoon Old Bay seasoning
2 cups regular bread crumbs
2 whole eggs
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
Sauce Beurre Blanc:
2 Tablespoons chopped shallots
pinch of flour
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 pound soft butter
Mix all the ingredients of the stuffing together. Portion into 2 ounces and roll up in the haddock filets. Place in buttered casserole dish. Drizzle with white wine. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.

Sauce: First saute the shallots. Add the pinch of flour and the wine. Reduce by half. Gradually add the butter, whisking constantly. Strain and pour over the haddock after it is baked.

Seafood Bake

Ingredients:

1 onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 cup butter
1 cup plain flour
450g/1lb fresh crabmeat
4 cups water
450g/1 lb shrimps
250g/half lb small scallops
250g/half lb haddock/cod filets cut into small pieces
3 cups milk
1 cup shredded mature Cheddar cheese
1 tbsp white vinegar
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
a dash of chilli sauce
1/2 cup grated Parmesan

How to prepare:
Crabmeat mixture
In a large frying pan melt 1/2 cup butter and saute the onion and the pepper and cook for about 5 minutes. Mix in 1/2 cup flour, and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring frequently, add the crabmeat, and remove from the stove.

Seafood Mixture
In a large saucepan, bring the water to a boil, add the shrimp, scallops and fish, and simmer for 3 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid.

In a saucepan, melt the remaining 1/2 cup butter over low heat. Stir in remaining 1/2 cup flour and cook stirring constantly for 1 minute. Gradually add the milk plus the 1 cup reserved cooking liquid. Raise heat to medium, continue stirring and cook until the mixture has thickened. Mix in the shredded Cheddar cheese, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper and chilli sauce.
Finally stir in cooked seafood and remove from the heat.

Bake
Preheat oven to 175C. Lightly grease a large baking dish. Press crabmeat mixture into the bottom of the prepared dish. Spoon the seafood mixture over the crabmeat, sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese and bake for 30 minutes or until lightly browned.

BBQ Salmon With Orange Cilantro Cous Cous

Ingredients:

4 Salmon fillets (7 ounces fillets)
4 tablespoons Awesome Chef's BBQ Seasoning
2 cups cous cous
1/2 yellow onion (diced)
3 tablespoons fresh minced cilantro
zest from two oranges
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups of water

Place water in a medium sauce pan and heat over a medium flame. Rub 3 tablespoons of my bbq seasoning into the salmon fillets reserving one tablespoon for the cous cous. Clean the grill well with a grill brush and towel, heat the grill on high for at least 5 minutes. Place the salmon fillets on the hot grill and reduce the heat to medium. Close the lid and cook for three minutes. While the salmon is cooking prepare the cous cous. Add the orange zest, salt and remaining bbq seasoning mixture to the water. Once the water is boiling add the dry cous cous. Remove the cous cous pan from the flame cover and let sit for 4 to 5 minutes.

Next turn over the barbeque salmon fillets and turn off the grill. Add the minced cilantro to the cous cous and fluff with a fork. Place a bed of cous cous on four plates . Place the bbq salmon over the cous ous. This barbeque recipe is excellent with grilled vegetables.

Baked Flounder with Roasted Peppers and Tomatoes

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place the fillets in an oven-proof baking  dish. Sprinkle with  salt and  pepper . Set aside.

Char the  peppers using either a gas range burner or the broiler. Quickly place in a paper bag to  steam and remove skin and seeds. Chop.

Coat a nonstick  skillet with cooking spray.  Sauté the  onion and  chopped garlic cloves  until onions are wilted. Add the peppers and tomatoes  and cook stirring over high heat for 3 minutes. Stir in the  tarragon and  vinegar .

Spoon the vegetables over the fish fillets and  bake for 15 to 18 minutes until the fish is just opaque.