Fish and Chips

A couple of weeks ago Chad and I had a casual dinner with some friends at a local restaurant/bar that was English pub themed. On the menu they had fish and chips, which Chad ordered. I forgot how much Chad liked this dish. I forget because Chad isn't a big seafood lover but he really likes cod fish, which is the typical fish used for fish & chips. I guess he likes this English dish because he had lived in England for a few years when he was younger. Or he just likes fried things. : - P

On my usual weekend trip to Trader Joe's I saw that they had some frozen cod fish for a resonable price. I decided to pick it up and make my husband happy with fish and chips at home.

I wanted to make this without any worries, so I looked for a recipe on Cook's Illustrated, a site I trust because I know their recipes have been tested. They haven't failed me yet, and their recipe for fish and chips was wonderful. I probably would add a little more of the spices to the batter only because I like spicy, but other than that this recipe is solid.

Fish & Chips

(CI)

3 pounds russet potatoes(about 4 large potatoes), peeled, ends and sides squared off, and cut lengthwise into 1/2 inch by 1/2-inch fries

3 quarts peanut oil (or canola oil), plus 1/4 additional cup
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
Table salt

1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 pounds 1-inch-thick cod fillet (or other thick white fish, such as hake or haddock) cut into eight 3-ounce pieces

1 1/2 cups beer (12 ounces), cold

1. Place cut fries in large microwaveable bowl, toss with 1/4 cup oil, and cover with plastic wrap. Microwave on high power until potatoes are partially translucent and pliable but still offer some resistance when pierced with tip of paring knife, 6 to 8 minutes, tossing them with rubber spatula halfway through cooking time. Carefully pull back plastic wrap from side farthest from you and drain potatoes into large mesh strainer set over sink. Rinse well under cold running water. Spread potatoes onto kitchen towels and pat dry. Let rest until room temperature, at least 10 minutes and up to 1 hour.

2. While fries cool, whisk flour, cornstarch, cayenne, paprika, pepper, and 2 teaspoons salt in large mixing bowl; transfer 3/4 cup of mixture to rimmed baking sheet. Add baking powder to bowl and whisk to combine.

3. In heavy-bottomed Dutch oven, heat 2 quarts oil over medium heat to 350 degrees. Add fries to hot oil and increase heat to high. Fry, stirring with mesh spider or slotted metal spoon, until potatoes turn light golden and just begin to brown at corners, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer fries to thick paper bag or paper towels to drain.

4. Reduce heat to medium-high, add remaining quart of oil, and heat oil to 375 degrees. Meanwhile, thoroughly dry fish with paper towels and dredge each piece in flour mixture on baking sheet; transfer pieces to wire rack, shaking off excess flour. Add 1 1/4 cups beer to flour mixture in mixing bowl and stir until mixture is just combined (batter will be lumpy). Add remaining beer as needed, 1 tablespoon at a time, whisking after each addition, until batter falls from whisk in thin, steady stream and leaves faint trail across surface of batter. Using tongs, dip 1 piece fish in batter and let excess run off, shaking gently. Place battered fish back onto baking sheet with flour mixture and turn to coat both sides. Repeat with remaining fish, keeping pieces in single layer on baking sheet.

5. When oil reaches 375 degrees, increase heat to high and add battered fish to oil with tongs, gently shaking off excess flour. Fry, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 7 to 8 minutes. Transfer fish to thick paper bag or paper towels to drain. Allow oil to return to 375 degrees.

6. Add all fries back to oil and fry until golden brown and crisp, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to fresh paper bag or paper towels to drain. Season fries with salt to taste and serve immediately with fish.

Pan Seared Shrimp

I really meant to use this shrimp on Friday (Lent), but Chad and I went out to eat instead. I wanted to do something rather simple and I found a really easy, quick and delicious sounding recipe on Cooks Illustrated. The only thing I did different was add a little more garlic, and added some red papper flakes.
It is funny how much my shrimp shrank though. I swear they are 21/25 sized, but in the pictures they look smaller. It didn't matter though, they were so fabulously good, that we ate them in about 5 minutes.

Pan Seared Shrimp

(Cooks Illustrated)

Garlic-Lemon Butter
3 tablespoons unsalted butter , softened
1 medium clove garlic , minced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
1/8 teaspoon table salt

Shrimp
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 1/2 pounds shrimp (21/25 count), peeled and deveined
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon granulated sugar

1. Beat butter with fork in small bowl until light and fluffy. Stir in garlic, lemon juice, parsley, and 1/8 teaspoon salt until combined. Set aside.

2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch skillet over high heat until smoking. Meanwhile, toss shrimp, salt, pepper, and sugar in medium bowl. Add half of shrimp to pan in single layer and cook until spotty brown and edges turn pink, about 1 minute. Remove pan from heat; using tongs, flip each shrimp and let stand until all but very center is opaque, about 30 seconds. Transfer shrimp to large plate. Repeat with remaining tablespoon oil and shrimp; after second batch has stood off heat, return first batch to skillet along with flavored butter and toss to combine. Cover skillet and let stand until shrimp are cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges, if desired

Shrimp Etouffee

Needing to free up some room in my freezer, I decided to use one of the 10lbs. of shrimp that was stocked in there from my last trip to New Orleans. I wasn't in the mood for a pasta dish, and didn't feel like grilling them so I browsed the web until I found something to satisfy my fancy. I used the recipe for stock and the etouffee from THIS website. I visit this site often when I am in the mood for some good cajun recipes, not one has failed me yet.

I served this with rice and crusty french bread, what else?

Shrimp Etouffee

• 1lb. 20/25 size shrimp shells removed and reserved for stock
• 2 Tbsp Creole Seasoning
• 4 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
• 1/2 Cup Onion, Finely Chopped
• 1/4 Cup Celery, Finely Chopped
• 1/4 Cup Bell Pepper, Finely Chopped
• 1/4 Cup Flour
• 3/4 Cup fresh Tomatoes, diced
• 1 1/2 Cups Shrimp Stock (I actually used 3 + cups. and at the end I added a flour slurry to thicken a bit)
• 2 Tbsp Minced Garlic
• bundle of Fresh Thyme
• 2 tsp Homemade Worcestershire (I used store bought)
• tsp Hot Sauce (I use Crystal)
• 1/2 Cup Green Onions, thinly sliced
• 3 Tbsp minced Italian Parsley
• 3 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
• Salt & Freshly Ground Black Pepper to taste

Season the shrimp with 1 Tbsp of the Creole Seasoning.Melt the butter in a large cast iron skillet, add the onions, bell pepper, and celery, saute until translucent. Whisk in the flour to make a blonde roux, stirring constantly, about 3-5 minutes. Stir in the remaining Creole Seasoning. Add a small amount of the shrimp stock, stir well to form a paste, add the remaining stock gradually, whisking constantly. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. You may need a little more stock, but the end result should be the consistency of a gravy, not too thick, not too thin.Add the tomatoes, garlic, Thyme, Worcestershire, and hot sauce, a little salt, black pepper, and Cayenne. Simmer for 20-30 minutes.Add the shrimp, green onions, and parsley, simmer for 10 minutes more or until the shrimp are cooked through. Stir in the 3 Tbsp butter, and adjust the seasonings to taste.

Theme Week: Nola: Dirty Rice and Crawfish Cheddar Beignets

Tonight's dinner was inspired by my tired feet and body : ) I wanted to keep with my theme, but Nola cuisine is usually prepared slowly, and I didn't have the energy to be in the kitchen for longer than 40 minutes. I decided to use a standby dish that I love, not only for the flavor but also for the simplicity. Dirty rice is usually made with chicken gizzards and livers. But not mine. I am sure I have had dirty rice made with those ingredients and loved it, but I don't have it in me to prepare it like that. I make mine with spicy italian sausage and ground beef.

I needed something to go along side the rice dish, but i wasn't in the mood for a veggie or salad. I still had a taste for seafood from last night's dinner so I picked up some fresh (well previously frozen, boiled and peeled) crawfish tails at the grocery. I wanted something fried too, but I didn't want to just batter and fry the tails. I was thinking more of a fritter. After much browsing I settled on a crawfish and cheese beignet. I didn't find a particular recipe, but I did get some great ideas. These were also easy to make, and not at all time consuming. So I am happy, and full and I have the rest of the evening to relax.

Dirty Rice

• 1lb ground beef
• 1 lb spicy italian sausage casings removed and broken up into pieces.
• 1 1/2 cup minced onion
• 1 cup minced green pepper
• 1/2 cup celery finely chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic minced
• 2 Tbs. fresh chopped flat leaf parsley
• 1 tsp. dried thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 Tbs. Tony Chachere's creole seasoning
• 2 tsp. fresh ground pepper
• 21/2 cups chicken stock
• 4 cups cooked long grain white rice

Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium heat and add hamburger. Cook until a light pink and add the sausage. Break up with a wooden spoon. When the sausage is almost cooked through add peppers, onion, celery, herbs and creole seasoning and pepper. Let cook for about 5 minutes more. Drain all but 3 Tbs. fat and return to pan. Add garlic and saute a minute or so and add the stock. Let simmer for about 10-15 minutes and add rice. Mix thoroughly and serve.

Crawfish and Cheddar Beignets

• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 Tbs. Tony Chachere's
• 1/2 cup minced onion
• 1/4 cup minced green pepper
• 1 tsp. pepper
• 1 tsp. flat leaf parsley finely chopped
• 1 cup crawfish tails finely chopped
• 1 1/2 cup cheddar cheese
• oil for frying

Mix water, cream, and eggs together. Add flour and mix together. add the rest of the ingredients and mix until combined. Let sit in fridge for 15 minutes. Heat oil in a large pot over med. high heat drop by Tbs. and fry for about 4-5 minutes or until golden dust with creole seasoning and serve hot. Note: A dipping sauce would go great with these but I was too hungry to take the time to make one ;-)

Theme Week: Nola: Barbecue Shrimp

• Now this isn't your typical barbecue with a grill and a BBQ sauce. Well, not a typical bbq sauce that is. New Orleans has a special way of preparing BBQ shrimp, and it is absolutely lip smacking good. It starts out with head-on/shell on shrimp (the heads hold so much flavor!), LOTS of butter, and of course some cajun seasoning and fresh herbs.
  I haven't had this dish in quite a while. Probably not for about a year. I don't know why, I guess I just forgot about it. But when I was browsing the web for more Nola cuisine for my theme week, I came across many recipes for it. I also have a little spiral cookbook that I have no memory of buying called "Classic Cajun Cooking" (you know the kind, churches/schools sell them for fundraisers) that I forgot about and there was a recipe for the Nola style BBQ shrimp in it as well. Instead of following a recipe, I kind of took a bit from all of them. You must serve this with a crusty bread, preferably french. The sauce is just too good not to have something to sop it up with. I also made spicy boiled red potatoes and oven roasted corn on the cob. A nice beer would also pair nicely with this dish. Recommended: Abita Amber.
  
  
  BBQ Shrimp
  
  1 lb head on/shell on large shrimp (I used 21-25 shrimp but unfortunately they didn't have the head on)
  2 sticks of unsalted butter
  4 cloves garlic minced
  1 small or half a medium onion finely chopped
  1 sprig of fresh rosemary finely chopped
  2 Tbs. fresh flat leaf parsley finely chopped
  1 tsp. dried thyme
  1 Tbs. fresh oregano finely chopped
  3 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
  Juice of half a lemon
  3/4 bottle of amber beer (Abita if you can find it)
  1 tsp. cayenne pepper
  2 Tbs. Creole seasoning (Tony Chachere's)
  1 Tbs. Crystal hot sauce
  
  Heat oven to 400 degrees. melt 3 tbs. butter in a large cast iron skillet and saute onion for a couple of minutes. Add garlic, and the rest of the herbs seasonings and saute for a couple minutes more. Add the beer and lime juice and let reduce for about 5-8 minutes (about half). Add cold butter and stir. Add shrimp try to get them in an even layer and put in oven for 12 minutes.
  
  Oven Roasted Corn on the Cob
  
  • 2 cobs husks and silk removed
  • 1 Tbs. butter
  • Foil for wrapping

  Melt butter and baste corn evenly on all sides. Wrap in foil and cook in 400 degree oven for 20 minutes.

  Spicy Boiled Potatoes
  
  
  • 5 small new potatoes halved
  • 1 Tbs. cajun seasoning
  • 1 tsp. cayenne pepper
  • 4-5 dashes Crystal hot sauce
  Wash and cut potatoes in half add to pot and cover with cold water. Heat over med. high/high heat until it comes to a rolling boil, add seasonings and cook about 15-20 minutes or until fork tender.

It's fish night!

I picked up some Orange Roughy at the local Trader Joe's, and couldn't wait to cook it tonight. I looked at different techniques on the web and decided to potato crust them. Per Chad's request I served it with herbed Parmesan risotto with fresh green beans. I finished the dish with a lemon butter sauce I got from the FN website (I believe it was Sara Moultan). It was soooo delicious!

Potato Crusted Orange Roughy

• 2 6oz. Fillets of Orange Roughy (you can use almost any fish you like though)
• 1 cup potato flakes
• 1 egg beaten with a little cream and dijon mustard
• flour for dredging
• garlic powder
• salt and pepper

Pat fish dry and season with garlic powder, salt and pepper. Dredge them in flour, then egg, then potato flakes. Heat oil (I used best blend) over med. high heat and cook a few minutes on each side. drain on paper towel lined plate.

Herbed Parmesan Orzo

• 1 1/2 c. orzo
• 1 1/2 C. chicken stock
• 1 table spoon fresh chopped basil
• 1 tablespoon fresh chopped oregano
• 2 cloves of garlic minced
• 1/2 cup freshly grated paremsan cheese
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh green beans
• 1/4 C. onion finely chopped
• 2 1/2 Tbs. butter
• Salt and pepper

Heat butter in a medium sized skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, onion, fresh herbs and green beans. Saute for 3 minutes. Add orzo and cook for 2 minutes. Add chicken stock salt and pepper and bring to a boil. let boil for one minute turn down the heat and cover and let simmer for 20 minutes. When finished stir in parmesan cheese and blend together.

Lemon Beurre Blanc

• juice of one lemon
• 1 cup white wine (I used a chardonnay)
• 1 shallot finely chopped
• 7 Tbs. butter
• salt and pepper
• 2 Tbs. heavy cream

In a non reactive sauce pan add wine, lemon juice and shallots. Cook for 4-7 minutes until reduced to about 3 Tbs. Add heavy cream and cook for 2 minutes. Add butter a few tablespoons at a time whisking the entire time. Take sauce off heat and add the rest of the butter in increments continuing to whisk. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle over fish and orzo.