Article by Christine Budd
Oven Baked Weakfish
Ingredients:
2 weakfish fillets (4 oz each)
Handful of cherry tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped fresh baby dill
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/3 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon olive oil, or olive oil spray
1/2 lemon
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375°F
Rinse and pat dry weakfish fillets. Brush baking dish with olive oil and place fillets on top. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and white pepper.
Arrange cherry tomatoes around the fish. Add dill and green onions on top of the fish. Thinly slice lemon and place on top of fillets.
Bake for 15 minutes.
Notes:
To prevent fish from curling up, make little slits in the skin or cook fillets skin side down.
Internal temperature of all the way cooked fish is 145 degrees Fahrenheit. Use instant meat thermometer to check it or just make sure weakfish is flaky and opaque in color before taking a bite.
Squeeze lemon juice on the fish before baking for more intense lemon flavor. You don’t want to overpower delicate fillet so don’t use too much.
Baked Garlic Shrimp Oreganata
Ingredients:
1 lb jumbo shrimp
1/4 cup chopped parsley
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 lemon
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Mix breadcrumbs, oil, garlic, parsley in a medium size bowl.
Place cleaned shrimp in the baking dish. Squeeze the juice of lemon right on top of the shrimp. Sprinkle salt on the shrimp.
Lay breadcrumb oil mixture on top of the jumbo shrimp.
Bake for 15 minutes.
Notes: Transfer shrimp from the baking dish to a glass or plastic container. Close the lid and store for up to 4 days. You can freeze leftovers as well. Reheat in the microwave.
Black Sea Bass with Garden Salsa
Ingredients:
1 1/2 -2 pounds black sea bass fillets, skin on, descaled (check fillets carefully for pin bones)
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
For the Salsa:
2 medium tomatoes diced (or about 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved)
1 jalapeno seeded and finely diced
1/4 medium red onion diced
1/2 cup loosely packed cilantro chopped
1 clove garlic finely minced
Juice of 1 lime
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
For serving:
1 lime cut into wedges
Sea salt
Directions:
Preheat grill to high heat. Clean and oil grates well. This will help prevent the fish from sticking. Pat fish dry with a paper towel. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, cumin, garlic and black pepper on both sides. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine tomatoes, jalapeno, red onion, cilantro, garlic, lime juice, extra virgin olive oil, salt, cumin and pepper. Stir well. Add more salt to taste, if needed. Set aside.
Place black sea bass on the grill, skin side down. Grill until fish is opaque and flakes easily with a fork. Flip halfway through cooking time. These fillets tend to be thin, so they will cook quickly. Remove from grill. Spoon salsa over fish. Sprinkle with sea salt.
Serve with lime wedges and additional salsa. You can also sprinkle with feta cheese, for a salty, briny twist.
Notes:
Black sea bass fillets tend to have quite a few pin bones. Prior to grilling check fillets carefully and pull out any pin bones with a tweezer or your fingers.
You can also score the skin prior to grilling to prevent the flesh and skin from curling up, but this is optional.
Crab Stuffed Flounder
Ingredients:
1 ½ pounds flounder fillets
1 cup crab meat - drained, flaked and cartilage removed
3 crushed saltine crackers
1 tablespoon finely chopped green bell pepper
¼ teaspoon ground dry mustard
¼ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
¼ teaspoon salt
Ground white pepper to taste
1 egg white
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
¼ cup butter, melted
Topping:
1 egg yolk
5 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon dried parsley
½ teaspoon paprika
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Rinse flounder fillets and pat dry with paper towels. Lightly grease a shallow baking dish.
Combine crab meat, crushed saltines, bell pepper, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and white pepper together in a medium bowl. Combine egg white and 1 tablespoon mayonnaise in a small bowl; stir into crab meat mixture.
Brush fillets with melted butter; place in the prepared baking dish. Spoon crab meat mixture over fillets and drizzle with any remaining butter.
Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, make topping: lightly beat egg yolk in a small bowl. Stir in 5 tablespoons of mayonnaise. Remove fish from the oven and spread this mixture over stuffing; sprinkle with parsley and paprika.
Increase oven temperature to 450 degrees F and bake until golden and bubbly, about 5 or 6 minutes.
Fried Fish Po’ Boys with Cajun French Fries
Ingredients:
4 cups canola oil
Two 8- to 10-ounce (or four 4- to 6-ounce skinless fillets) skin-on firm white fish fillets, such as rockfish
1/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon creole seasoning
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
Two 5-ounce baguettes, halved lengthwise
1 cup mayonnaise
2 cups shredded iceberg lettuce (3 to 4 leaves)
1/2 cup dill pickle chips
2 medium beefsteak tomatoes, sliced 1/4 inch thick
Hot sauce, for serving
Cajun French Fries:
2 russet potatoes
2 tablespoons creole seasoning
Creole Mayo:
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon creole seasoning
1 teaspoon hot sauce
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 200° F. Heat the oil in a large, deep heavy-bottomed skillet or dutch oven over medium heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with paper towels.
For the fried fish po’ boys: If using skin-on fish fillets, remove the skin, then cut into 4 equal pieces. Season each side of the 4 fillets with 1 teaspoon creole seasoning. Whisk together the eggs, milk and 2 teaspoons of the creole seasoning in a large shallow bowl, baking dish or cake pan. Whisk together the flour and the remaining 1 tablespoon of the creole seasoning in a second large shallow bowl, baking dish or cake pan.
Dip 2 fillets in the egg mixture and carefully shake off any excess. Dip the fillets in the flour mixture and shake off any excess. Fry the fillets, flipping halfway through, until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes depending on the thickness of your fish. Transfer the fish to the second prepared baking sheet and keep warm in the oven until ready to serve. Bring the oil back to 350°F, then repeat with the remaining 2 fillets.
For the cajun french fries: Cut the potatoes into 1 1/2-inch sticks and transfer to a large bowl of cold water. Stir until the water is cloudy. Drain the potatoes, transfer to one of the prepared baking sheets, top with paper towels, press down to blot and let sit until the potatoes are dry, 1 to 2 minutes.
Working in batches, gently add some potatoes to the hot oil, carefully shaking the skillet if needed to make sure the potatoes are completely covered with the oil. Fry until pale golden, about 2 minutes. Transfer the fries with a spider to the same baking sheet. Bring the oil back to 350°F between batches.
Increase the temperature of the oil to 400°F. Working in batches, add the fries and cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Transfer to the same baking sheet, sprinkle the Creole seasoning over top and toss with tongs.
To assemble the po’ boys:
Evenly spread 1/4 cup mayonnaise on each baguette half. Place 1 cup lettuce, 1/4 cup pickles, half of the tomatoes, 2 fried fish fillets and hot sauce on the bottom half. Add some fries if desired, then add the top half. Repeat with the remaining baguette, lettuce, pickles, tomatoes, fried fish fillets and hot sauce.
For the creole mayo: Stir together the mayonnaise, creole seasoning and hot sauce in a small bowl. Serve with the po’ boys and cajun french fries. §
