There seems to be a fragment of black and white memory where I’m a very small child kneeling on a chair next to a kitchen table. The air is fragrant with spices and freshly-rolled dough. Hands are presenting a small ball of dough to me to play with – and the memory ends. Of course, it had to have been my mother. But by the time I was ready to really learn how to cook, she had stopped baking. She simply didn’t enjoy the act of cooking.
I’ve always enjoyed cooking. Not the ensuing cleanup, but the actual blending, measuring, pouring, and the aromas of cooking are great fun with consumable results. What could be better?
One of my greatest pleasures is cooking for others. So now that the holidays have arrived, I thought I’d share a couple of my favorite recipes with you. These are items that have been declared ‘good stuff’ by those who’ve done the taste testing. I share these with you as my thank you, and with my best wishes that you enjoy peace, love, and lots of happy hours with family and friends.
Belgian Endives with Smoked Salmon. I use this as a starter. The bitter crisp endive leaves against the creamy salty flavors of the dairy products and the fish are surprisingly sophisticated, but easy enough for weekday meal planning. It is substantial, but not too filling. Purchase fresh clean white/light green endives. Two heads will serve eight people. You’ll also need good quality smoked salmon fillets, sour cream, cream cheese, and capers.
Cut off root end of endive head. Separate the individual leaves. These are the little canoes that will transport delicious and delicate flavors to your guests, so do not tear the leaves. They need to be intact for the job of supporting the filling.
Slice salmon fillets in thin strips. Blend two cups of sour cream with ¾ cup cream cheese, two twists from a salt grinder, three twists from a pepper grinder, and blend until smooth. Using a spoon, scoop the dairy mixture into the endive leaves, filling the cavity but not over-doing it. Place a strip of smoked salmon on top of the filling mixture; sprinkle a few capers into the exposed areas between the endive and filling mixture, enough to season with flavor. Arrange on a platter with good quality crackers, hard cheeses, and yellow and red cherry tomatoes. Voila! You’ve just become the king or queen of fancy hors d’oeuvres.
Fried Fish. This was my father’s favorite meal. Dad was an old codger whose childhood demanded he head out fishing with his father at a very early age. They fished from a dory launched from somewhere along the shores of Yarmouthport. Depending on the season, their catch would consist of lobster, scallops, quahogs, or anything else that was available. Once ashore, my grandfather would trade whatever catch he couldn’t sell for cod or haddock or bacon or some other foodstuffs. Dad had a taste for all types of seafood, but fried cod or haddock with an ample supply of French fries was his favorite. My recipe is a breaded variety versus a batter style. Here is how I prepared it for Dad.
Ingredients for feeding four to six people: Two pounds of fresh fish, 3 eggs, 1.5 cups of milk, 1 cup panko flakes, ½ cup flour, 1 cup breadcrumbs, 2 tablespoons of Old Bay Seasoning, 2 cups olive oil.
In a shallow dish, beat eggs until thoroughly blended; add milk and blend, set aside. In a second shallow dish, blend together panko flakes, flour, breadcrumbs, and Old Bay Seasoning; set aside. Cut the fish into serving size pieces, depending on your guests. I like to serve nice big slabs of fish, so two pounds will feed four people. Six people can be fed with more conservative servings.
Bathe the fish in the liquid mixture then coat with dry mixture, lightly pressing the mixture into the fish flesh. Place breaded fish on a platter to dry a bit, approximately 15 minutes. This allows the coating time to adhere to the fish for a better end result.
Pour olive oil into a heavy frying pan and heat, but do not burn the oil. The oil needs to be just hot enough to sizzle when a water drop is sprinkled on it. Gently place the fish in the pan allowing enough room to flip the pieces over for browning on both sides. If it seems that the oil is smoking, reduce heat. Olive oil does not tolerate high heat. I’d say medium high to medium is sufficient for the burner.
Cook each side of the fillet for about five to eight minutes, depending on the thickness of the piece and temperature of the oil. Remove fish from pan onto clean platter. By using olive oil, it isn’t necessary to drain the fish on a paper towel. We like the olive oil flavor, but you can drain the fish if you prefer.
Another word about the oil – if you use standard vegetable oil, you’ll absolutely have to drain the fish after cooking to remove as much oil as possible. Again, with olive oil, that step isn’t needed.
I serve the fish with a simple homemade tartar sauce of one part mayonnaise to one-half part drained sweet pickle relish. You’ll want to drain the relish so that the sauce isn’t too watery or too sweet.
That’s it.
I like to serve fish with a rice side dish, versus French fries, which I consider too much work. You can also go for baked potatoes, a green salad, or your own favorite side dish. The mild taste of cod lends itself to coupling with any number of side dishes. This dish has received the Cape Cod Yankee seal of approval.
And so as the year comes to a close and we reflect on 2015 while looking forward to 2016, I’m sending you good wishes, and hope you enjoy these recipes as much as my family has over the years. Happy Merry Jolly to you all.
By Marilou Newell
