Asian Halibut Fish Cakes

This recipe is adapted from a salmon cake done by Martha's people at Everyday Food. I switched out the salmon for wild halibut and I knew it would be a new family favorite. The lovely mild ginger flavor makes this dish fragrant and delicious. I also learned a neat trick for making fish cakes without benefit of flour or corn meal. Egg is the binder; and the fish cakes are formed and then put into the freezer for about 30 minutes so they hold together when you put them into the frying pan. It works! We loved them.

Enjoy.

Ingredients:

1-1/2 pounds of wild halibut, chopped into small pieces approximately 1/2 inch square

2 Tablespoons grated fresh ginger (Tip: Peel fresh ginger with a spoon)

2 finely diced Shallots

1 egg

1 teaspoon Kosher or Sea Salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

Preparation:

Chop and mix all the ingredients together except the egg. Then slightly beat up the egg and stir it into the fish mixture until everything is coated with egg and the mixture is . . .well, it's gooey.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Using an ice cream scoop, divide the mixture into 6 to 8 portions. Place each portion in a scoop or circle shape on the lined baking sheet. Put the baking sheet into the freezer for 20 - 40 minutes, until the fish cakes hold together.

Heat a non-stick frying pan coated with a teaspoon or so of coconut oil. Add the semi-frozen fish cakes to the pan and let them cook for at least 5 minutes, until they are brown on one side and will hold together when you carefully flip them over to let them fry until they are done, approximately another 3 to 5 minutes.

I didn't try this when I made the test recipe, but when I make the next batch, I may try to make a double recipe, freeze the second half until it is safe to put them into a freezer bag or container, and save them for use another time.

Fried herring

6-10 fresh herrings, heads removed, gutted and cleaned
2 tbs flour
2 tsp salt
½ tsp ground white pepper
100 g butter or margarine

If the herrings are large, butterfly them, otherwise leave them whole. Heat a frying pan with the butter. Mix together flour, salt and pepper and dredge the herring in the mixture. Fry the herring in the pan until golden brown. Serve with cooked potatoes and white sauce with vegetables

This recipe also works with mackerel.

From 160 fiskréttir by Helga Sigurðardóttir

MEDITERRANEAN ZUCCHINI BOATS

This time of year always means lots and lots of tasty, home grown vegetables, and many of us have an abundance of zucchini that we may not know quite what to do with. This recipe is a side dish that I saw in a Whole Foods while I was working on GOOD FOOD in 2009, and I simply had to include it in the book. The finished product is delicious hot or cold. It probably won't last long enough for you to taste it cold.

Enjoy.

Ingredients:

2 zucchini, approximately 8 – 10 inches long

2/3 – 3/4 cups grape tomatoes, lightly diced

1/3 to 1/2 cups Greek Feta cheese

1/4 cup pitted black olives, lightly diced

1/4 cup pepita seeds or raw pine nuts (optional)

1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian flat leaf parsley

A drizzle of olive oil (optional)

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

1) Cut the zucchini in half, lengthwise,

and scrape out the seeds with a

teaspoon, forming a “ditch” for the other ingredients.

2) Cut a slim length of the skin on the bottom of the zucchini, so it will sit steadily on the plate.

3) Combine all the other ingredients and distribute them evenly into the four zucchini halves.

4) Bake until zucchini is just cooked, approximately 15 to 20 minutes.

5) You may want to drizzle a tiny bit of olive oil over the finished product.

Herring rolls

“All the housewives in the country should be on the habit of acquiring at least one barrel of salted herring for the winter. The barrel must be stored in a cold place, for if the herring goes rancid it will not make good food. It is our duty, Icelandic housewives, to ensure that more is eaten of the herring than is now the case, this wholesome, fine food, which is caught in such abundance off our shores.”

Foreword to the chapter on herring dishes in 160 fiskréttir (160 fish dishes) by Helga Sigurðardóttir.

Helga Sigurðardóttir was Iceland’s version of Mrs. Beeton. She was not only a cook book author whose books can be found in many Icelandic homes, but also a cooking teacher . Several of the recipes on this blog originally came from one or another of her cookbooks, whether altered or unchanged. In the following weeks I will be posting a selection of dishes from this book, beginning with that gem of a fish, the herring.


2 salted herrings
2 bunches fresh dill, chopped
200 ml white vinegar
150 ml water
2 ½ tbs sugar
1/3 tsp pepper (in old Icelandic cookbooks ‘pepper’ usually means ground white pepper, as I am sure it does here)

Clean the herrings, fillet them and remove skin and bones. De-salt in cold water for 18 hours. Remove and pat dry. Sprinkle the dill over the fillets, roll them up tightly and tie off with cotton string. Put into a jar. Mix together the vinegar, water, sugar and pepper and pour over the herring rolls. Close the jar and let the herring marinate in a cool place for several hours. Cut the rolls into slices and serve, e.g. as canapés.

ROASTED CAULIFLOWER WITH GARLIC AND CAPER SAUCE

I was reminded of this recipe, originally created for GOOD FOOD, by Courtney from Nashville. Thanks, Courtney!

Everyone else - Enjoy.

Ingredients:

1 head (about 2 pounds) cauliflower, cut into small florets

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Kosher or sea salt and ground pepper

1 tablespoon organic butter

1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon capers (more if you want - I often use half a small jar of capers including the juice)

1 tablespoon caper juice

Preparation:

1) Trim, and cut cauliflower into small florets.

2) Spread in a roasting pan or rimmed baking sheet.

3) Drizzle with olive oil; season with coarse salt and ground pepper. Toss to combine.

4) Roast, tossing once or twice, until cauliflower is golden brown and tender, 20 to 25 minutes, in a hot oven ( 375 - 400 degrees)

5) In a small skillet, melt butter and olive oil over medium to low heat.

6) Gently saute garlic cloves, 2 to 3 minutes.

7) Remove from heat. Add capers and caper juice.

8) Pour over roasted cauliflower, and toss to coat.

Blackcurrant jam - Sólberjasulta

Blackcurrants have come to be regarded as a superfood. They are very high in vitamin C, as well as being a good source of potassium, iron and pantothenic acid (vitamin B5). They are also very tasty.

When I was growing up, my grandmother's house was surrounded by a hedge of blackcurrant bushes. I loved being able to go out into the garden and pick the ripe berries off the branches and pop them straight into my mouth.

1 kg blackcurrants
100-200 ml water
500-600 g sugar

Rinse the berries under cold running water and drain well. Put in a cooking pot and bring to the boil. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until the berries burst, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and stir in the sugar until melted.

Pour into sterilised jars, filling them completely and closing them while the jam is hot. Should keep for a year, but if you want to make sure, add a preservative.

Redcurrant jam - Rifsberjasulta

I love redcurrants, both cooked and raw. I usually make redcurrant jelly, rather than jam, but the jam is good too, especially with smoked ham.

I sometimes make jelly from a mixture of redcurrants and stone bramble berries, which has a beautiful ruby-red colour and tastes delicious with strong cheese, and on the side with lamb and all sorts of game.

1 kg redcurrants
500-600 g sugar

Rinse the berries under cold running water and drain well. Put in a cooking pot and bring to the boil. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until the berries burst, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and stir in the sugar until melted.

Pour into sterilised jars, filling them completely and closing them while the jam is hot. Should keep for a year.

To make redcurrant jam with a preservative, use

1 kg redcurrants
350 g sugar
1/2 tsp salicylic acid (or other preservative)

Make the jam as instructed above, them mix in the preservative before putting the jam in the jars.