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February 20 #534 Rock Fish
If you’d like to work a little more fish into your diet, but want something substantial and tasty, our own Maryland Rockfish is an ideal choice. This fish, more widely known as the Striped Bass, is local to the Eastern Seaboard, with populations centering on the Chesapeake Bay and the lower Delaware River. Due to recent over-fishing the population is under pressure somewhat and a limit on the recreational catch has been proposed. But Rockfish will still be appearing at you local market. The Rockfish is one of the most versatile fish a cook could ask for. Even with smaller farm raised specimens, the fillets are generous and quite sturdy. The Rockfish weighs in mid-way on the oiliness scale, which means it stays moist easily, but lacks an off-putting fishy flavor. When cooked, its flesh is snowy white, quite firm and flakes easily. It does retain a pleasing taste which is a great foil for a number of other flavors. Try going with relatively mild to medium strength sauces that support rather than dominate. Everything from citrus, to simple beure blanc, to tomatoes to pungent herbs like dill work well as a compliment to this fish. You can cook it any way you like: poaching, pan frying, baking, grilling, or broiling all will work. While it is a tough fish to overcook, its quality drops sharply if you do, so be careful. Judge the fish for doneness by checking the whiteness of its flesh. Here’s a nifty little recipe Al cooked up.
Al’s Poached Beure Blanc Rockfish
For the sauce: ¼ cup white wine vinegar ¼ cup white wine one whole shallot, finely minced ½ stick of butter ¼ cup low-fat plain yogurt pinch salt pinch cayenne pepper
1. Cook the shallots in the wine/vinegar mix over medium high heat until most of the liquid evaporates. 2. Stir in the butter, in pats, and melt over low heat. Add the yogurt, and continue stirring over low heat until the sauce thickens. 3. Strain the sauce into a second small saucepan, add seasonings, and keep warm but not hot.
For the fish: One generous Rockfish fillet ½ cup coarsely chopped onion 1 tsp fines herbes 1tsp tarragon vinegar water to cover fish
1. Wash and the fish dry. Pour water, onion, fines herbes and vinegar into a skillet. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to maintain a good simmer. 2. Place the fish in the pan skin up, allow to curl, then flip over so the skin is down. This will even the curling. Cook until the flesh is white, and you cannot see any pink in between the flakes. 3. Remove the fish, and allow to cool slightly. Place on a greased foil lined cooking sheet, and dab the top of the fillets with the beure blanc. Place on the upper rack of a pre-heated oven, and broil for about 4-5 minutes, until the sauce just starts to turn golden. Remove and serve immediately, using the rest of the beure blanc as a dressing.
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