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Simple Art of Cooking
Going Local with Fresh-Caught Fish
Silvia Lehrer
Where does inspiration come from? At the fish market I was drawn to the pristine, fresh fluke fillets. "The fish came in this morning, and were just gutted and filleted," I was told - and sold!
The fluke fillets, also known as summer flounder, were quite large, normally larger than winter flounder, and they would be perfect to stuff and roll up, I thought. I wanted to do something different than simply sauté and bake the fillets. I consulted Cooking with Fish and Shellfish (Doubleday Publishing) by fellow food writer Ruth Spear and found my inspiration. Her recipe for flounder stuffed with crab meat calls for a whole flounder, but I had already purchased the fillets. Intrigued by the savory stuffing with herbs and wine, I decided to play with Spear's recipe to stuff and bake the fish. The result was satisfyingly delicious.
Blackfish is a firm, white-fleshed, sweet-tasting fish, and sturdy enough to stand up to bold flavors. I came across a recipe in my extensive fish file for blackfish with leek, ginger and balsamic vinegar. Working, as I usually do, with local flavors, I substituted the balsamic vinegar with verjus. Verjus, or "green juice," is the unfermented juice of the vinifera grape picked at half ripeness. It's made by Wollfer Estate Vineyards in Sagaponack. As verjus is less aggressive than vinegar I added it by degrees to the leek and ginger to sauce the fish. The fish had texture, delicate acidity and marvelous taste. Here are two local fish, fresh from the sea, with recipes that are perfect for entertaining.
FLUKE FILLETS STUFFED WITH CRAB MEAT
Serves 4
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
3-4 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced
2 packed cups crab meat, picked over
1/3 cup dry, white wine
Coarse (kosher) salt and freshly ground pepper
4 large fluke fillets, skinned
2 teaspoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley, divided
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
Grated rind and juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
1. Melt 1 1/2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet. Add the scallions and sauté for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally until transparent. Add the crab meat and wine and toss to mix. Bring liquid to the edge of a boil and simmer briskly for 1-2 minutes until the wine evaporates. Season mixture with 1 teaspoon each of parsley and thyme, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir to mix.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Rinse fish and pat dry with paper towel. Place fish skinned side down and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Divide crab meat mixture equally and spoon into center of fillets. Roll up fillets rollatini style and place them on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Melt remaining butter to brush over fillets, and season with salt and pepper. Top each fillet with grated lemon rind, a drizzle of lemon juice and panko crumbs to coat. Place in preheated oven and bake for 10-15 minutes, depending on thickness of the fillets. Pour over pan juices, garnish with parsley and serve.
BLACKFISH WITH LEEK, GINGER AND VERJUS
Serves 4
2 skinless, thick blackfish fillets, about 3/4 pound each
Flour, salt, pepper and paprika
3 tablespoons Canola oil
2 medium leek, trimmed, thoroughly washed and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
2 tablespoons vermouth
1/4 cup Verjus (fermented grape juice)
Coarse (kosher) salt and freshly ground pepper
2-3 tablespoons chopped parsley or chives
1. Remove thin line of bones from the center of the fillets, and then rinse and pat dry with paper towel. Sprinkle fillets with flour, salt, pepper and paprika.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large oven-proof, non-stick skillet and when hot, but not smoking, put in the fillets and brown lightly about 3 minutes on each side.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
3. Heat remaining tablespoon oil in a clean skillet and sauté the leek over medium-low heat for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, and add the ginger. Sauté for 2-3 minutes longer and pour in the Vermouth. Bring to a boil and reduce by half. Add verjus, salt and pepper to taste and stir to mix. Keep warm over low heat.
4. Place fish in preheated oven and bake for 3-5 minutes, depending on thickness of fish. Remove from oven, and coat fillets with the sauce. Divide each fillet in two for four servings and garnish with a sprinkle of herbs.
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