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Enjoy and Tight lines,
Captdallas2
This is great cooked outdoors or in.
8-oz diced salt pork
2-pounds fish fillets (normally redfish, but snapper works too.)
1-cup each diced onions, bell pepper and celery.
2-cans crushed tomatoes
1-regular size bottle ketchup
¼ cup flour
about ½ a can of tomato paste I forget this some times and it’s still good
Cayenne pepper- I use about a teaspoon for a hint, some guy like a lot more!
In a cast iron Dutch oven, or a just a big pot if you’re indoors, render the salt pork over medium-high heat. When the pork is crispy brown, there should be about a ¼ cup of fat in the pot. Add the same amount of flour and make a rue. You do this by stirring the flour and oil (pork fat in this case), making a paste that you cook until the flour toasts to the color you like. Adding a little flour or oil may be required to get the paste right. I like a dark blonde rue not quite penny colored, for this chowder. Add the diced veggies, one teaspoon each cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper and sauté until onions are translucent. Add both cans of tomatoes and ½ bottle of the ketchup. Simmer covered for 30 minutes stirring occasionally and checking to make sure it’s not going dry. Cooking outside, I normally have to pour in some beer from time to time. So a can of beer should actually be in the recipe. After 30 minutes, you may need the rest of the ketchup and tomato paste. It should be fairly thick for a soup but a bit thin for a stew. If it looks thin add the ketchup and tomato paste, if it looks too thick, more beer. This is the time to taste and adjust your seasoning. Then add the seasoned fish, (salt and pepper) and simmer until the fillets start breaking up while you stir. With your spoon, break the fillets into bite size pieces and you are done! The whole process can take 45 minutes over an hour, so make sure you have plenty of beer on ice.
Serve over a bed of white rice and have some pepper vinegar on the table. Some fresh biscuits with butter makes a great side. We don’t garnish when we cook out doors.
Capt. Dallas
Pepper vinegar: Take a clean 6 ½ ounce coke bottle and stuff it full on whole hot peppers. The Datil peppers are my favorite. Then fill the bottle with white vinegar. Put one of those plastic coke caps on the bottle a let it sit in the fridge a few months. As you use the vinegar, add a little more to the bottle from time to time. Keeps for a century or two.
Showing posts with label recipes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label recipes. Show all posts
Saturday, December 16, 2006
Creamy Fish Chowder
Hearty and delicious
2-pounds diced red potatoes with the skin on
1-pound fresh fish fillets coarsely diced
1 1/2-quart milk
1-cup grated pepper jack cheese
3-table spoons butter
¼ cup finely diced fresh basil
Boil dice potatoes in salted boiling water until fork tender. In large pot slowly heat milk to avoid scalding then add cheese and stir until cheese is well blended. Add potatoes, fish, basil and butter to cheesy milk sauce. Simmer for five minutes until fish is cooked but still firm. Salt and pepper to taste. A sprinkle of Paprika and a few oyster crackers is all the garnish you need.
Variation: Use half potatoes and half Yucca root. Tasty!
Enjoy,
Capt. Dallas
2-pounds diced red potatoes with the skin on
1-pound fresh fish fillets coarsely diced
1 1/2-quart milk
1-cup grated pepper jack cheese
3-table spoons butter
¼ cup finely diced fresh basil
Boil dice potatoes in salted boiling water until fork tender. In large pot slowly heat milk to avoid scalding then add cheese and stir until cheese is well blended. Add potatoes, fish, basil and butter to cheesy milk sauce. Simmer for five minutes until fish is cooked but still firm. Salt and pepper to taste. A sprinkle of Paprika and a few oyster crackers is all the garnish you need.
Variation: Use half potatoes and half Yucca root. Tasty!
Enjoy,
Capt. Dallas
Easy crab and pasta salad
The imitation crabmeat is great for making this great simple salad.
1-8oz package imitation crabmeat
1-8oz box of tricolor rotinni pasta
1-8oz package frozen peas and dice carrots
1-cup honey mustard dressing
Cook pasta in large pot full of salted boiling water per directions. Add frozen veggies at the end and remove from heat. Let the pasta and veggies stand for a few minutes while you crumble the crabmeat in a large bowl. Strain pasta and veggies and put in the bowl with crabmeat and add the dressing. Mix well, chill and serve. This is not only a good starter salad it is a full meal at our house.
Capt. Dallas
1-8oz package imitation crabmeat
1-8oz box of tricolor rotinni pasta
1-8oz package frozen peas and dice carrots
1-cup honey mustard dressing
Cook pasta in large pot full of salted boiling water per directions. Add frozen veggies at the end and remove from heat. Let the pasta and veggies stand for a few minutes while you crumble the crabmeat in a large bowl. Strain pasta and veggies and put in the bowl with crabmeat and add the dressing. Mix well, chill and serve. This is not only a good starter salad it is a full meal at our house.
Capt. Dallas
Saturday, December 2, 2006
Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Yellowtail
Fresh yellowtail fillets
Extra thin sliced bacon
Fresh asparagus
Ptarmigan cheese
Take a slice of bacon and lay it diagonally on your work surface. Lay one fillet on the bacon slice; season the fillet with salt and pepper. Lay 2 to 4 asparagus spears lengthwise on the fillet. The spears should be tender, if not blanch in boiling water for a minute or two. Grate Parmesan cheese on asparagus and fillet. Place the matching half to the first fillet on top. Season, and wrap the bacon around the whole deal. Cook it hot skillet until the bacon is done, about four minutes per side. This is great on the grill, but watch for flare-ups as the bacon cooks. Also does good in a 350degree oven, about 10 to 15 minutes (my oven isn’t calibrated too well, I have watch for the bacon to be done and the fish still moist. Try Broccoli or baby spinich in place of asparagus, It's all good.
Optional crab stuffing
This is pretty easy.
One cup seasoned breadcrumbs
One 6-½ ounce can crab meat drained
1/8 cup diced green onions
1/8 cup finely diced celery
About 1/3 cup hot chicken or fish stock
2 large eggs beaten
Place breadcrumbs in a bowl and add stock. Mix and let stand a few minutes. Throw every thing else in and mix well.
This is great to sandwich in the fillets with or without the asparagus. Makes enough for four to six.
Tip: You can poach a yellowtail fillet in the stock and crumble it up as a substitute for crabmeat. Add a dab of butter to the poaching stock if you like. Use this stock in the recipe.
Extra thin sliced bacon
Fresh asparagus
Ptarmigan cheese
Take a slice of bacon and lay it diagonally on your work surface. Lay one fillet on the bacon slice; season the fillet with salt and pepper. Lay 2 to 4 asparagus spears lengthwise on the fillet. The spears should be tender, if not blanch in boiling water for a minute or two. Grate Parmesan cheese on asparagus and fillet. Place the matching half to the first fillet on top. Season, and wrap the bacon around the whole deal. Cook it hot skillet until the bacon is done, about four minutes per side. This is great on the grill, but watch for flare-ups as the bacon cooks. Also does good in a 350degree oven, about 10 to 15 minutes (my oven isn’t calibrated too well, I have watch for the bacon to be done and the fish still moist. Try Broccoli or baby spinich in place of asparagus, It's all good.
Optional crab stuffing
This is pretty easy.
One cup seasoned breadcrumbs
One 6-½ ounce can crab meat drained
1/8 cup diced green onions
1/8 cup finely diced celery
About 1/3 cup hot chicken or fish stock
2 large eggs beaten
Place breadcrumbs in a bowl and add stock. Mix and let stand a few minutes. Throw every thing else in and mix well.
This is great to sandwich in the fillets with or without the asparagus. Makes enough for four to six.
Tip: You can poach a yellowtail fillet in the stock and crumble it up as a substitute for crabmeat. Add a dab of butter to the poaching stock if you like. Use this stock in the recipe.
Friday, December 1, 2006
Dill Cobia
Use 1 to 1 ½ pounds of Cobia loin steaks. (Remove all the bloodline and divide the filets lengthwise. Slice the halved fillets into ½ to 1” steaks). Season the steaks with salt, pepper and dill on both sides
Use half and half butter and olive oil (EVOO) in a hot skillet, two tablespoons of each. Sauté the steaks for two to four minutes per side depending on thickness. Each side of the steak should be nicely caramelized with the center nice and moist. Don’t over cook. Remove to a plate.
Put about ¾ cup of thinly sliced green onions and ¾ cup of sliced mushrooms in the skillet and remaining oil sautéing stir occasionally until translucent. Add about table spoon of butter and a tablespoon of dill near the end.
Deglaze the pan with a ¾ cup of beer (white wine if you prefer), and then add about ¾ cup of clam juice. Let this reduce by a ¼, then thicken with two teaspoons corn starch blended with two teaspoons clam juice. Add a little lemon or Key lime juice to taste.
Remove from heat and return cooked fish steaks to the skillet to coat with sauce. Serve over rice, or believe it or not, grits if you know how to properly cook them
Use half and half butter and olive oil (EVOO) in a hot skillet, two tablespoons of each. Sauté the steaks for two to four minutes per side depending on thickness. Each side of the steak should be nicely caramelized with the center nice and moist. Don’t over cook. Remove to a plate.
Put about ¾ cup of thinly sliced green onions and ¾ cup of sliced mushrooms in the skillet and remaining oil sautéing stir occasionally until translucent. Add about table spoon of butter and a tablespoon of dill near the end.
Deglaze the pan with a ¾ cup of beer (white wine if you prefer), and then add about ¾ cup of clam juice. Let this reduce by a ¼, then thicken with two teaspoons corn starch blended with two teaspoons clam juice. Add a little lemon or Key lime juice to taste.
Remove from heat and return cooked fish steaks to the skillet to coat with sauce. Serve over rice, or believe it or not, grits if you know how to properly cook them
Fish Stock
Several of favorite fish recipes call for fish stock or clam juice. Clam juice is available at any grocery store and is a good substitute. If you have a large stockpot and a little time on your hands, making your own fish stock can be mighty rewarding. That big turkey fryer sitting in the shed is perfect.
One nice big grouper, snapper or cobia carcass is great for stock. Clean the carcass, removing the gills and innards. Chop backbone into three big chunks and leave the head whole if it will fit in the stockpot. If you haven’t all ready, remove the cheeks, they are tasty. Put the carcass in the stockpot, ideally this should half fill the pot. Add celery, onions and carrots, depending on the size of the pot, about two cups of each. Use the celery tops and you can leave the onionskins on if you like, this will all be strained.
Add enough water to cover, the about half again more. I only add about one table spoon of salt and a small hand full of black pepper corns, don’t add too much salt this will be reduced.
Fire the cooker and bring everything to a boil. Then reduce heat to a nice simmer, ice down the beer, and relax. Two to three hours of simmering is perfect, add a little water as need to keep the fish covered.
Any time after two hours you can turn the heat off and let the pot cool enough to handle. You can run up to the store and get some cheese cloth while it cooling since I forgot to tell you ahead of time. Run in the house too, and grab a real big bowl.
Line the bowl with cheesecloth and pour in all that tasty stock, fold your cheesecloth up so no scales or bones escape lift out slowly. Now you have a great stock, that a bit thin. I reduce this stock by half and add salt to taste at the end of the reduction. Don’t over salt!
The stock will store in the freezer for months or the fridge for three days, use pint size containers for soups and cup size containers for sauces. This is a lot of work but if you have the time you’ll love having this stock on hand. Try this quick recipe to see:
Bring one pint of stock to a rapid boil. In two small soup bowls or cups put about 2 to 3 ounces of fresh fish fillets, one green onion, cut fancy in three inch long strips, one mushroom button slice real thin, and a little fresh grated ginger. Pour the boiling stock over the fish in each bowl and let is rest for five minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. This is pretty fancy looking and very tasty, if you have east coast Sheep head for the fish, you’ll be loving life. Snapper, grouper and hogfish are great too. Just keep the filet strips under a half inch thick, and they poach perfectly.
One nice big grouper, snapper or cobia carcass is great for stock. Clean the carcass, removing the gills and innards. Chop backbone into three big chunks and leave the head whole if it will fit in the stockpot. If you haven’t all ready, remove the cheeks, they are tasty. Put the carcass in the stockpot, ideally this should half fill the pot. Add celery, onions and carrots, depending on the size of the pot, about two cups of each. Use the celery tops and you can leave the onionskins on if you like, this will all be strained.
Add enough water to cover, the about half again more. I only add about one table spoon of salt and a small hand full of black pepper corns, don’t add too much salt this will be reduced.
Fire the cooker and bring everything to a boil. Then reduce heat to a nice simmer, ice down the beer, and relax. Two to three hours of simmering is perfect, add a little water as need to keep the fish covered.
Any time after two hours you can turn the heat off and let the pot cool enough to handle. You can run up to the store and get some cheese cloth while it cooling since I forgot to tell you ahead of time. Run in the house too, and grab a real big bowl.
Line the bowl with cheesecloth and pour in all that tasty stock, fold your cheesecloth up so no scales or bones escape lift out slowly. Now you have a great stock, that a bit thin. I reduce this stock by half and add salt to taste at the end of the reduction. Don’t over salt!
The stock will store in the freezer for months or the fridge for three days, use pint size containers for soups and cup size containers for sauces. This is a lot of work but if you have the time you’ll love having this stock on hand. Try this quick recipe to see:
Bring one pint of stock to a rapid boil. In two small soup bowls or cups put about 2 to 3 ounces of fresh fish fillets, one green onion, cut fancy in three inch long strips, one mushroom button slice real thin, and a little fresh grated ginger. Pour the boiling stock over the fish in each bowl and let is rest for five minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. This is pretty fancy looking and very tasty, if you have east coast Sheep head for the fish, you’ll be loving life. Snapper, grouper and hogfish are great too. Just keep the filet strips under a half inch thick, and they poach perfectly.
Mackerel Recipes
Smoked Spanish mackerel
Spanish Mackerel have a stigma attached because of Boston mackerel and other mackerel that make good bait and little else. Spanish taste more like Wahoo than they do like King Mackerel and are very tasty if properly prepared. To prepare Spanish for smoking, I fillet them, leaving the skin on and then zipper the fillets. This is accomplished by cutting down both sides the bone/bloodline in the center of the fillet and pulling the line out. I soak the fillets in salt water and ice for fifteen minutes or so just to make sure the fillets are really chilled and clean.
There are a variety of brining solutions you can use and most of them are great. I rarely brine my fillets before smoking. Normally all I do is season them with salt, pepper, paprika for color and a little cayenne pepper.
I have a fairly elaborate electric smoker that will hold about 150 pounds of fillets that I heat to 250 degrees. In the smoke pot, I use, button wood chips soak in water and a little apple juice if I have it. Cover you grates with foil and lay the fillets skin side down on the foil. I don’t over cook mine, usually 4 to 6 hours is plenty, depending on the thickness of the fillets. I want the fish cooked but still moist.
Once done, let the fish cool for a while, 5 to 10 minutes, with a large spatula, take the fish off the grate. Most of the skin will stick to the foil making clean up easy.
Smoke mackerel is best served with several cold beer around a cook fire.
Smoke Mackerel Dip
This is my version. There are lots of other great ones.
4 pounds approx. smoked Mackerel crumbled coarsely
1 cup slice green onions
½ cup dice celery
½ cup soften cream cheese
½ cup sour cream
1 package dry ranch dressing mix.
Throw the first five ingredients in a large bowl and blend it all together, clean hands is the best mixer. Sprinkle the dressing mix over it all and mix again. If the smoked fish is properly seasoned, no extra seasoning is required. A little mayo can be added if the fish was smoked a bit dry. The dip should be a little stiff, but should spread with a little difficulty. If you want it to spread more easily, add mayo and/or sour cream.
If you don’t have a smoker or don’t want to smoke the fish, then fire up your grille. Place foil in the center of the grill and place the fish skin side on the foil. I normally mix all my spice in a half cup of mayo and baste the fillets once on the grill at the start of cooking. Cook 10 to 12 minutes over medium heat. Let cool as before and serve with cold beer.
If you have any left over, here’s another good dish:
2 pounds grill Spanish crumbled
2 cups plain bread crumbs
½ cup sliced green onions
½ cup dice bell pepper
1 very finely diced Scot’s bonnet pepper
Garlic and cayenne pepper optional
4 eggs well beaten
Place the fish in a large bowl and punch a well in the middle of the fish.
Put the bread crumbs in the well.
Sauté the peppers and onions in half butter and olive oil (2 table spoons each).
Once translucent, pour the veggies and oil on the bread crumbs. Mix a bit, add the beaten eggs, and mix well.
Get the skillet hot again, with butter and olive oil, and sauté small hamburger size patties of the fish mixture. Cook until crispy on the first side and turn. Cook the second side about half as long as the first. Serve crispy caramelized side up. These are great just like they are, or serve with any creative sauce you like. Duck sauce, honey mustard or hot wing sauce, to name a few. A mango vinaigrette sauce is good with these fish cakes. Just deglaze the skillet with ¼ cup apple vinegar, stir in 1 cup of mango juice and reduce by half over medium low heat.
Spanish Mackerel have a stigma attached because of Boston mackerel and other mackerel that make good bait and little else. Spanish taste more like Wahoo than they do like King Mackerel and are very tasty if properly prepared. To prepare Spanish for smoking, I fillet them, leaving the skin on and then zipper the fillets. This is accomplished by cutting down both sides the bone/bloodline in the center of the fillet and pulling the line out. I soak the fillets in salt water and ice for fifteen minutes or so just to make sure the fillets are really chilled and clean.
There are a variety of brining solutions you can use and most of them are great. I rarely brine my fillets before smoking. Normally all I do is season them with salt, pepper, paprika for color and a little cayenne pepper.
I have a fairly elaborate electric smoker that will hold about 150 pounds of fillets that I heat to 250 degrees. In the smoke pot, I use, button wood chips soak in water and a little apple juice if I have it. Cover you grates with foil and lay the fillets skin side down on the foil. I don’t over cook mine, usually 4 to 6 hours is plenty, depending on the thickness of the fillets. I want the fish cooked but still moist.
Once done, let the fish cool for a while, 5 to 10 minutes, with a large spatula, take the fish off the grate. Most of the skin will stick to the foil making clean up easy.
Smoke mackerel is best served with several cold beer around a cook fire.
Smoke Mackerel Dip
This is my version. There are lots of other great ones.
4 pounds approx. smoked Mackerel crumbled coarsely
1 cup slice green onions
½ cup dice celery
½ cup soften cream cheese
½ cup sour cream
1 package dry ranch dressing mix.
Throw the first five ingredients in a large bowl and blend it all together, clean hands is the best mixer. Sprinkle the dressing mix over it all and mix again. If the smoked fish is properly seasoned, no extra seasoning is required. A little mayo can be added if the fish was smoked a bit dry. The dip should be a little stiff, but should spread with a little difficulty. If you want it to spread more easily, add mayo and/or sour cream.
If you don’t have a smoker or don’t want to smoke the fish, then fire up your grille. Place foil in the center of the grill and place the fish skin side on the foil. I normally mix all my spice in a half cup of mayo and baste the fillets once on the grill at the start of cooking. Cook 10 to 12 minutes over medium heat. Let cool as before and serve with cold beer.
If you have any left over, here’s another good dish:
2 pounds grill Spanish crumbled
2 cups plain bread crumbs
½ cup sliced green onions
½ cup dice bell pepper
1 very finely diced Scot’s bonnet pepper
Garlic and cayenne pepper optional
4 eggs well beaten
Place the fish in a large bowl and punch a well in the middle of the fish.
Put the bread crumbs in the well.
Sauté the peppers and onions in half butter and olive oil (2 table spoons each).
Once translucent, pour the veggies and oil on the bread crumbs. Mix a bit, add the beaten eggs, and mix well.
Get the skillet hot again, with butter and olive oil, and sauté small hamburger size patties of the fish mixture. Cook until crispy on the first side and turn. Cook the second side about half as long as the first. Serve crispy caramelized side up. These are great just like they are, or serve with any creative sauce you like. Duck sauce, honey mustard or hot wing sauce, to name a few. A mango vinaigrette sauce is good with these fish cakes. Just deglaze the skillet with ¼ cup apple vinegar, stir in 1 cup of mango juice and reduce by half over medium low heat.
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