Fish Without a Doubt: The Cook's Essential Companion by Rick Moonen and Roy Finamore

Notes about this book

Notes about Recipes in this book

• Green tartar sauce

  • smtucker on February 13, 2011

    best tartar sauce ever!

  • Jane on July 12, 2012

    I liked this but didn't love it. I like my tartar with a bit more bite and I found this rather bland and mayonnaisey, even after a couple of days in the fridge. I added more chopped cornichons and capers which helped punch it up a bit.

• Butter-basted salmon with tea

  • mcvl on May 22, 2011

    Tuesday, 17 May 2011 I had to make something last-minute, and the salmon are running, so I used only the butter basting from this recipe -- wow, what a wonderful technique! I'll go back some time soon and do the whole recipe, but in the meantime keep that butter basting in mind.

  • mcvl on June 13, 2011

    Monday, 13 June 2011 Oh ... my ... gosh, this is one of the best things I've ever cooked, and so easy. I've lost my spice grinder, so I ground the tea in a mortar with a pestle. I made both the cucumber salad and the horseradish cream, and I stirred all the lovely brown butter and fishy bits into the horseradish, so I have enough for another meal later in the week. The salmon are running, the salmon are running!

• Tandoori salmon on the grill

  • Laura on June 12, 2011

    Page 162. I wasn't able to find the Tandoori paste that the book recommends, so I used their other recommendation, Patak's Spicy Ginger and Garlic Marinade. I had very high hopes for this dish, but we didn't really like it. That may have been entirely due to the marinade, the flavor of which we found kind of strange -- so much so that we tossed the remaining marinade. We also used a gas grill and were unable to adjust the height of the grate, so it may have been too high, despite the temperature being set on High. Our salmon came out a little too rare for our tastes, and we like it rare. I feel certain that with the right marinade and correct cooking time, this would be excellent.

  • L.Nightshade on August 01, 2012

    I threw together my own tandoori paste after looking at several recipes. Not sure how authentic it was, but it certainly worked. The dried spices I used included coriander, turmeric, chile powder, Indian cayenne, cumin, paprika, and chaat masala. I mixed these in a mortar with fresh garlic, ginger, and tamarind. Then added the yogurt and butter called for in the recipe. The salmon relaxed in the fridge for a few hours before being grilled. I loved these flavors on the salmon! I hesitated slightly, as I thought the spices might be better with chicken, and a bit too overpowering for fish. But my worries were groundless. Just delicious. I served the salmon with the carrot raita from our Madhur Jaffrey COTM, and a semi-ad libbed slaw of grated kohlrabi, scallions, chile peppers, and cilantro, dressed with lemon, mustard seeds, and cumin seeds, and topped with ground peanuts.

  • Breadcrumbs on August 11, 2012

    p. 162 With such rave reviews I simply couldn’t resist this recipe and I’m delighted to report that it was a big hit. My slathered trout marinated for about 2 hours prior to being wiped down and placed on the grill. I couldn’t help feeling a little wasteful with all that tandoori-infused yogurt going down the drain and I think I’d cut the recipe in half next time as there would still be plenty to coat a piece of fish. I spritzed our finished dish with a bit of lime and that really seemed to draw out the lovely flavours of the marinade. I served the fish w a quinoa salad and some Tzatziki (from the Olive & the Caper) on the side. We loved the Tzatziki w this. I used Patak’s Tandoori for this dish btw. Photos here: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/600169#7517727

• Tzatziki

  • Laura on June 12, 2011

    Page 399. I made this to accompany the Tandoori Salmon, also from this book. It was a nice, refreshing companion to that dish. However, as a tzatziki, it didn't really work for me. It was far too thick -- too many cucumbers. I will say that the following day the yogurt had thinned considerably and I liked it much better. I used Fage Greek yogurt.

• Asian slaw

  • Laura on June 12, 2011

    Page 453. This was light and refreshing and a good accompaniment to the Tandoori Salmon from this book. On the other hand, I didn't find it to be anything special. I would substitute Deborah Madison's Cabbage Slaw with Spicy Greens (Veg Cooking for Everyone).

• Mom's cucumber salad

  • mcvl on June 13, 2011

    Monday, 13 June 2011 I never peel cucumbers and seldom seed them, and on my current down-with-sugar campaign I used a small pinch of sugar rather than a teaspoon -- but the happy result of down-with-sugar is that the pinch was plenty. A lovely cucumber salad, perfect with the Tea-steamed Sea Bass.

  • KarenS on July 09, 2012

    Ugh! Ugh, ugh, ugh! With a cup of vinegar, these are pickles, not salad, and pretty darn sour ones at that. I don't know why I even made this recipe, given that I would normally use just a tablespoon or two of vinegar for a cucumber salad. What was I thinking? What was he thinking? He could call it a quick pickle relish to be used in modest amounts as a condiment, but surely no one could eat this as a salad, could they? We certainly couldn't. Even when I make pickles, I don't use straight vinegar, more like a 1-1 or even 1-2 vinegar to water solution. This is crazy sour, even with rice wine vinegar. I've saved the dill-infused vinegar for future uses and am soaking the remaining cukes in salt water Maybe they'll be more palatable tomorrow.

• Horseradish cream

  • mcvl on June 13, 2011

    Monday, 13 June 2011 I made this sauce, as Rick suggested, to go with his Tea-steamed Sea Bass, and stirred all the delicious brown butter and fishy bits into the horseradish. Brilliant, just brilliant.

• Linguine with clams

  • mfto on December 29, 2011

    p 382 I had only 2 dozen littleneck clams but otherwise followed the recipe with one additional ingredient. I followed his instructions for cooking the clams which was perfect. I also removed the clams from the shells as instructed but my husband feels this is a mistake. The clams are so much more attractive in the shell. My big mistake was to add a little leftover marinara sauce. This overwhelmed the clams. The broth from cooking the clams is sufficient. It is difficult to make an entire dinner from this unless you buy 4 dozen littleneck clams as he suggests. Expensive. There is a video availble of Moonen preparing this dish on the Today show.

• Spicy rémoulade

  • Rita on February 07, 2012

    We alternate among tartar sauce, Moonen's Green Tartar Sauce, and this Spicy Remoulade. All excellent, as is his Chesapeake Seasoning, which resembles Old Bay, but is salt-free (I prefer to salt the food to our taste, and then add as much or little seasoning as I want.

  • Breadcrumbs on July 02, 2012

    p. 416 - Fantastic! My new 'go-to' spicy remoulade recipe. Reminds us of our fave from the old Riverside in Lewiston NY. Omitting the dill does the trick and the use of Harissa is brilliant - adds just the right amount of heat. Wonderful recipe, so glad to have discovered this. Made it as a component of the Remoulade Salmon on the Grill recipe (p. 161 of this book) - another great recipe.

  • L.Nightshade on August 01, 2012

    Made a half recipe of this to put on some grilled oysters. I did not have fresh dill, and added a bit of dried dill. I also did not add any additional salt. Aside from those changes, I first made the recipe as directed. After it was completed, the taste of store-bought mayonnaise was far too prevalent for my taste (I think it would have been fine with homemade mayonnaise). So I upped the amounts of every other ingredient. By upping the other ingredients, I essentially just decreased the mayo. After this adjustment, the sauce was delicious, and perfect for the grilled oysters. We used the leftover remoulade on hamburgers a couple nights later, and it added a delicious punch!

• Rémoulade salmon on the grill

  • Rita on February 07, 2012

    Loved this one, and so easy. Great flavor.

  • Breadcrumbs on June 24, 2012

    p. 161 When I was flipping through this book, the Spicy Remoulade (recipe p. 417) was one of the first to catch my eye as one of our favourite restaurant dishes came with a spicy remoulade that we’ve yet been able to replicate. When I saw this salmon recipe I knew the time had come to give both recipes a test drive.Without the dill, this would be the remoulade we’ve been searching for. It was excellent and I think it was the Harissa sauce that took it from good to great. The recipe and cooking technique were both excellent. We’ll definitely make both recipes again.

• Homemade Chesapeake seasoning

  • Rita on February 07, 2012

    Very good. Similar to Old Bay, but without the salt. Salt the food to taste and add as much or as little Chesapeake Seasoning as you'd like. It's my go-to seafood seasoning.

• Hoisin glaze

  • Breadcrumbs on June 12, 2012

    p. 439 I made this glaze to accompany the Grilled Dorade (Trout) with Hoisin Sauce (p. 142) It couldn’t come together any quicker. Hoisin sauce, lime juice, honey, garlic, cilantro (parsley) are combined and seasoned w coarse salt. I skipped the salt as my Hoisin had made the sauce salty enough for our tastes. The author’s say 'this quick glaze turns a simple piece of grilled or sautéed fish into something special'. They’re right. A great testament to how a few good ingredients can be combined to produce a dish far greater than the sum of its parts. We loved this. I’ll definitely make this again. We especially liked the use of lime, which always reminds me of the wonderful fish and seafood dishes we’ve enjoyed in the Caribbean. Photos here: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/600179#7398163

  • Jane on July 26, 2012

    I made this for Grilled swordfish on p.163. I thought this was great, really quick and easy but added a great depth of flavor to the fish. I liked the balance of sweet hoisin/honey with limes and cilantro.

• Grilled dorade with hoisin glaze

  • Breadcrumbs on June 12, 2012

    p. 142 We love grilled trout so I was excited to find this recipe where the author’s suggest trout as an acceptable substitute for the Dorade. (char and salmon are suggested as well fyi). The Hoisin Glaze recipe appears on p. 439 of the book and I’ve reviewed that here: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/600179#7398163 This is the first fish dish I’ve prepared from this book. The authors note that this dish is 'a very fast weeknight supper' They’re right. What they didn’t say is how delicious it would be. And it was indeed delicious. The instructions have you brush only the skin side of the fish with the glaze however we’re not big fans of the skin so we coated both sides. Any idea why this may have been suggested? Photos here: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/600169#7398175

• Grilled shrimp

  • Breadcrumbs on June 17, 2012

    p. 172 Seasonal produce is driving our menu now and with some wonderful wild mushrooms I picked up at the market and some fragrant lemon thyme thriving in my garden, I found a simple pasta dish in one of Nigella’s books. That recipe also calls for lemon and thyme so I was looking for a complimentary protein to serve alongside and I landed here. The sweetness of the shrimp and the smoky flavour from the grill paired very well with our earthy mushroom pasta. Can’t wait to do this again w the salsa. I must say I haven’t done a lot of cooking from Nigella’s books but when I do, she too tends to impress and her pasta dish was no exception. Photos here: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/600169#7406581

  • Laura on June 18, 2012

    Pg. 172. This couldn't be simpler and it produces nicely grilled shrimp. I didn't use head-on, so went for the jumbo size shrimp and cooked them on skewers for ease of turning. The 1.5 minutes per side cook time was perfect. It may not be the most exciting grilled shrimp you've ever made, but it won't disappoint either. I can't recommend the Charred Pineapple and Mango Salsa recipe that is suggested as an accompaniment. But a better mango salsa would pair very well.

• Charred pineapple and mango salsa

  • Laura on June 18, 2012

    Pg. 396. I made this exactly as written...unfortunately. I should have listened to my doubts about adding the zest and juice of TWO limes. I feared that it would be too tart. And it was. I also think I would have preferred the pineapple in its natural state rather than grilled, which is kind of surprising. All in all, this was a big disappointment and I won't be making it again -- there are far better mango salsa recipes available.

• Barbecue sauce for fish

  • Breadcrumbs on June 24, 2012

    p. 437 Please make this sauce, it’s excellent. The authors say that fish deserve their own special bbq sauce and although I was skeptical, I decided to give this a try as the recipe was a key component in the Barbecue Shrimp on the Grill recipe on p. 174. I think what truly makes this sauce is the brilliant use of clam sauce and the fact that you make your own caramel for the sauce (no kidding!). This is honestly the very first time we’ve grilled shrimp w something other than evoo, S&P and I’ve loved them. This sauce has changed my mind about how to best prepare seafood. Awesome recipe and thankfully, there’s plenty leftover and in the freezer for other recipes in the book.

• Barbecue shrimp on the grill

  • Breadcrumbs on June 24, 2012

    p. 174 - I’ll whole-heartedly recommend this dish and I’m surprised to find myself saying this since I tend to prefer my seafood straight-up - just give me some evoo, S&P then some lemon or lime and I’m good to go. This dish really, truly surprised me. I actually didn’t even touch my lime wedges!!! (this never, ever happens!). Rick says that fish and seafood deserve their own bbq sauce and he provides us w such a recipe on p. 437. Skeptics please step aside as this sauce is most definitely worth making. This is the best bbq shrimp dish we’ve ever made. The sauce was subtle yet provided the perfect balance of tang and sweetness to enhance the natural caramelized flavours that develop in grilled shrimp. Lovely. Photos here: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/600179#7421994

• Packets of barramundi with shrimp and mushrooms

  • DKennedy on June 26, 2012

    Made this for dinner on 6/25/12. The sauce was wonderful, but I think steaming the fish in the packets caused the fish to taste fishy. May be better if broiled in a cast iron skillet and add the sauce during last minute of cooking.

• Green beans and chorizo

  • DKennedy on June 26, 2012

    Easy and delicious

• Basic butter sauce

  • BlytheSpirit on June 30, 2012

    This is a delightful little butter sauce. Lighter than a hollandaise - and light also because it's made with water and an immersion blender. I made this as a base for wasabi butter the first time but have subsequently used it (along with a spritz of lemon) on simply cooked fish. It is also delicious on asparagus, broccoli etc.

• Halibut poached in milk, with bok choy and coconut green curry sauce

  • Jane on July 03, 2012

    p.89 This definitely was comfort food as described though healthy unlike a big bowl of pasta. The halibut (I used a steak rather than fillet) is poached in a milk court bouillon so is moist. Served with simply cooked bok choy (blanched then sauteed in butter and salt) the dish is really made special by the sauce (p.431). Lemongrass, ginger, kaffir lime leaves, coconut and green curry paste provide lovely Thai flavors and kick. If you made the sauce a day or two ahead as recommended this would be an incredibly fast dinner.

  • Delys77 on July 03, 2012

    Pg 89 I really love the sauce in this dish, please see comment in the notes for that recipe. The milk poaching yields a nice piece of fish that is easily cooked and very moist, but honetly I would pan roast to get more flavour on the fish. The sauce makes the fish flavourful even if it is poached, but why not add a flavourful sauce to a flavourful piece of fish.

• Coconut and green curry sauce

  • Jane on July 03, 2012

    p.431 I liked this a lot. It is easy to prep. I didn't notice until too late the advice to make it a day or two ahead but I still thought it was great. I couldn't find fresh kaffir lime leaves so I used dried. I did find it very spicy so next time I will use half the green curry paste. I served it with the halibut poached in milk with bok choy on p.89 - a great meal.

  • Delys77 on July 03, 2012

    I made the halibut with this green curry sauce last night, and I really liked the sauce. I was out of dry white wine so I used a bit of dry vermouth instead, and it doesn't seem to have affected the sauce negatively at all. The result was creamy and tangy, with a touch of sweetness and an aromatic base that is very tasty. I also didn't note that it was meant to sit for a few days but I found the sauce very tasty even freshly made. I think all curry pastes aren't created equal, as I actually found the sauce a little too tame. Mr. Delys actually asked for some minced chilies which I think I will need to add to the sauce next time if I am using the same chili paste. The only other thing ot note is that there are three ingredients that contribute a sour note to this recipe, the lemon grass, lime juice, and kaffir lime leaves. All of which add their own characteristic note, just remember to follow the suggested proportions so that your sauce doesn't end up too astringent.

• Tuna brochettes with Provençal marinade

  • Breadcrumbs on July 03, 2012

    p. 166 - Terrific. I was looking for a simple marinade with flavours that would compliment my pasta with morels and peas and landed on this recipe. I mixed my dressing by hand as I’d cut the recipe down to 1/4 since we only had 8 scallops. I used lemon-thyme in the dressing as I was using a lemon-basil in the pasta. My scallops marinated for about an hour before being tossed on the grill. Though the author’s suggest you brush the solids off your seafood, we forgot this step and I can’t say the scallops suffered for it. In fact we enjoyed the additional sweetness from the caramelized bits. We thoroughly enjoyed this marinade which played a supporting role in enhancing all that’s good and sweet in the scallops. I’m looking forward to trying this on fish as well. I suspect this will fast become a go-to marinade for grilled fish and seafood here. Lovely. Photos here: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/600169#7438283

• Basic bok choy

  • Delys77 on July 03, 2012

    Pg .451 Very simply preparation that works well as a basic side. My only issue is that bok choi is very watery so I find it always benefits from a parboiling and then a quick saute to dry it out a little.

• Sautéed char with Moroccan spices, lentils, and harissa tomato sauce

  • Jane on July 05, 2012

    I made this with salmon which was one of the suggested alternatives to char. This was a much more time consuming dish than I had envisaged as I had to make some of the components from scratch - Moroccan spice mix, harissa, But if you had these to hand it could be a weeknight dinner. I didn't have great success with the tomato sauce (see my Note there) but overall I liked this combination of the spiced salmon, lentils and sauce. I think I'm going to try the sauce again - it would be a good standby to have frozen in individual portions in the freezer . With the spice mix already made now that would become a very doable quick dinner.

• Moroccan spice mix

  • Jane on July 05, 2012

    I liked this rub though it made a lot and I'm not sure what I will use it up with. I initially used it for the Sauteed salmon with Moroccan spices, lentils and harissa tomato sauce on p.239 of this book. I then used it on a piece of grilled chicken though I will use a heavier hand next time as I didn't get a big flavor kick from it. It would also brighten up frozen white fish.

• Harissa tomato sauce

  • Jane on July 05, 2012

    p.429 Although this is described as a quick sauce, it wasn't for me as I first had to make the Moroccan spice mix and some harissa (thought I had some but turned out I didn't). If you had those to hand it would be quick. It cooks over medium high heat and there is no liquid apart from the tomato juices so it ended up being a fairly solid sauce, more like a hot salsa. I had a problem with the tomatoes too. He says Pomi tomatoes are important but there were none at my Whole Foods and they said they have never had them. So I used Roma but I should have peeled them first as the skins were rather dominant since the sauce cooked for such a short time. Or I should have used canned chopped tomatoes which was his other recommendation. Overall I didn't love this sauce. But I may try it again with peeled tomatoes since I have all that Moroccan spice mix to use up.

• Shrimp fra diavolo

  • Delys77 on July 05, 2012

    Pg. 380 Great little pasta dish. I have made similar things before but this one has a few tweaks that take it up to another level. Firstly you make a shrimp stock with a bit of wine, water, and some shells, which is then heavily seasoned, reduced, and has some lovely canned tomatoes added. The result is a highly seasoned sauce with nice briney notes. The jumbo shrimp also workout very well with his high heat sear, and light cooking in the sauce at the end. Great little dish!

• New England clam chowder

  • Delys77 on July 09, 2012

    Pg. 302 This was fabulous! A very hearty soup that will satisfy a 4 as a meal accompanied by some bread or perhaps a nice green salad. I did simmer the base closer to 20 minutes to make sure the potatoes were done, otherwise I followed it exactly. Not fishy in the slightest, just the perfect balance of richness, smokiness, and slight tang from the lemon. I ended up using 50% half and half and 50% cream and tasted delicious. Although I do suspect the mouth feel from all cream would have been even better.

  • Breadcrumbs on August 04, 2012

    p. 302 So this is the very first recipe I’ve tried from this highly recommended book and the results blew us away! This is, without a doubt, the best clam chowder we’ve ever had! In fact, one of our guests said it was the best thing he’d ever eaten! He is a self-proclaimed clam-chowder-lover though so I’ll take that feedback in context. Honestly, I just can’t express how good this was. The sweetness of the leeks enhanced the sweetness of the clams. The chopped thick cut bacon imparted a lovely smoky flavour and the texture of the small pieces of bacon mirrored the texture of the clams. I will say that I opted to chop my veggies in a 1/4 in. dice vs the mincing that RM recommends since we usually like our chowders chunky. We also really liked the addition of white wine (vs dry sherry which I find is more traditional). If you like clam chowder, you must give this a try. A truly outstanding recipe. photos here: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/600174#7127502

• Carrot slaw

  • Jane on July 12, 2012

    I thought this was great. The only thing I would do differently next time is whisk up the oil and rice vinegar with the ginger first before tossing it into the carrots. That will make it easier to spread the ginger evenly. Also I think it is important to microplane the ginger as he suggests so it distributes evenly. I liked it a lot, didn't think it was too gingery. The toasted coriander adds subtle flavors as well.

  • Delys77 on August 21, 2012

    Pg 454 A very simple recipe with relatively simple results. Not bad per se but a little light on flavour by our taste.

• Chicken-fried trout

  • Jane on July 12, 2012

    I very rarely cook fried fish but I loved this. The flavors in the marinade were terrific - buttermilk, red onions, dill, garlic lemon - and they came through in the fish. But the best bit was the way the flour joined with the marinade to make a crispy flavorful coating. I served this with Green Tartar Sauce on p.417 and Carrot Slaw on p. 454 from the same book. Great meal.

• Soy-orange sauce

  • Jane on July 15, 2012

    I hadn't ever made a sauce this way before. 2 cups of fresh orange juice are reduced down by boiling quickly until it becomes 1/3 cup. By then it is quite thick, like a puree. Just one teaspoon of soy sauce is whisked in then pieces of butter and it amalgamates into a smooth sweet/tangy sauce. I served it with salmon and fennel puree which was an excellent combination.

• Fennel puree

  • Jane on July 15, 2012

    This tasted good though I could definitely have made it better if I had removed anything that resembled core in the fennel bulb. I haven't ever pureed fennel before and I assumed the 1/2 inch pieces would all cook through in 40 minutes of simmering. But the core pieces wrapped around the processor blade and resembled a hairball which is not going to help build an appetite for dinner. So my puree was not as smooth as it should have been but I still liked it. I served it with sauteed salmon on p.237 and soy-orange sauce on p.424 from the same book. A really good combination.

• Sautéed char with fennel puree and soy-orange sauce

  • Jane on July 15, 2012

    I made this with salmon, one of the alternative fishes that the authors suggest. This was a good dish with a nice balance of flavors between the rich salmon, sweet/tangy sauce and anise flavors of the fennel. I thought the soy-orange balance in the sauce was just right - any more soy and it would have dominated too much. I haven't ever made a sauce this way by reducing orange juice right down to a puree - it really intensified the orange flavor. The fennel puree had some issues - you must remove any fibrous parts of the fennel bulb. I had some core which would not puree and created a hairball in the processor, which is not guaranteed to give you an appetite.

• Sun-dried tomato butter

  • Jane on July 16, 2012

    This was excellent. I have so far used it for the Baked scallops on p.217, for Broiled tilapia fillets on p.124, for Broiled salmon using the same recipe and for baked chicken breasts. I love the flavor combination of sun-dried tomatoes, basil and garlic. I think I will always have some compound butter in the fridge or freezer - I didn't realize I have been missing out on this great flavor punch for a quick dinner.

• Baked scallops

  • Jane on July 16, 2012

    I love this with the sun-dried tomato butter, a great combination of sun-dried tomatoes, basil and garlic. This made the dish for me. My scallops were big, meaty sea scallops and they held up to the flavors well. I think it's important to have the butter at room temperature otherwise it won't fully melt in the fast cooking time.. The breadcrumbs on the top added a nice crunch.

  • Laura on April 14, 2013

    Pg. 217. Because this was such an easy and quick recipe, I really wanted to love it, but it was a disappointment. Used weathervane scallops and they were still tough after the 10 minute cooking time. Didn't really like the sun-dried tomato butter sauce. On the other hand, my husband said he enjoyed it a lot.

• Broiled fish fillets with compound butter

  • Jane on July 16, 2012

    I have made this recipe with both tilapia and salmon, both times with Sun-dried tomato compound butter on p.413. The butter really is a great flavor enhancer - good combination of sun-dried tomatoes, basil and garlic. The tilapia I made in a Le Creuset gratin dish (heated as instructed) and I put butter underneath and it worked really well. I followed the recipe instructions for the salmon, heating a cast iron griddle for 15 minutes under a hot grill then placing the oiled skin side down. I got the satisfying sizzle he talked about but I wasn't satisfied by the way the skin had seared to the griddle when I came to take the fish off. The salmon flesh just slid off the skin and I could not remove the skin. So that lovely crispy skin I was expecting was lost. I will try it again, maybe oiling the griddle as well as the skin.

• Creamy corn

  • Jane on July 16, 2012

    So quick and easy. Fresh corn kernels, simmered with heavy cream and some salt and pepper. And that's it. Just don't turn your back when it is coming up to a simmer - one minute I had a lot of cream in the pan, then when I next looked over it was a thick sauce. I added a bit more cream to thin it down for the rest of the simmering time and it was fine. Actually mighty fine! I served it with broiled salmon with sun-dried tomato compound butter (p.124 & 413).

  • Delys77 on July 17, 2012

    This was a revelation given the simplicity and the relative few ingredients. I used fresh corn and simmered in my Le Creuset Saucier for closer to 15-20 minutes. Delicious little side.

• Broiled fish fillets with butter and herbs

  • Delys77 on July 17, 2012

    Pg 122 I loved this technique. The result was a deliciously browned piece of fish on the bottom with a tasty crust of breadcrumbs and herbs. It took no time at all to put together and is quite possibly one of the easiest yet the best fish preparations I have ever done.

• Butter-basted halibut with creamy corn and red pepper coulis

  • Delys77 on July 17, 2012

    Pg. 251 My first attempt at butter basting and it yielded a lovely piece of fish. I have seen chef's perform this technique on TV and I'm happy I gave it a try. The process yields a nicely cooked piece of fish with the distinct flavour of beurre noisette without having to consume all that butter. The fish was luscious, and very prettily nestled atop the rich cream corn. The drizzle of red pepper coulis with its acidic notes cuts through the richness of the corn and the fish, to yield a very well balanced dish. Delicious!

• Bell pepper coulis

  • Delys77 on July 17, 2012

    Red Pepper Coulis Unfortunately I don't have the book with me to post the page number, but this is recommended as an accompaniment to the butter basted halibut. As noted in that post I think this lovely coulis with its touch of aciditiy from the wine and vinegar makes for a great counterpoint to a rich main or side. Great sauce!

• Mixed pickled vegetables

  • Jane on July 18, 2012

    I made this in order to make the Tuna salad with pickled vegetables on p.335. I'm not a pickle making expert but I do like eating them. And I found these very astringent. I didn't dislike them but they are more mouth-puckering than I would like.

• Tuna preserved in oil

  • Jane on July 18, 2012

    The tuna is slow poached in olive oil then stored in the fridge (it keeps for weeks apparently). I used it in the Tuna salad with pickled vegetables on p.335. I was underwhelmed by the result. To be honest it didn't taste any better than a good quality can of tuna in olive oil. And probably has less flavor. Given the cost of fresh tuna and of the olive oil it is poached and stored in, I wouldn't say this is worth it. I think I will still try the adjoining salmon recipe though - that uses bay leaves which I think would add more flavor. One point - remove the tuna from the fridge about an hour before you need it (depending on the temperature in your kitchen) as the oil is solid.

• Whole branzino with charmoula on the grill

  • Jane on July 19, 2012

    I was very excited to use my fish grill basket which I think I have used once in 5 years. It was so easy I am now going to do this regularly. The charmoula was very quick and easy, all done in the processor. I made the mistake of tasting some uncooked - I was tasting raw garlic for hours. Next time I will try to marinate the fish for the whole 8 hours to see how much added flavor there is. I only managed to get 3 hours but I thought it was great - lovely crisp flavored skin, tender, moist fish. Very, very good.

• Sicilian tuna salad sandwich

  • Jane on July 20, 2012

    I was looking for another use for the Tuna preserved in oil on p.98 since I didn't have much success with the salad. This was much better, though again I think a good quality tin of tuna in olive oil would be just as good (and cheaper). Re-hydrated sun-dried tomatoes, tuna, spinach and capers are fried together then packed into a sandwich loaf. I skipped the hard-boiled eggs. The only bread I had was pita and that worked fine though I think it would be delicious in the semolina bread recommended. This would be a good store-cupboard meal (if you also have spinach in your fridge).

• Baked branzino

  • Delys77 on July 20, 2012

    Pg 211 Quick easy and packed with flavour. I used Mahi Mahi and it takes loser to 15 minutes. If it doesn't brown enough on top you cn pop it under the broiler. Also the suggested amount of topping is just right.

• Basil butter

  • Delys77 on July 23, 2012

    Pg 409 Delicious butter that would pair well with fish, vegetables, breads, or maybe chicken. The lack of liquid means it comes together super easily. The notes of garlic and basil are just right in these quantities.

  • Breadcrumbs on August 04, 2012

    p. 409 Wonderful. Summertime in a spread! I can’t say I’ve made a lot of compound butters and I debated whether to bother with this one but I’m so glad I did, it’s absolutely terrific and I’m making several more rolls to freeze so we can enjoy the wonderful summery taste of basil all year round. Rick’s method of blanching the leaves definitely preserves basil’s brilliant green colour and the freshness and intensity of the basil flavour in our finished dishes far exceeded our expectations. Aside from the fish dishes, we’ve used this on fresh and grilled bread, steamed rice, steamed veggies and pasta. I wholeheartedly recommend this.

• Broiled halibut steaks with basil butter

  • Delys77 on July 23, 2012

    Pg 129 I didn't read the recipe correctly and went with a salmon filet instead of he steak. While the butter was lovely I had to fiddle with the timing and I burnt the breadcrumbs a bit. Overall result was still good but just goes to show how important it is to read the recipe through. Spencer didn't actually mind the salmon which was surprising because he doesn't always like it.

  • Breadcrumbs on July 28, 2012

    p. 129 - The best Halibut I’ve prepared at home! I’m so excited to have discovered this cooking method and, this outstanding recipe. I made the basil butter ahead so I just needed to slice of what I needed that evening. I keep a bag of toasted breadcrumbs in the freezer so that part was easy as well. Given previous comments about the breadcrumbs burning, I did take a little extra time to ensure I’d pressed them into the butte to protect them. While I heated the griddle pan directly beneath the broiler, I cooked the fish on the second shelf - the fish sat approx. 4 in. beneath the broiler and cooked beautifully. As the author’s suggest, I loved hearing the immediate sizzle as the fish hit the pan and the bottom crust this technique produces was so impressive. I’d be happy to serve this as a company dish since the fish looks beautiful and is cooked to perfection. The cooking duration was perfect for my fish. photos here: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/600169#7489822

• Grilled swordfish with hoisin glaze

  • Jane on July 26, 2012

    So quick and easy and so delicious. The hoisin glaze (on p.439) is very simple and adds great flavor to the fish. I liked the balance of sweet hoisin/honey with limes and cilantro. I didn't do the bok choy and suggested sauces with this dish, instead I made a side salad of corn, black beans & red pepper.

  • smtucker on May 23, 2013

    Ditto. Quick, easy, delicious. Served with dry fried green beans and jasmine rice. Would be wonderful with any firm fish.

• Leek and asparagus risotto with sea scallops

  • Delys77 on July 26, 2012

    Pg 388 I used the suggested shrimp as a substitute ndvthis was good. The technique of pureeing the asparagus before they go in is a very nice touch, resulting in a beautiful colour and a lovely texture. Also the short marinating with rhyme really contributed a nice note to the shrimp. My only modification was to add about a half cup of Parmesan. I know that fish and cheese are a bit of a no no but I need the umami of the parm in risotto.

• Catfish sloppy Joes

  • Breadcrumbs on July 28, 2012

    p. 373 -I had some of the barbecue sauce left over from another dish I’d prepared. FYI, it freezes well so all I had to do was defrost it and away I went with this recipe. I used Pickerel instead of catfish and I don’t love green peppers so I went w a yellow bell pepper instead. The book instructs you to top these with some potato chips for some added crunch. Though it wouldn’t have been my first instinct, we went with it and really enjoyed them. Kinda made a nice dish a little naughty!! I have to admit, mr bc wasn’t as excited - read (he was dreading this meal) - about trying these as I was but the dish won him over. We both enjoyed this very much and I’ll definitely make it again. photos here: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/600176#7466672

• Sea scallops with jalepeño-grapefruit marinade

  • L.Nightshade on August 01, 2012

    The scallops and shrimp are marinated in grapefruit zest, grapefruit juice, cilantro, jalapeño (we used jalapeño and Serrano), scallions, and vermouth. Shockingly, we were out of vermouth. I used a bit of dry white wine, and the dish didn't seem to suffer at all. The recipe calls for grilling on skewers, but we put them in a grill basket, it's just easier. After marinating, the shellfish is seasoned with salt and pepper, brushed with oil, and grilled. Ours took a bit longer than stated, but the wait was worth it; this dish did not disappoint! The grapefruit juice and zest is very compatible with the flavor of the seafood. Delicious. And easy too; we'll do it again.

• Mussels with black bean sauce

  • L.Nightshade on August 01, 2012

    Oh my goodness! This was out of this world! We had it as a main dish with just a salad for the side. Neither of us could stop eating, and we went through almost 2 pounds of mussels! Our version was a bit spicier than the recipe. Mr. NS threw in an extra spoonful of sambal oelek, unaware that I had done the same thing. I would do it exactly the same way again. And the bit of butter adds such a nice, rich feel to it. What a great combination of flavors! The second time I made this dish I doubled it. It didn't work quite as well, so if doubling, I would suggest not doubling the water, perhaps just adding a little extra.

• Clams casino

  • L.Nightshade on August 01, 2012

    We made this dish using clams that Mr NS dug up on the beach. We liked it, and actually served it as our main course. I didn't have the breadcrumbs, and I think crusty little breadcrumbs atop would have made it better. If I do it again I'll definitely add the breadcrumbs. In addition, I would chop the peppers into a finer dice, as the recipe states. Mr. NS did the chopping and I think he felt that bigger clams should get bigger pieces, but the fine dice instructions are correct to my mind. With a seemingly endless supply of clams, I'd try this again, but Mr. NS stated that he'd prefer to try some other recipes.

• Cajun spice mix

  • L.Nightshade on August 01, 2012

    Coriander seeds, fennel seeds, white peppercorns, black peppercorns (I used a mix that also had some green and red peppercorns along with the white and black), cayenne, Hungarian paprika (I used half Hungarian, and half Spanish smoked agridulce), chile powder, celery seeds, oregano, thyme, and coarse salt (whew) are all ground together. Here the recipe also calls for dried onion and garlic powder. We threw in some fresh garlic cloves instead. This was great! A very nice combination of flavors. I couldn't identify it as particularly Cajun, but it was very tasty. The multiple seeds and spices gave it just enough complexity, but did not overwhelm the fish. We've refrigerated the leftover rub, and may try it on chicken or pork; it's flexible. I just may get some dried onion and garlic into my pantry to make a jar of this to have on hand.

• Broiled bluefish Dijonnaise

  • Breadcrumbs on August 01, 2012

    p. 126 Holy Mackerel, did we love this dish!! Naw, I didn’t just use mackerel so I could make this joke!! I’m addicted to this method of broiling fish and I picked up two filets on the way home tonight so I could make this dish. Quick and easy prep made for the perfect weeknight meal. I used Hellman’s mayo and a locally produced grainy faux Dijon to which I added a minced clove of garlic. Lovely. Our 1 1/4 in. thick fish cooked perfectly in just under 5 mins. I served this over steamed Italian brown rice (yes, again but Zoji cooks it to perfection while I’m at work so I can’t resist). Photos here: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/600169#7498272

• Citrus broiled shrimp

  • Breadcrumbs on August 04, 2012

    p. 131 What can I say, we’re on a roll w these broiling recipes. I can’t imagine anything simpler and that would produce such consistently wonderful results. I found some lovely jumbo shrimp (9/12 count I believe) These giant shrimp aren’t nearly as fussy as small ones. I tossed my shrimp in a ziplock in the morning along w all but 1/4 cup of the marinade which I reserved for serving. A note on the marinade. Instead of the suggested herbs, I opted to use chopped fennel fronds and some toasted fennel seeds. I especially love the fennel/orange flavour combination. As the shrimp sizzled away under the broiler I dumped my reserved marinade into a pan along w a couple of tbsp of butter. I plated the shrimp over steamed Italian brown rice and drizzled the citrus butter sauce atop. We absolutely loved this dish. The shells were no trouble at all and everyone agreed they were finger-licking good as well! photos here: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/600169#7496044

• Steamed salmon packets with peanut and red curry sauce

  • Delys77 on August 21, 2012

    Pg 114 I think I'm just not a big fan of steamed fish. The sauce is nice but it is a bit watered down by the relatively wet cooking method. Perhaps as a dipping sauce for grilled fish. You could also up the curry ad fish sauce a little to make it slightly more pungent. The wrapping in cabbage leaves was interesting but didn't do much for me otherwise.

• Tomatillo and poblano sauce

  • Waderu on September 10, 2012

    Amazingly delicious. Used it with fish tacos and grilled vegetables.

• Potato leek stew with shrimp and hake

  • Delys77 on September 11, 2012

    Pg 307 He is right that this is very quick comfort food. I had Mahi Mahi on hand and used that instead of the Hake and it held up quite well. Although next time I might only give the fish and shrimp 8 minutes of simmering in the pot as they were a bit overdone at 10 minutes. The broth is very nice, and still plenty rick with only a 1/2 cup of cream (added a bit more stock to compensate). My potatoes took closer to 20 minutes, but were lovely and toothsome with the fish. Spencer also quite liked this, most likely because it has some chowder like components.

• Shrimp stock

  • Laura on November 16, 2012

    Pg. 323. This makes a lovely base for a seafood soup and it couldn't be easier.

• Roast tuna

  • Cheri on January 06, 2013

    Omitted onions, roasted potatoes for 10 min before putting tuna in. This was ok, but a little dried out. I roasted a fairly nice sized half of an albacore tuna loin. Used leftover for tuna salad which was excellent. Ok, but grilled steaks are better.

• Pecan-crusted turbot

  • HarlanH on February 04, 2013

    They suggest flounder, sole, fluke, catfish, or tilapia as alternatives.

• Shrimp chili

  • Delys77 on February 12, 2013

    Pg. 327 This dish gets very high marks for several reasons. Firstly, it is extremely tasty, with the smokey heat of chipotles, the tender shrimp, and the lovely aromatic base. Secondly it comes together very quickly, and thirdly it is original and healthy. Definitely going into the rotation.

• Steamed halibut with creamy corn and red pepper coulis

  • Delys77 on May 23, 2013

    Delicious!

Reviews about this book

• ISBN 10 061853119X
• ISBN 13 9780618531196
• Linked ISBNs
  • 9780547347622 eBook (United States) 4/29/2008
• Published May 01 2008
• Format Hardcover
• Language English
• Countries United States
• Publisher Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
• Imprint Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH)

Publishers Text

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