Pan Seared Mackerel with Fresh Tomato Caper Sauce →

Pan Seared Mackerel with Lemony Tomato Caper Sauce
Serves 4

This is a Scicilian inspired recipe. Mackerel is one of those rich oily fish that should be cooked as fresh as possible. If you're fortunate enough to have a fishmonger who has access to very fresh Spanish Mackerel, you should give this recipe a try. When cooked fresh, there is not a more flavorful yet delicate fish. The tangy fresh tomato, capers, and lemon sauce provides a perfect counterpoint to the fish. Served with a side of roasted potatoes, or spinach ravioli with brown butter and garnished with crispy shiitake, this dish makes a wonderful "primi" for your next big Italian feast, or as a simple main course with a garden salad. Delizioso!

Ingredients:

Photo: c. foodblogchef 2021

• 4 skin-on Spanish Mackerel fillets about six ounces each

• 2 cups of cherry tomatoes quartered

• 1 tablespoon capers

• 2-3 teaspoons lemon juice (to taste)

• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (½ teaspoon dried)

• ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper (or to taste)

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Preparation:

1. Sprinkle your fresh fillets with salt and pepper and refrigerate.

2. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat, combine the rest of the ingredients and saute until the tomatoes just begin to break down. Remove from heat and keep warm while you cook the fish.

3. Add a tablespoon of oil to a clean skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the mackerel fillets skin-side up for three minutes. Flip the fillets and cook for another four minutes until the skin is brown and crispy.

4. Plate the fillets individually and top with the reserved tomato-caper sauce.

Photo: c. foodblogchef 2021

*Note: Great served with roasted potatoes or (as pictured) with spinach ravioli and brown butter garnished with crispy shiitake mushrooms, or a green salad.

Wine pairing: White Scicilian wines made from Carricante or Cattarrato grapes; Pinot blanc, Sauvignon blanc, Torrontes, Vermentino, Verdicchio, or Albariño are all good choices. Avoid red wines because they have a metallic taste when paired with mackerel.

Mediterranean Fish Stew →

Variations of the famous French fish stew, Bouillabaisse, can be found in almost any coastal town on the Mediterranean Sea. Bouillabaisse purists, among them the Michelin Guide Vert, love to point out that authentic Bouillabaisse is only made using racasse, a rock fish local to Marseille. Legend has it that, Bouillabaisse originated from the kitchens of local fishermen who made a fish stew using the trash fish from their catch of the day. Julia Child wrote: "to me the telling flavor of bouillabaisse comes from two things: the Provençal soup base—garlic, onions, tomatoes, olive oil, fennel, saffron, thyme, bay, and usually a bit of dried orange peel—and, of course, the fish—lean (non-oily), firm-fleshed, soft-fleshed, gelatinous, and shellfish." So, channeling Julia’s common sense approach to cooking, and not wanting to insult the folks at the Michelin Guide Vert, this recipe uses the traditional flavors of a bouillabaisse paired with our local New England seafood and we call it Mediterranean Fish Stew. No matter what you call it, it’s delicious!

6 servings

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• 3 leeks, white and pale green parts only, halved and thinly sliced

• 1 fennel bulb, halved, cored, and thinly sliced, fronds reserved

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 5 garlic cloves, minced

• 4 cups seafood stock or bottled clam juice

• One 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes

• Zest and juice of 1/2 orange

• Pinch saffron (if you don’t want to spend the money on saffron you can substitute 1 packet of Sazón with Saffron seasoning)

• 1 bay leaf

• 2 pounds cod, cut into 3 inch serving size pieces

• 1 ½ pounds shrimp, cleaned and peeled

• 1 ½ pounds mussels, cleaned and debearded

• ½ cup chopped fresh parsley

• 2 Tbs. Anisette, Pernod, or Pastis (optional)

• Crusty bread, for serving

Preparation:

1. In a large stockpot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the leeks and fennel and sauté until tender, about 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute.

2. Add the seafood stock or clam juice, tomatoes, orange zest and juice, saffron, and bay leaf. Bring to a simmer and cook until the liquid has reduced slightly, 12 to 15 minutes.

3. Add the cod and simmer for 2 minutes. Add the shrimp and mussels and cover the pot. Simmer until the seafood is fully cooked (the fish will be firm, the shrimp will be pink, and the mussels will be open and plump and juicy), about 4 minutes. Discard any unopened mussels.

4. Stir in the parsley and anise flavored liquor. Top with the reserved fennel fronds and serve with the bread.

Adapted from: https://www.purewow.com/recipes/30-minute-one-pot-cheaters-bouillabaisse

Baked Cod with Mussels, Fennel, and Cherry Tomatoes →

This is a delicious, colorful, surprisingly easy dish to prepare. Serve it with buttered Capellini, a simple side salad, and crusty bread for a satisfying, healthy seafood meal.

Serves 4-6

Photo: c. foodblogchef 2019
Baked Cod with Mussels, Fennel, and Cherry Tomatoes

Ingredients:

• 1 pound+ Cod (or other white fish like haddock, halibut, sable, or bass)

• 1 ½ pounds mussels rinsed (Discard any that are open before you cook them.)

• 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil

• 3-4 cloves garlic minced

• lemon zest from one lemon

• ½ teaspoon kosher salt

• ¼ teaspoon cracked pepper

• 2 tablespoons fresh thyme (3/4 teaspoon dried thyme= 1 Tbs. fresh)

• ½ of a sweet onion- thinly sliced (or 1 leek white and pale green parts thinly sliced)

• pinch salt and pepper

• lemon juice

• ¼ cup clam juice

• ¼ cup dry white wine

• 1 teaspoon olive oil

• 1 fennel bulb- very thinly sliced

• 1 ½ pounds cherry, grape, or baby heirloom tomatoes (cut in half to release their juices)

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400F

1. Cut fish into 6-8 pieces. In a medium bowl, mix oil, garlic, salt, pepper, thyme, and lemon zest and toss with the fish and set aside.

2. In a lightly oiled baking dish, place onion (or leek) slices on the bottom. Scatter sliced fennel over top.

3. Drizzle with 2 teaspoons olive oil, a healthy squeeze of lemon juice (no seeds please), wine, and clam juice; top with the tomatoes and sprinkle with a generous 3-finger pinch of salt and pepper, 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, and red pepper flakes.

4. Place in the oven for 30-35 minutes, giving a good shake, halfway through.

5. Place the fish on top, nestling among the tomatoes; place mussels alongside the fish. Drizzle any leftover marinade over the fish, mussels, and tomatoes. Place back in the oven and cook for about 12-15 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork and mussels have opened.

6. Remove from the oven and discard any mussels that have not opened. Taste the sauce. If it is not too tart, you can squeeze on a bit more lemon juice, scatter with thyme and serve.

7. Serve with buttered Capellini sprinkled with salt, pepper, and Parmesan. Don’t forget the crusty bread.

Adapted from: https://www.feastingathome.com/baked-haddock-with-roasted-tomato-and-fennel/