CookTeaser

A CookTale

Of the very many fish preparations we do, not one can compare to this. I believe that this
is “Nobu’s Gift To the Food World”. I find it such a delight to take a raw piece of Black Cod and with little effort and a few steps have it transform into this wonderful topnotch taste treat. Since the publication of the Nobu cookbook in September 2001, I’ll bet I’ve prepared this at least two dozen times, and its always been outstanding. Black Cod, actually Sable fish, is not easy to procure, but when you see it, I suggest you take it home.

INGREDIENTS

1/4 cup of Mirin
1/4 cup of Sake
1/3 cup of White Miso Paste
4 TB of Sugar
2 6-to-7 oz of Black Cod Fillets (skin on, 1-1/2″ thick)
1 TB of Peanut Oil
Scallions (thinly sliced)
Pickled Ginger

METHOD

1. In a small saucepan, bring the Mirin & Sake to a boil. Whisk in the Miso until dissolved. Add the Sugar & cook over moderate heat, whisking until dissolved.

2. Transfer the marinade to a large baking dish & let it cool. Add the fillets, skin side up. Cover & refrigerate for at least 4 hours or ideally overnight.

3. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Heat a non-stick pan to high & add the TB of Peanut Oil. Scrape the Miso sauce marinade off the meat of the fillets, reserving for later. Add the fillets & cook until the skin has become crisp, about 4 minutes.

4. Place the pan in the oven & roast for 8 to 10 minutes or until flaky. At this point, turn on the broiler for a few minutes to add a roasted richness to the fillets.

5. Transfer to plates. Garnish with the Miso Sauce, Scallions & Pickled Ginger.

INGREDIENTS For the Marinade

8 Colossal Shrimp (black vein removed, cleaned & left unpeeled)
2 TB of EVOO
Lemon Juice
1 tsp of Red Pepper Flakes (or to taste)
1-1/2 tsp of Sea Salt & 1/2 tsp of Black Pepper
1 TB of Paprika
2 Garlic Cloves (smashed)

METHOD For the Marinade

1 In a large bowl, whisk all the ingredients together to the consistency of a light paste.

2. Add the Shrimp & toss to thoroughly coat. Place in the fridge for 3 hours. Occasionally tossing them to keep them moistened.

INGREDIENTS For Grilling the Shrimp

8 Colossal U-8 size marinated Shrimp
1 TB of EVOO

METHOD For Grilling the Shrimp

1. Heat a cast iron grill pan to the smoking stage. Add the 8 Shrimp, weighed down with a cast iron meat weight & grill for 1 minute to a side. If they require more time on the grill add no more than 30 seconds to a side.

2. Turn off the heat, cover the Shrimp to keep warm.

Serves 4

A CookTale

This is a redux of my first attempt to prepare a Mousse with other ingredients than Smoked Salmon. For a full description, I refer you to the November 17th CookTale. This version did have slight variations, which is only natural for me on a second go-around.

INGREDIENTS For the Mousse

6 Diver Scallops
Sea Salt & Black Pepper (generously applied)
3 large Shallots (crushed & peeled)
1/2 cup of Mayonnaise (prepared is fine)
1/2 cup of Creme Fraiche or Sour Cream
1/2 Bunch of Chives (finely diced)
Juice of 1 Lemon (strained)
1/2 cup of boiling water +2 envelopes of unflavored Knox Gelatin
A stovetop smoker
1 TB of Cameron Apple Wood Chips

METHOD

1. Prepare the smoker according to the product’s directions. Add the Scallops to the smoker’s wire grill, cover & allow about 10 minutes to reach the proper level of smokiness.

2. Cut the Scallops in half, and add to the processor bowl, along with the Shallots and 12 Chives. Puree until you have a smooth mixture. Add the Creme Fraiche or Sour Cream, pulse a few times to thoroughly combine.

3. Combine the Lemon Juice & boiling water in a small saucepan. Sprinkle with the Gelatin, place over low heat & stir until dissolved. Stir this into the Scallop mixture.

4. Cover the bottom of a rather small terrine with parchment. Spoon the mixture into the terrine & smooth the surface. Sprinkle additional finely diced Chives on top. Seal with Saran wrap & refrigerate until firm.

INGREDIENTS For the Aspic

1-1/2 cups of Clam Juice +1 Cup of water
1 cup of Dry White Wine
1 medium Onion (sliced)
6 Parsley stalks
Sea Salt & White Pepper
1-1/2 envelopes of unflavored Knox Gelatin

METHOD

1. Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce and simmer for 30 minutes. Strain & return to the heat, cook down to 2 cups. Sprinkle Gelatin over the broth. Stir until dissolved. Taste the Aspic for seasoning.

2. By TB, add the Aspic to the firmed Mousse. Allow the Aspic to set in the fridge & repeat until the proper amount of it has been added. Save the remaining Aspic in a wide dish & refrigerate. At serving time, dice the Aspic into small cubes & add to each serving plate.

Serves 4

A CookTale

This might be the simplest yet most extraordinary brunch dish you could prepare. We have been serving it since the mid-seventies when it was served to us at a dinner party in Conneticut, prepared by one of the guests, Jacques Pepin. Our eyes just about popped out of our heads, and our mouths said Wow. In our thirty-odd years of entertaining since that memorable evening, it’s never failed to be impressive and delicious.

INGREDIENTS

1-1/2 lbs of Wild Organic Salmon (skin on preferred)
1 Medium Red Onion (1/4″ dice)
1/2 Cup of Capers (drained)
1 Lemon Zested + the Juice
Sea Salt & Black Pepper (go light on the salt)
1/4 cup of EVOO (the best you have)

METHOD

1. About 1 hour before preparation, place the Salmon in the freezer just long enough to firm it up for easier slicing.

2. Thinly spread a layer of EVOO onto a large attractive platter. Start to thinly slice the Salmon on the bias with a very sharp knife. (Actually there is one called a Salmon Knife.) Continue to slice & overlap each piece until the platter is completely filled.

3. Sprinkle on the diced Red Onion, the Capers, the Lemon Zest & the EVOO. Lightly season & allow to marinate at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.

4. With a wide lifting spatula simply scoop up 6 slices of Salmon for each plate, & spoon on EVOO, Onions & Capers. Add a slice of Lemon & serve.

Serves 2

A CookTale

I know of no other retail fish market in our region of the Hudson Valley where you can purchase a whole fish. A fish that is so fresh that their clear bright eyes and bright red gills tell you that you’ve come to the right place. That place is Gadeleto’s Seafood Market in New Paltz, NY. They’ll scale, gut, bone and if asked and not overwhelming busy, will even remove those nasty pin bones. After that it’s up to you how you decide to prepare it. After stuffing the cavity with herbs and vegetables, I opted for oven roasting. The result was Branzino, completely boneless, properly cooked and ready for plating.

INGREDIENTS For the Branzino

1 1-lb Whole Branzino (fully prepared)
1 Fennel Bulb (cored & finely sliced on a Mandoline)
1 whole Lemon (juiced & zested + thin slices of Lemon)
1 Garlic Clove (finely diced)
3/4 cup of Parsley (finely chopped)
4 TB of EVOO (more as needed)
Sea Salt & Black Pepper (be generous)

INGREDIENTS For the Gremolata

1/2 cup of Parsley
2 Garlic Cloves (diced)
1/2 cup of fresh Mint (chopped)
Juice of 1/2 Lemon
Sea Salt & Black Pepper

METHOD For the Branzino

1. Heat the oven to 350F degrees.

2. With a Mandoline, finely slice the Fennel Bulb & add it to a bowl. In the same bowl, add the Zest & Juice of half a Lemon, 2 TB of EVOO & Salt & Pepper. Mix together & set aside for the flavors to blend.

3. If required, debone the Branzino (a fishmonger is better at this). Otherwise, sprinkle the inside & outside with Salt & Pepper & EVOO. Open the fish flat & distribute the Fennel mixture into the cavity. Add three slices of Lemon atop the Fennel & fold together. Refrigerate until ready to oven roast.

4. To the prepared Branzino, add three slices of Lemon & spoon on the Gremolata. Into the oven to roast for 15 minutes.

5. To serve, add a fillet to each plate, scatter around the roasted Fennel mixture & a dash of the Gremolata.

METHOD For the Gremolata

Chop, slice & add all of the above ingredients & toss together. Add more EVOO if necessary to attain the consistency of a Salsa. Set aside.

Serves 2

A CookTale

Hard to believe, but to those of us who were around, it was forty years ago that Nixon went to China, and Chinese food has never been the same. After that we watched upper Third Avenue in New York City mushroom with restaurants with unusual Chinese names like Hunan, Sichuan, Fujian, Canton. How well I remember our leaving most any one of them with our mouths afire, and darting down to PJ’s at 55th & 3rd to cool them off. (Any reason was a good reason). My versions, with concern for both myself and Cathie, are much people friendlier.

INGREDIENTS

1 lb of 16-20 count uncooked Shrimp, (peeled & deveined)
2 TB of dry Sherry
2 TB of Ginger (peeled & minced)
2 Garlic Cloves (minced)
1/2 tsp of dried Crushed Red Pepper (or to taste)
1/2 cup of canned Chicken Broth
2 tsp of Cornstarch
2 TB of Soy Sauce
1 TB of Asian Chili-Garlic sauce (or Sriracha)
1 tsp of Sugar
2 TB of Peanut Oil
6 Scallions (cut diagonally into 1/2-inch pieces)
8 oz of Shiitake Mushrooms (sliced)
1/4 cup of Sesame Seeds (toasted)
1/4 cup of Cilantro or Parsley (chopped)

METHOD

1. Combine the first 5 ingredients in large bowl & toss thoroughly. Allow to stand for 30 minutes. Combine the Soy Sauce, Chili-Garlic sauce (or Sriracha) & Sugar in small bowl. Combine Chicken Broth & Cornstarch in another small bowl, stir to dissolve. Set aside.

2. Heat the 1 TB of the Peanut Oil in a large wok over medium-high heat. Add the Shiitake Mushrooms & stir-fry until tender & starting to color. Remove to its bowl. Add the Scallions & stir-fry for a few minutes. Add to the Shiitakes.

3. Add another TB of Peanut Oil to the wok, & add the Shrimp. Stir-fry only until shrimp are pink, about a minute. Mix in soy sauce mixture. Return the Scallions & Shiitakes to the wok, add the dissolved Cornstarch. Cook until thickened, about 1 minute.

4. Plate & sprinkle on the chopped Cilantro & Sesame Seeds.

Serves 2

A CookTale

When we lived in New York City in the eighties and early nineties, there were three Japanese Restaurants that like a siren call kept bringing me back. Those were the days before Nobu, Masa, Momofuku and the Sushi Bar explosion. My restaurants were Japonica on University Place and 13th. Hatsuhana on 48th between Fifth and Madison, and Nippon on 51st off Lexington. What pleasant memories they bring back! No matter how diligently I try, If I’m lucky I can get to a halfway mark in my Asian attempts.

INGREDIENTS

1 Sushi Grade Tuna Steak (12 Ounces)
1/2 cup of toasted Sesame Seeds, white & black combined, or white only (more if needed)
1 TB of Peanut Oil

1/2 cup of Soy Sauce
1/4 cup chopped Scallions
2 TB of fresh Lemon Juice
1 tsp of Sesame Oil
1 tsp of fresh ginger (grated)
1/2 tsp of Cornstarch (dissolved in Water)

METHOD

1. Slice the Tuna Steak horizontally in half or have the fishmonger do it. You want to end up with 2- 1/2″ pieces.

2. Combine the Soy Sauce, chopped Scallions, Lemon Juice & fresh Ginger in a large bowl. Add the two Tuna Steaks to coat, & marinate in the fridge for about 20 minutes.

3. Preheat a cast iron pan to the highest stove top temperature. Place the Sesame Seeds on a plate. Remove the Tuna steaks from the fridge, brushing the scallions off the Steaks.

4. One at a time, coat the Tuna in the Sesame Seeds on both sides & edges, pressing the Sesame Seeds into the Steaks so they’ll adhere.

5. Add a thin layer of Peanut Oil to the heated pan & add the Tuna. Cook for no more than 15 seconds to a side. (only slightly longer if you prefer, you do want them quite rare). Remove to a platter & keep warm.

6. Pour the reserved marinade into a small sauce pot & bring to a boil. Add the Cornstarch & water, stirring with a whisk to completely dissolve. Simmer for about 3-4 minutes, until the sauce thickens. Spoon onto each plate, top with a Tuna Steak & surround with the reserved Scallions.