Fish for Dinner is a feature chronicling my education in the ways of fish-cookery. I grew up avoiding fish other than sticks and was well into adulthood before adding the real deal into my diet (over time and usually at a restaurant). The impetus to cook more fish at home comes from joining a sustainable fish program through Hooked on Fish, like a CSA that delivers boxes of farm-fresh produce but with seafood instead. I’ll tell you what we made and how we liked it, plus a few tips and fishin’ tunes too.
This fish dinner is extremely easy and versatile – any kind of medium-firm white fillet will do, including cod, snapper, halibut, and tilefish among others. We used whitefish, from the cold, deep waters of the Great Lakes. The veggies in the dish can also be adapted for taste and seasonality.
This recipe comes from one of Mark Bittman’s New York Times cooking features wherein he identifies multiple cooking methods for a single ingredient and then provides 3-4 recipes within each category. I really enjoy these features because they allow me to approach the kitchen more as a cook/chef and less as a recipe-follower. You learn to address the primary ingredient first: Ah, what a delightful specimen of [INGREDIENT] I’ve found at the market! Now, how would I like to cook it? Versus: I’ve got this recipe and will now shop to fulfill its list. The Bittman model provides some basic techniques and flavor suggestions and then lets you bring the kitchen creativity.
Continue reading for more of the story – recipe, pictures, even a fishin’ tune.
This fish dinner is extremely easy and versatile – any kind of medium-firm white fillet will do, including cod, snapper, halibut, and tilefish among others. We used whitefish, from the cold, deep waters of the Great Lakes. The veggies in the dish can also be adapted for taste and seasonality.
This recipe comes from one of Mark Bittman’s New York Times cooking features wherein he identifies multiple cooking methods for a single ingredient and then provides 3-4 recipes within each category. I really enjoy these features because they allow me to approach the kitchen more as a cook/chef and less as a recipe-follower. You learn to address the primary ingredient first: Ah, what a delightful specimen of [INGREDIENT] I’ve found at the market! Now, how would I like to cook it? Versus: I’ve got this recipe and will now shop to fulfill its list. The Bittman model provides some basic techniques and flavor suggestions and then lets you bring the kitchen creativity.
Continue reading for more of the story – recipe, pictures, even a fishin’ tune.
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How We Prepared It:
Click the photos to enlarge them and read the captions.
- Poached Whitefish Curried with Zucchini – recipe from Mark Bittman – served over rice
Click the photos to enlarge them and read the captions.
| Printable Recipe- Poached Whitefish Curried with Zucchini |
Poached Whitefish Curried with Zucchini
Recipe source: Mark Bittman
INGREDIENTS:
DIRECTIONS:
Recipe source: Mark Bittman
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 zucchini, cut into chunks
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
- 1 tablespoon curry powder (or to taste)
- 1 ½ pounds whitefish fillet
- Salt & pepper to season the fish
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 1 cup water
- Cilantro, parsley or scallion greens, chopped, for garnish
DIRECTIONS:
- Heat vegetable oil in large, deep skillet over medium heat. Add chopped onion and zucchini and sauté for about 5 minutes, until vegetables soften and onion becomes translucent.
- Add ginger and curry powder. Cook for a minute, then add fish.
- Add 1 cup each of coconut milk and water.
- Bring to a boil, cover and turn off heat. Fish will be done in about 10 minutes.
- Add garnish, if desired, and serve over rice.
The Verdict: This recipe will improve with tasting and tweaking. As written, and as executed by me (admittedly there might be operator error) the results were good but not great. It was missing a little sump’n sump’n but it should be easy enough to get the dish back on track.
Add some onions, extra curry powder, extra salt, maybe even some chunks of potato. I will definitely give this one another try ... and if you like quick, easy-enough-for-a-weeknight curry you should too!
Add some onions, extra curry powder, extra salt, maybe even some chunks of potato. I will definitely give this one another try ... and if you like quick, easy-enough-for-a-weeknight curry you should too!
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