Recipe Rewind...Good Friday Fish and Chips

People are often asked what they would choose as their "last supper". For me, without a doubt it would be fish and chips. Fresh cod, lightly battered, with hand cut french fries, seasoned with sea salt, with a side of dressing and gravy, fresh lemon and good brown malt vinegar. I'd wash it all down with a cold bottle of Blue Star or India (or maybe a can of Pineapple Crush).

Living in St. John's, Newfoundland allows one to take many things for granted, and good fish-n-chips is no exception. You can get really good fresh fish and a load of fries, with all the fixins (fried onions with canned peas, dressing and gravy) all around town, even in the mall, and especially downtown on Freshwater Road.

Since I've moved away, I've yet to have great fish and chips, the way we do it back home with an "English style" wet batter that is light( not doughy) and crisp, with well cooked (twice fried is the only way to go) homemade french fries. I've had good fish, as there are "Fish Fry's" as they call them here all over the place, but they are not even close. For starters, finding homemade fries is impossible. Everyone uses frozen fries, and crinkle cut seem to be the most popular at the "Fish Fry" places I've been to (small portion too!). Then there is the fish and the batter. The fish is almost always haddock, which I like, but it isn't cod. Also is the batter. More often than not, here in upstate NY, the batter is a dry flour based batter...like a plain fried chicken crust. In New England, particularly on the coast they do a simple corn flour batter. The seafood (which I must say is often quite fresh (haddock, flounder, scallops, shrimp and clams) is simply dunked in milk and tossed in the corn flour and fried. I like this, especially on the shellfish, but again, it just isn't the same. Plus if you think you're going to find dressing and gravy served with your fish you're mistaken. Here the side is coleslaw, tarter sauce, and a malt vinegar, but the vinegar is not like we have back in Newfoundland (the stuff made from Brown Vinegar Concentrate you get at Ches' for instance).

With all that being said it is needless to say that I try and make fish and chips myself at home two or three times a month. Since I don't have a deep fat fryer, I do a pan fried cod served with oven roasted home fries, and yes I always have the dressing and gravy and a fresh tarter sauce with vinegar. Check it out!

Good Friday Fish and Chips

Cut:
4 large potatoes (whatever you like, I mix it up between Yukons, Russets and Reds) into french fries, rinse with water and dry in towels
Add:
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
Roast at 425 on baking sheet for 30-35 minutes (turn after20 minutes)

While fries are cooking, prepare:
1 1/2 pounds of cod, cut into 6 pieces

And one bowl for each of the following:
1 cup of flour
1 egg + splash of water
1 cup flour = 1 cup fine bread crumb (seasoned with kosher salt, black pepper, dried savory)

Heat 1/4 cup of vegetable oil in a large non-stick skillet over a medium high heat.
In assembly line fashion, dredge fish in flour, eggwash and seasoned flour/crumb mixture.
Add breaded fish one piece at a time to the hot oil, being careful not to splash your fingers.
Cook until golden brown and flip.

Tarter Sauce
1 cup mayo
1 Tbsp lemon juice
4-5 capers, minced
1 tsp sweet green relish
a few shakes of malt vinegar
black pepper

Once fish and fries are done, season immediately with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Squeeze the fish with lemon before serving.

Blackened Trout Salad with Lemony Salad Dressing

One of my favorite weeknight meals is a big salad of greens, veggies and toppers and a nice piece of protein such as steak, chicken breast or fish. Here is a simple recipe for blackened seafood fillet featuring steelhead trout, but could also be substituted for salmon or other firm fish. Also, the versatile blackening seasoning goes great with chicken, pork and steak too, which can be prepared in a skillet, under the broiler or on the grill.

Blackened trout or salmon can be paired with any combination of side dishes for an entrée, and is great atop a big salad. I don’t give a recipe for a salad because you can use whatever you like, have on hand or is in season. I always keep greens on hand, along with red onion, cucumber, tomato and bell pepper. I also have an ample supply of salad toppers like hot cherry peppers, pepperinchinos, marinated artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers and olives to give my salads extra punch and for variety. Since seafood and lemon go great together, I’ve also included a tangy lemon dressing recipe for the salad.

Blackening Seasoning 

Ingredients:

·         2 Tbsp Paprika

·         1 tsp each of garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, cayenne pepper and kosher salt

·         ½ tsp dried summer savory (rubbed in palm)

Directions:

There are a couple ways to cook a piece of fish with blackening seasoning, and either is great. One way is to apply the seasoning directly to the fish and cook on a hot surface such as a cast-iron skillet. A second way is to first rub the fish with a little oil and then apply the blackening so that the spice and oil come together to create kind of a wet rub. From here the fish can then be cooked in a hot dry skillet, on the grill, under the broiler or in a little more oil in a skillet. I did the latter for the fish in the photos here. I cooked the fillet on a medium high heat for about 4 minutes on one side and then for just a minute or two on the second side. I then removed the fish from the heat and covered it with foil to let it rest and just cook through. Just before adding the fish to the salad I sprinkled the filets with the zest and juice of half a lemon.

Lemony Salad Dressing

Ingredients:

·         ½ cup extra virgin olive oil

·         ¼ cup lemon juice

·         zest of 1 lemon

·         2 Tbsp Dijon mustard

·         ½ tsp of blackening seasoning

Directions:

Add all ingredients to a Mason jar and screw on the lid. Shake vigorously to combine into a homogeneous mixture. Toss salad greens in a little of the dressing just prior to plating and drizzle more to taste over your salad and fish.