Salmon for a Crowd

Most people like Salmon which makes it the perfect fish for a party or get together. In this recipe the fish is covered with a mustard, tarragon, and chive cream sauce and then roasted in the oven.

The dish can then sit in the fridge for a day and be served with some more sauce at room temperature. I wanted to see on which day the salmon tasted better, so I tried it right as I took it out of the oven and also on the next day. It was even more juicy and tender the next day!



Roast Side of Salmon with Mustard, Tarragon, and Chive Sauce
(bonappetit)
serves 8


⅔ cup mayonnaise
½ cup spicy brown mustard (such as Gulden's)
6 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
6 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
2 tablespoons (packed) golden brown sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon peel
1 3 1/2- to 3 3/4-pound whole side of salmon with skin (about 1 1/2 inches thick at thickest part)


Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 450°F.
Line large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Mix first 7 ingredients in medium bowl. Season mustard sauce lightly with salt and generously with pepper. Place salmon, skin side down, on diagonal on prepared sheet. Spoon 1/2 cup mustard sauce atop salmon, then spread over, covering completely. Sprinkle salmon generously with salt and pepper. Roast just until salmon is opaque in center, about 15 minutes. Using parchment as aid, transfer salmon to platter. Cut crosswise into pieces and serve with remaining mustard sauce.

Indian Fishcakes with Indian spiced Potatoes

Made from cooked fish and chickpea flour these fish cakes come together really quickly. They don't contain eggs which makes them really light and tender and the indian spices give them a certain warmth but are not overpowering. I served them with Indian spiced Potatoes, also a very easy and healthy dish.

The long list of ingredients might turn you off, but you don't actually need all the spices listed in the recipe. Just take whatever you have in your cabinet or a mix of the spices you like and they will still taste great.

Paneer Fish Cakes
(adapted from Bal Arneson)
makes 6 to 8 cakes)

• For the Fish Cakes
• 1 (6 ounce) cooked salmon or other flaky fillet, skin removed
• ½ cup paneer
• ¼ cup plain yogurt
• 2 tablespoons minced red onion
• ½ cup chickpea flour
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder
• 1 tablespoon fenugreek leaves ( I used toasted and grinded coriander seeds)
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• Pinch kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil

• Apple and Fig Chutney  (I used store bought Mango Chutney, but this sounds really good)
• 4 cups whole milk
• ¼ cup vinegar
• Apple and Fig Chutney
• 1 cup chopped gala apples
• ¼ cup dried figs, roughly chopped
• ¼ cup slivered almonds
• ¼ cup raisins
• 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1 teaspoon ground fennel seed
• 2 cups water
• 
  

Fish Cakes


Mash the salmon with the paneer in a large bowl and then add the yogurt, onion, chickpea flour, spices, salt and pepper and mix well. Form the mixture into small patties about 1 to 2 inches in diameter. 
Heat the oil in a large non-stick skillet and begin to fry patties for about 2 to 3 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Serve the patties with Apple and Fig Chutney.

Apple and Fig Chutney

Mix the apples, figs, almonds, raisins, cardamom, fennel seed, and water in a medium saucepan and simmer on low heat for 30 minutes. Let the mixture cool, and then place the mixture in a food processor and puree to a paste. Store the chutney in an airtight glass container in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Spiced Indian Potatoes

adapted from "Show me the Curry"

serves 2

Boiled Potatoes – 3-4 med., cubed (1/2kg/1.13lb) 

(You can cook them, already cubed, in a microwave friendly dish, covered, on high heat for about 4 - 7 minutes)

Amchur/Dry Mango Powder – 1/4 tsp

Garam Masala – 1/4 tsp

Cumin Powder – 1/2 tsp

Coriander Powder – 1/2 tsp

Red Chilli Powder – to taste

Salt
Oil 2 Tbsp
Mustard Seeds- 1 tsp
Dry Red Chili – 1 or to taste

Asafoetida – 1/8 tsp 
Turmeric Powder/Haldi – 1/4 tsp
Curry Leaves – few leaves
Green Chillies – to taste, finely chopped

Lemon Juice – to taste

Cilantro – 1/2 bunch, finely chopped

Sprinkle the dry spices (Garam Masala, Mango Powder,Cumin Powder, Coriander Powder, Red Chilli Powder) over the cooled potatoes. 

Mix well but gently. 

Add in Salt, a lot of dry spices have salt so do the taste test and mix. 

In a pan, heat Oil on medium heat. Once the Oil is hot, add in Mustard Seeds and allow them to pop. 

Add in the Dry Red Chili (optional). 

Add in Asafoetida, Turmeric Powder, Curry Leaves, Green Chillies in that order. 

Add in the Potatoes and Mix well. 

Sprinkle some Lemon or Lime Juice and Cilantro. Mix well. 

Cook the Potatoes till they are heated all the way through and further if you want them caramelized. 

Serve as a side dish or as an appetizer.

Indian Fish Curry

I love Indian Curries, but sometimes they seem a little bit time consuming to prepare, also it is not always easy to find the right spices. This is, why I think it is best to always have a recipe on hand that you can whip up last minute.

Nigella's recipe is really easy, fast and super tasty. It has a very hot and sour flavor (depending on your chili's) and makes a perfect fast meal together with the lemon rice. 

You can prepare the sauce a couple of hours ahead of time and when you are ready to serve it just heat the fish gently in the prepared curry. I used Mahi Mahi for this curry but I am sure you can use any firm fish.

KERALAN FISH CURRY
(Nigella Lawson)
serves 4 - 6

• 2¾ pounds firm white fish, such as sole, cod, haddock, or halibut
• salt
• 2 teaspoons turmeric
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 medium onions, halved and cut into thin half-moons
• 2 long red chillies
• 1½-inch piece fresh ginger
• pinch ground cumin
• 13¾ ounces (about 1 2/3 cups) canned unsweetened coconut milk
• 1–2 tablespoons concentrated tamarind
• 1 tablespoon liquid fish stock

Directions

Cut the fish into bite-sized chunks, put them into a large bowl, and rub with a little salt and 1 teaspoon turmeric. Heat the oil in a large, shallow pan and peel and tip in your fine half-moons of onion; sprinkle them with a little salt to stop them browning and then cook, stirring, until they’ve softened; this should take scarcely 5 minutes.

Cut the whole, unseeded chillies into thin slices across (although if you really don’t want this at all hot, you can seed and then just chop them) and then toss them into the pan of softened onions. Peel the ginger and slice it, then cut the slices into straw-like strips and add them, too, along with the remaining teaspoon of turmeric and the cumin. Fry them with the onions for a few minutes.

Pour the can of coconut milk into a large glass measuring cup and add a tablespoon of tamarind paste and the fish stock, using boiling water from the kettle to bring the liquid up to the 4-cup mark. Pour it into the pan, stirring it in to make the delicate curry sauce. Taste and add more tamarind paste if you want to. And actually you can do all this hours in advance if it helps.

When you are absolutely ready to eat, add the fish to the hot sauce and heat for a couple of minutes until it’s cooked through, but still tender.

Quick Seafood Stew

This is a beautiful Dinner for Family or Company. The sauce can be prepared in advance and stored in the fridge. 10 minutes before you are ready to serve - just add the fish and/or seafood (you can choose any firm fish you like) and let it cook for a couple of minutes.

Seafood Stew

(Blanchard's Table)

1/4 cup olive oil

4    scallions, thinly sliced

1    large yellow onion, cut in half and thinly sliced

1    red bell pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped

2   14 1/2 oz cans Italian stewed tomatoes (or 1 big can)

2    cups bottled clam juice or fish stock

1    teaspoon dried oregano

1    teaspoon dried basil

12  shrimp, peeled, deveined, and tails left on

12  sea scallops

12  littleneck clams, scrubbed

3/4 pound firm white fish (Swordfish, Mahi Mahi, Cod, etc.)

3   Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Salt & Pepper

Parsley

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium high heat, and add the scallions, onion and pepper.

Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is golden, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and break them up slightly with a spoon. 

Ad the clam juice, oregano, and basil: then cover and bring to a boil.

Uncover and simmer for 10 minutes, or until slightly thickened.

Add the fish and seafood, cover and simmer until the fish and shellfish are cooked through and the clams have opened, 5 to 10 minutes. Taste for salt and pepper and ladle into shallow bowls. Sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately.

Mediterranean Fish

The beauty of this dish is that you can make it hours ahead. Prepare it, cover with plastic foil and store it in your fridge until you are ready to bake it.

Recipe
(serves 2)

2 T Olive oil

3/4 pound fish (Halibut, Cod, etc.)

1/4 cup black olives, sliced

1 6 oz. jar artichoke hearts, quartered

3 oz feta, crumbled

1 Tomato, medium, diced

1 T Lemon juice or White Wine

Fresh or dried Oregano, Thyme, Rosemary, Parsley minced

Black Pepper

Preheat oven to 400Degree

Wash and dry Fish and brush it then with half the olive oil. Place in a baking dish big enough to hold our fish. Sprinkle with fresh pepper.

Mix carefully together diced Tomato, Feta, Artichoke, Lemon juice or wine and place on top of the fish.

Drizzle remaining olive oil over it and sprinkle with the herbs. Bake uncovered 30 - 40 min. until the fish is not translucent anymore.

Serve with rice or fresh Bread