Rural Missouri - June 2011 - (Page 24)

H E A R T H & H O M E IT’s a Shore Th i ng F by Heather Berry hberry@ruralmissouri.coop page design by Megan Schibi You don’t have to catch your meal to enjoy these delicious ﬁsh entrées Herb-stuffed Trout 4 whole trout (about 1 pound each), gutted and rinsed 24 sprigs of fresh thyme, rosemary or other herbs of your choice 1 medium red onion, sliced 1/2-inch thick 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 2 tablespoons olive oil Kitchen twine Preheat grill to medium high heat. Place the trout on a clean work surface. Evenly divide the thyme (or other herbs), onion, salt and black pepper among the ﬁsh and place in the cavity of each. Rub the outside of each trout with the olive oil; set aside. Cut 12, 10-inch pieces of kitchen twine; tie three around the body of each trout to secure the herb stufﬁng. Place the trout in a large grill basket and cook directly on the grill rack for 7 minutes. Flip the basket over and continue cooking 6 to 7 minutes, until ﬁsh is opaque in the center. Remove twine and serve immediately. Baja Fish Soft Tacos 2 cups red cabbage, shredded 1/4 cup cilantro, coarsely chopped 1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons chipotle salsa 1 tablespoon salt 1/3 cup sour cream 2 cups cornmeal 3 large eggs 1 pound cod, cut crosswise into 1/2inch-thick slices (tilapia or red snapper also work well) Vegetable oil for frying 8 6-inch soft corn tortillas Spicy Tartar Sauce (recipe below) In a medium bowl, toss the cabbage, cilantro, 1/4 cup chipotle salsa and salt to taste. In a small bowl, combine the sour cream and remaining 3 tablespoons salsa. Set bowls aside. In a shallow dish, whisk together the cornmeal and 1 tablespoon of salt. In another shallow dish, beat the eggs with a fork. Coat the ﬁsh slices in the cornmeal, then in the egg, then in the cornmeal again; place on a clean plate. In a medium cast-iron skillet, pour the oil to a depth of 1-1/2 inches and heat over medium heat until the surface ripples, about 2 minutes. Add about a third of the ﬁsh slices to the skillet and cook until golden, turning once, about 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate; repeat with the remaining ﬁsh slices. In a large skillet, warm the tortillas on both sides over high heat. Once warm, place on serving plate, spread about 1 teaspoon of sour cream sauce on the tortilla, then top with a few pieces of ﬁsh and a heaping spoonful of the slaw and fold over. Repeat with the remaining tacos and serve with Spicy Tartar Sauce if desired. ish can be a perfect entrée no matter how you choose to prepare it. It’s great any time of year, but summertime always seems to make ﬁsh taste even better, especially if you like to catch your own meal. Best of all, ﬁsh needs little embellishment — a dash of salt and pepper, a squeeze of fresh lemon and some fresh herbs and you’re set. If buying fresh ﬁsh, keep these tips in mind: • Fresh ﬁsh should never smell overly ﬁshy. Fishy smells usually come from older ﬁsh that have been held too long. Fresh ﬁsh should also be ﬁrm and the ﬂesh should spring back when touched. • When buying whole ﬁsh, make sure the eyes of the ﬁsh look clear and glossy and the gills are bright. • Be sure to shop at a busy ﬁsh counter. If the ﬁsh sells quickly, it’s probably the freshest you’ll ﬁnd in your area. Ask when the ﬁsh is delivered to know the best day to shop. If fresh ﬁsh isn’t available, buying ﬁsh that has been frozen is the next best alternative. • Unless you are planning to freeze it immediately, cook fresh ﬁsh within 24 hours and be sure to store it in the coldest part of your refrigerator until it’s prepared. • Typical ﬁsh cooking times are: 10 minutes per inch thickness; 5 minutes per inch of ﬁsh cooked in a sauce, or 20 minutes per inch of ﬁsh if it’s frozen. Use a cooking thermometer to gauge doneness more precisely. When cooking fresh ﬁsh, every minute counts. Cook the ﬁsh until it’s opaque in color, ﬂakes easily when tested with a fork and comes away from the bones easily. Any juices from the cooked ﬁsh should be milky white. This applies no matter what method of cooking you choose. The change from perfectly cooked to overcooked happens in minutes. If your ﬁsh is chewy or seems a bit tough to bite, it’s probably overcooked. Fish continues to cook a bit from residual heat. So unless someone wants cardboard ﬁsh for dinner, undercook it a little bit. Fresh Tuna Pasta Salad 24 ounces shell macaroni or rotini (spiral), uncooked 18 ounces fresh tuna steak, cooke 4-1/2 tablespoons olive oil 6 tablespoons Dijon mustard 9 tablespoons rice wine vinegar Zest of 4 limes 9 fresh parsley sprigs, chopped 3 tablespoons soy sauce 4-1/2 cloves garlic, minced 1-1/2 teaspoons dried dill 1 small red bell pepper, seeded, halved and cut into thin slices 1 small green bell pepper, seeded, halved and cut into thin slices 1 small can of sliced black olives, welldrained Small broccoli ﬂorets (optional)* Black pepper or lemon pepper seasoning, to taste In a large bowl, break cooked tuna steaks up with a fork into bite-size pieces; set aside. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and rinse with cold water. In a small bowl, combine olive oil, Dijon mustard, rice wine vinegar, lime zest, parsley, soy sauce, garlic and dill; mix well and set aside. In the large bowl, toss together the drained pasta, red and green pepper slices, black olives, broccoli ﬂorets, tuna and dressing. Serve cold. *While this recipe calls for red and green bell pepper slices and broccoli ﬂorets, you can easily substitute or add any of your favorite vegetables to this type of salad. Celery slices, diced red onion, cauliﬂower ﬂorets or even water chestnut slices make nice additions or substitutions. Spicy Tartar Sauce 2 cups reduced-fat mayonnaise 1 hard-cooked egg, peeled and chopped 1/4 onion, minced 2 tablespoons dill pickle relish 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper 1 teaspoon seasoned salt Stir together all ingredients in a bowl until well combined. Cover and chill until ready to serve. Immediately refrigerate any remaining sauce. 24 WWW.RURALMISSOURI.COOP http://WWW.RURALMISSOURI.COOP

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Rural Missouri - June 2011

Rural Missouri - June 2011
Contents
Comments
Columns
In the beginning
The Missouri Lyon hunt
Mail Bag
Beaver Creek Paylake & Fish Fry
Out of the Way Eats
Drowned
Hearth and Home
News Briefs
In the middle of everywhere
Marketplace
Around Missouri
Restoring Stover
Neighbors
Just4Kids

Rural Missouri - June 2011