A cooking question

[bailadora]

When we do I'm usually making sushi.

*sigh* No matter how hard I try, I just cannot get into sushi. I think it's a texture issue for me. Every time I see sushi, it reminds me of that Terry Bradshaw commercial - "You forgot to cook this."

That said, Sunday I'm planning on trying out my first original fish recipe. If it works, I'll post it for ya. Now if you want a nice seafood aphrodisiac, I got a killer oyster soup recipe. And it works.

Um - yes please And I hear you on the fresh fish. My daddy is a recreational fisherman and I got so spoiled to fresh snapper from the Gulf. Alas, he hasn't been fishing in at least three or four years.

One thing I meant to mention, don't overcook your fish.

I think it's more a problem with seasoning. Try as I might, it just never comes out as good as something I can get at a restaurant.

Best of luck to you on Sunday.

 

[bailadora]

Ok, Cy - come on back. Did that culinary education of yours include fish?

 

[Cathleen]

Thanks, Kahuna, it sounds wonderful and I learned some of the things I did that screwed it up. I would stir it, I put the mirepoix in too quickly and basically didn't take the time to truly bring out the flavors. I like to use spices/herbs to my taste not to a can's taste.

Listen to me sounding all Julia like -- not!

 

[cyikac1986]

Ok, Cy - come on back. Did that culinary education of yours include fish?

Sure, what did you need?

 

[cyikac1986]

I have a question about deglazing a pan. I really don't like the flavors of pretty much any alcohol which many use to deglaze. Tonight I cooked chicken and used a little cranberry with a bit of water, I liked it but need more ideas.

Any suggestions, please?

You can use just about any liquid to deglaze except, as it was so correctly put ealrier, milk. I have even used coffee in pot roasts. Juices work well as long as they pair with the ingredients, stocks, and even just water.
Try one of the nonalcohol wines like Fre if the bitterness of the alcohol bothers oyu.

 

[TBKahuna123]

I have even used coffee in pot roasts.

Oh man I have GOT to try that! I can see this with Lamb Chops being awesome. I can't believe I never thought to try that.

 

[TBKahuna123]

*sigh* No matter how hard I try, I just cannot get into sushi. I think it's a texture issue for me. Every time I see sushi, it reminds me of that Terry Bradshaw commercial - "You forgot to cook this."

I'm not a huge sushi fan either, but it makes the wife happy. It's her favorite food, so I made a point to learn how to properly prepare it. Luckily, my brother in law was a sushi chef at the time, and I got lots of great info. The texture is what bothers me about most types of fish too. I'm pretty picky about what I'll eat when it comes to sushi.

I think it's more a problem with seasoning. Try as I might, it just never comes out as good as something I can get at a restaurant.

Well we're definitely going Tilapia. I just found out today that the the market is getting a fresh shipment late Saturday night.

Seasoning, yeah you also have to be careful not to over season. There is no sure fire fish seasoning, because fish are so different in flavor. As I've found, not every kind of fish goes with lemon.

I'll let ya know how it goes.

 

[bailadora]

Sure, what did you need?

Well, for starters, do you have any recipes or tips to recommend? My problem with fish (I tend to like the mild/medium tasting white fleshed fish), is that when I try to make it at home, it comes out rather bland (whether it's grilled or baked). I've tried lemon pepper, garlic salt, seasoning salt, etc, but somehow I've never hit on the right combination to make it taste as good as something I can get in a restaurant. Sometimes I'll make a topping to put over the fish (shrimp or crawfish) and while the topping itself comes out good, the fish itself is sort of tasteless.

I'm sort of clueless as to what I might be doing wrong.

 

[TBKahuna123]

Well I obviously don't have the answer. My Sweet Potato crusted Tillapia turned out barely so so. I got a few modifications in mind, but it wasn't great. I think I shoulda put the sauce UNDER the fish where it would contact the fish directly, rather than over the potato crust. Oh well, at least the sauce came out good. I think it would be good over the Tillapia on it's own:

1 Can Mandarin Oranges
2 tsp Sesame Oil
2 Tbsp Soy Sauce.

Bring oranges and juice to a boil. Using a whisk vigorously break up the oranges and whisk in oil and soy. Reduce heat and simmer until reduced.

The scallops came out pretty good. I larded them with hot itallian sausage and sauted them in blood orange infused olive oil. Good flavor.

All in all way out of my confort zone. Hey, at least Bailadora has given me incentive to learn to cook fish.

 

[cyikac1986]

B- Fish can be one of the hardest to cook. It can dry out in a flash and saucing it is tricky as well.

TBK- I always recommend the sauce be on the plate and the fish on top when you have a breaded/crusted item. This allows the cripsiness of the topping to shine through yet you still get a taste of the sauce afterwards.

This is one of my favorites from Emeril
Pecan Crusted Cod Fish Recipe

Pecan crust:
2 cups roasted pecans
1/2-cup bread crumbs
4 (6 ounce) cod fillets
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon Essence, recipe follows
1 cup fried shoestring potatoes
1 cup Creole Meunier sauce (any beurre blanc sauce with 1 tablespoon of Essence added), warm
2 tablespoons chopped green onions, for garnish
2 tablespoons brunoise red peppers, for garnish

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
In a food processor, combine all the ingredients for the pecan crust. Puree the mixture until it resembles a mealy texture. Season the cod with Essence.

In a saute pan, heat the olive oil. When the oil is smoking hot, add the fish. Saute for 2 minutes and flip over. Top each fish with the pecan crust and finish cooking in the oven. Bake the fish for 6 to 8 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the fish is cooked all the way through.

Spoon the sauce in the center of the plate and around the rim. Lay the fish in the center of the sauce. Pile the potatoes on top of the fish. Garnish with the green onion and red peppers


Essence (Emeril's Creole Seasoning):
2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried leaf oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight jar or container.
Yield: about 2/3 cup

Creole Meunier Sauce:
2 tablespoons minced shallots
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 pound butter, cut into 1-inch cubes, cold
1 tablespoon Essence (Emeril's Creole Seasoning)

In a saute pan, combine the shallots, garlic, and wine together. Bring up to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Reduce the wine by half, about 2 to 3 minutes. With a whisk, mount in the butter cubes one at a time until all are fully incorporated and slightly thick. Season with Essence.
Yield: 1 cup

and another one of my favorites

Mahi-Mahi with Orange Beurre Blanc Sauce


Marinade and fish:
2 fresh limes
8 (6-ounce) mahi-mahi fillets
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup tequila
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons butter
Orange Beurre Blanc Sauce:
1 cup orange juice
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon very finely chopped fresh parsley leaves
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, cut into cubes


Microwave limes in a small bowl to release essential oils. Since these will be hot coming from the microwave, set them aside until just cool enough to handle. Season fish with salt and pepper and place in a non-reactive container for marinating. Squeeze lime juice over fish and add rinds to the bowl. Pour tequila over fillets, cover and let marinate in refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
About 20 to 25 minutes before mealtime, prepare orange beurre blanc by combining orange juice and wine in a saucepan and simmering on medium heat until reduced by half the volume. Stir in heavy cream, bring to a gentle simmer, and allow to reduce and thicken over low heat. Stir in parsley and set aside briefly in a warm place.

Heat oil over medium heat in a large saute pan and add butter. Sear marinated fillets flesh side first, leaving undisturbed for at least 2 to 3 minutes to allow the surface to begin to caramelize and prevent tearing of the fish. Flip over to sear the skin side. Allow to cook for 5 to 8 minutes or until flesh springs back when gently prodded. Remove to a tray and let rest.

Whisk butter into sauce just before serving and spoon over and around the fish.

 

[cyikac1986]

Well I obviously don't have the answer. My Sweet Potato crusted Tillapia turned out barely so so. I got a few modifications in mind, but it wasn't great. I think I shoulda put the sauce UNDER the fish where it would contact the fish directly, rather than over the potato crust. Oh well, at least the sauce came out good. I think it would be good over the Tillapia on it's own:

1 Can Mandarin Oranges
2 tsp Sesame Oil
2 Tbsp Soy Sauce.

Bring oranges and juice to a boil. Using a whisk vigorously break up the oranges and whisk in oil and soy. Reduce heat and simmer until reduced.

The scallops came out pretty good. I larded them with hot itallian sausage and sauted them in blood orange infused olive oil. Good flavor.

All in all way out of my confort zone. Hey, at least Bailadora has given me incentive to learn to cook fish.

This sounds great. Sometimes less ingredients is better because the flavors can pop.

 

[xxistential]

I got one for ya!!!

As if everyone didn't know I have another account for posting stories. LOL!

 

[TBKahuna123]

Here's a Stuffed Flounder recipe I put together that turned out fabulous! It's way easier than it sounds. The butter and lemon baste the fish and keep it moist. I'm a little unsure on the cooking time, however. As soon as the fish turns opaque, it's done, so take it out. The stuffing is already cooked. If I recall right, it was about 12 minutes for me.

Try it an enjoy!

Baked Stuffed Flounder

• ¼ cup minced shallot
• 2 Tbsp minced celery
• 2 Tbsp minced red bell peppers
• 2 Tbsp minced carrot
• ¼ pound minced shrimp
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 4 tsp water
• Salt and cayenne pepper to taste
• Bread crumbs to bind (preferable Panko)
• 4 Flounder Fillets (8 ounce)
• ½ stick of butter
• 3 Tbsp fresh basil (cut chiffonade style)

Heat 2 tsp of olive oil in a sauté pan. Saute shallot, celery, peppers and carrot in pan until shallot is translucent. Add Shrimp, season with kosher salt and cayenne and sauté until shrimp is cooked, about 3 minutes.

Transfer shrimp and vegetable mixture to a mixing bowl and combine with half the lemon juice, water and bread crumbs until mixture is moist and pasty. If mix is too dry, add a touch more water, if too wet, add more bread crumbs.

To stuff the flounder, lay out the fillets. Flounder fillets have a groove or split in them, lay this side up. Place a generous dollop of stuffing in the center third of the fillet. Fold the other two fillets over so that the ends just overlap. Make sure there is enough stuffing to fill out roll.

Place the roll in a greased caserol pan, with the folded side down. Place two thin slices of butter on top of the fillet. Cover with ¼ of the basil and top with two lemon slices. Repeat with the other fillets.

Bake at 350 degrees until flounder is cooked through, about 10-12 minutes.

 

[bailadora]

Bump!

A question for all of you experienced bakers out there. Can whole wheat flour be substituted for all purpose and not have much of an effect on the recipe? I received my latest issue of Cooking Light and there are several baking recipes I'd like to try (Beer Cheese Bread and Cranberry/Pistachio Scones to name a few). Anyway - I've been trying to switch the family over to more whole grain products and would like to use whole wheat flour in place of all purpose. Any advice would be much appreciated.

BTW, TBK - your fish recipe is on the menu for Sat night. I'll let you know how it goes.

B

 

[Queenbee101]

I think you can with no issue the taste is just different...I do the same the only thing I won't do it with is like chocolate chip cookies etc...but for what your going to use it for it should be fine...hope that helps

 

[fire_breeze]

For sweet cookies, muffins, etc (like chocolate chip cookies, oatmeal bars), I find it adds a slightly nutty flavour.

For very finicky cakes/pastries, I stick to the flour described in the recipe, seeing as at times I would use three types of flour.

For everything else that I've used all-purpose, I found the difference to be so negligible that most people don't even realise the difference. In fact, some of my muffins and biscuits taste better.

 

[TBKahuna123]

A question for all of you experienced bakers out there. Can whole wheat flour be substituted for all purpose and not have much of an effect on the recipe? I received my latest issue of Cooking Light and there are several baking recipes I'd like to try (Beer Cheese Bread and Cranberry/Pistachio Scones to name a few). Anyway - I've been trying to switch the family over to more whole grain products and would like to use whole wheat flour in place of all purpose. Any advice would be much appreciated.

Now, I'm not much of a baker but I do know one thing: Baking is a science. It's a lot about chemistry and how things interact is certain proportions. Some pastries are more forgiving than others, but I'd be leery to swap any ingredients in a standard recipe. I'm sure there would have to be some adjustments made using whole wheat flower, but I'm not sure what they would be.

BTW, TBK - your fish recipe is on the menu for Sat night. I'll let you know how it goes.

So how'd it go?

 

[bailadora]

Now, I'm not much of a baker but I do know one thing: Baking is a science. It's a lot about chemistry and how things interact is certain proportions. Some pastries are more forgiving than others, but I'd be leery to swap any ingredients in a standard recipe. I'm sure there would have to be some adjustments made using whole wheat flower, but I'm not sure what they would be.

See, this is what I'm afraid of. I guess I won't really know unless I try, but I hate the idea of wasting all those ingredients if it turns out to be a bad experiment. Perhaps I'll half the recipe and see how that works.

So how'd it go?

Ohhh - that was just all around yummy goodness. Thanks for the recipe!

 

[MagicFingers]

I cooked 3lbs of pork shoulder today

I didn't use this recipe but used what I had, Teriaki sauce, barbeque sauce, honey. Cooked it 1hr, 45min at 325 deg, until it was 160 deg, and it tasted great! Used a casserole dish and covered it to help make the meat tender, which it did.

Fall-Apart Tender Slow-Roast Pork
From Shirley Corriher, author of Cookwise (Canada, UK)
Ingredients:

1 pork butt roast (about 4 pounds)
1/4 to 1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1 cup apple juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Place the rack slightly below the center of the oven.
Place the pork in a casserole that is just large enough to hold it and has a lid. Sprinkle the roast on all sides with Worcestershire sauce. Then press brown sugar coating on all sides of the pork. Pour the apple juice down the side of the casserole to the bottom, being sure not to drizzle it on the crusted meat. Cover tightly.
Place the roast in the oven and immediately turn the heat down to 200°F (95°C). Roast without opening the oven door for about 5 hours, until the meat is so tender that it pulls apart easily. If the meat does not pull apart easily, cover, and return to the oven and roast 30 minutes more. Check again, roast 30 minutes more as needed.
Pull the meat apart and remove the bone. Stir the salt into the juices at the bottom of the pan. Serve meat in its delicious juice hot or at room temperature.
Note: This can easily be done in a slow cooker. Set it on high for 30 minutes, then turn down the heat to low, and let it cook for most of the day or even overnight.

How to Cook a Pork Shoulder/Butt Roast to Perfection
How long should you cook a 4-1/2-lb. pork shoulder or butt roast?

Per our usual nagging, you should cook it until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the roast measures 160°F (70°C). The United States Department of Agriculture says that will produce a medium roast, the least well-done it will allow. Some people like their pork roasts less well done, but the USDA won't have it.
In a 325°F (160°C) oven, it will take between 35 and 40 minutes per pound to reach a center temperature of 160°. So you could check it after 2-1/2 hours, but it may take as long as 3 hours. The reason you really need an instant-read thermometer is that some ovens are inaccurately calibrated, some people let the roast come to room temperature before they start cooking while others put it in the oven cold from the refrigerator, and the USDA wants you to have one (we do too).

 

[BenDover4]

I ran across a great sale today and ended up bringing home 10lbs of pork loin ribs. I'm going to freeze some of it (along with a marinade) for future use, but I'd also like to try out a couple of different kinds of seasoning rub. Do I have to wait until the day I cook the ribs to add the rub, or can I add it and then freeze? Oh - and if anyone has any great marinade/rub recipes they'd like to share, please feel free - . Thanks!

Check this two sites:

http://www.iowapork.org/Recipes/tabid/691/Default.aspx

http://www.theotherwhitemeat.com/aspx/recipes/

Good luck, and don't forget to provide samples !!

 

[unregistered]

 

[bailadora]

My father was an avid hunter and cooked what he killed, much to my mother's relief. He regularly seasoned and prepped meats before freezing them.

Really? Would you happen to have any tips for venison? I've acquired a couple of pounds(precut into chunks for stew). The only thing I can think to do with it is to chop it fine for chili. Any suggestions you may have would be appreciated.

 

[unregistered]

 

[bailadora]

Bump!

Ok, I've another question. Besides a side dip, I'm looking for other ways to use tamarind chutney. I originally bought it as an accompaniment to samosas, but now that they are gone it's been sitting in my fridge and I don't want it to go to waste. I tried googling "uses for tamarind chutney" and "recipes using tamarind chutney" but only got recipes on how to make it. So, any of my fellow cooks have any ideas or recommendations?

Thanks!

 

[Saucyminx]

Bump!

A question for all of you experienced bakers out there. Can whole wheat flour be substituted for all purpose and not have much of an effect on the recipe? I received my latest issue of Cooking Light and there are several baking recipes I'd like to try (Beer Cheese Bread and Cranberry/Pistachio Scones to name a few). Anyway - I've been trying to switch the family over to more whole grain products and would like to use whole wheat flour in place of all purpose. Any advice would be much appreciated.

BTW, TBK - your fish recipe is on the menu for Sat night. I'll let you know how it goes.

B

You probably already did your thing since I'm coming in late, but you usually want to substitute half of the flour that's called for with whole wheat. The taste won't suffer if you add more, but the texture can get really heavy and dense in some recipes. If you do half, the texture stays decent but you get the health benefits from the whole wheat. Just a suggestion.