March 2009/July 2012 COTM Fish Without a Doubt: Salsas & Relishes and Sauces, Vinaigrettes, Spice Mixes

[foxy fairy]

**March 2009 Cookbook of the Month** is Fish Without a Doubt by Rick Moonen and Roy Finamore.

Please post your full-length reviews of recipes for salsas & relishes and sauces, vinaigrettes, and spice mixes here. Please mention the name of the recipe you are reviewing and the page number, if possible, as well as any modifications you made to the recipe.

A reminder that the verbatim copying of recipes to the boards is a violation of the copyright of the original author. Posts with copied recipes will be removed.

Thanks for participating!

[JoanN]

Chipotle Sauce (page 425)

An egg yolk, rice vinegar, lime juice, cilantro, shallot, garlic, a chipotle in adobo with a bit of it’s sauce is blended while vegetable oil is drizzled in. This is very spicy and very good. It’s quite thick; it left an indentation when I scooped out a bit with a spoon. And it makes a ton, especially since a little goes a long way. I served it with Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes, but he says it can also be used for fish burgers and fried fish.

Crab Cake report with photos here: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/6001...

[Dave MP]

This sounds good. Thanks for posting!

[smtucker]

Just saw Moonan make this sauce, with crab cakes on Hubert Keller's Secrets of a Chef on Create. Looked really delicious.

[qianning]

Cumin Butter Sauce, pg. 405

Thanks to all of the advice above I avoided most of the immersion blender problems by putting the sauce in the little canister gizmo that came with my blender before I started to add the butter, then transferred things back to the sauce pan over heat when there was enough volume.

As for this flavor variant, the add-ins are cumin and garlic and a little lime juice, we liked it. But it didn't wow us. We both found ourselves adding quite a few extra squeezes of lime at the table. Paired it with salmon, which I'm not sure was a good choice, then again, not sure what would be a good choice, and since I have over half a batch left, I'd welcome ideas on that subject.

All in all, I think when it comes to a sauce this rich I'd just as soon have a hollandaise. Having said that I'm still hoping to try the mustard variation.

[smtucker]

Mango Salsa, page 394

My husband came home yesterday with a ripe mango. Why? We don't really know, but it needed to be eaten. This Mango Salsa is quite different than others I have made- he uses both orange and lime juice so it is a bit sweet. The mango, red onion, serrano chile are mixed with orange juice, lime juice, olive oil, and cilantro. He actually calls for red pepper which I omitted.

This is a very nice salsa. Not sure it will become the "house special" though since I prefer my salsas without oil or the orange juice.

Served with Swordfish Brochettes, page 168, steamed corn and steamed green beans. Photo is posted here: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/6001...

[smtucker]

Tonight's dinner took a left turn. I had the most beautiful piece of cod, off the boat this morning. I was planning to do the whole hot cast iron number with some zucchini and tomatoes, but we have to head out of town unexpectedly. In my pantry I had mangos, tomatoes, one avocado and the fridge had some lovely cilantro and serrano. Clearly, I needed to make Mexican-like food even though I had no interest in making corn torillas.

This time, I only added a splash of the orange juice and liked this salsa more than last time. Served the cod on a bed of shredded cabbage with both the mango salsa and some pico de gallo. Not a bad supper.

[Breadcrumbs]

Sorry you didn't get the meal you'd hoped for smtucker but I must say, what you made sure sounds delicious to me!!

[smtucker]

The results were so good, I don't miss the dinner-that-was. I can always make roasted cod. Ripe avocado and mango at the same time is too special to miss.

[blue room]

Skordalia p. 397

Ha! This was a total failure! I've never heard of Skordalia -- so of course never made it -- it's garlic glue! Cooked Russet potato, crazy amount of garlic, white vinegar, club soda, oil, salt, white (black) pepper. This is to pulsed in a food processor -- I got the impression it should be smooth but must have overprocessed -- it oozed into places in my food processed that I didn't think could be oozed into, and I will *never* get the garlic smell out of the plastic parts of the machine! I glopped some of this extremely thick ropy mass into a cup (pictured left) and then threw all of it out and washed dishes.

Since then, I have read on the Internet not to use a food processor -- it will turn your Skordalia gluey -- (yep).

I don't have a clear concept of what it's supposed to *be* -- I imagined garlic mashed potatoes, thin.

[JaneEYB]

Charmoula p.438

I made this as a marinade for the Whole branzino (sea bass) with charmoula on the grill on p.179. It was very quick and easy, all done in the processor. I made the mistake of tasting some uncooked - I was tasting raw garlic for hours. Luckily it was gone this morning as I had a dentist appointment.

The fish was fantastic even though I only marinated it for 3 hours (he recommends 5 to 8) so next time I will try to marinate the fish for the whole 8 hours to see how much added flavor there is. The charmoula gave delicious flavor to the lovely crisp skin, and the fish was tender and moist. Very, very good.

[JaneEYB]

Mixed pickled vegetables p.401

I made this in order to make the Tuna salad with pickled vegetables on p.335. I'm not a pickle making expert but I do like eating them. And I found these very astringent. I didn't dislike them but they are more mouth-puckering than I would like.

[delys77]

Red Pepper Coulis
Unfortunately I don't have the book with me to post the page number, but this is recommended as an accompaniment to the butter basted halibut. As noted in that post I think this lovely coulis with its touch of aciditiy from the wine and vinegar makes for a great counterpoint to a rich main or side. Great sauce!

[herby]

Simple Salsa,P. 394

Simple indeed and delicious! Dice onion and red bell pepper, halve cherry tomatoes and mix the lot with minced garlic, olive oil, lime juice, basil and cilantro. Season with salt nd it is ready. I did not have cilantro and used purple basil from the garden and parsley. Super flavourful dish that, as Moonen says, can be made year-round. My daughter mixed the salsa with left over quinoa and said that she could live on it:)

[smtucker]

Ah. Wonderful to hear. My friend just caught a striped bass off the Cape and that will be my dinner tomorrow night. I had planned to make this salsa as he suggests for grilled bass. Can't wait now!

[herby]

I hope you like it as much as we did, SMT! Please post about your experience.

[Breadcrumbs]

Sounds lovely herby, thanks for pointing this out. I'm allergic to cilantro so your suggestion of basil sounds like a great idea. Looking forward to trying this. I have some beautiful halibut in the freezer that I'm keen to grill and like smtucker, I think this would pair perfectly w my fish. Thanks!

[Blythe spirit]

Sounds delicious Herby! I will have to try this before the month is out.

[smtucker]

Back from my mini-Cape visit, ready to report on our meal. My friend L. had caught a bunch of striped bass earlier in the week and saved one spectacular fillet for our visit. Since it was a fillet and not a whole fish, we modified his suggestions for grilling. Just some salt and pepper and as hot as the gas grill could go.

We served the Simple Salsa with the fish, and it was really great! Almost all of the salsa ingredients were locally grown and picked the morning I made the salsa. Loved the fresh taste with the fish. Our friends eat lots of fish that they catch and think this might have been the best "sauce" they have ever had. Copies of the recipe were requested.

[JaneEYB]

Soy-orange sauce p.424

I hadn't ever made a sauce this way before. 2 cups of fresh orange juice are reduced down by boiling quickly until it becomes 1/3 cup. By then it is quite thick, like a puree. Just one teaspoon of soy sauce is whisked in then pieces of butter and it amalgamates into a smooth sweet/tangy sauce. I served it with salmon and fennel puree which was an excellent combination.

[mebby]

Cilantro Aioli, p. 419

I am one of those sad, aioli-intimidated souls, so I loved the ease of this. Made it as written and served it with a variation on the Harrissa Mayonnaise that accompanies the Tuna Burgers on p. 367 (subbed creme fraiche for mayo and man was that good stuff!).

I actually not much of a mayo fan at all (great aioli yes, but abhor straight mayo), but I have to say this was great stuff -- dipping the Chicken-Fried Softshell crab into these two sauces was pretty goddamn great! (Review in appropriate thread for the softshell crab).

I used the leftovers to marinate some wild salmon fillets and then grill (loosely a la Remoulade Salmon on the Grill on p. 161) -- delicious and then the leftover cold salmon made a very decadent and silky post-workout snack!

Here is a link to a previous review by JoanN as part of a larger multi-part dish...
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/6001...

[Gio]

Cilantro Aïoli, Pg. 419

This was a good riff on a traditional aioli and we quite liked it with steelhead trout piccata.
A bunch of cilantro, shallots, garlic, lime juice, egg yolk (I omitted), and store-bought mayo are all whizzed in a processor. Zip... that's it. Taste for seasoning and adjust if nec. I've made my share of the traditional but this was a cinch.

[LulusMom]

Cilantro Aioli

As the others have, we loved this. I skipped the egg white and the shallot (added an extra clove of garlic). Served with the Thai-style catfish burgers. Lulu insisted on having a bun with only the aoili on it, and she's been busy trying to think of other "tidbits" (her new favorite word) to put it on. So easy to make, and so much flavor.

[LulusMom]

Today I sliced up radishes and Lulu dipped them in the leftover cilantro aioli. Hugely big hit, and a nice way to serve both.

[JaneEYB]

Harissa Tomato Sauce p.429

Although this is described as a quick sauce, it wasn't for me as I first had to make the Moroccan spice mix and some harissa (thought I had some but turned out I didn't). If you had those to hand it would be quick. It cooks over medium high heat and there is no liquid apart from the tomato juices so it ended up being a fairly solid sauce, more like a hot salsa.

I had a problem with the tomatoes too. He says Pomi tomatoes are important but there were none at my WF and they said they have never had them. So I used Roma but I should have peeled them first as the skins were rather dominant since the sauce cooked for such a short time. Or I should have used canned chopped tomatoes which was his other recommendation.

Overall I didn't love this sauce. But I may try it again with peeled tomatoes since I have all that Moroccan spice mix to use up.

[Gio]

Jane, I live about 45 minutes east of you and the only place I can get Pomi is at Amazon.com... They come either strained or chopped.

http://www.amazon.com/Pomi-Tomatoes-S...

[smtucker]

I get my Pom boxes at the Market Basket in Somerville. Think I have seen it at the Woburn store as well. They are generally about $1.49 a box, but go on sale about every 6 months.

[Gio]

Really? Have never seen them at the Reading MB. I'll have to see if G can pop into one or t'other on his travels...

[qianning]

all the Nashua area Mkt Bskts also carry the Pomi boxes, they are usually on an upper shelf far end of the canned tomato products section, not easy to spot in other words, i had to ask where they were the first time I bought them.

[Gio]

Popping back in here to say that the Pomi were located at the Reading MB after all. Many thanks SMT for the tip. You've just saved me oceans of money.

[jpr54_1]

Guacamole page 398

I didn't make full recipe- 1/2 recipe
i used smooth skinned florida avocado
Since i am one of the lucky ones who taste cilantro as soapy-I used parsley
I also used jalapeno chile instead of habanero-since i don't have yet tolerance for a hotter chile-
it was delicious -
in addition, I added salad burnet (herb) to add a slight cucumber taste.

[greedygirl]

I made this last night to go with the fabulous grilled tuna tacos. It's a chop then mix everything together guacamole. Nice enough, but I prefer the version in Mexican Food Made Easy which has you grind half the onion and chilli in a pestle and mortar first.

[qianning]

Moroccan Spice Rub, pg 440

Coriander + Fennel + Cumin + Cardamon + Cloves, toasted, ground fine; honestly it seems a bit more Gujarati than Moroccan to me, Mr. QN too, his first comments on tasting the dish it was used on were, "Indian style grilled fish? Wow, that doesn't sound like you". Which kinda summarizes things, I used it as a rub on grilled mackerel, he liked it a lot, I was luke-warm. Made a half recipe, and have lots left-over, no idea what I will do with it.

[JoanN]

I like that Moroccan Spice Rub a lot and usually have some hand to use on otherwise bland fish such as flounder, cod, or even mahi mahi. When I'm too lazy to do anything else, I'll rub it onto a quickly thawed piece of Costco frozen fish, grill it, serve it with a salad, and be very pleased with my dinner.

[qianning]

Hmmm, I can see how this rub would do something for "white fish".

[Rella]

Joan, I buy a number of frozen fillets from Costco, and I like them a lot. Do you have a favorite way of thawing; for instance, mahi mahi, wild salmon, flounder, wild cod, etc.

I have been taking them out of their plastic covering (because I have thawed once 'in' the plastic covering - awful) and running cold water on them in a pyrex bowl, letting them sit for 5-10 increments at a time while changing the cold water.

Could you suggest I do anything different.

[JoanN]

Nope. That's pretty much what the package says to do and that's pretty much what I do.

[LulusMom]

+1 on liking the spice rub just for having around. My husband often tosses it on fish and then grills it.

[JaneEYB]

I liked this rub though like qianning I'm not sure what I will use it up with. I initially used it for the Sauteed salmon with Moroccan spices, lentils and harissa tomato sauce on p.239. I then used it on a piece of grilled chicken though I will use a heavier hand next time as I didn't get a big flavor kick from it. JoanN's idea of brightening up frozen white fish sounds good too.

[LulusMom]

Tzatziki (p. 399)

Can't believe I didn't report on this the last time around, because I definitely made it that time. He gives you a choice of using dill or mint. First time we went with dill, and I loved it. This time we went with mint and ... I loved it. If I had to choose, I'd go with the dill, but I think both are very good.

The usual tzatziki business of peeling and grating the cucumber, then salt and set in a strainer (both times I skipped this step and just let it sit in the fridge and after drained it with a paper towel over it). He has you then squeeze out the liquid to get it as dry as possible. Add to yogurt, add the mint or dill and some lemon juice, check seasoning and give some time to rest in the fridge. This went really well with the tandoori salmon (either grilled or roasted).

[Breadcrumbs]

I'll add this to my "must-try" list LM, thanks for your review. My current favourite Tzatziki recipe comes from The Olive & The Caper. It's very similar to this recipe but uses red wine vinegar vs the lemon juice. I'll be back w my report - perhaps today if I find some dill at my local farm market stand.

[LulusMom]

I remember people raving about that tzatziki when we were doing that book, and making a special note that I needed to try it. Husband was away most of that month so very little cooking ended up being done, but I'll get to it. Would love to hear your comparison once you try this one.

[jpr54_1]

I made the tzatziki-using fage yougurt and mint-
it was delicious-
i too enjoyed/preferred the recipe from The Olive and the Caper

[herby]

Tzatziki, P. 399
I made the tzatziki tonight to go with broiled salmon and it was delicious. I did not peel cucumber but squeezed dry after it sat with a bit of salt for 15 min or so. Used red wine vinegar instead of lemon juice and mint from the garden. Quick and simple and very good.

[Caitlin McGrath]

Tzatziki, p. 399

I made this to go with the tandoori salmon (the seared/roasted version). I don't know if my farmers' market cucumbers were just way less watery than he assumes (though plenty of water came out), but 2 cucumbers was about 1 too many for the other ingredients, so I have grated, squeezed cuke in the fridge. Anyway, I used mint because I couldn't see using dill to go with an Indian-inspired dish. Similar enough to raita that it worked.

[L.Nightshade]

Cajun Spice Mix, page 442

We had a sockeye salmon fillet, so I just thumbed through the book looking for a treatment. I don't ordinarily keep dried onion or garlic powder on hand, so I just made a small amount of this using fresh garlic. I made a few modifications, as this was a last minute decision, and I used what I had on hand.

Coriander seeds, fennel seeds, white peppercorns, black peppercorns (I used a mix that also had some green and red peppercorns along with the white and black), cayenne, Hungarian paprika (I used half Hungarian, and half Spanish smoked agridulce), chile powder, celery seeds, oregano, thyme, and coarse salt (whew) are all ground together. Here the recipe also calls for dried onion and garlic powder. We threw in some fresh garlic cloves instead.

This was great! A very nice combination of flavors. I couldn't identify it as particularly Cajun, but it was very tasty. The multiple seeds and spices gave it just enough complexity, but did not overwhelm the fish. We've refrigerated the leftover rub, and may try it on chicken or pork; it's flexible. I just may get some dried onion and garlic into my pantry to make a jar of this to have on hand.

(Just a side note, the zucchini you see was made by Mr. NS. He threw in the some of the piquillo pepper marmalade I had made from Breadcrumbs' post during Spanish month, and sealed up . It worked very well with vegetables! As a side dish for this dinner, I made grilled corn with grated parmesan, mint, and pepper flakes. My favorite method for summer corn, ever since Batali month.)

[Breadcrumbs]

LN your salmon looks incredible. I'll have to make up this spice mix. What a great idea to use that marmalade on the zucchini. I'd never have thought of doing that but absolutely love the idea. Zucchini seems to be the "fruitcake" of the summer - something that everyone seems to want to give away because they have way too much of it!! It's always nice to have some fresh approaches to using it and I'm inspired by your idea. Thanks!

[qianning]

Cajun Spice Mix pg 442

I also used this on a salmon fillet, we liked it quite well. I did use the dried garlic and onion called for in the recipe, which makes the extra (i quartered the recipe and still have extra) shelf stable. One thing though, cooking over charcoal this rub really "blackened" quite a bit, it still tasted good but there was definitely a lot of char.

[Breadcrumbs]

Remoulade Salmon on the Grill – p. 161

When I was flipping through this book, the Spicy Remoulade (recipe p. 417) was one of the first to catch my eye as one of our favourite restaurant dishes came with a spicy remoulade that we’ve yet been able to replicate. When I saw this salmon recipe I knew the time had come to give both recipes a test drive. FYI, the remoulade recipe and Gretchen’s review can be found here: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/600179#5055814

Essentially this dish comes together by spreading the remoulade over a skinless filet of salmon (ours had skin so we oiled that side) and grilling it until done. RM suggests medium rare.

Interestingly, Gretchen omitted the dill in her version of the remoulade and I think that, without the dill, this would be the remoulade we’ve been searching for. It was excellent and I think it was the Harissa sauce that took it from good to great.

The recipe and cooking technique were both excellent. We’ll definitely make both recipes again.

Salmon recipe here: http://books.google.ca/books?id=BffVN...

Tonight it was pouring rain by the time mr bc hit the grill w this dish. Instead of taking pics for me, he decided to dry off and change. Obviously I wish he'd taken photos first (kidding!!!) I do however have a picture of the truly scrumptious remoulade.

[GretchenS]

Sounds delicious Breadcrumbs, so glad you like it. I have made that Spicy Remoulade a bunch of times since the original review and continue to love it.

[Breadcrumbs]

Thanks Gretchen, we did love it. I made it "your way" yesterday without the dill and we definitely preferred it. Thanks once again for your review.

[Breadcrumbs]

Barbecue Sauce for Fish – p. 437

Please make this sauce, it’s excellent. The authors say that fish deserve their own special bbq sauce and although I was skeptical, I decided to give this a try as the recipe was a key component in the Barbecue Shrimp on the Grill recipe on p. 174.

I found an online recipe for this amazing sauce on Google books so I’ll paste it here to save me some time in explaining how this all comes together:

http://books.google.ca/books?id=BffVN...

I think what truly makes this sauce is the brilliant use of clam sauce and the fact that you make your own caramel for the sauce (no kidding!). This is honestly the very first time we’ve grilled shrimp w something other than evoo, S&P and I’ve loved them. This sauce has changed my mind about how to best prepare seafood. Awesome recipe and thankfully, there’s plenty leftover and in the freezer for other recipes in the book.

[smtucker]

The reason I have not tried this sauce is the clam juice. I am allergic to shellfish. But now that you have made it, do you think a strong fish fumée would work as a substitute? Obviously, I would use this sauce on fish.

[Breadcrumbs]

smtucker, I think fish fumee would be just fine in this. The clam juice I used was quite mild and didn't impart a strong flavour, just an essence of the sea. I'm sure the fish fumee would do the job.

[blue room]

Breadcrumbs, would you say the ketchup you use is quite sweet? I think I would have liked this BBQ sauce better if it weren't quite so sweet. Just doesn't seem exactly right on shrimp.

[Breadcrumbs]

My ketchup was Heinz blue room. We didn't find the shrimp to be overly sweet though and I'd say the flavours were quite balanced. I did spritz the plate of shrimp w some lime juice before putting them on the table. Perhaps I used less bbq sauce for basting? Since I was skeptical about how I'd like this, we really did use a thin coating of the sauce on the skewers so the flavours wouldn't overwhelm. You may be able to get a sense of how much (or little) I used from the photo. As I mentioned above, I truly tend to prefer my seafood straight up without much more than lemon or lime juice and S&P. I can't stand seafood sauce (cocktail sauce?) and was worried this might remind me of that but it didn't.

I'm planning to use it again today on some scallops.

[Gio]

Puttanesca Sauce, Pg. 430

Cook 1 cup chopped onion in hot olive oil for about 7 minutes. (I used about 2 cups sliced leeks because I wanted to use them up). The recipe calls for 1/4 cup chopped garlic but given past experience with the amount of recommended garlic I chopped 4 cloves. A small tin of anchovies and a "good pinch of crushed red pepper" are added to the pot and all is cooked till the anchovies are melted. Add 3 cups of chopped tomatoes 1/2 cup sliced Kalamata olives and 1/4 cup drained capers. The heat is reduced and the sauce is simmered for 15-ish minutes or till "thick and fragrant." (I could not find the jar of capers I *knew* was in the pantry so I poured about 2 T of red wine vinegar into the tomato can and swished it around a bit then added it to the sauce). This sauce was delicious and I can see using it for just about anytime a spicy red sauce is wanted.

This sauce is used with Mackerel with Puttanesca and Potatoes on page 216.
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/6001...

[Gio]

Wasabi Butter Sauce, Pg. 406:

To the Basic Butter Sauce on pg. 402 the following ingredients are added:
2 T Wasabi powder( I love this stuff!) moistened with 3 t dry vermouth, to make a paste. The wasabi paste is added the butter sauce and "zapped with an immersion blender." Keep it on a back burner till needed. (Yum)

This is one component of the Sautéed Char with Hoisin Glaze and Wasabi Butter Sauce on page 238.
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/6001...

[Gio]

Parsley Pesto, Pg. 422

A typical recipe, this.... 2 cups flat leaf parsley, 2 cloves garlic, 1/3 cup Parmisano, 2 tablespoons pine nuts, 1/3 EVOO, kosher salt all processed in my ancient Braun which is holding up very well after about 25 years! What really makes all the difference is using the freshest ingredients. The pesto was a perfect accompaniment for the Packets of Haddock with Zucchini, Tomatoes, and Parsley Pesto on page 223.

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/6001...

[greedygirl]

I have an ancient Braun too - my parents gave it to me. I think they bought it in the eighties.

[Gio]

Yes... That's when I bought mine. It's a large one and I don't use it very often any more. The mini food processor does a good job since I'm only cooking for two, not the hordes that used to be here in the past. Whenever I haul it out I'm amazed at how efficient it still is.

[greedygirl]

The amazing thing is that you can still buy replacement parts - or at least you could. I managed to break either the bowl or the lid, can't remember which, and got a new one from one of those sell-everything DIY independent DIY stores that are sadly less common than they were.

[Goblin]

Parsley Pesto, p. 422.

I've served this with the Packets of Haddock, p. 223, and with Dorade in a Potato Crust, p. 422. I like it very much, especially with my fresh Italian parsley. The flavor seems to have the essence of summer, and I love the fresh green color.

[Breadcrumbs]

Hoisin Glaze – p. 439

I made this glaze to accompany the Grilled Dorade (Trout) with Hoisin Sauce (p. 142) It couldn’t come together any quicker. Hoisin sauce, lime juice, honey, garlic, cilantro (parsley) are combined and seasoned w coarse salt. I skipped the salt as my Hoisin had made the sauce salty enough for our tastes.

The author’s say “this quick glaze turns a simple piece of grilled or sautéed fish into something special”. They’re right. A great testament to how a few good ingredients can be combined to produce a dish far greater than the sum of its parts. We loved this. I’ll definitely make this again. We especially liked the use of lime, which always reminds me of the wonderful fish and seafood dishes we’ve enjoyed in the Caribbean.

[Gio]

That Hoisin Sauce is a component of another recipe in the book: Sautéed Char with Hoisin Glaze and Wasabi Butter Sauce on page 238. We loved it . Made it as written...
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/6001...

[Breadcrumbs]

Gio thanks for sharing this as I have some of that delicious sauce leftover so I'll definitely make that dish. I lone char and hope I can get to the fish mkt this weekend as I'd really like to make this w the char.

[LulusMom]

I was worried that the Hoisin Glaze might be a tad too sweet for us, but the lime juice and garlic pull it back from that. Still on the sweet side, but in a nice way. I (very dumb move on my part - it was right there on my grocery list!) somehow forgot to buy cilantro, so had to skip that part. We love cilantro and will try it that way next time. We liked this a lot more than I expected, which isn't damning it with faint praise as I figured it would be pretty good.

[herby]

Hoisin Glaze, P. 439

I made the same dish today as Breadcrumbs and we liked it well enough but not loved. I have Hisin Glaze left over and would like to use it in some other dish, maybe Char as Gio suggests.

[Goblin]

Hoisin glaze, p. 439.

Made this to accompany Sauteed Swordfish, p 238. That recipe also includes Wasabi Butter Sauce, which I did not make this time.

Like Lulu'sMom, my reaction was that the lime juice-garlic-honey-cilantro combination (with some judicious addition of salt) made for a piquant--slightly sweet glaze that was very satisfying, yet light. Mr. Goblin loved it, as did I. I will definitely make it again.

[JaneEYB]

Hoisin glaze p.439

I made this for Grilled swordfish on p.163. I thought this was great, really quick and easy but added a great depth of flavor to the fish. I liked the balance of sweet hoisin/honey with limes and cilantro.

[mebby]

Made this to accompany grilled wild salmon fillets and grilled baby boy choy. Upped the lime juice by about half, as I loved the tang against the sweetness of the hoisin. Also skipped the salt, as it was plenty salty already from the hoisin. Accidentally chopped too much cilantro, so threw the extra in too. Yum...so easy and really elevated my quick late lunch without heating the kitchen!

[Breadcrumbs]

Sounds great mebby...so glad you enjoyed this!!

[Caitlin McGrath]

Hoisin Glaze, p. 439

I made this to go on sautéed salmon, with which it went nicely. I didn't need to add salt to mine. I did find it a tad sweet, and would probably up the lime juice (and perhaps also the cilantro) next time. I also am imagining that this glaze would be really good with a bit of something spicy added - red pepper flakes, Sriracha, and so on.

[smtucker]

Green Tartar Sauce

How did I not review this the last 6 times I have made this sauce? Tonight, my fish share began and so I made some mayonnaise and then the tartar sauce. This is now my go-to sauce. It is fabulous.

Chop cornichons, capers, and shallots. Combine with mayonnaise, dijon mustard, dill, parsley, chives, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Add some olive oil and chill to serve. If you can wait 24 hours, the flavor is even better.

Served with pan sauteed fish fillets drizzled with lemon juice.

[Dapuma]

+1 amazing tarter sauce

[JaneEYB]

Green Tartar Sauce p.417

I liked this but didn't love it. I like my tartar with a bit more bite and I found this rather bland and mayonnaisey, even after a couple of days in the fridge. I added more chopped cornichons and capers which helped punch it up a bit.

[nomadchowwoman]

Green Tartar Sauce, p. 417

I made the chicken-fried fish (p.272) again (love that recipe!) for a big Sunday dinner and decided to try this tartar sauce. I made a couple of slight changes--reduced the chopped dill from 1 1/2 T to 1T since I hate when dill flavor dominates, used black pepper as I had no white and used 1 1/2 c mayo and 1/2 sour cream instead of 2 c mayo b/c it was all I had in the fridge (and my usual tartar sauce recipe uses both mayo and sour cream).

This was pretty tasty but I'm not sure I preferred it to my usual tartar sauce which is much heavier on lemon juice and includes zest and not dill, but I did love the nice green color of this. I do wish I'd made only a half recipe as this makes a ton and we'll never be able to use it all before I have to toss it. (How long can one keep tartar sauce anyway?)

[smtucker]

Cocktail Sauce [page 421]

This sauce includes some prepared ingredients which I found unusual for this book, but with the arrival of Maine shrimp, husband really wanted shrimp cocktail as a main course.

Mix together Heinz chili sauce, ketchup, freshly ground horseradish [this stuff is amazing!!!], a little lemon juice, gin, tabasco sauce and lots of pepper. Small taste, and way too sweet.

I added more horseradish and lemon, plus a dash of salt, still too sweet.

Since there is more left, I will try adding more distilled vinegar to cut the sweetness. So, this is my first miss with the book. I really wish he had include for the chili sauce so that I could control those flavors.

Anyone have a reliable recipe that has some tang and good balance of flavors?

[Gio]

Yes... Bookbinder's...
http://www.bookbindersfoods.com/Prod_...

[GretchenS]

Spicy Remoulade Sauce

1 cup mayonnaise
3 anchovy fillets [chopped]
2 tbsp minced cornichons
1 tbsp nonpareil capers [chopped]
Grated zest of 1/2 lemon
1-1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp Dijon mustard
6 dashes Tabasco
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley or chervil
2 tsp chopped fresh dill
1 tsp harissa
Coarse salt or freshly ground pepper

Mix, chill at least an hour in fridge. Man oh man is this good. I skipped the dill (didn't have any) and S&P (didn't need it IMO) but did everything else as directed. Would use a bit less mayo next time but keep other amounts the same. This made all the difference to my somewhat-bland cod cakes (from a CSF share) last night and made killer tuna salad for lunch today. It's going to be a dip for roasted cauliflower tonight and who knows what's next....

[Breadcrumbs]

Looking forward to trying this sauce tomorrow w a grilled salmon dish from the book. What an amazing idea to use it for tuna salad Gretchen, I'll most definitely do this w the leftovers ....thanks for the inspiration. I'll be back to share my results.

[Blythe spirit]

Spicy Remoulade, page 416
This is a delicious - though mine came out a tad salty. Realized in retrospect that the use of salted capers ( which were just quickly rinsed off and not soaked) were the likely culprit. So this was my fault and not the fault of the recipe. There were so many salty ingredients to begin with, there was no reason to add any more anyway (even if I hadn't made the mistake with the capers).
Eating a cup of Mayo wasn't in my plans for this next week, but it won't freeze. If the cooler weather we've been having continues, I'll make some fish and chips ( those delicious roasted potatoes from the Roden book). And the tuna idea sounds good too.

[LulusMom]

Or you could slather it on chicken or fish and roast.

[Blythe spirit]

That's a good idea. I can use it all up that way - and then freeze the leftover chicken.
Will report back soon.

[L.Nightshade]

Spicy Remoulade, page 416.

Made a half recipe of this last night, to put on some grilled oysters. I did not have fresh dill, and added a bit of dried dill. I also did not add any additional salt. Aside from those changes, I first made the recipe as directed. After it was completed, the taste of store-bought mayonnaise was far too prevalent for my taste (I think it would have been fine with homemade mayonnaise). So I upped the amounts of every other ingredient. I see that Gretchen, above, mentions that she would use a bit less mayo, so by upping the other ingredients, that is essentially what I did. After this adjustment, the sauce was delicious, and perfect for the grilled oysters. I love the other ideas mentioned, and may use some of the remoulade on a tuna salad.

[LulusMom]

Somehow I've never thought of grilling oysters. What a brilliant idea. They sound incredible.

[L.Nightshade]

We followed FWAD's tip on grilling oysters: clean them, put them on the grill, wait for them to pop open. We waited and waited. Finally our oyster-savvy friend informed me that they don't usually pop open, they just bubble a bit at the seam. When you see the bubbles, it's easy to pop them open with a knife. So ours were a bit overdone. We had almost thrown them out thinking they were dead! We'll know better next time.

[LulusMom]

I must have totally blanked when I read that part of the book, assuming I wasn't up to the grilling part and my husband wasn't up to the oyster part. But I will definitely be checking it out now. Thank you so much. Were they amazing?

[L.Nightshade]

The "part of the book" about grilling oysters is just a tiny note under the recipe for Cajun Shrimp on the Grill, page 175. And the instructions didn't exactly work, as they didn't pop open!
But yes, these were great, and I loved them with the remoulade. I'd make this combination again in a heartbeat. Since oysters are one seafood to which we have plenty of access, I'm hoping to try grilled oysters with different sauces and compound butters too.

[LulusMom]

Guess that explains how I missed it! But again, thanks for pointing it out, and I'll keep in mind your comments about the oysters not popping open. I've never seen oysters grilled before. Do you think a regular minonette (sp?) would work with them too?

[qianning]

my parents grill oysters all the time, just because it is so much easier than raw shucking them. over the years they've served them with just about all of the "standard' sauces, pretty good too, and especially for a crowd way less work than trying to shuck raw oysters.

[LulusMom]

I'm in love with this whole concept, and happy to hear that the standard sauces work well with them.

[qianning]

If you have Julia Child's "The Way to Cook", I highly recommend her lemon-garlic-butter-breadcrumb recipe for broiled oysters for these grilled oysters, for me at least, it is an even better pairing than a mignonette, but then again mignonette isn't always my favorite, so take that with a grain of salt.

[LulusMom]

Pretty sure I do have that book - thanks for the tip! I'm still feeling very out of it for never having heard of grilled oysters before.

[L.Nightshade]

LulusMom - I missed your post and question, but others have, of course, chimed in. I do love a mignonette with raw oysters, but somehow I think that it is not the ideal accompaniment to grilled oysters. Not to say that it wouldn't work, it just strikes me as more compatible with the delicate raw oyster. I think the grilled oyster holds up well with a more robust sauce, like the remoulade. On the other hand, I also like grilled oysters with just a squeeze of lemon, so who knows? I'll be trying more treatments with them in time, I'll try to report back. Hmmm, maybe a grilled oyster tasting party with many sauces and compound butters is in my future...

[qianning]

compound butters, now that's a brilliant idea, i bet it would be great with these, and easy too.

[L.Nightshade]

Just a follow up note here...
I had some of the remoulade left over, and a couple nights later Mr. NS grilled hamburgers. We used it up on the burgers. We both really liked the spicy perk on our meat.

[smtucker]

Salsa Cruda, page 395

Rick says "this is the salsa you want when you have grilled." I received two whole haddocks in my fish share today, and I decided to grill the smaller of the two. I washed the fish, rubbed with olive oil and generously salted. Into the fridge until the grill was ready about an hour later.

Meanwhile I made the salsa. I have to be honest, the ingredient list raised a few eyebrows in the smtucker household. Capers, basil? lime juice and chiles? But I have come to trust this book, and dove in.

I used two garden tomatoes and one ear of grilled corn. I omitted the bell peppers since I really dislike them, and added some garlic by mistake. I reduced the capers from 3 tbls to 2 since one eater doesn't really care for capers. And I added extra fresh chile peppers instead of the green tabasco sauce. Sounds like a huge set of substitutions, but I think the basic salsa remained intact.

Everyone loved this salsa. Somehow the brineyness of the capers offset the sweetness of the tomatoes, and it all complimented the fish well. I will make a fish salad with the leftover grilled fish, salsa and some crisp lettuce for lunch tomorrow. I suspect it will be fabulous.

[BigSal]

Salsa Cruda, page 395

We made half a recipe of the salsa to go with the grilled salmon recipe. I have to say that the salsa stole the show. We followed the recipe for the most part, but only used green bell pepper (no other peppers in the fridge), serrano instead of a jalapeno and we used closer to a whole tomato instead of half because the salsa was looking too green from the bell peppers. Delicious salsa with or without fish.

[LulusMom]

Bacon Vinaigrettte (p. 433)

I used turkey bacon. My husband (a pork eater) actually thought it was better with the turkey bacon than it would have been otherwise, and I've never heard THAT come out of his mouth before. This is easy-peasy to make. We served it with the Swordfish Brochettes with orange-chipotle marinade. Had about half left-over, and froze it. It would be great over pretty much any simple grilled or broiled fish. Another big hit from this book.

[waver]

Made the bacon vinaigrette to have with grilled tuna steaks. Used pancetta instead of bacon and served the fish with the vinaigrette and tossed the rest with very fresh and snappy arugula from the farmer's market. Served along with a simple salad/salsa of cherry tomatoes and fresh garlic: we were all delighted with our tuna "blt" plate. We had none of the sauce left over....

[NYchowcook]

Compound butter -- basil butter, p. 409

His compound butters all look good (pp. 409-13), and I want to get on the stick and freeze some while herbs are in season so I can have a taste of summer in the fall.

Moonen has you blanch and shock the basil, then dry, chop and mix in food processor w/ butter, garlic, S&P.
I made this simple(!) compound butter and served over broiled salmon. Very delicious; I think it would go better w/ halibut or swordfish, and I prefer dill as an accompaniment to salmon, but it's what I had on hand, and it was yummy.

[Goblin]

Basil Butter, p. 409.

Served this with a broiled salmon dish from this book.

A compound butter is made from a stick of softened butter mixed with 2 cups of fresh basil leaves that have been blanched in boiling water and squeezed dry, plus a clove of minced garlic and s & p. All are whirled together in a food processor till smooth, then the mixture is rolled into a log and chilled until needed.

For some reason, despite the very soft butter (or maybe because of it ?) and respectfully handled, squeezed basil and minced garlic, my mixture refused to become properly smooth in my mini food-processor. No matter; I used it anyway on top of the filets, and it didn't seem to make any difference to the final result.

[JaneEYB]

Compound butter - sun-dried tomato p.413

This was excellent. I have so far used it for the Baked scallops on p.217, for Broiled tilapia fillets on p.124, for Broiled salmon using the same recipe and for baked chicken breasts. I love the flavor combination of sun-dried tomatoes, basil and garlic. I think I will always have some compound butter in the fridge or freezer - I didn't realize I have been missing out on this great flavor punch for a quick dinner. And I like NYchowcook's idea of making some now while herbs are abundant and freezing it for the winter.

[LulusMom]

Having a compound butter or two in the fridge is an excellent way of always having an easy, great dinner. You can also focus on a more elaborate side/salad that way. So glad this was a hit. I'll need to try it. I did love that porcini butter.

[blue room]

Compound butter -- Tarragon Butter p. 411
This was nice on a piece of plain trout. I made half a recipe (just 1/2 stick), easy to mash and "fluff" by hand. And I must confess I had an ulterior motive -- my often-favorite egg dish is scrambled, cooked in butter, with a drop or two tarragon vinegar. This butter, as I predicted in my head, eliminates one step and is delicious. (It's on the right in the pic.)
Contains fresh tarragon, lemon juice + zest, S&P, unsalted butter.

[Breadcrumbs]

Compound Butter - Basil Butter - p. 409

Wonderful…summertime in a spread! I can’t say I’ve made a lot of compound butters and I debated whether to bother with this one but I’m so glad I did, it’s absolutely terrific and I’m making several more rolls to freeze so we can enjoy the wonderful summery taste of basil all year round....what a great idea ncw, thanks!

Rick’s method of blanching the leaves definitely preserves basil’s brilliant green colour and the freshness and intensity of the basil flavour in our finished dishes far exceeded our expectations. Aside from the fish dishes, we’ve used this on fresh and grilled bread, steamed rice, steamed veggies and pasta. I wholeheartedly recommend this. I have a photo but my camera battery is dead so I’ll have to post later.

[JoanN]

I have a freezer full of compound butters (porcini, lime-chili, lime-kumquat), but I hadn't tried the basil. Your report of it's multitude of uses (and the fact that I have more than enough pesto in the freezer to last me for quite a while) convinced me to make this with the remains of a bunch of basil. You are so right about what a treat it will be to have that fresh taste of basil in the middle of winter.

[L.Nightshade]

I remember making a ginger-lime or ginger-lemon compound butter during another COTM. It was so nice to have it on call and ready to plop. I love the idea of preserving summer with herby compound butters. Must get to work on that!

[smtucker]

Butter Sauce, Mustard Variation

Could have sworn I had reviewed this the first time I made it, months ago. Tonight I only halved the recipe in celebration of our first fish CSA shipment.

This time I knew to use a taller saucepan so that the immersion blender didn't throw the butter throughout the entire room. Simmer shallots, water and thyme until the water is reduced by half. Over the heat, add the butter a little at a time while continuing to blend with the mixture, only adding the butter after the last bit has been completely incorporated. Strain the mixture.

Whisk in dijon and country mustard, some salt and a bit of lemon. Sauce can sit for up to an hour over a very low heat. If the sauce becomes too thick, a little water can be added.

I served over a simple sauteéd cod and it was delicious. I will use the remaining sauce to dress the cod cakes I made with fish scraps.

[LulusMom]

I remember loving this sauce ... except when I was in the midst of cleaning up the mess it made. Like you, I'll use a taller pot next time. Using it over cod cakes sounds great.

[JoanN]

Just made the Butter Garlic Sauce in prep for dinner later. I used the tallest pot I've got. What a mess! Butter sauce all over the stove, the cabinets, the countertops, the appliances, me, my glasses, the floor. Now I have to go clean the kitchen top to bottom before I do anything else. And I doubt I'll ever get the grease stains out of this shirt. Wouldn't be at all surprised if I lost nearly a quarter of the sauce. At least part of the problem is that there is so little liquid in the pot, it doesn't cover enough of the bottom of the immersion blender (at least not mine) to keep it from splattering. I ended up finishing the sauce in a blender and if there is a next time, I think I'll go directly to the blender even if the recipe does say to keep it over low heat while you're adding the butter. I'm making the Butter-Poached Bay Scallops with Rice and Peas later. It damned well better be good!

[Breadcrumbs]

Sheesh Joan, what a mess! I completely empathize with you and will keep my fingers crossed that the Scallops knock your butter-stained socks off!! Actually, it might be better if you hate the sauce then you'll never feel the urge to make this again!

btw, in my experience, Dawn (kitchen) detergent works best at removing stubborn grease stains from clothing. I work it into tougher and older stains and it seems to do a pretty good job . . . jic you feel like tackling laundry today vs pouring a glass of wine and forgetting you'd ever made butter sauce!

[JoanN]

Hah! Just back from putting the shirt in a sink with about an eighth of a cup of Dawn. We'll see. And I must say, I don't care if it's barely past 11:00 a.m. right now. A glass of wine sounds like a very good idea indeed.

[Breadcrumbs]

Well cheers to that Joan, well-deserved indeed! Looking forward to hearing about those scallops.

[Blythe spirit]

Butter sauce (wasabi version), page 404
I neglected to report on this in this separate thread. Wish I had read the reports because I also had the issue of flying butter. After losing a huge chunk my first go-round, I started from scratch with the same small pot but cut very small chunks of butter. I also used one hand to tip the pot on it's side so that the pool of liquid would be deeper. A pot with a rounded bottom would have been a better fit - but I don't own one.
I initially thought the problem was due to the size of my immersion blender and my relative lack
of experience using it. In any event I just loved the sauce all by itself, and plan to use it for other things as well - perhaps with a squeeze of lemon on some fresh asparagus.
It was tasty with the wasabi as well.

[pitu]

p 407 Red wine butter sauce
exactly as advertised, a savory jammy sauce -- red wine reduction, shallots, lots of butter
It was "just us" so I didn't strain to make a smoother sauce...
Very interesting to have this with fish and leeks -- I've always been a straightup white wine fish cook.

[NYchowcook]

What kind of fish is suggested for the red wine butter sauce?
What kind did you use?

[Gio]

Red Wine Butter Sauce, Pg. 407

1 cup sliced shallots, 3 sprigs thyme, and 1 1/2 cups dry red wine are brought to boil in a small saucepan. The heat is lowered and the wine is simmered till reduced to about 2 Ts. 1/2 cup ruby port is added and reduced to 1/3 cup. Thyme is removed, heat is turned to very low and the shallots are pureed with an immersion blender. As the shallots are being pureed 2 sticks of unsalted butter ( I used only 1 !), cut into tablespoons, are added bit by bit till all is incorporated. The sauce is strained, returned to the pan and Kosher salt & ground white pepper are whisked in then 1 T balsamic vinegar. A very sassy sauce this and v. yummy.

To use with Sautéed Turbot with Leeks and Red Wine Butter Sauce, Pg. 233
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/6001...

[blue room]

Red Wine Butter Sauce p. 407
I don't usually make things like "Red Wine Butter Sauce", it was an education and an honestly tasty way to serve salmon. I used a dark red wine from Chile made with Carmenere grapes, recommended by the fellow at the Utah State Liquor Store (not the cashier, the *wine* guy!) Also needed some ruby port -- learned that ruby port is younger (& cheaper) than tawny port.
Anyhow, both Gio and pitu have recounted the recipe -- my picture is right after the immersion blending, before the balsamic and straining. I was very skeptical that this should be put on fish, but wow with the salmon I was impressed. I do have a problem with the color, though -- it just doesn't look good with the orange of the fish -- silly, maybe. It'd be beautiful with steak.
I would make it again, probably only on occasion though. Would like to find a white wine butter sauce too.

[NYchowcook]

Coconut and green curry sauce (p. 431)

Two thumbs up!
Saute chopped lemongrass and ginger, add kaffir lime leaves and green curry paste (I used canned from the Asian store). Recipe says to add wine and reduce; I substituted chicken stock. Add coconut milk, cook for 25 mins, and then strain; add lime juice and sugar.

Best made a day or two ahead, but I didn't read that until it was dinner prep time, and it came out fine. Great in fact. And it really wasn't much effort. To save time, I chopped lemongrass and ginger in my mini chopper. Nice balance of flavors, and unlike many Thai sauces, lacking fresh hot peppers, it wasn't tear-inducing for the heat averse.

Served with steamed halibut. I will definitely make this again.

[JaneEYB]

Coconut and green curry sauce (p.431)

I liked this a lot. It is easy to prep. I also didn't notice until too late the advice to make it a day or two ahead but I still thought it was great. I couldn't find fresh kaffir lime leaves so I used dried. I did find it very spicy so next time I will use half the green curry paste. I served it with the halibut poached in milk with bok choy on p.89 - a great meal.

[delys77]

Coconut and Green Curry Sauce Pg 431

I too made the halibut with this green curry sauce last night, and I really liked the sauce. I was out of dry white wine so I used a bit of dry vermouth instead, and it doesn't seem to have affected the sauce negatively at all. The result was creamy and tangy, with a touch of sweetness and an aromatic base that is very tasty. I also didn't note that it was meant to sit for a few days but I found the sauce very tasty even freshly made.
I think all curry pastes aren't created equal, as I actually found the sauce a little too tame. Mr. Delys actually asked for some minced chilies which I think I will need to add to the sauce next time if I am using the same chili paste.
The only other thing ot note is that there are three ingredients that contribute a sour note to this recipe, the lemon grass, lime juice, and kaffir lime leaves. All of which add their own characteristic note, just remember to follow the suggested proportions so that your sauce doesn't end up too astringent.
Glad to hear you also enjoyed it Jane.

[LulusMom]

Looking back through my book I noticed that there were a few places where I had marked things like "needs more spice/heat" so it may well be that the recipe as written just isn't spicy enough for you. I tend to have this problem a lot.

[delys77]

That is entirely possible, I do enjoy a bit of spice, most especially to offset the richness of the coconut milk.

[smtucker]

Question! I am going through the sauce chapter now, and when the ingredient list says Mayonnaise, do we think he is calling for something like Hellman's or home-made? I ask because commercial mayonnaise has its own set of spices, which would be in addition to those in the recipes, right?

[JoanN]

I made the Harissa Mayonnaise and used Hellman's. In fact, truth to tell, I used Hellman's Light. Since he does not include a recipe specifically for mayonnaise, I'm quite certain he's using a store-bought product.

[greedygirl]

I want to make the Asian slaw, which LulusMom raved about, but I don't have the recipe for the Asian vinaigrette on p432. Can somebody who owns the book help me out please?

[soypower]

1/3 c. vegetable oil
1/3 c. fish sauce (book sugg. Vietnamese Golden Boy brand)
1/4 c. fresh lime juice
1/4 c. rice vinegar
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. chopped garlic
1 tsp. chopped hot pepper, w/ seeds (book sugg. thai chile peppers, but any hot pepper will work)

Combine all ingredients in a jar and give a good shake. Use as needed in a salad and keep leftovers in fridge.

Makes 1 1/4 cups.

[greedygirl]

Fab. Thanks.

[LulusMom]

Aargh, sorry greedygirl. I still owe you a huge batch of the book. We're headed out of town yet again early sunday morning, but after that I will get it to you. Promise.

[smtucker]

Asian Slaw.

Made this tonight to accompany our grilled hand-ground burgers. I used napa cabbage, carrots and scallions. I may have used too much of the dressing. Husband found it too "fish saucy" while I loved it. He found the smell in the kitchen overwhelming and couldn't quite get over it.

I will try to serve it with regular cabbage. Maybe if the dressing just appears from the fridge, he will do better!

And now, if I can get him to enjoy one of the cucumber salads.....

[Gio]

Asian "Vinaigrette", Pg. 432

I made this dressing last night to use on the Asian Cucumber Salad on page 458, It's the kind of vinaigrette that can be used with just about any salad: tangy, slightly sweet, a tiny bit salty, and just a touch of heat from the chili. Soypower above listed the ingredients. I loved it with the salad and will definitely use it again. RM says it keeps forever in the fridge...