July 23, 2009
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Pan Sautéed Halibut
Corn Salad
RECIPES
Corn Salad:
(serves 4, as side dish)
5 ears corn
½ medium red onion, diced
1-½ to 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved (you pick the colors, the more the merrier)
15 medium-to-large basil leaves
3 Tbsp olive oil
3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
Juice of ½ lemon
Salt
Pepper
Boil corn until just cooked (approximately 10-12 minutes). Remove corn from pot and allow ears to cool. (You can short cut this by placing the ears in an ice water bath for a few minutes.) Slice corn from ears and break apart any large sections of kernels. Mix corn, onion and tomatoes in a bowl. Toss with oil and vinegar. Salt and pepper to taste. Just before serving chiffonade basil (see notes below) and toss with salad. Adjust oil, vinegar, salt and pepper according to taste.
*** Corn salad can be made a day ahead without the basil and kept in the refrigerator.
*** Additions to the corn salad are encouraged. The above is the basic recipe. Have fun with whatever is fresh and sounds good. For class, we used arugula. Other good additions are red peppers and cored and diced zucchini.
Pan Sautéed Halibut:
1/3 pound Halibut filet per person
Olive oil
2-3 garlic cloves
Cut fish into single serving filets. Pat dry, salt and pepper flesh side. Heat a skillet to medium high. Peel garlic cloves and smack once with the side of a knife. Add olive oil to skillet. There should be enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan and swirl around during cooking (but your fish is not being fried and shouldn’t be able to do laps in the oil.) Allow oil to heat briefly and add garlic. Sauté peeled garlic cloves in oil for a minute, and remove garlic. Oil should be hot, but not smoking. Place filets in pan, skin side down. Cook until fish has turned opaque (white) approximately halfway up. Turn fish and cook until opaque throughout. Cooking time will vary depending on thickness of fish, but typically is about 5-7 minutes total.
NOTES FROM “CLASS”
When cooking our finned friends, remember it is easier to cut raw fish into portions than to try and divide cooked fish -- especially for beginners. Perfectly cooked fish will flake apart when gently prodded with a fork. Therefore, cooked fish will crumble into a mess when you go at it with a knife if you aren’t an expert.
Remember cooking times on fish always very. Each piece is unique even when cut from the same larger piece. Remember you will likely have thinner pieces and thicker pieces. The easiest way to compensate is to start the thinner pieces later as they will cook faster. But if one piece is done early, take it off the heat and cover it. It will hold while the rest finishes cooking.
The easiest way to slice corn from the cob is to hold the cob vertically by the small end and slice down using a sharp knife. If the steam end of the cob is uneven cut the end off to make a flat surface. Seriously, you’re just pitching the cob anyway. If you get impatient (or are running behind schedule) and your corn hasn’t cooled enough, stick a corn holder in the top to save your fingers.
What is “Chiffonade?” Chiffonade is when you cut leaves (typically herbs) into thin strips. This is done by stacking your leaves. Try to make the bottom leaf the largest of the group. Then roll the leaves into a bundle. Slice the bundle into thin strips. Voila a chiffonade. For photo step-by-step, see http://www.finecooking.com/articles/cutting-chiffonade-basil.aspx. I could take pictures myself, but someone has already done it.
(serves 4, as side dish)
5 ears corn
½ medium red onion, diced
1-½ to 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved (you pick the colors, the more the merrier)
15 medium-to-large basil leaves
3 Tbsp olive oil
3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
Juice of ½ lemon
Salt
Pepper
Boil corn until just cooked (approximately 10-12 minutes). Remove corn from pot and allow ears to cool. (You can short cut this by placing the ears in an ice water bath for a few minutes.) Slice corn from ears and break apart any large sections of kernels. Mix corn, onion and tomatoes in a bowl. Toss with oil and vinegar. Salt and pepper to taste. Just before serving chiffonade basil (see notes below) and toss with salad. Adjust oil, vinegar, salt and pepper according to taste.
*** Corn salad can be made a day ahead without the basil and kept in the refrigerator.
*** Additions to the corn salad are encouraged. The above is the basic recipe. Have fun with whatever is fresh and sounds good. For class, we used arugula. Other good additions are red peppers and cored and diced zucchini.
Pan Sautéed Halibut:
1/3 pound Halibut filet per person
Olive oil
2-3 garlic cloves
Cut fish into single serving filets. Pat dry, salt and pepper flesh side. Heat a skillet to medium high. Peel garlic cloves and smack once with the side of a knife. Add olive oil to skillet. There should be enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan and swirl around during cooking (but your fish is not being fried and shouldn’t be able to do laps in the oil.) Allow oil to heat briefly and add garlic. Sauté peeled garlic cloves in oil for a minute, and remove garlic. Oil should be hot, but not smoking. Place filets in pan, skin side down. Cook until fish has turned opaque (white) approximately halfway up. Turn fish and cook until opaque throughout. Cooking time will vary depending on thickness of fish, but typically is about 5-7 minutes total.
NOTES FROM “CLASS”
When cooking our finned friends, remember it is easier to cut raw fish into portions than to try and divide cooked fish -- especially for beginners. Perfectly cooked fish will flake apart when gently prodded with a fork. Therefore, cooked fish will crumble into a mess when you go at it with a knife if you aren’t an expert.
Remember cooking times on fish always very. Each piece is unique even when cut from the same larger piece. Remember you will likely have thinner pieces and thicker pieces. The easiest way to compensate is to start the thinner pieces later as they will cook faster. But if one piece is done early, take it off the heat and cover it. It will hold while the rest finishes cooking.
The easiest way to slice corn from the cob is to hold the cob vertically by the small end and slice down using a sharp knife. If the steam end of the cob is uneven cut the end off to make a flat surface. Seriously, you’re just pitching the cob anyway. If you get impatient (or are running behind schedule) and your corn hasn’t cooled enough, stick a corn holder in the top to save your fingers.
What is “Chiffonade?” Chiffonade is when you cut leaves (typically herbs) into thin strips. This is done by stacking your leaves. Try to make the bottom leaf the largest of the group. Then roll the leaves into a bundle. Slice the bundle into thin strips. Voila a chiffonade. For photo step-by-step, see http://www.finecooking.com/articles/cutting-chiffonade-basil.aspx. I could take pictures myself, but someone has already done it.
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