Rockfish Kabobs in Classic Greek Marinade

By now, followers of this blog may recognize that I cook a lot with rockfish.  Also known as striped bass, rockfish are the state fish of Maryland.  The species is also somewhat of a success story when it comes to sustainability.  It was not looking good for the Chesapeake rockfish, which -- like oysters and blue crabs -- was overfished.  The populations in the bay reached historic lows. It got so bad that the State of Maryland actually banned the fishing of rockfish.  The ban did not last long, because the populations of rockfish in the Chesapeake Bay began to rebound.  And, over the past fifteen years, the population of rockfish have gone from historic lows to record highs.

While the sustainability of the rockfish appeals to me, I also find that it is a great fish cook with.  Rockfish fillets are usually thick enough to prepare with any cooking process ... whether it is grilling, frying or broiling.  In addition, the fillets are also substantial enough to handle just about any rub or marinade.  A found one such interesting marinade in Dishing Up Maryland.  It comes from the Black Olive Restaurant in Baltimore Maryland.  The Black Olive is a highly rated restaurant in Fell's Point that is owned and operated by the Spiliadis family.  While I have not dined at the Black Olive, it is on my list of places to try.  As for this recipe, it turned out very well and, like the Grilled Confetti Rockfish, it will be on my short list of recipes to make again whenever I have some rockfish in the fridge.

ROCKFISH KABOBS IN CLASSIC GREEK MARINADE

Recipe from Dishing Up Maryland at 128

Serves 2

Ingredients:

2 thick rockfish fillets, cut into 1.5 or 2 inch cubes

1 red, yellow or orange bell pepper, cut into 1.5 or 2 inch cubes

2 large red onions, peeled and cut into quarters or eighths

2/3 cup of olive oil

1/3 cup of lemon juice

1 teaspoon of sea salt

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

1.  Prepare the skewers.  Soak four 10 inch bamboo skewers in water for 1 hour.  Remove them from the water, pat them dry, and assemble the kabobs on the skewers, alternating pieces of the fish, pepper, and onion.  Place the kabobs into a shallow glass baking dish.

2.  Prepare the marinade and marinade the skewers.  Combine the olive oil, lemon juice, oregano and pepper in a blender and blend at high speed until the mixture emulsifies.  Pour the mixture over the  kabobs and put them in the refrigerator to marinate for at least ten or fifteen minutes; turn the kabobs over and let them marinate for another ten or fifteen minutes.

3.  Grill the kabobs.  Heat a gas or charcoal grill to high.  Remove the kabobs from the marinade and grill them for about three minutes on one side.  Turn the kabobs and grill them for an additional two minutes, until the rockfish is cooked through.  Serve immediately.

PAIRING THIS RECIPE

Given this recipe calls for a "classic Greek marinade," I think a classic Greek wine is in order.  A Moschofilero is a white grape varietal that is cultivated in the Peloppenese that produces a bright, citrus flavored wine that goes very well with the rockfish, as well as the grilled onions.  Other white wines, especially lighter wines, could also work well with this dish.  Here are a couple of suggestions:

Voyatzis Wineries -- Kyklos Moschofilero

100% Moschofilero

Peloppenese, Greece

Flavors of grapefruit, melon and honeydew

Hughes Beaulieu -- Picpoul de Pinet (2010) 

100% Picpoul de Pinet

Languedoc, France

Flavors of grapefruit, lemon and lime

ENJOY!

Grilled Confetti Rockfish

A few weeks back, I bought a cookbook from Black Ankle Vineyards.  The book is called Dishing Up Maryland, 150 recipes from the Alleghenies to the Chesapeake Bay.  It is a fascinating mix of recipes and stories.  The recipes are drawn from every corner of the Free State and incorporate a lot of local ingredients, such as rockfish from the Chesapeake Bay.  As for the stories, they provide an interesting insight into the small, local producers who have devoted their lives to their crafts.   

While paging through the book, one recipe caught my eye.  It is a recipe from the Brome Howard Inn for Confetti Rockfish.  The Inn at Brome Howard is a mid-nineteeth century plantation house built by Dr. Brome for his wife.   The plantation grew tobacco and wheat.  The house was passed through generations of Bromes and Howards, until it was bought by the State of Maryland in the 1970s.  The house was restored and converted into a bed and breakfast.

The "breakfast" part was apparently provided by the "Brome Howard Inn." However, it appears that the "Brome Howard Inn" is no longer connected with the "Inn at Brome Howard.  This is unfortunate, because the Confetti Rockfish recipe is very good.  Both Clare and I loved this dish. 

I will definitely make this recipe again, as well as other recipes from Dishing Up Maryland.  I would add one note about the instructions for this recipe ... the cooking times may need some adjustment.  As with any protein, the cooking times depend upon the thickness of the meat.  The recipe calls for three minutes a side; however, when I made this dish, I think that my rockfish fillet was a little thicker than the average, because three minutes per side were not enough.  It took about four to five minutes per side.  

GRILLED CONFETTI ROCKFISH

Recipe from Dishing Up Maryland at page 66

Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 1/2 to 2 pounds of rockfish fillets, skin-on
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup of carrot, finely diced
1/4 red bell pepper, finely diced
1/4 cup of onion, finely diced
1/2 cup tomato, finely diced
1/4 cup cucumber, finely diced
2 tablespoons of cilantro, finely diced
1 tablespoon of lime juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 cups of cooked couscous
Lemon or lime slices

Directions:

1. Prepare the fish.  Prepare the grill.  Clean the rockfish by trimming away any belly fat and fins.  Score the skin two or three times in opposite directions to just below the surface of the skin using a sharp knife and being careful not to cut deeply (this prevents curling of the fillet during cooking).  If necessary, cut the fillets into more manageable sizes.  

2.  Make the confetti salsa.  Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a medium skillet.  Add the carrot, red pepper and onion, and saute over medium-high heat for 2 minutes, until the vegetables begin to soften.  Remove from the heat and stir in the tomato , cucumber, cilantro and lime juice.

3.  Cook the rockfish.  Brush the rockfish fillets on both sides with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil.  Sprinkle the fish with the salt and pepper and place the pieces skin side up on the grill for 3 minutes on each side, being careful not to overcook.

4.  Plate the dish.  Mound the couscous evenly on four plates, or on one large platter if serving family style.  Lay the fish over the couscous.  Spoon the salsa over the fish.  Garnish with lemon or lime slices.

PAIRING THIS RECIPE

To complete this Maryland inspired dish, I decided to pair the Confetti Rockfish with a Maryland wine.  I decided to go lighter and fruitier with a Pinot Grigio from Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyards.  Other white wines, such as such as a Viognier or an Albariño.  Here are a couple of suggestions:

Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyards -- Pinot Grigio (2011)

100% Pinot Grigio

Comus, Maryland, USA

Flavors of green apple, citrus and a finish of hazelnut

Black Ankle Vineyard -- Viognier (2009)

Viognier

Mt. Airy, Maryland, USA

Flavors of pear, vanilla and mild oak flavors.

ENJOY!

Ancho Chipotle Rockfish Burgers with Oaxacan Guacamole

One day, my beautiful Angel, Clare, said that she really wanted some guacamole.  Those words got me to thinking ... how could I make some awesome and different guacamole for her.  I ran through some different ingredients in my head and I did a couple Google searches.  I ultimately decided to make some Oaxacan guacamole.  

The recipe caught my attention because I am fascinated with Oaxacan cuisine, especially the use of sauces and moles.  The principal difference between Oaxacan guacamole and other guacamole is the use of garlic.  A lot of garlic.   After I settled on a recipe, I got to thinking about how to serve the guacamole.

Being an amazing cook herself, Clare once made Salmon Burgers with an Ancho Guacamole.  I decided that I would work off of that recipe.  However, instead of using salmon, I used rockfish.  The Chesapeake Bay has large, sustainable populations of rockfish, which makes it my usual go to for any fish course.  So, I decided to make rockfish burgers. 

Given I was making rockfish burgers with the Oaxacan guacamole, I decided to give the rockfish a little Mexican kick.  I added a little ancho chile powder and some chipotle chile powder to the ground fish.  I also decided to double down on the chipotle flavor by using a chipotle mustard.  If you do not have any chipotle mustard, you could just use plain ground mustard.

ANCHO CHIPOTLE ROCKFISH BURGERS

WITH OAXACAN GUACAMOLE

Recipe for guacamole adapted from Whole Food Markets

Serves 2-4

Ingredients (for the rockfish burgers):

1 pound of rockfish fillet

1/2 cup of panko bread crumbs

1 tablespoon of lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon of ancho powder

3 tablespoons of Lusty Monk Chipotle Mustard

    (or substitute with 3 tablespoons of ground mustard

    and one-half teaspoon of chipotle powder)

1 teaspoon of ground mustard

Salt, to taste

Ground black pepper, to taste

2 tablespoons of vegetable oil

Kaiser rolls

Ingredients (for the Oaxacan Guacamole):

4 avocados, mashed

Juice from one lime

3 garlic cloves, thinly minced

5-6 green onions, thinly sliced

1 cup of cilantro, chopped

1 jalapeno, diced

Directions:

1.  Prepare the rockfish burgers.  Pulse the rockfish in a food processor about a dozen times until it is chopped well.  Transfer the fish to a bowl, and add the bread crumbs, lemon juice, mustard, ancho powder, salt and ground black pepper.  Mix thoroughly with your hands.  Form four patties.  Refrigerate the patties for about twenty to thirty minutes.

2.  Prepare the salsa.  Mix avocado with lime juice and then stir in garlic, onions, cilantro and jalapeno peppers. 

3.  Cook the rockfish burgers.  Heart the vegetable oil on high.   Add the burgers and reduce the heat to medium high.  Continue cooking for about eight minutes, and flip the burgers.  Cook for eight more minutes or until done.  

4.  Plate the dish.  Place a rockfish burger on each roll.  Spoon a large dollop of guacamole on top of the burger.  Serve immediately.  

PAIRING THIS RECIPE

When thinking about what to pair with this dish, I decided that a smooth, rich white wine would work well.  I think that a Chardonnay, Viognier, or Sémillon.  A couple of wines that I have reviewed that may go well with the Ancho Chipotle Rockfish Burgers with Oaxacan Guacamole are the following:

L'Ecole No. 41 -- Columbia Valley Sémillon

100% Sémillon

Walla Walla, Washington USA

Flavors of melon, pair and apple

Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard -- Chardonnay

100% Chardonnay

Comus, Maryland, USA

Flavors of apple and pair

 ENJOY!

Turkish Spiced Rockfish

Recently, I bought a small container of ground sumac berries.  Sumac is a small bush that grows throughout the Middle East and in Sicily and other parts of the eastern Mediterranean.  The sumac berries are ground into a burgundy-colored powder that is used in the cooking of Turkey, Lebanon, Syria and Iran.  The ground berries are a little astringent, with a citrus flavor.  The taste is a little like lemon.

I wanted to make a rub with sumac, so I had to choose some other ingredients.  I immediately thought of Aleppo pepper, a Turkish chile that would provide some spice and a little kick for the rub. The combination of sumac and Aleppo pepper is the reason why I thought of this as a "Turkish spice."  To round out the rub or marinade, I selected a couple of good standbys, ground onion and ground pepper.  The last ingredients I selected were coriander, fenugreek and paprika. With all of these ingredients, plus a little ground black pepper and salt, I had my rub.  

The next decision to make was the protein.  Since I was cooking for my beautiful wife, the protein had to be fish.  I decided to go with a sustainable choice ... local rockfish.  I've previously blogged about rockfish from the Chesapeake Bay.  The populations are sustainable, which makes it a good choice for a dinner.

TURKISH SPICED ROCKFISH

A Chef Bolek Original

Serves 2-3

Ingredients (for the Rockfish):

1 pound of rockfish, sliced into even-sized pieces

1 teaspoon of ground sumac

1/2 teaspoon of Aleppo pepper

1/2 teaspoon of ground onion

1/2 teaspoon of ground fenugreek

1/2 teaspoon of ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon of ground garlic
1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil, plus two tablespoons

Black pepper, to taste

Salt, to taste

Ingredients (for the Couscous):

2 tablespoons of green pepper, finely diced

2 tablespoons of yellow or sweet onion, finely diced

2 cloves of garlic finely diced

1/2 cup of Moroccan couscous

1 tablespoon of unsalted butter

Directions:
1.  Marinate the fish.  Place the fish in a plastic bag.  Add the Aleppo pepper, sumac, onion, fenugreek, coriander and garlic to a small bowl. Add the extra virgin olive oil and stir.  If it is too much like a paste, add some more oil so that it is like a thick liquid.  Pour the spice mixture into the plastic bag and work it so that it covers the fish.  Let the fish marinate for about fifteen to thirty minutes. 

2.  Prepare the couscous.  Prepare the couscous according to the directions.  In a separate pan, heat the butter on medium high heat.  Add the green pepper, onion and garlic. Saute until all are soft and translucent.  Stir in the green peppers, onion and garlic into the couscous.

3.  Saute the fish.  Heat a couple of tablespoons of oil over medium high heat.  Add the fish fillets and cook for about four minutes.  Flip the fillets and cook for four minutes more or until done (which depends upon the thickness of the fillets).

4.  Plate the dish.  Spoon some of the couscous on one side of the plate.  Plate the fish on the other side of the plate.  You could also spoon the couscous on the middle of the plate and place the fish on top of the couscous. 

PAIRING THIS RECIPE

This dish has a little kick thanks to the Aleppo pepper and, besides the dish featuring a fish, the spice calls for a white wine.  Really, any white wine could do (except, perhaps, an oaked chardonnay).  I would gravitate toward a lighter, fruitier white wine, perhaps a Viognier or a Sémillon.  A couple of wines, which I have previously reviewed, that may pair well with this dish are the following:

L'Ecole No. 41 -- Columbia Valley Sémillon

87% Sémillon and 13% Sauvignon Blanc

Columbia Valley, Washington, USA

Flavors of honeysuckle, lemon and lime

Lemelson Vineyards -- Tikka's Run Pinot Gris

100% Pinot Gris

Willamette Valley, Oregon, USA
Flavors of apricot, melon and fennel

ENJOY!

Cacciucco

One of my favorite Italian dishes is a seafood stew that varies region-by-region.  I have made a couple versions of this stew, inspired by the brodettos of Abruzzo.  The Tuscans have their own version called "Cacciucco" (kah-CHOO-koh).  I thought it was time to learn a little more about the Tuscan stew and try to make it for myself and my beautiful Angel, Clare.

The word "Cacciucco" comes from the Turkish word, Kϋçϋk, which means "small."  This is a reference to the fish used to make the dish, all of which are usually small, boney fish.  These fish are the pesce povero or "poor fish," which were left over from the catch.  The fish were left over because they were too small or too boney to sell in the market. The pesce povero usually included Black Scorpionfish, Atlantic Stargazer, Dogfish and Weeverfish. 

Few of those fish are available around where I live, so the suggested fish for this recipe include sole, mullet, catfish, eel, hake, monkfish, and John Dory.  Many of these fish -- such as sole, hake and monkfish -- are endangered because of overfishing or are unsustainable because the fishing methods used to catch the fish result in an unacceptable amount of bycatch or environmental damage.  I try hard to make sure that I follow the guidelines for sustainable seafood in my cooking.  Therefore, for my Cacciucco, I decided to use Rockfish and Vermillion Snapper, both of which have been designated as sustainable. I also used some squid and some cherrystone clams.  This dish was very good and, like the brodettos, I will definitely make it again.

CACCIUCCO

Adapted from LivornoNow

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds of fish and shellfish

1 onion, sliced
1 carrot, sliced
1 stalk celery, sliced
3 cloves garlic, diced
1 small handful of parsley, chopped
1 can of San Marzano, whole peeled tomatoes 

8 thick slices Italian bread
Extra virgin olive oil
1 bayleaf
Thyme
Sage
Chile pepper
2 teaspoons of vinegar
1 glass dry red wine (e.g. Chianti)
Salt and pepper

2 cups of seafood broth

Directions:

1.  Prepare the seafood.  Wash all the fish. Clean the squid and wash shellfish.  Wash shellfish carefully and place in a large pan to open them.  Conserve the liquid and half of the shell with the clam or mussel.

2.  Prepare the base of the Cacciucco.  In a large frying pan, heat olive oil and lightly fry the onion, carrot, celery, garlic and parsley, all finely chopped. Add the chile, thyme, sage and bayleaf.

3.  Add the squid, followed by the vinegar, red wine and tomatoes.  Add the squid to the base and cook for a few minutes.  Add the vinegar. When the vinegar has evaporated, add the red wine and cook til this has evaporated as well. Add the tomatoes, chopped, and season to taste with salt and pepper.

4.  Add the remaining ingredients.  When the  squid is tender, add the fish stock (strained), the remaining fish, and in the last few minutes the shellfish.  Cook until the fish and shellfish are cooked through, with the fish about to flake apart and the shell fish are opaque/

5.  Plate the dish.  Toast the bread and rub with garlic. Place the slices in the bottom of a dish and pour the Cacciucco over the bread. Serve hot.  (there should be plenty of sauce, but the Cacciucco should not be too liquid).

ENJOY!

For more information about Cacciucio, check out LivornoNow.

Rockfish with a Trio of Sauces

Recently, I was inspired to create a dish for Clare that brought together three different sauces, each with its own flavor.  I should say at the outset, that, as an amateur cook, I still have a lot to learn, particularly about presentation.  However, the only way to learn is to try and keep trying.

In this case, each of the three sauces is built around a pepper -- a red pepper, a yellow pepper, and a green pepper.  Beginning with the pepper, I added a couple of ingredients to give each sauce a unique flavor.  The red sauce is the hot one, with garlic and hatch chilies added to the red pepper.  The yellow sauce is flavored with curry powder, providing a different kind of spice.  Finally, the green sauce is a pepper basil sauce, with flecks of basil permeating through the entire sauce. Thus, a trio of sauces that are kind of like a traffic light -- red, yellow and green.

The sauces are served cold, and the idea is to take a forkful of the rockfish with a little of the sauce with each bite.  The idea is to alternate between the sauces so that each taste of rockfish is different.  This dish is a work in progress and, if I can make some refinements, I will post an updated recipe.

ROCKFISH WITH A TRIO OF SAUCES

A Chef Bolek Original
Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

1 pound of rockfish

1 red bell pepper

1/2 tablespoon of ground red hatch chiles

1 clove of garlic

1 yellow bell pepper

1/2 tablespoon of curry powder

1 green bell pepper

8 large basil leaves

16 tablespoons of olive oil

Salt, to taste

Ground pepper, to taste

Directions:

1.  Make the red sauce.  Puree the red pepper, garlic and ground red hatch chile powder.  Strain the mixture to remove the excess water.  Return it to the food processor and then add about four tablespoons of olive oil slowly while working the processor.

2.  Make the yellow sauce.  Puree the yellow pepper and the curry powder.  Strain the mixture to remove the excess water.  Return it to the food processor and then add about four tablespoons of olive oil slowly while working the processor.

3.  Make the green sauce.  Puree the green pepper, ground black pepper, and basil .  Strain the mixture to remove the excess water.  Return it to the food processor and then add about four tablespoons of olive oil slowly while working the processor.

4.  Cook the fish.  Heat four tablespoons of oil in a saute pan on medium heat.  Add the rockfish with the flesh side down and saute the fish for about six minutes.  Flip the fish and continue to saute for about six minutes more.  Flip the fish once again and check to see if it is finished.  If the fish is not cooked through, continue to cook it for a few more minutes.

ENJOY!

Rockfish Provencal

Recently, I decided that I wanted to make a nice meal for my wife.  I did not know quite what to make, and, I perused a bunch of recipes until I came across one for Halibut Provencal.  I went to my local grocery store, but they did not have halibut, and many of my choices -- such as cod -- were not very sustainable. There was one fish that is rated as sustainable and, even better, it is a local fish from the Chesapeake bay ... rockfish.

Now, not all rockfish are sustainable and, indeed, the name "rockfish" is a little misleading.  Many fish go by different names when sold in the store, which makes buying fish based upon sustainability a major challenge.  Rockfish is a very good example because it may be labeled with many completely different names, such as Red Snapper, Black Bass and Striped Bass.  On the West Coast, a "rockfish" is more than likely a snapper while, on the East Coast, it is more than likely a striped bass.

So, it is important to see where the fish is caught, and that will more often than not tell you if the fish is sustainable.  Rockfish or Striped Bass caught in the Chesapeake Bay are sustainable because, unlike some of the other residents of the bay (most notably blue crabs and oysters), there are still sufficient populations of rockfish in the bay and the amounts of rockfish that may be caught are subject to strict regulation.

With all of that said, I decided to make Rockfish Provencal, which is a great dish that brings together all of the flavors of Provence, such as garlic, fennel, tomatoes, olives and sage. This is a very delicious dish.

ROCKFISH PROVENCAL

Adapted from About.com 

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 1/4 pounds of Rockfish

3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

1 clove of garlic, diced finely

1/4 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes

2 shallots, sliced thinly

1 fennel bulb, chopped

1 can of whole, peeled tomatoes

1/2 cup of bottled clam juice

12 black olives, pitted

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1/4 teaspoon of black pepper

1 tablespoon of fresh sage, chiffonade or cut into fine strips 

Directions:

1.  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

2.  Heat the olive oil in a deep, ovenproof skillet over medium heat.  Saute the garlic and red pepper flakes for about a minute.  Add the shallots and fennel, continuing to saute for about another five minutes.  Add the tomatoes and the clam juice.  Breakdown the tomatoes using a potato masher until they are in large pieces.  Remove from the heat and stir in the olives.

3. Season the rockfish with salt and pepper.  Arrange the rockfish over the hot tomato mixture in the skillet.  Bake in the preheated oven for about fifteen to twenty minutes, until the cook is fished through.  Stir in the sage chiffonade into the tomato mixture.

4.  Plate the fish first and then spoon the tomato mixture over the fish.

ENJOY!

For more about sustainable choices when buying Rockfish, check out Seafood Watch.