SALMON QUENELLES

Gefilte fish produces such strong reactions that I decided to use the far more demure French word for this sea-born dish. Quenelles are easy to make and you can use whatever fish you prefer. For this round I used salmon and a heavy dose of fresh peas. Blend in the aromatics that look fresh when you arrive at the market, no need to adhere strictly to this recipe. When serving, add a dollop of something tangy (yogurt sauce, horseradish, sour cream, tamarind paste), it will offset the luxurious fish and send fireworks through your palate.

Ingredients

View fullsize

• 1 Yellow Onion, shredded and squeezed to remove excess liquid (reserve the liquid)
• 2 carrots, shredded
• 1 cup Fresh or Frozen Green Peas
• Handful Parsley Leaves
• 4 Salmon Fillets
• 1 Egg
• 1 tablespoon Whole Grain Mustard
• 1 teaspoon Black Pepper
• Salt to taste

Business

1. Prepare your veggies, take care of all shredding and squeezing before working with the fish.
2. Remove the skin from salmon fillets and cut the flesh into large pieces.
3. Add skin and reserved onion juice to sauce pot with 4-6 cups water.
4. Bring liquid to boil, then drop to simmer.
5. In a food processor add all vegetables and salmon pieces. Process until smooth.
6. Add egg, mustard, salt, and pepper and continue to process until smooth and shiny.
7. Scoop out quenelles of the fish dough and drop them (a few at a time) into the simmering water for 5-7 minutes, until they hold together in one piece and are cooked in the center.
8. Drain quenelles on rack.
9. If not serving immediately, add quenelles to jars or containers and pour poaching liquid over them to cover and keep moist.

SARDINE MOUSSE

A briny whip to start the evening, this mousse is wonderful with a glass of something cold and crisp (be that white wine, or beer). It's deceptively hearty and creamy with the addition of walnuts, great for spreading on toasts or crackers. Make a double batch and keep half in the freezer, you'll be all set for your next party with no planning necessary.

INGREDIENTS

View fullsize

• 4 cans Sardines packed in Olive Oil
• Juice of 2 Lemons
• 3 cups Toasted Walnuts
• 1 cup Torn Parsley Leaves
• Salt and Pepper to taste (beware, the sardines are already salted)

BUSINESS

1. Add all ingredients to a food processor (including the olive oil remaining in the sardine tins).
2. Buzz and whir the mixture until it is your desired consistency. The mousse can be smooth or chunky, it's delicious either way.

BLACK BEAN BRAISED BASS

If my family is going out for dinner, the odds are high that we're having Chinese food. With Linda at the table we're never stuck ordering American standbys (General Tsao's is just fried chicken, you know that, right?) and my favorite dish is the whole braised fish. To celebrate the new year I decided to serve a few of my friends whole striped bass. Best part? No one fought me for the cheeks.

View fullsize

INGREDIENTS

Sauce

• 3 tablespoons Sesame Oil
• 2 inches Ginger, sliced thinly
• 3 Garlic Cloves, sliced thinly
• 3 Scallions, minced
• 1/2 cup Preserved Black Beans
• 1/2 cup Shaoxing Rice Wine
• 2 cups Chicken or Veggie Stock
• 1 tsp Corn Starch

Fish

• 1 Striped Bass, ~2 pounds
• 2 inches Ginger, sliced thinly
• 3 Scallions, roughly chopped
• Stems and Roots of one bunch Cilantro

BUSINESS

1. Begin with the sauce. In the base of a wok heat oil over medium-high heat. When hot, add ginger, garlic, and scallion. Stir fry for 5-7 minutes, until browned and fragrant.
2. Rinse black beans under hot water until the runoff is relatively clear. Add washed beans to hot wok. Stir fry for another 5 minutes.
3. Add rice wine to wok, stir to deglaze pan.
4. Add stock to wok and drop heat to simmer. Whisk in corn starch and cook for ~10 minutes, until slightly thickened.
5. Prepare the fish. Have your butcher remove the scales, gills, and guts, but leave the head, tail and spine intact. Stuff the raw fish with sliced ginger, and scallions. Using the back of your knife, bruise the cilantro stems until they are fragrant, stuff into fish.
6. Slide fish into hot wok with sauce. Increase heat to medium. Cover wok with lid or large bowl. Cook fish for 8 minutes, remove lid and flip the fish. Replace lid and cook for another 8 minutes, until the flesh is white and tender. Serve with pan sauce.