Something's Fishy!

I am continually looking for new ways to prepare fish.  My husband goes fishing in

Alaska every other year and brings home an average of 50 - 80 pounds of salmon,

snapper (rockfish), and halibut.  Here is a delicious sweet and sour sauce that is
a wonderful compliment to a mild fish such as rockfish, halibut or sea bass.  I used
salmon, but would not recommend salmon because of the stronger flavor of the fish.
The fish can be lightly seasoned and baked, grilled or fried.

Note:  As always, Green text are Olivelle recipes that I will share. Green text within a recipe are ingredients that can be purchased from Olivelle locally or on the website http://www.olivelle.com

Fish Fillets with Sweet and Sour Rhubarb Sauce


Fish Fillets of Choice ~ Skinned and Boned
4 Medium oranges Supremes* ~ Juice Reserved
1 lb rhubarb ~ cut into 1-inch pieces
1/4 Cup Spiced Honey Creme
1 teaspoon Thai Ginger Sea Salt
2 tablespoons Blood Orange EVOO
1 tablespoon butter
1 large onion ~ thinly sliced
1 teaspoon Fresh Ginger ~ Minced or Grated
1 teaspoon Sugar and Spice Dipper
1 15-oz can diced tomatoes
1/4 teaspoon Fresh Ground Pepper
1/4 cup Fresh Mint ~ Chiffenade**

1. Prep fish and have it ready to cook.
2. Simmer Rhubarb, Honey, 1/2 of the Orange Juice, and 1/2 teaspoon Salt in a 2-quart heavy saucepan, stirring occasionally, until rhubarb is very tender.
3. While rhubarb is cooking, Saute Onion in Olive Oil and Butter until tender.
4. Stir Ginger and Dipper into onion and cook for about 1 minute.
5. Add remaining Orange Juice to Onion and boil until thickened.
6. Stir Rhubarb Tomatoes, Pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon Salt into Onion and briskly simmer, stirring occasionally until sauce is thickened slightly, 7 to 10 minutes.
7. Remove from heat.
8. Cook fish. (I baked salmon that I had seasoned with Thai Ginger Sea Salt in a baking dish that was lightly oiled with Blood Orange EVOO, at 325 Degrees for 12 - 20 minutes depending on thickness of fillets.)  Take care to not over cook the fish.
9. Stir Orange Segments into sauce and cook until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes.
10. Stir mint into sauce and serve with fish.

* To Supreme Oranges:

Cut both ends off of a clean orange

Following the curve of the orange, use a sharp knife to cut the peel & pith away

Cut away any remaining bits of pith

Slice each segment to the core of the orange, cutting right next to the membrane

Remove segments and set aside

When finished, you will have perfect, skinless segments and the "skeletal" core section of the orange left.  Squeeze the core section it over a bowl to reserve any remaining juice.

** To Chiffenade, refer to the October 24, 2011 post:

http://www.adrizzleofoilapinchofsalt.com/2011/10/not-your-mamas-tomato-soup-and-grilled.html

Don't just stand around baking pies... GO FISH!

Where's the Beef?

The beef?  It's with the RHUBARB in the Stew!  I was very surprised that you could use rhubarb in savory dishes.  I'm not really sure why I was so surprised, after all, rhubarb IS a vegetable by true standards.  Only in America is rhubarb used almost exclusively as a fruit.  This recipe is actually a version of a traditional Persian Rhubarb - Lamb Supper.  

Note:  As always, Green text are Olivelle recipes that I will share. Green text within a recipe are ingredients that can be purchased from Olivelle locally or on the website http://www.olivelle.com/

Rhubarb - Beef Stew

1/4 Cup Avocado Oil
3 Cups Stew Beef ~ cut into 1 inch pieces
Sel Gris ~ to taste

1/2 tsp. Fresh Ground Pepper
2 medium Yellow Onions ~ diced
3 medium Carrots ~ sliced
1 Cup Water
1  1/2 Cups Beef Broth
1/3 Cup So!Go Lemon Juice
1 Tbsp Nomu Roast Rub ~ ground with Morter & Pestle
1 Bay Leaf ~ finely chopped
3 Cups Rhubarb ~ thinly sliced+

1 tsp. Mint Leaves ~ finely chopped

1/2 cup Parsley ~ finely chopped
Cooked Rice, Pasta, Mashed Potatoes or Crusty Bread

1. Salt & Pepper Meat to taste
2. Heat Oil in Dutch Oven over Medium Heat
3. Brown Meat, then remove from pan and set aside
4. Add more Oil if necessary & saute Onions & Carrots
5. Add meat, Water, Broth, Lemon Juice, Roast Rub, Bay Leaf
6. Cover and simmer for 1.5 hours, stirring occasionally
7. Add the Rhubarb and continue to simmer for an additional 1/2 hour
8. Stir in the Mint & Parsley the last 5 - 10 minutes
9. Remove bay leaf and serve over rice, pasta or potatoes or with crusty bread

You could easily substitute Lamb and play with the spice... cinnamon, cloves, turmeric, and saffron.  Get creative!

In a Pickle

It has been quite a fews years, but I used to do a lot of canning!  Rows of home canned Tomatoes, Peaches, Pears, Applesauce, Dill Pickles and Bread & Butter Pickles would line my pantry that would last my family most of the winter.  I do miss having those jars on my shelves, but these days, I try to use fresh fruits and vegetables as much as possible.  Pickles, on the other hand, are what I miss having the most.  There is nothing like a home canned pickle!  So when I saw a recipe for Rhubarb Pickles... I knew the that I MUST try them.  Of course, I did have to "tweak" it a bit... mmmm!

Note:  As always, Green text are Olivelle recipes that I will share. Green text within a recipe are ingredients that can be purchased from Olivelle locally or on the website http://www.olivelle.com/

Rhubarb Pickles

About 1 lb Rhubarb (enough to fill 2 Quart Jars)

1 Cup Honey Apple Vinegar  

2 Cups Ginger Syrup

1/2 tsp Vanilla Bean Sea Salt

2 Tbsp Sugar and Spice Dipper

2 tsp Whole Mustard Seeds

1 tsp Whole Cloves

2 Cinnamon Sticks

2 Quart-size Canning Jars with Rings and New Lids

1. PREPARE canner, jars, and lids according to manufacturer's instructions. 
2. Cut Rhubarb in lengths to fit into canning jars
3. Pack Rhubarb into canning jars
4. Combine the Vinegar, Syrup, Salt & Dipper in a Sauce Pan and bring to a boil
5. Put half of the Mustard Seed, Cloves and one Cinnamon Stick in each jar
6. Pour the hot Syrup mixture into each jar to cover Rhubarb
7. Remove air bubbles. Wipe rims of jars clean. Center lids on jars. Apply bands and adjust to fingertip tight. 
8. Place jars in refrigerator for use within a few weeks*

*For pickles that will be shelf-stable for a year, hot process the jars by placing in a boiling water bath.

Get yourself into a pickle... a Rhubarb Pickle... that is!