FISH HEAD SOUP

Fish Head Soup

12 medium fish heads
2 medium onions
4 Tbsp. Flour
4 Tbsp. Oil
1 qt Red Gravy
salt and pepper to taste

Place hads in a large pan and combine with half of one onion and 1 tsp. Of salt. Add water to cover and bring to a boil. Simmer for 1 hour. Slice remaining onion. Make a roux with the flour and oil. Add remaining onions. Remove from heat. Strain fish heads; save stock. Let heads cool enough to remove the meat (and the eyes if you like). Add meat to stock and bring to a boil. Add onion mixture and red gravy. Simmer for 15 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. Serves 8 to 10.

FISH TACOS

Easy Fish Tacos

1 pound firm white fish, such as tilapia, snapper, cod, mahi mahi, or catfish

2 medium limes, halved

1 medium garlic clove, finely chopped

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon chili powder

2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more for oiling the grill grates

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1/2 small head of green or red cabbage (about 14 ounces), cored and thinly sliced

1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced

1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro

6 to 8 soft (6-inch) corn tortillas

Sliced avocado, for garnish (optional)

Guacamole, for garnish (optional, see above)

Salsa, for garnish (optional, see above)

Sour cream, for garnish (optional)

Hot sauce, for garnish (optional)

Makes: 3 to 4 servings

Fish tacos can be filled with either fried fish (not healthy!) or grilled fish (healthy!). Here’s the healthy version, with a citrus marinade and tangy cabbage slaw.

You’ll need to make Guacamole and Salsa before you begin.

Place the fish in a baking dish and squeeze a lime half over it. Add the garlic, cumin, chili powder, and 1 tablespoon of the oil. Season with salt and pepper and turn the fish in the marinade until evenly coated. Refrigerate and let marinate at least 15 minutes. Meanwhile, make the slaw and warm the tortillas.

Combine the cabbage, onion, and cilantro in a large bowl and squeeze a lime half over it. Drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, season with salt and pepper, and toss to combine. Taste and add more salt and pepper if necessary; set aside.

Warm the tortillas by heating a medium frying pan over medium-high heat. Add 1 tortilla at a time, flipping to warm both sides, about 5 minutes total. Wrap the warm tortillas in a clean dishcloth and set aside while you prepare the fish.

Brush the grates of a grill pan or outdoor grill with oil and heat over medium-high heat until hot. Remove the fish from the marinade and place on the grill.

Cook without moving until the underside of the fish has grill marks and is white and opaque on the bottom, about 3 minutes. Flip and grill the other side until white and opaque, about 2 to 3 minutes more. (It’s OK if it breaks apart while you’re flipping.) Transfer the fish to a plate.

Taste the slaw again and season as needed with more lime juice. Slice the remaining lime halves into wedges and serve with the tacos. To construct a taco, break up some of the cooked fish, place it in a warm tortilla, and top it with slaw and any optional garnishes.

.

SMOKED SALMON

Basic Home Smoked Salmon

1 3# salmon fillet
8 oz. Salt
4 oz. Sugar
2 tsp. Onion powder
3/4 tsp. Ground cloves
3/4 tsp. Crushed bay leaf
3/4 tsp. Mace
3/4 tsp. Allspice
you may brush with liquor (tequila, bourbon, brandy etc.) as it dries.

Remove bones from fish and wrap in cheesecloth or a clean flour sack towel etc. (in a pinch use plastic wrap with some holes punched in it so the fish can ‘breathe’) skin side down. Mix together the "cure" ingredients: salt sugar onion powder, cloves, bay leaf, mace and allspice. (If you look at the ingredients for the cure it is basically pumpkin pie spice with onion powder, salt and sugar, adapt). 

Place the fish fillet on whatever you’re going to use to wrap it in, once again, not it should be skin side down). Wrap well and refrigerate for 24 hours in a baking pan to cure 24 hours.

Cold smoke 4 to 6 hours. Remove skin and serve.

CANE RIVER STYLE BASS, POACHED, with WHITE SAUCE

Cane River Bass
(any other fish will do)

2 (2 1/2–pound) whole bass, cleaned
½ cup flour
salt and pepper to taste
6 cups boiling water
1 cup vinegar
2 tsp. Salt
2 medium onions, sliced
24 peppercorns
1/8 tsp mace
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
2 Tbsp. Lemon juice
1/4 tsp. Salt
1/8 tsp. Pepper
Chopped parsley
Lemon slices.

Wash fish well; place in salted water to cover for 30 minutes. Drain. Pat fish dry; dredge in flour, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Wrap fish in cheesecloth, and tie ends securely.

Combine water, vinegar, 2 tsp. Salt, onion, peppercorns, and mace in a large dutch oven; stir well. Add fish; simmer uncovered, over low heat 30 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup fish stock. Set fish aside and keep warm.

Combine butter and flour in a medium saucepan, stirring until lightly browned. Stir in reserved fish stock, lemon juice, salt and pepper, blending until smooth. Remove fish from cheesecloth; place on a large serving platter, and pour sauce over top. Sprinkle with parsley, and garnish with lemon slices.
Serves 8.

CURED SALMON

Cured Salmon
Serves 12, with leftovers

Ingredients
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
1 whole side of salmon (2½ to 3½ pounds, with the skin on
3 tablespoons tequila
Half a bunch of cilantro
12 very thin lime slices

Stir together the sugar, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
Using tweezers or needle-nose pliers, pull out any bones remaining in the salmon. (There can be as many as 30.) Cut the side of salmon in half crosswise.
Lay one piece of salmon skin side-down in a plastic container or glass baking dish. Drizzle with half the tequila. Sprinkle with half the sugar mixture, patting it firmly into the fish. Layer the cilantro over the salmon; arrange the lime slices over the cilantro. Drizzle the second piece of salmon with the remaining tequila and sprinkle it with the remaining sugar mixture, patting it firmly into the fish. Lay the second piece of salmon on top, skin-side up. Cover with plastic wrap. Set a small, flat-bottomed dish (or cutting board, or brick or whatever) atop the stack of salmon and weight it with 2 heavy cans or a small saucepan. Refrigerate for 24 hours.
Remove the weights, the dish, and the plastic wrap. With a spatula, flip the two pieces of salmon as one, so that the top piece is now on the bottom. With the spatula, lift the salmon piece now on top and baste the cilantro layer with the accumulated juices from the dish. Replace the salmon. Cover with plastic, top again with the dish and the weights, and refrigerate another 24 hours.
Remove the dish, weights, and plastic. Scrape off the cilantro, limes, and the salt mixture and pat the salmon dry with paper towels. Transfer to a cutting board. Beginning with the tapered tail-end piece of the salmon, using a long, thin, sharp knife, cut the salmon, across the grain and at an angle almost parallel to the work surface, into thin slices, releasing the slices from the skin as you go.
Arrange the salmon on plates as you slice, overlapping slightly. About 2 ounces of salmon is a suitable portion (like all raw fish, it is rich). You may drizzle sour cream mixed with lime juice and zest over the salmon or serve it alongside.
Serve with the usual side garnishes: Chopped onions and capers will be enough for this one. Little toasted bread rounds or crackers would be excellent.

SALMON CROQUETTES & ONION SAUCE

Salmon Croquettes

1 can salmon
1 cup soft fresh bread crumbs
2 Tbsp. grated onion
1 Tbsp. minced parsley
½ tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. Pepper
2 eggs, well beaten
1 cup seasoned bread crumbs

Drain salmon; flake fish coarsely and crush bones. Add bread crumbs, onion, parsley, salt, pepper and 1 beaten egg. Mix thoroughly; chill. Shape croquettes into a cone, cork or a hockey puck shape. Roll in seasoned bread crumbs, dip in remaining beaten egg, and then roll in crumbs again. Fry in 365 degree fat deep enough to come at least halfway up the shaped croquettes (or just throw all care to the winds and deep fry them). Until croquettes are golden brown. If you shallow fry them you’ll need to turn them to make sure they get cooked golden brown all over.

You may also bake the croquettes (reccommended) in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.
6 servings

Onion Sauce: 

Saute ½ cup minced onion in 2 Tbsp. Butter. Stir in 2 Tbsp. Flour, 1/4 tsp salt and dash of pepper. Gradually add 1 cup milk; cook until thickened. If desired omit onions and add instead 1 cup cooked peas, drained. Serve over salmon croquettes.

BROILED FISH

Broiled Fish 

1/4 cup melted butter
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp chopped chives or green onions
1 Tbsp minced parsley
2 pounds fish fillets
½ tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper

Combine butter, lemon juice, chives and parsley; set aside 2 hours to flavor butter well. Place fish, skin side down on broiler rack; season with combined salt and pepper. Brush fish with butter mixture and broil 3 inches from heat for 10 to 15 minutes or until fish flakes easily.
4 servings.

BREADED FISH I

Breaded Fish

1 pound fish fillets, steaks or small fish (catfish "nuggets" are just fine)
½ cup milk
1/8 tsp. Paprika
1 tsp salt
½ cup bread crumbs
2 Tbsp butter

Dip fish in combined milk and salt; coat with crumbs. Place in shallow baking dish; dot with butter and sprinkle with paprika. Bake in 500 degree oven 10 to 12 minutes on bottom rack or until fish flakes easily

CATFISH LOAF

It's just a plain good, humongous po boy really. Casamentos on Magazine calls all it's sandwiches "loaves"

1 big loaf of french or italian bread or two normal sized loaves, a 2-lb loaf is perfect
2 lbs. of catfish fillets (guess what, nuggets are perfect for this)
Cornmeal
1 tsp Tabasco sauce
Juice of 1/2 lemon
2 Tbsps Worcestershire sauce
2 cups catsup
Butter
1 Bermuda onion
6 small, sour pickles
1 small jar olives

Visit your favorite seafood store or deli and purchase 2 lbs. of catfish fillets. Cut the fillets into small pieces, about 1 1/2 inch cubes. Roll in cornmeal and fry in deep fat until brown. When cooked, drain on paper towels and keep in a warm place.
Combine Tabasco sauce, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce and catsup.

Cut the bread in half lengthwise. And pull out the soft part of the bread, leaving only the crust. Use the excavated bread for whatever. Butter the bread on the inside-both top and bottom. Toast, cut side up in a 350 degree oven. Coat inside of toasted loaf and inside of top crust with the sauce mixture.

Slice the Bermuda onion and small, sour pickles. Open the jar of olives. Layer the bottom of the loaf with fish, onion, sauce, pickles, and olives. Repeat layers until everything is used. Replace the top crust.

Wrap in parchment paper or aluminum foil and bake at 300 degrees for 10 minutes. Remove from paper and serve hot.