Smoked Fish Trifecta!

Getting the holiday gift baskets prepped. Smokin Salmon, rockfish, and tuna bellies.

Will take the rockfish to a jerky texture.







Separate containers for each while brining. 4-1 sugar to salt dry rub. Will brine for 8 hours, then rinse and air dry till pellicle forms. Season then smoke.

Got everything drying. It's cold and windy enough out that I can do this in my smoker. So that's where the tuna bellies are. The salmon and rockfish are in my also cold garage with artificial wind.



Smoker temp






Should be able to start the smoke in a hour or so. Pellicle is just about there.

Into the fire and the smoke!

 

Salmon done!



Tuna bellies done!

Rockfish still Smokin!


The tuna bellies smelled so strong while smoking, but are mild and my new favorite smoked fish! Freaking awesome!!!!!


Smoke away!!!

Fish Cakes!

I made up a batch of fish cakes last night. Normally I would smoke the fish prior to making the cakes, but this time I didn't have the time so I just grilled it up. I use a pretty simple recipe and go by feel on the amounts that I use. I used four nice sized Sebastes Melanops, aka Black Bass, Black Rock Cod, Sea Bass, Black Snapper, and Pacific Ocean Perch, fillets. Probably a total of a pound or there about.

You'll need several taters, I usually figure 2-3 per pound of fish. Peeled, boiled and mashed. I season the taters while they are cooking. I used several mashed garlic cloves, parsley, onion, red pepper corns, and dill. Wish I'd had some tarragon but didn't.

These were really small taters so I used 5. Boiling away with all the good spices. While the taters are cooking its time to get the fish on the grill. If you are smoking the fish you'd reverse the operation and get the fish going first. Note that you want the taters cold when forming the cakes. Because of my time crunch I mashed the taters spread them in a 9x13 pan and into the fridge to cool.

Whether smoked or grilled take the fish till it just turns an nice opaque white and flakes easily. Or for the IT freaks 145º I seasoned the fish the same as the taters, but I added Old Bay to the fish too.

Flake all the fish, watch for bones, no one likes to get those in their fish cake!

Mix the fish and the taters together. Best method is by hand and try not to over mix. Here I like to taste again to see if any additional seasonings are needed. I added a quarter of an onion, finely chopped. I also added more Old bay and parsley, salt and pepper. This also the time to check and see if a cake will hold together. In my case they were a bit dry. One could add buttermilk, cream, or eggs if needed to create a binder.

I added eggs, two. I recommend that you add one at a time. but I knew from the past what the texture should be. Same goes for buttermilk or cream add small amounts check to see if a patty will hold, then add more if needed.

There is the final mix with a formed cake on top

Bread crumbs and old bay for a dredge. I coat the cakes with the bread crumbs then dust with Old Bay.

Ready for the grill or the pan. I did mine on the grill, medium high heat until golden brown, flip once.

I test fried one in butter to see how it was going to hold

The rest went onto the grill until golden brown!

Enjoy!!!!

Lingcod Tacos!!!

You start with this

Your favorite salsa

Put it in this

Prep your favorite toppings

When the fish looks like this

Put on your favorite cheese and melt

Serve it up

Assembly!

Enjoy!!!!

Thai Pumpkin seafood chowder

This soup is full of flavor and a good option for adding halibut, rockfish, shrimp or crab too. For a thicker consistency one can puree it all or puree half the batch.

Look @ those nice Kabocha!, The zucchini, and tomato are from my garden!

I was given some great looking Kabocha squash, so I decided to make Thai pumpkin soup. This soup can be pureed, or not, and can be served either hot or chilled. I decided to add some prawns to the mix, so I will serve it hot and not pureed.

The beginning of something really good, homemade vegetable stock! More to follow!!!

All good soups need to start with a good foundation. I prefer to make all my own stocks, and for this particular soup I choose to make a hearty vegetable stock. Probably the easiest stock you can make. Use whatever vegetables you might have, I used carrots, celery, Leek, turnip, red onion, tomato, zucchini, potato peelings, garlic, parsley, fresh basil, fresh thyme, peppercorns, and a bay leaf!

Several of these Chile's will be going into the final soup! These are Thai Chile's.Love using fresh stuff from my garden!

I decided to post this here because several family members & friends have asked me for the recipe, and thought I'd share it with all.

Like most my cooking I wing it as long as it's not baking, baking's not my forte, so i stick to the book for that! Every time someone asks me for a recipe I kinda Hesitate, just because I follow my instincts when cooking. Usually when people ask me how much of this or that blah blah blah, I come back with the question, well how much do you want to cook? So with that here are the general amounts for about 4-6 servings. Of course with that said, I vary all my seasonings to taste as I go...

So we made the base for the soup, the vegetable stock (you can substitute chicken stock, or fish stock if you prefer) After simmering the stock for and hour or so, I strained the solids out (for clearer stock strain through cheese cloth and sieve).

Vegi Stock, strained. I was not concerned for it to be perfectly clear, so I opted not to strain through cheese cloth.

4-6 cups of stock
1 can of coconut milk, reserve the cream ( coconut milk separates, do not shake can prior to opening, scrape thickened cream)
3-5 cups of peeled squash (any winter squash, pumpkin, etc.) cut into bite sized pieces or cube.
4 medium prawns per serving or a couple white fish fillets cut into bite sized pieces ( If you plan to Puree do not puree fish or prawns.)
Small cucumber cut into small pieces
Small red, or yellow bell pepper cut into small pieces
1-2 red chili peppers, seeded and sliced, or 1 tsp dried chili pepper
2-3 kaffir lime leaves (if not available substitute with fresh lime zest) Kaffir lime leaves can be found @ Asian food markets, if not fresh check out the freezer section.
3-6 garlic cloves finely minced
2 shallots or half a small purple onion diced
1 stalk of lemon grass
tsp or so of shrimp paste, or anchovy paste (once again those who live somewhere where there is a Asian market shrimp paste will be available)
couple Tbsp. of fish sauce (if the soup is not salty enough add more fish sauce instead of salt)
juice from 3-4 limes (hand squeeze, reserve rind for zest if not using kaffir leaves)
several tsp sugar
Thai Basil, Coriander, etc for garnish

So in order to get rolling get all the fresh stuff cut prepped and ready to go, when your done you should have a pile of stuff that looks like this. This soup cooks fast so best to have everything ready to go!

The guts of the soup ready to go!

Heat several Tbsp. of oil in your stock pot over medium high heat. Add garlic, Chile, and shallots (purple onion). Stir fry long enough to meld the flavors.
Add stock, and kaffir lime leaves ( or zest) bring to boil.
Add squash, reduce heat and simmer till fork tender.

Simmering away!

While simmering add shrimp/anchovy paste, fish sauce, lime juice and, sugar.
When squash is soft add shrimp, and or fish, lemon grass and red pepper, do not over cook seafood!
When seafood is done reduce heat, to low add coconut milk, and cucumber, stirring to combine.
Taste re-season if needed and serve! garnish with Basil, coriander, etc...

Yumm!

Note if you are going to puree, remove fish and shrimp prior to , and or cook fish and shrimp, then add as garnish to final dish!