There are many wonderful reasons for cooking seafood regularly for you and your family, including numerous proven health benefits, simplicity in preparation, impressive presentation, and delicious results. However, it is important to take into account the sustainability of our seafood choices. Whether you are a seasoned fish cook or just starting to experiment with seafood recipes, a delicious dinner can put a smile on everyone’s face!
Try arctic char. Arctic char, also known as sea trout, has a similar color, flavor, and cooking method as salmon. Reasonably priced, this fish is often responsibly farmed. At Léman, we season and roast the tender fillets, then brush them with a tangy honey butter when they are piping hot. Served with steamed grains, roasted veggies, and sliced chives on top, and you have a beautiful, healthful weeknight meal.
Go for clams and mussels. Great-quality, farmed mussels and clams are widely available. You can steam the shellfish up in an infinite number of ways. The cooking process produces a beautiful broth that is perfect for pouring over linguine or mopping up with good bread.
Solve your seafood dilemma. Many families are split on liking seafood. A great way to solve this is to make a recipe that can use either fish or chicken. Barramundi, tilapia, mahi mahi, or chicken breast all work well with a lemon-caper brown butter sauce. You never know, you may even convert a non-fish eater! (Recipe follows.)
Skip the fish, keep the sea. Seaweed is gaining popularity in the U.S. by the minute, and with great reason. Packed with vitamins and minerals, edible plants from the sea are delicious! Miso soup relies on kombu, or edible seaweed, for depth of flavor. Seaweed salads, made from wakame or hijiki, are a perfect addition to dinner or lunch. And don’t forget the easy-to-find crunchy seaweed snacks that are popular with kids and adults alike.
Canned tuna transformation. There are many excellent quality oil-packed canned tuna options available. Canned tuna can be used as a garnish in a vegetable-packed classic tuna Niçoise salad. Boiled baby potatoes, steamed French green beans, black Niçoise olives with white wine vinaigrette are the perfect bed for some flaked-up, oil-packed tuna. If you are like me and love anchovies, you can lay a few of those on top, too.
Joanna DeVita, executive chef at Léman Manhattan Preparatory School, is an accomplished chef from New York. After graduating from the University of Maryland in 2002, she pursued her dream of becoming a chef by enrolling in the French Culinary Institute in lower Manhattan. In addition to making her way from line cook to executive chef through various restaurants and catering companies in New York City, she has worked at an organic farm in Australia and at restaurants in Spain and Ireland. DeVita is the mother of two (ages 5 and 2) and loves nothing more than spending time with them in the outdoors and sharing her love and respect for nature, good ingredients, and the joy of cooking with her family.
Seared fish fillets or chicken breast with lemon-caper brown butter
INGREDIENTS:
4, 5–7 ounce white fish fillets such as Barramundi, tilapia or mahi mahi, skin offo
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, tenders removed
2 tbs vegetable oil
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
fresh ground black pepper to taste
salt to taste
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
2 tbs capers (rinsed if salt-packed, drained otherwise)
juice of 1/2 a lemon
1 tbs chopped parsley
DIRECTIONS: Season fillets (fish or chicken) well with salt and fresh ground pepper. Prepare ingredients for sauce by cutting up butter, chopping parsley, squeezing lemon juice, and draining capers. Mix the flour with cayenne pepper, black pepper, garlic powder, and salt. Dredge fillets in flour, then shake off excess flour. Heat a large sauté pan on high heat with vegetable oil until oil shimmers, becomes “loose” and smokes only slightly.
Gently lay fillets, presentation side down, into the hot pan. Do not move fillets. Lower the flame to medium and allow a crust to form. Flip fillets over after three to four minutes. They should be golden-dark brown. Cook fish fillets until a knife-point easily pierces through. Cook chicken until internal temperature reaches 165-degrees Fahrenheit (you may need to finish in the oven).
In a fresh sauté pan, melt butter cubes. When butter foams up, lower the heat and watch closely. The butter solids will begin to brown and smell toasted. Swish the butter around in the pan so it cooks evenly. When butter solids are nicely brown add capers, parsley, and lemon juice and turn off the heat. Taste the sauce and adjust for seasoning. Pour sauce over cooked fillets. Serve with potatoes or rice pilaf and broccoli.
