Type: BASIC
Suitable for: All fish.
If you order your fish filleted, ask for “Return the Bone.” Even a small collection of fish bones enable you to make a Basic Fish Stock, to enrich and expand your repertoire of fish dishes. Make small amounts of stock as your fish bones arrive or accumulate them in your freezer to make a big pot.
Type: MAIN COURSE
Suitable to: Whitefish.
Originally a lakeside meal, a whitefish boil was originally cooked in a large pot over a wood fire. In Door County, Michigan, which lays claim to being Home to the Fish Boil, the final step of traditional cooking involves adding kerosene to the fire, superheating the pot, causing an overflow to skim fish-oils off the broth, and adding a hint of smokiness to the dish.
Less theatrical, a stove- or home-grill-based fish boil is still delicious—and a whole lot easier to produce!
Type: Appetizer
Suitable for: Oysters, chunks of cooked Lobster tail, Crab or Giant Prawn meat.
Type: MAIN-DISH OR BUFFET CASSEROLE
Suitable for: Oysters, chunks of cooked Lobster tail, Crab or Giant Prawn meat.
Nothing removes the aches, pains, and chills of snow-shoveling like this quick, luxurious winter favorite!
Type: MAIN-DISH OR BUFFET CASSEROLE
Suitable for: Oysters, chunks of cooked Lobster tail, Crab or Giant Prawn meat.
Early in the 20th century, Americans living inland from the coasts ate oysters as a Christmas treat. Middle-Western grocers ordered oysters, shipped by rail in ice-filled wooden barrels, only when winter weather kept the mollusks safely chilled until they could be served. (An elderly Iowa native still recalls the holiday when she and her sister spirited the once-a-year dish of scalloped oysters off the dinner table and ate it all!)
The delicate and unique taste of oysters still confirms the wisdom of simple recipes and a light hand with seasonings—although you no longer have to wait until Christmas to enjoy them.
Type: MAIN COURSE
Suitable for: Lobster tail, shrimp, Giant Prawns
You don’t need to be at the beach to enjoy this delicious adaptation of a New England tradition. The original involves a pit in the sand, lined with fresh seaweed and stones heated in a fire—quite a production! This “landlubber” version is much easier on the cook.
Type: ALL COOKING
Suitable for: All Fish.
It’s much easier to cook fish frequently if you keep some of these pantry supplies on hand. Whether you order online, get a surprise gift from a neighbor or catch it yourself, it’s quick and easy to say “fish for dinner!”
(or other large, firm-fleshed whole fish)
Type: BUFFET DISH
Suitable for: Salmon, Black Bass, Whitefish.
Serves 8, cold main course;
16-20, appetizer portions
At any time of year, a whole boned and poached salmon makes a festive dish. The method that follows preserves the texture of poaching without the considerable mess or expense of an infrequently-used poacher.
