A re-introduction to cooking seafood. Get to know the sear.
 

“How do I prepare fish?” It’s one of the questions I am most frequently asked. I can’t quite understand it but for whatever reason most people are intimidated by cooking seafood. I stock fresh, high-quality raw seafood at my New Hope store daily, and it never ceases to amaze me how little of it sells. I actually consider it some of the easiest food to cook. It requires less cooking time than most meats and usually does not need much marinating. 

The negative perception may begin at the purchase point. I stock seafood because, honestly, I grew frustrated trying to find quality fish at the local supermarkets, where the selection is typically poor — and frozen. It’s hard to imagine it tasting very good when it does not look appetizing to begin with. Freshness is essential with all food, but particularly seafood. A good rule of thumb: if it tastes or smells fishy, it is probably old. Start with a fresh piece of fish and it’s hard to go wrong.

As far as the preparation goes, searing is my method of choice. Searing — or pan searing — is a technique used in most facets of cooking, from grilling to braising, where the surface is cooked at a high temperature so that a caramelized crust forms and then the meat or fish usually finishes cooking in the oven. It’s very easy to pull off. Start by preheating a nonstick skillet with a medium heat. Then generously sprinkle kosher salt and fresh ground pepper over the fish. Once the skillet is hot enough, add two tablespoons of olive oil. (I don’t use extra virgin olive oil for searing. I like a blended olive oil so the flavor won’t overwhelm the fish or meat. It’s also far more inexpensive.) 

You’ve reached the ideal temperature to begin searing when the oil begins to smoke. 

The next step can be a little tricky. When placing the fish in the skillet, make sure you are holding it well away from you so that if you drop it, you won’t get splashed with hot oil. Turn the heat down slightly once the fish begins searing. It should take about two minutes for the surface in contact with the skillet to get a nice golden-brown crust. At that point, gently flip the fish so that the side that was previously on top is now on the bottom. Give it, too, a couple of minutes.

Depending upon what kind of seafood you’re making, it may need to finish cooking in the oven. Just before that point, I like to add a glaze for a bit of extra flavor. A sweet chili glaze is one of the most popular kinds among our customers. I like it because it comes in a bottle and is very simple to apply. Just brush it on. Easy enough?

Sweet Chili-Glazed Salmon with Sauteed
Bok Choy and Shitake Mushroom Cous Cous

Cous Cous
 

1 cup cous cous

1 cup chicken or vegetable stock

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup diced shitake mushrooms

1/2 tablespoon chopped garlic

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

1 green onion, sliced very thin

Salt and pepper to taste

Cous cous is very quick and easy to make. Once you learn the basic method, you can flavor it any way you want.

In a small pot, heat the oil and begin sauteing the mushrooms and garlic. Next, add the chicken stock. Once it begins boiling, add the cous cous to the mix and season it with salt and pepper. Cover the pot and remove it from the heat. Let it stand for about 15 minutes. Prior to serving, fluff it with a fork and add the slices of green onion and cilantro.

Bok Choy

3 cups bok choy, cleaned and chopped

1 cup sliced carrots

1/2 tablespoon chopped garlic

1 tablespoon sesame or olive oil

In a medium saute pan, heat the oil. Once it begins to smoke, toss in all of the ingredients and saute them until they get tender, which should take about three minutes.

Salmon

4 7-ounce pieces fresh salmon (Jail Island or wild salmon is best here)

2 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

1 cup sweet chili glaze

Heat a skillet and add the olive oil. When it begins to smoke, add the salmon. Sear the top and bottom of the pieces for about two minutes a piece. Once you’ve achieved your golden crust, brush the salmon liberally with the chili glaze and then finish cooking it in a 400-degree oven for about eight minutes. 

The salmon can be substituted in this recipe with almost any kind of fish. Feel free to experiment, too, with the glaze.

New Hope-based Jamie Hollander is a rising star on the Greater Bucks County culinary scene with his popular gourmet shop and catering business. Jamie invites readers to email questions about this recipe to him through the Web site www.jamiehollandergourmet.com.

1. What an informative blog, we need more like this. I now know how to prepare fish correctly.

   Posted by Editor Gary | May 5, 2010, 10:39 pm