Category: Fish

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Quintessential Summer (Recipe: Sea Bass with Tomatos and Mint)

Tomato-mint
I shudder to say this, but I’m in a tomato rut.    I know I’ll be horrified in February that I could even have such thoughts.

I know, I know… basil and tomatoes are the quintessential food pairing. And this year, both have benefited from the sweltering summer heat. But after weeks of tomatoes and basil, I need to shake it up.  Mint and Tomatoes is also a Mediterranean combination with roots closer to Turkey than Italy. 

As I thought about dinner last night, I started with mint as my canvas to paint on flavors.  Zucchini and bacon came to mind, as did a favorite, Trout with Mint and Bacon.

A simple meal to be sure, but full of bright flavors.

Black Sea Bass with Tomatoes, Mint and Bacon
2 black sea bass filets
1 slice bacon, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
¼ cup mint leaves
Lemon
1 – 2 tomatoes, sliced
Canola oil or butter
Salt and pepper to taste

1.     Season fish with salt and pepper
2.    In a large skillet, add bacon.  Turn heat to medium and cook until bacon releases its fat and begins to crisp.  Add the onions and garlic and cook until they are soft.  Remove from pan.
3.    Drain all but a thin layer of bacon grease from the pan.  Add a little fresh oil or butter, and return the pan to high heat.  Sear the fish for 4 minutes on the flesh side.  Turn over and continue cooking for 1 minute on the skin side.
4.    Remove from pan and serve with a heavy squeeze of lemon juice, a sprinkle of mint and slices of tomatoes.  Sprinkle bacony-goodness on top.

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Garlic Scapes (Recipe: Hake with Tomato-Coconut Sauce)

Scapes

By now, there isn’t much I haven’t seen… I recognize sprouting okra plants by their leaves, broccoli by its stalk and fennel by its fronds. I can distinguish budding kohlrabi from kale just by the shade of green in the leaves. And now I can say I recognize the garlic too!

I’m growing garlic for the first time this year… and even though I’ve seen fresh bulbs and scapes at the market, I had never before seen how it all comes together in the garden.  I planted a row of bulbs right next to a row of leeks, the plume of the leaves distinguish the two.

Scape (2)

The real tell-tale sign of garlic is the scape – the curly-q sprout that shoots out from the center. The sprout is thicker/denser than the other leaves, round instead of flat with a pointy tip. Garlic growers snip off this sprout to focus the plant’s energy on the growing bulb. And kitchen gardeners take advantage of this early shot of garlic flavor.

It should be noted that there are two types of garlic – hard neck and soft neck. The soft neck variety doesn’t produce the scape, but has longer storage potential. The hard-neck shoots the scape but only stores for 6 months. This year, I’m (trying) growing both.

A few weeks ago,I dug up one stalk to see if and how the bulb was developing. It just looked like a swollen scallion. And the taste was rather mild.

Now, I have the scape.  The flavor is all garlic – without the lingering effect which prevents intimate conversation. You can use it in a recipe as you would scallions – cooked briefly or added at the end as a raw garnish.

The other night,  I was out of garlic, so I chopped up a scape to use in its stead. I loved the added texture that is missing from chopped garlic. Though, you can’t see it on the fish (that’s a scallion garnish), I could definitely taste it.

Scapes_hake

From the garden: scapes, scallions and tomatoes (canned last summer)

Seared Hake with Tomato Coconut Sauce

4 – 6 oz. Hake Filets
1 tsp. fresh oregano, chopped
1 lime
1 tablespoon flour
2 tbs. plain oil
1 – 2 garlic scapes, chopped
1 jalapeno, chopped
1 can tomatoes (smoked if possible)
½ can coconut milk
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Season hake with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with oregano, and squeeze the juice of ½ the lime on top.

2. Dust hake with flour. Heat a large skillet over high heat. Add oil. Gently place hake in pan, and let cook for 5 minutes, undisturbed until a golden crust develops. Flip hake over to cook on the second side.

3. To the hake pan, add the scapes and jalapeno. Make sure they hit the bottom of the pan so they can brown a little. Add the coconut milk and tomatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and continue cooking for just a minute or until the fish is cooked through.

 4. Squeeze remaining lime juice on top just before serving.

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On the Bone (Recipe: Seared Halibut with Morels and Red Wine)

During the summer between my two years of business school, I had a summer internship in China and traveled with a few of my classmates. Their biggest complaint about the food was that there were too many bones. The Chinese tend to cut meat into chunks, on the bone, and cook it that way. They do this for two reasons. First, it stretches the meat farther. A single chicken, for example, can serve 6-8 people when butchered this way, rather than American 4. But more importantly, meat cooked on the bone tastes better: it has more flavor and is more juicy.

The same is true for fish. The challenge for fish, of course, is that the bones are smaller. They are harder to pick out, and have a greater chance of getting stuck in your throat. When I serve that has been cooked on the bone, I carefully remove the bones in the kitchen before serving. It makes the eating more pleasurable in that you don’t have to cautiously pick around the meat.

When I cooked halibut the other night, I topped it with morels and asparagus. The last thing on my mind were bones… I wanted to savor the earthy, meaty flavor of the spring-time treat. Since I removed the bones in the kitchen, I had nothing to worry about, and could eat with abandon.

Seared Halibut with Morels, Asparagus and Red Wine
2 halibut steaks
1 tbs. butter
1 pound fresh morels
1 large shallot, peeled and diced
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 tsp. fresh thyme
1/4 cup dry sherry
1 tbs. canola oil

1 cup red wine
1/2 cup chicken stock
2-4 tbs. butter
1 tbs. fresh parsley

salt pepper and lemon juice to taste

1.  Season halibut with salt and pepper.

2.  Heat a large skillet over medium high flame.  Add 1 tbs. butter.  When melted, add the morels, 1/2 the shallots, garlic and thyme.  Season with salt and pepper.  Cook for 2 minutes wihtout stirring.  Stir a little and then conintue cooking for a few minutes more.  Add the sherry, and continue cooking until the liquid has evaporated.  Set aside in a warm place.

3.  Heat a second large skillet over high heat.  Add canola oil.  Pat fish dry and gently press into the pan. Cook for 5 minutes on the first side or until golden brown.  Turn over, turn heat to medium and cook for 5 minutes more, covered.   Remove fish from pan. Sprinkle parsley on top.

4.  Add the remaining shallots and red wine to the halibut pan.  Let wine reduce to 1/4 cup.  Add the chicken stock and reduce to 1/4 cup.  Remove pan from heat and swirl in butter, more or less to taste.  Season to taste with salt, pepper and lemon juice.

5.  Gently separate the halibut steak from the bone.  Pull out the main bone in the center, and the small pin bones on the each side.  Run your finger along the insdie of the filet to make sure all bones are removed.  Put the filet back together.

6. Serve halibut with sauce, morels and steamed asparagus.

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Super Fresh

I never know what sort of adventure awaits me when I visit the farm. Brett may have a chicken “matanza” scheduled, some great tomato at peak harvest, or a wild animal that made its way into the walk-refrigerator.

This time it was (a rather tame) tuna belly that a friend had recently caught on a fishing trip. It was already a few days old by the time we got it, but even still, it was fresher than anything we could have gotten at the fish market.

And perfect for eating raw – as sushi or tartar. The tuna was a paler red than what I usually see at the market – this is from the fat that’s imperceptibly marbled through the meat. The tuna was more tender, and the taste more luscious.

When cooking on the farm, we make do with what’s on hand. He and his family prefer maki rolls. Their well-stocked pantry has plenty of rice, nori (seaweed) and wasabi on hand, making this an easy, go-to meal.

Our maki rolls were not traditional – I did not properly fan the rice as it cooled so it would glisten, though I did season it with rice vinegar, salt and sugar. I seasoned the tuna with a little soy sauce before rolling.

After using all the nori to make rolls, we still had some tuna. I used lettuce leaves instead to wrap the remainder.

An old favorite is tuna timbale with avocado and smoked salmon. Brett had a few ripe avocadoes, but no smoked salmon. The avocado was seasoned with scallions, cilantro, a touch of chipotle and lime juice. The tuna was seasoned with soy sauce and scallions. For an extra layer of color, I garnished the plate with a few sprigs of the greenhouse lettuce and a drizzle of wasabi. If I had wasabi peas, I would have sprinkled a few on the plate for textural contrast and a quick shot of heat.

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Rich Man, Poor Man (Recipe: Lentils and Foie Gras)

Chefs have long paired pauper ingredients with luxurious ingredients to create a new level of refinement and balance. Cabbage and Truffles; Potatoes and Caviar; and Hot Dog Rolls with Lobster Salad.

For the same effect, Jean Georges Vongerichten poaches foie gras in lentils for an alluring juxtaposition of luxury, richness and texture. I happened to have more foie gras in the freezer….

(As a side note, I wanted to let you know that despite what it may seem with the regularity of foie gras posts, I do have a more balanced diet. But since they come in 1 pound lobes, I invariably have a left over chunk to indulge with at a later time).

His recipe called for poaching a full lobe in the lentils. To me this seemed overly decadent and not the best way to lure out the foie gras’ refined flavor. I prefer foie gras when it’s seared to crusty brown. But in a nod to the Jean-Georges, I melted a small piece of foie gras in the lentils to infuse some of the distinct flavor.

Lentils, red wine sauce and salmon on its own is a wonderful flavor pairing. The foie gras adds a new dimension, though this meal would be fabulous without it.

Seared Salmon with Lentils and Red Wine Reduction

1 tbs. plain oil
4 – 6 oz. salmon filets
1 cup pinot noir or other red wine
1/2 lemon juiced
1 large shallot, minced
1/4 cup chicken broth or water
butter
salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste

Lentils
1 tbs. butter
1 shallot, small dice
1/2 carrot, small dice
1/4 celery rib, small dice
1/2 leek, small dice
1 sprig thyme
1 cup French green lentils
1 oz. foie gras
2 scallion, cut into rounds

Cook the lentils: Over medium heat sweat shallots, celery, carrots and leeks in 1 tbs. of butter. Add lentils, salt and pepper and 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until lentils are tender. Add the foie gras and simmer for 5 minutes more. When lentils are cooked, stir in scallions.

Cook the salmon: Season salmon with salt and pepper. Let salmon rest, skin side down on a paper towel to make sure skin is dry.

Heat a large skillet over high heat. Add oil. Carefully, place salmon, skin side down in the skillet. Do not poke or prod, when the skin is crispy, the salmon will easily come off bottom of pan. Flip over, and continue cooking until desired doneness. Remove salmon from pan, and keep in a warm place while preparing sauce. If you are serving foie gras, you can sear it in the hot, salmon pan at this point

Make the wine sauce: Pour off excess fat from the salmon/foie pan. Return pan to heat, add shallots, and cook for 1-2 minutes or until soft. Add wine, and let it reduce to about 1/4 cup. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil and reduce by half again. Turn the heat off, and whisk in butter, 2 tbs. at a time – for a total of 1 stick of butter (or more depending on your taste). Adjust seasoning with salt, pepper and a small squeeze of lemon juice.

Serve lentils with salmon, wilted spinach and seared foie gras. Drizzle sauce around the plate.

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The Stars Aligned (Recipe: Pompano with Clementine Ginger Relish)

Picture Credit: Land Big Fish

Now that I’m a food blogger, I view meal-time differently – no longer is it about nourishing myself nor gathering with friends for an engaging repast; it’s an occasion to tell a story. And as I prepare my dinner, I think about what that story might be, whether it’s the vegetables from the garden, a trip to Asia or the fish I’m cooking.

Dinner the other night was brimming with stories.

I was driving home my milking experience and stopped en route at my favorite fish store. As I scanned the case, I noticed whole pompano. It’s a fish I’ve only eaten once, and probably 25 years ago. The recipe came from the Time-Life Cookbooks; I served it with kiwi and Jerusalem artichoke. The memory is etched in my mind of one of my favorite fish, though I’ve never eaten it since. I had to purchase it and remind myself what so enticed me.

When I got home, the ground had thawed again, allowing me to harvest more Brussels sprouts. These prized jewels would make a lovely accompaniment to the fish. Trying to get out of my bacon-rut, I opted instead for a relish of clementines and ginger. I still had a few citrus left in the case I bought, and they were on the verge of rotting… a relish would be a quick and easy way to use them up.

And, of course, I had to use the milk – fresh from the cow, only hours old. The dairy manifested itself into wonderfully light and buttery spaetzle.

The story of my dinner may be incoherent, but the meal was eloquent and divine!

Broiled Pompano with Clementine Relish and Roasted Brussels Sprouts
(spaetzle recipe coming soon…….)
1 whole pompano, filleted
3 clementines
1 shallot, peeled and diced fine
1 tbs. minced ginger
1/4 cup Chinese Rice Wine
2 tbs. butter
1 sprig fresh tarragon, or 1/2 tsp. dried
olive oil
canola oil

salt and pepper to taste

1.  Cut Brussels sprouts in half.  Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper.  Place them on a cookie sheet in a single layer, cut side down.  Roast in a 400F oven for 20 minutes, or until crusty brown on the bottom.
2.  Meanwhile, section the clementines, removing the white membrane.
3.  Heat a large skillet over high heat.  Season fish with salt and pepper.  Add a thin layer of canola oil to the pan.  Gently place fish in the pan, skin side up.  Cook over high heat for 5 minutes, or until brown edges are visible around the fillets.  Flip the fillets, and cook for two minutes more.  Remove fish from pan, and set aside in a warm place.
4.  To the fish pan, add the shallots and ginger, and cook for 2 minutes or until they soften.  Deglaze the pan with the wine, and reduce.  Remove from heat and swirl in butter.  Stir in the clementines and tarrgagon.

Serve fish with Brussels sprouts and clementines drizzled on top. 

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Fish Tacos in Paradise

A cross-country road-trip often requires stopping in places one otherwise might not visit. As I drove from DC to San Francisco in 1994, El Paso became an intermediate destination. I pulled into a seemingly clean motel with cheap rooms, and immediately began a quest for dinner. The hotel clerk recommended Lucy’s Restaurant just a few doors down. This suited me just fine since I could walk.

I was traveling alone. And perhaps it was the way I people-watched, or wrote in my journal; the manager decided I was a restaurant critic from the New York Times. He took great interest in what I ate, and brought me sample sizes of many different dishes. I recall my intrigue as he presented the soft tacos filled with cubed meat instead of the American taco bastardization of crispy shells filled with ground meat. This was a revelation.

Several years later, the discovery of crispy fish tacos was less unexpected, but more satisfying. The taco shells were still prepared of soft corn flour, but instead the filling was crispy fish chunks topped with shredded cabbage, onions and thinned, seasoned sour cream, with nary a hint of cheese. This style of tacos made their way north into the US from Baja California via San Diego.

On the other side of Mexico, on the Yucatan Peninsula in the Caribbean Sea, a different style of fish taco has evolved… the fish is cubed and marinated, more like a ceviche, and grilled in banana leaf or griddled plain.

With visions of turquoise waters and azure blue skies, these tacos are paradise on a plate. Equally authentic, but a distant relative of the tacos from Lucy’s.

Fish Tacos a la Maya Tulum

Fish
1 lb. grouper fillets, cut into 1 inch cubes
2 tbs. soy sauce
2 tbs. lime juice
1 chipotle pepper (packed in adobo), minced
1 tbs. oil

Papaya Salsa
1 ½ cups ripe papaya diced
¼ cup red onion, diced
2 tbs. cilantro
1 tbs. rice wine vinegar

Cilantro “Aioli”
1 cup mayonnaise
¼ cup cilantro leaves (and stems)

Corn tortillas and romaine lettuce

1. For the fish: combine fish with soy, lime and chipotle. Let marinade for 1 hour.
2. Meanwhile, combine ingredients for papaya salsa. Set aside.
3. In a food processor, combine cilantro and mayonnaise. Process until the mayo is bright green and smooth.
4. Turn oven to 400. Put corn tortillas on a sheet tray. Cover with a damp kitchen towel. Warm in oven until warm, soft and pliable, approximately 5 minutes. Set aside in a warm spot
5. While tortillas are warming, Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the oil. Add the fish and cook for 3 minutes.
6. Put two tortillas on a plate. Top with fish cubes, papaya salsa and cilantro aioli. Garnish with lettuce.

I'm submitting this recipe to Joan of Foodalouge's Culinary Tour of South America. To see a round-up of Mexican recipes, click on her blog.

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Taste-Driving Boyfriends

This weekend, The Boston Globe published a story about my dating trials and tribulations. Yes, it’s more amusing than Fred Flintstone. And all true. I don’t want to give away the punch-line, you should read the story.

Due to space limitations, they could not publish the accompanying recipes.

Dinner for Boyfriend No. 2
Perhaps this dish should be a litmus test for future boyfriends. I don’t think any of the old boyfriends would eat this as it was served in the story… The original recipe, which was written for elk loin, is quite adaptable. I’ve substituted tuna, duck and beef with equal success.

Chamomile Scented Tuna with Blackberry Sage Chutney and Crispy Polenta

Spice Rub:

1 tsp. black peppercorns
1/8 teaspoon star anise
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 tsp. cumin seed, roasted
1 tbs. chamomile, whole
1 tsp. orange zest
1/2 teaspoon paprika

Polenta
½ onion, diced
1 small shallot, diced
1 tbs. butter
3 cups liquid (any combination of chicken broth, milk or water)
3/4 cup polenta,
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Plain oil

Blackberry-Sage Chutney:
3/4 cup diced shallots
2 strips smoked bacon, finely chopped
4 tbs. black- or raspberry liqueur
3/4 cup blackberries, frozen
1 tbs. fresh sage, chopped
2 tbs. brown sugar
4 tablespoons red wine vinegar

To prepare the Tuna:
3 lbs. tuna loin
¼ cup pomegranate molasses

For the Spice rub: In food processor, grind peppercorns and star anise until completely powdered. Add cumin seed and chamomile; grind until smooth and then add remaining ingredients. Set aside.

For the Polenta: Melt butter in a sauce pan. Add onions and saute until soft. Add milk, and bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper. When polenta is thick, pour onto a 9”x13” pan and bake for 15 minutes. Cool at least 2 hours (preferably overnight) then cut into fry shape. Heat plain oil in a large skillet. Cook polenta fries until crispy on all sides.

For the Blackberry Sage Chutney: Saute bacon in a skillet until lightly brown. Add shallots and cook until soft. Add liqueur and deglaze the pan. Add all remaining ingredients. Cook for 2-3 minutes, just to soften blackberries.

To prepare the tuna: Coat the tuna with the molasses. Dredge in spice mix and place in a very hot cast iron skillet. Sear tuna on both sides until dark in color, about 3 minutes per side.  At this point it should be medium rare.  If you like your fish more well done, continue cooking in a 400F oven.    Slice and serve with polenta and chutney.

Up next: Dinner for Ken………………

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Here’s Looking at You, Kid! (Recipe: Thai Whole Fish)

(Don’t forget about the chocolate giveaway. Leave a comment before midnight, Tuesday, November 17th) 

When I was in Chinatown last week, stocking up on supplies, I decided to buy fish for dinner.  I scanned the fish display – a vast array of whole fish and fillets, from mackeral to salmon to monkfish.  The fillets didn’t look great (I look for a moist sheen and firmness to the flesh).  Nor did the whole fish: the eyes were cloudy, a sure sign of age,  or perhaps just because they were packed on ice.  I didn't want to chance it.   But then I looked down, and saw fish tanks under the counter with live fish squirming around.  It doesn’t get any fresher than that!

The man in front of the fish tanks scooped a striped bass out of the tank with a net and pointed to the counter, as if to ask, “Do you want that killed and cleaned.” I nodded. Another man scaled the fish and cleaned out the innards. Before I had a chance to request that I’d like it filleted, it was in a bag with a UPC sticker.

I could have easily filleted it at home, but I decided to cook it whole – for better flavor and for ease of handling. The bones will keep the fish moist and give extra flavor. Leaving the fish whole also makes it easier to fillet the fish with less waste and  test for doneness – the fillets will pull away from the bones easily with a fork or spoon when it’s cooked. 

Digging deep into the archives of my recipes, I found this recipe for Whole Thai Fish with Chilies. WOW! Was it delicious! The sweet and sour flavor is bright from the addition of kaffir lime leaves. And the sauce stays light since it’s thickened only from the sugar. It’s definitely going to make a more regular appearance at the dinner table.

The presentation is impressive, but if you’re squeamish about whole fish, you can also filet it in the kitchen before serving.

From the Garden: Green chilies and scallions.



Whole Fish with Garlic and Chilies

2 whole 1 – 2 lb. fish, like striped bass.
1 cup flour
oil for frying

3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 green jalapenos, sliced thin
2 red jalapeno or 1/2 red bell pepper, slice thin
1/2 cup scallions, sliced thin or cut into rounds
1/2 cup cilantro

2 tbs. oil
1/3 cup fish sauce
6 tbs. sugar
6 tbs. lime juice
12 kaffir lime leaves

1. Cut three slashes to the bone on both sides of fish.

2. Heat oil. Add peppers and garlic. Cook for 3 minutes or until garlic is lightly brown.  Remove from heat, and stir in fish sauce, sugar and lime juice.  Set aside.

3.  Coat fish with flour.  Heat a large skillet over high heat and add oil.  Gently place in fish and cook for 5 minutes on each side.

4.  Put fish on a serving platter.  Stir kaffir lime leaves into sauce and pour over fish.  Garnish with cilantro

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Know Thyself (Recipe: Potato Crusted Black Bass with Leeks and Red Wine)

In the past few years, since started my urban garden, I’ve learned so much by trial-and-error. I’ve learned about micro-climates and properly spacing vegetables. I discovered how to spur Brussels sprouts to grow larger, and that my raspberry bush has two fruiting cycles a year – once in the early summer and again in the autumn. And I’ve learned that I can’t start seeds indoors.

When I began gardening, I tried starting tomatoes, basil and peppers indoors in early March with hopes of transplanting them outside as soon as the soil warmed up. I know that starting plants from seeds is far more economical than buying seedlings. I get more options in what varieties I want to grow. And I have less concern about an unsuspecting blight. Unfortunately, I’ve never succeeded in getting a single plant into the ground that was started indoors.

I’m not sure what my problem is…. Did they not get enough sun or too much? Did they get enough fertilizer? Or too much? Some years they did get enough water. I’ve given up.

So I only plant vegetables that can be direct-sowed or purchased as seedlings ready to transplant. This year, that included leeks – a surprise find at a random nursery.

I was a little suspect of the plant – dozens of threads shot out of the 2” pot. Given my propensity to sow seeds too densely, I sensed this would be a problem. When I got home, I tried to tease apart the seedlings, but the root structure was already a tangled mess. I managed to gently pull apart enough to plant 3 rows. The seedlings drooped and flopped, and were still too close together. I propped them up with mounds of soil and gave them plenty of water.

By some miracle, they survived. Still too densely planted, the leeks didn’t grow as large as they should.   As I harvest, I try to cut out the larger ones without disturbing the smaller one – hoping to give them a little more room to grow. So far, I’ve cut out over a dozen leeks, and the remaining still look strong.

Try as I might to get out of my rut of simply cooking leeks in butter, I just can’t do it. They are too delicious. I changed it up a little the other night by using them as a base for potato crusted black bass with a red wine reduction. It’s a riff on a recipe from Daniel Boulud.

Potato Crusted Black Bass with Leeks and Red Wine
2 russet potatoes
5 leeks
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
4 black bass filets
¼ cup plain oil
1 ½ cups red wine
1 cup rich chicken stock.
¼ cup heavy cream

Salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste

1. Shred potatoes. Soak in cold water for 10 minutes to remove excess starch. This will also prevent the potatoes from turning black.
2. Trim the leeks: cut off the dark green and set aside for another use. Cut the leek in half lengthwise, then into 1/2” slices. Soak in cold water to remove the dirt. Lift the leeks out of the water
3. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the butter and the leeks. Cook, stirring occasionally until the leeks are soft. Set aside.
4. Drain potatoes from the water. Season with salt and pepper and toss in flour.
5. On a clean work surface, lay out some potato in a thin layer. Place the fish on top, season with salt and pepper. Wrap the potato shreds around the fish. Repeat with remaining fish and potatoes.
6. Heat a large skillet over high heat. Add the oil. Gently place the fish in the oil, and cook until potato is golden brown and crispy. Gently flip the fish over, and cook for 2 minutes more.
7. Remove fish from pan and set aside. Working quickly to hold onto the heat in the pan, drain off all the excess oil. Add a spoonful of the leeks (and a few mushrooms if you happen to have a few wilting in the fridge like I did). Add the wine and chicken stock and reduce by half over high heat.
8. Stir in the cream into the sauce. Adjust seasoning with salt, pepper and lemon juice
9. Put a mound of leeks on the bottom of each plate. Lay the fish on top. Spoon sauce around the fish.