Fish is good for you!! I know, I know, everybody says that; yet I noticed that many people find it difficult, even yukky, to cook fish and sea food at home. When I go to the fish market, I always find myself almost alone in the store or maybe with a few Latino customers.. its seems that not everyone has the courage to buy and cook sea food. But I've always seen my family cook fish at home, we even had a 'fish day' at least every 10 days, if not every week. Only lately, with the culture of fast food invading the whole world that I noticed that even in households that used to have all home cooked meals, people are starting to order fish dishes take out. They claim it's messy and the fish odor lingers around in the house. Not true. If you are well organized, and you choose fresh fish and cook it properly, you'll have a delicious meal and a nice aroma filling your house. In fact that's what happened the other day, when my mother came downstairs because of the smell of what I was cooking:
FRIED FISH AND SHRIMP
This is the typical basic Egyptian recipe for fried fish, of course in a new tweaked version: I use less garlic and add new spices. But the result is equally delicious. Growing up, I watched my aunts use whole fish, at that time fillet was not that common. But now, especially when I am cooking for family, with older people and children, I prefer the fillet so that nobody would have a problem with bones. According to the original recipe you should season the fish with a lot more garlic than my own version, and you should use only flour to coat the fish. But I like a bit of crunch in the fish, so I added some bread crumbs to it. You'll need:
For the fish: 1 fillet per person (tilapia, red snapper, mahi mahi, flounder, any white fish) + 2 or 3 extra, here I used 4 tilapia fillets cut in half lengthwise = 8 pieces
2 cloves of garlic
1tbsp each: celery salt and cumin
1tsp coriander
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup bread crumbs (plain)
Juice of 1 lime
Salt and pepper to taste
For the shrimp: 2 lb of shrimp (large, about 20 count)
1 egg
The same ingredients as above
Vegetable oil for frying
Chop the garlic as fine as you can. (If you find that difficult, you can use some garlic powder instead, about 1 tbsp, or to your taste). Mix all the spices together in a bowl, add the garlic and the lime juice. Mix. Add the fish and mix to coat well on all sides. Put aside for a while.
In another bowl beat the egg with the spices for the shrimp. Clean the shrimp: peel it and devein it. Usually it is already deveined, but make sure that it is clean and that you remove the tail. If you chose the biggest kind of shrimp (10 count for example), with a sharp knife cut every shrimp from the back, but not all the way. Open the shrimp with your fingers to butterfly it. This way it will cook evenly easier, because if you cook the shrimp for a long time it will turn to "plastic". Put the shrimp in the bowl with the beaten egg and spices. Mix to coat. In a shallow dish, mix the flour and the bread crumbs. You should have a slightly granulated flour mixture. One by one, put the fish fillets in the flour mixture and coat on both sides. Press to make sure it sticks.
Keep the fish in a separate dish, preferably in one layer, until ready to fry. Repeat the same with the shrimp, using one hand to pick up the shrimp from the bowl, and the other to coat it with the flour mixture. That way your hands will not have a gooey paste stuck on it. When all are done start frying the fish first. I use a deep pot so that they fry on both sides simultaneously. Remove the fish to a platter lined with paper towels. You don't need to add salt to it because it's already seasoned. Repeat with the shrimp. Please note that shrimp don't need a long time to cook, remove them as soon as they turn golden brown. Serve with:
TAHINI SAUCE
We call it Tahini salad, but you can also call it sauce. It can also be used alone as a dip. You'll need:
1 cup tahini (sesame paste, sold at Middle Eastern stores, and now even at supermarkets)
1 cup water (more or less, depending on the tahini brand)
1 tbsp white vinegar
1 tbsp each cumin and garlic powder
1 tsp coriander
Salt and pepper to taste
More cumin to sprinkle on top
Before you measure the tahini, make sure that you stir it in its original container, because it has a tendency to stick to the bottom and have some of its oil separate and come to the surface. Pour the tahini in a deep bowl, add the vinegar and stir with a fork. You'll notice that the tahini has changed consistency and became somewhat granulated. Don't worry. Start adding water, tablespoon by tablespoon while stirring with the fork until all the lumps are gone and you get a smooth texture. Don't add too much water at once. You can always add more if you need. You should have a thick sauce. Add all the spices, salt and pepper and stir to combine. Sprinkle some cumin on the top before serving. Some people add a sprinkle of oil, but I prefer not to add any. Sesame has enough oil in it.
BOLLITO MISTO
Bollito misto basically means mixed boiled ingredients. It is the easiest way to prepare shellfish. I remember the first time a friend brought us live lobster: I was terrified to see it crawl in the sink. I've heard that it should be boiled alive, and this idea was simply not acceptable. So our friend offered to prepare it. He simply boiled it in hot water and then asked for different condiments to add to it once cooked. It seems that this is the most common way, since all restaurants serve lobster with a side of melted butter in a small bowl. I still send the butter back and try to season my lobster with something else. So I figured that the only solution to this situation is to properly cook the lobster, which means to season it before cooking it (or during). This way, you'll not need any butter afterwards (the golden rule: if you omit butter replace it with good seasoning).
Usually the Italian recipe calls for different kinds of shellfish, potatoes, artichokes and corn on the cob. But in our family, when you eat this dish you don't want to be distracted by other things, so no additions of the kind. You'll need for a group of 5 to 6 people:
3 lobster tails
2 lbs shrimp
6 crab legs
Mussels and clams cleaned
1 medium onion
4 cloves of garlic
1 tbsp each: cumin, celery salt, garlic powder, onion powder
1/2 tbsp coriander
Juice of 1 lime
Salt and pepper to taste
Cut the onion in thick slices, chop the garlic, or just cut it in 2 or 4 pieces.In a large pot (at least 5.5 qt) pour water to half its height. Add onion, garlic, lime juice and spices to the water and bring to a boil. Add the lobster tails, cover and let cook for about 10 minutes. Add the clams and mussels (the day I took this picture I didn't find any at the store). Cover and cook for some minutes more. Then add the shrimp and the crab legs. I know they are usually cooked, but I like to give them some flavor.
Cook for about 3 minutes more. Remove everything to a large platter. Garnish with lemon wedges, and serve with a big bowl of tahini sauce. To make the clean up easier, put a paper tablecloth over you table and throw it away with all the shells after the meal.
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