Seafood Pie

Two annual "traditions", for lack of a better word, brought me to making a seafood pie. First of all, every year I take advantage of my friends R & T's tax software to complete my taxes. Secondly, I often give up something for Lent often meat. So this year, when I asked if I could drop by to prepare my taxes, I offered to bring over a meat-less dinner. Now, for any Catholics out there, giving up meat usually excludes seafood. So seafood pie it was!

I offered my friends two choices: mashed potato topping (like a shepherd's pie) or puff pastry (like a pot pie). R went for the mashed potatoes. As he ate the seafood pie, R admitted that he was doubtful of the seafood pie idea but was pleasantly surprised. I was too!



Seafood Pie - Serves 4
Adapted from Jamie Oliver's Fish Pie & Restaurant Makeover's Seafood Pot Pie.
I first heard of fish pie when I watched one of Jamie Oliver's shows. In his recipe, I didn't like the idea of adding the fish raw. So I followed the seafood pot pie recipe, and pre-cooked my fish and seafood.

For the seafood filling
* 3-4 cups of seafood of your choice (I had 1 salmon fillet, 1 tilapia fillet, ½ lb scallops, 1 lb shrimps) - enough to cover the bottom of a 9" x 9" baking dish
* olive oil
* salt and pepper

Peel the shrimps and reserve the shells if you're going to make a seafood broth.
Cut the scallops and fish into 2" pieces.
Place in a baking dish and drizzle with oil.
Season with salt and pepper.
Bake at 375F for 5-7 minutes or until just cooked.


Making seafood stock and seafood to be roasted (isn't it colourful?).

For the pie filling
You could use any vegetables but I like adding the green colour of the leeks and peas against the seafood.

* 1-½ cup seafood broth, or any other type
* ½ cup milk (I use skim milk with good results!)
* 3 tbsp butter
* 1 leek, sliced thinly
* 3 tbsp flour
* salt, to taste
* 1 tsp dry parsley
* 1 cup frozen peas
* roasted seafood

(If you'd like to make a broth for the sauce, just cook the shrimp shells, fish bones and skin with one carrot and 1 stalk of celery for 30 min.)

In a little pot, heat up the broth and milk.

Cook the leek in the butter, in a separate large pot, until they have softened.

Add 2 tbsp of butter until melted.

Add the flour and cook for 1-2 minutes.

Ladle the hot milk mixture while whisking.

Season the mixture with salt (1 tsp), pepper and some parsley.

Cook until the mixture has thickened.

Add the peas and roasted seafood.
Put your filling into a 9" x 9" baking dish.


Leeks and peas; mashed potato with cheddar.

For the mashed potato
Again, I don't have exact quantities, I just eyed it and tried to aim for a consistency I liked.

* 4-5 good sized potatoes (it should cover the meat and vegetables)
* 1-2 tbsp butter
* 1-2 tbsp olive oil
* 1/3 cup cheddar cheese, optional
* salt and pepper
* milk

Cook potatoes and peel them.
While hot, mash the potatoes.
Add butter.
Add milk if the mixture is too thick.
Add the olive oil, salt and pepper.
Adjust the seasoning and consistency to your taste.
Mix in the cheddar cheese.
Cover the filling with the potato mixture and spread evenly, starting with the edges and working into the middle.
Go through the surface of the mashed potato with a fork, creating grooves.
Brush the grooves with melted butter, so it browns nicely.
Bake in the oven for 30 min at 350F. (At this point, all the ingredients are cooked, so you're just heating the pie up.)
Broil on high for 5 minutes if you want it nicely browned. (Use the time because it can burn quickly or use the low setting instead!)
Tada!


My favourite seafood: scallops of course!

Fish & Chips

After my sister's trip to Prince Edward Island, she had seafood on her mind. She also brought back potatoes from PEI, so she invited my mom, her husband H and I over for fish and chips. She searched the internet and decided to follow Tyler Florence's recipe for both. The recipe provided useful tips for frying.



FrenchFries
Adapted from Tyler Florence.
The trick for having crispy fries is to deep fry them twice. While Tyler Florence's recipe did specify the temperatures, my sister did not have a deep frying thermometer so she just tried to guess and played with the heat level. She did follow the time suggested for frying.

* salt, to taste
* red chili flakes, to taste
* oil
* potatoes, cut into wedges

Pre-mix salt and chili flakes.
Heat 3 inches of the oil to 325F (medium - medium high).
Add one batch of potatoes and fry for 2-3 min; they should not be crisp or fully cooked at this point.
Remove the chips to a paper towel-lined platter to drain.
Repeat with the rest of the potatoes.
Increase the heat to 375F (high heat).
Again, add a batch of potatoes into the oil and fry for 4-5 min, until crispy and brown.
Remove the chips to a paper towel-lined platter to drain.
Immediately season the chips with the salt mixture while they are still hot.
Repeat with the rest of the potatoes.
(You can place the fries in a preheated oven if you want to keep them warm while frying the fish.)


Freshly cut fries (unpeeled) and fried the first time.


Golden and well-seasoned.

Beer Battered Fish
Adapted from Tyler Florence.
My sister thought the use of rice flour very effective. She replaced the soda water with beer (Corona). The crust was beautifully fluffy and crisp.

* 2 cups rice flour
* 1 tbsp baking powder
* salt, to taste
* ground black pepper, to taste
* 12 oz beef - we used Corona
* 2 (8 oz) fish fillets, cut into large pieces (we used cod and basa)
* ½ cup rice flour for dredging
* 1 lemon, cut into wedges

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt and pepper.
Pour the beer into the flour mixture and whisk to a smooth batter.
Spread the rice flour on a plate.
Dredge the fish pieces in the rice flour and then dip them into the batter, letting the excess drip off.
Add the pieces of fish into the oil (375F or high heat).
Fry the fish for 4-5 minutes until crispy and brown.
Serve with lemon wedges.
Tada!



The batter was bubbly from the beer and baking powder, resulting in a nice crust for the fish.


The fish was great with homemade tartar sauce.


The fish & chips were served with homemade coleslaw, tartar sauce and mayonnaise (for the chips).

Peach Crostata
My sister has made my friend The Gastronomer's peach crostata recipe a few times. She loves it because it's quick, easy and tasty. This time, her fiancé D made the dough with shortening instead of butter because my mom does not like butter (he also made extra for my blueberry pie - post to come next!). He had some difficulty with the dough and it kept breaking. The crostata still came out nicely. It's great with a side of ice cream!



Peach crostata with the addition of raspberries.

Cornmeal Crusted Sole with Asparagus

I have really been enjoying asparagus recently and I like it cooked pretty simply. On this day, I thought I would also have fish, cooked with a cornmeal crust. Super easy, super healthy!



Stir-Fried Asparagus - Serves 1
I've had a recent asparagus obsession. Asparagus carbonara, grilled asparagus in couscous, asparagus with eggs for lunch, asparagus with fish! No need for hollandaise sauce, I enjoy it quickly stir-fried.

* oil
* ¼ of onion, sliced thinly
* ½ a bunch of aspargus, cut into 1" sections (sliced in half lengthwise if the stalk is very fat)
* salt, to taste
* Italian seasoning
* red dried chili flakes

Heat oil in a pan.
Add onion and cook until slightly softened.
Add asparagus.
Season with salt and Italian seasoning.
Add dried chili flakes to taste.

Cornmeal Crusted Sole - Serves 1

I often pan fry fish simply with a bit of flour. My sister mentioned that cornmeal gives a great crust and she was right. Nice, crispy and a beautiful golden colour, without too much oil!

* 2 small sole fillets

* salt, to taste
* black pepper, to taste

* 1 egg, beaten
* ½ cup flour
* cornmeal
* Parmesan cheese (optional)
* oil

Pat your sole fillets dry and season with salt and pepper.
Place the egg and flour in separate deep dishes.
In a third dish, add a bit of cornmeal, and mix with some Parmesan.
Dredge your fillets in the flour first, then the egg and finally the cornmeal mixture.
Heat oil in a pan.
Add your fillets and cook on both sides.
Tada!

Dredging your sole fillets and pan frying them.

Nice golden crust!

Potato Salmon Cakes

Another potato recipe! With the leftover dill from the potato salad, I made chả cá (Vietnamese fish with dill) but I still had dill left. Dill is sold in ridiculously big bunches! Luckily, I found Chef at Home's potato fish cake recipe that used dill. This recipe was very easy and quick to make, not to mention salmon is a great source of Omega-3 fatty acids!



The recipe calls for cooking a salmon fillet and mixing it with potato, dill and green onion. It makes very big cakes because I only had 8 oz. of salmon and two small potatoes to make 4 regular size cakes. There's a horseradish sauce in the recipe but I just dipped my cakes in tartar sauce. I really like the flavour of the dill and it makes the cakes look so pretty with specks of green. And I have finally finished with the dill!


Salmon is simply seasoned, fried and added to potatoes.


Potato salmon mixture made into cakes.

Pan Fried Basa & Asparagus with Crab Sauce

On my continued quest to eat fish once a week, I made another recipe of my mom's: fish and asparagus with a crab sauce. My mom said she tried to imitate a dish from a Chinese restaurant. All I know is that I really enjoy this and it is very easy! (By the way, I found frozen packages of basa filet much cheaper at the Asian grocery store and I thought the fish actually tasted better also.)



Pan Fried Basa & Asparagus with Crab Sauce
I remember my mom making this dish with deep fried, battered fish but she makes it by pan frying it now. Deep frying could be an option for a once in a while treat.

* pan fried basa filet
* oil
* ½ onion, thinly sliced
* 100 g (¼ lb.) crab, frozen, canned or even better, fresh!
* salt, to taste
* pepper, to taste
* water
* flour
* ½ bunch of asparagus, washed and cut into 1" pieces

Pan fry a basa filet and set aside.
Stir fry onion in a bit of oil until softened.
Add the crab and break apart.
Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Mix a little flour (1 tsp) in water and add to the crab to help thicken the sauce.
Set aside half the sauce for the fish.
Add the asparagus to the remaining sauce until cooked.
Add some water if it becomes too dry.
Top the fish with half the crab sauce.
Serve with the asparagus.
Tada!


Stir frying the crab and adding the asparagus.


Sauce with asparagus sauce.


Filet topped with asparagus sauce.

Pan Fried Basa & Bamboo Shoots

I have finally written about all the food I ate in Montréal. Well, this is sort of a transition because it's a dish I had at my mom's and replicated. For the New Year, I had resolved, as usual, to eat more healthy. One of these resolutions is to eat fish once a week. I do enjoy fish but do not eat it that often. I figured making a concrete goal would help out.

I bought a bag of frozen basa filets as my mom does. Basa comes from Vietnam so you cannot buy it fresh anyway. It's much easier to eat fish regularly when it's in your freezer, ready to eat. Anyway, when I was at my mom's she simply pan fried the fish and served it with stir fried bamboo. We ate it with rice and dipping fish sauce. Simple and easy, AND healthy!



Stir Fried Bamboo Shoots
* oil
* 1 garlic clove, minced
* 1 can of bamboo shoots (ready sliced), drained
* salt, to taste

Heat up oil in a pan.
Add garlic and cook for a minute or two.
Add the bamboo shoots to heat through - the shoots are already cooked.
Season to taste with salt - the shoots are pretty bland.


Stir fried bamboo shoots.

Pan Fried Basa
* 1 basa filet, or any white fish
* salt, to taste
* pepper, to taste
* 1 tbsp flour
* oil

Season the basa filet to taste.
Dredge the filet in flour.
Pan fry the filet in a bit of oil on each side.
Serve with nước mắm.
Tada!


Pan frying the fish.


Fish ready to eat!

Mom's Recipes: Cháo Ca (Fish Porridge)

I realize this is the third "soup" post in a row and I promise it is the last, for a little while anyway. One of my favourite soups that my mom makes is cháo ca. In English, cháo seems to be translated into rice porridge or congee, not sure of the difference between the two. Cháo is pretty much a rice based soup. It seems like most Asians have their own versions.

It's usually served in the morning and my mom would make it when my sister and I were sick. There are many versions, plain white cháo with salted duck egg or fermented tofu, cháo ga (chicken porridge), cháo with meatballs and my favourite, cháo ca (fish porridge). I think cháo ca is actually a Chinese dish since I did not see it in Vietnam and had some of the other versions.

I have never made cháo ca so it's time to learn! The key to this specific cháo is to grind the rice grains so you get a really smooth consistency. I just love the fish flavoured with sesame oil and ginger. It gets quickly cooked from the heat of the cháo itself. I like the addition of century eggs but I can understand it's not for everyone. My sister will toast some Chinese bread sticks, cut it up and mix it in the soup. Top with green onions and coriander. Perfect!

Cháo Ca (Fish Porridge)

For the fish
* 200 g white fish - we used basa
* 1-2 tbsp ginger, julienned
* white parts of 3 green onions, sliced thinly
* ½ tbsp salt
* ½ tsp pepper
* 4 tbsp sesame oil

Slice the fish thinly (it helps if it is frozen).
Mix with all the remaining ingredients and set aside.

For the porridge
* 1 cup rice
* 2 L water, or broth

Soak in water for 15 minutes.
Rinse, drain and crush the rice into pieces with your hands (alternately, you can process the rice finely).
Cook in 2 L water (or broth).
Cook on low heat for 45 min-1 hour.

Serve with
Century eggs, sliced in quarters or sixths
green onions, for garnish
coriander, for garnish

Add the eggs and fish to the cháo and mix.
Alternatively, place the raw fish at the bottom of a bowl and pour the hot cháo, cooking the fish in the process.
Tada!


Sliced fish with ginger.


Fish mixture.


Crushed rice.


There is nothing comforting than a hot bowl of cháo ca.

Mom's Recipes: Chả Cá (White Fish with Dill and Green Onion)

I have been meaning to participate in the food blogging event, Weekend Herb Blogging, that features weekly posts on herbs. I've also had a very specific Vietnamese recipe in mind, chả cá, a North Vietnamese fish dish prominently featuring dill. The opportunity came for me to write a post about it while visiting my mom.

I am submitting this recipe to Weekend Herb Blogging, run by Cook almost Anything at least once. The host this month is Scott from The Real Epicurean.

I have mentioned that my mom is from Central Vietnam. Therefore, she did not grow up eating this dish. In fact, the first time she had this dish was in Canada when she befriended some Vietnamese people from the North. So please forgive us if this recipe has taken some central liberties...

Chả cá is typically cooked as you go using a tabletop hot pot pan/burner. It consists of white fish that is a trademark yellow from the use of turmeric, green onion and dill, cooked in a large amount of oil. I remember cooking it this way but along the way, my mom tweaked the recipe to make it more healthy. She now broils it with significantly less oil. You can check out posts on chả cá when The Gastronomer ate this dish in the North and South and see how this compares.

I like this recipe because it is fairly easy to make and is relatively healthy if you do not use too much oil. The thìa là (dill), a more common ingredient in the North of Vietnam, adds a dimension to this dish that is quite unique. I also like the firm pieces of well-seasoned fish in nước chấm.

Chả Cá (Fish with Dill) - Serves 4

Use white fish like sole or bassa that will not break too much once it is cooked. This dish is typically served with bún (rice vermicelli) and fresh ingredients. There is also usually roasted peanuts that we forgot this time. The sauce can be nước chấm (diluted fish sauce) or the more potent mắm tôm (fermented shrimp paste).

* 1 lb white fish, cut into 1-2” pieces
* ½ tsp ground pepper
* ¾ tsp salt
* ½ tbsp garlic powder
* 1-½ tbsp turmeric
* galangal powder, or fresh - sliced into pieces
* 4 tbsp vegetable oil
* 1 bunch dill
* 1 bunch green onions

Season the fish with garlic powder, salt, pepper, turmeric, galangal and 2 tbsp of oil.
Mix and let it sit for half an hour.
Slice dill and green onion into 1-2” pieces.
Cook the dill slightly (it will be cooking in the oven also) in 1 tablespoon of oil.
Cover a baking dish with the dill.
Place the pieces of fish on top.
Cook the green onion in another tablespoon of oil.
Place on top of the fish and drizzle the remaining oil.
Broil on high (if you’re keeping an eye on it!) for 12 minutes or until the fish is cooked through.


Cutting the bassa into large pieces.

The turmeric makes the fish a nice yellow colour.

Chopping the dill in section made the whole kitchen smell good!

Do the same with the green onion.

Lightly cooked dill lines a baking dish.

Pieces of fish on a bed of dill.

Topped with green onion.

I like the green onion well cooked but they may be a bit burnt here!

Serve with

* lettuce, washed and torn

* cucumber, sliced

* bún (rice vermicelli), cooked

* rice paper
* nước chấm (or mắm tôm)

Serve rice vermicelli in a bowl.

Top with cooked fish, dill, green onion and fresh ingredients.

Add nước chấm.

Tada!

I opt for nước chấm but my mom likes eating this with mắm tôm.