Feast of seven fishes - this is what we ate.

E

evan

Well-known member
First - thank you so much for the recipes and input. I really appreciate it! smileys/smile.gif

I wanted to serve different kinds of fish through the meal, but it turned out to be a little hard to find fresh fish the day before New Years Eve. Mainly because many stores haven't stocked up since before Christmas. (The stores here are closed most of Christmas and on Sundays so I guess they prefer to keep the fresh produce to a minimum since a lot of it will go to waste.)

One of the things I couldn't find, was tuna. I really, really wanted to serve tuna, but it was nowhere. Not even frozen. But I managed to get my hands on the last salmon at the grocery so I could serve a whole, baked fish. It was an 8 pound salmon, but we managed to eat half of it even though we had a seven course meal. Go figure! smileys/bigsmile.gif

I winged the salmon: I rubbed it with salt on the inside, stuffed it with lemon and dill and baked it in the oven (wrapped in aluminum foil) for 45 minutes at medium temperature (215 Celcius). I served it with Evelyn's Briami, and it tasted really good.

Here's the menu:

1) Salmon mousse from Silver Palate, served with pumpernickel bread.

2) Blini with creme fraische and caviar.

3) Margs fish soup with saffron and rouille.

4) Baccala with tagliatelle.

5) Scallops with herbed and brown butter sauce.

6) Fish cakes with aioli dip.

7) Whole, baked salmon with Evelyn's Briami.

It was really good and I think we managed to balance the heavy courses with some lighter ones.

Also, we had a lot of Champagne. We always serve Champagne on New years Eve smileys/smile.gif

 
Salmon Mousse from The Silver Palate cookbook

Salmon Mousse is a terrific recipe to prepare for guests. When served in a decorative mold, this delicious dairy dish is particularly attractive - a flavorful, practical idea for brunch or any occasion. This recipe is a classic - from The Silver Palate Cookbook.

Ingredients:

1 envelope unflavored gelatin
¼ cup cold water
½ cup boiling water
½ cup mayonnaise
1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp. finely grated onion
Dash of Tabasco
¼ tsp. sweet paprika
1 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. finely chopped fresh dill
2 cups finely flaked poached fresh salmon or canned salmon, skin and bones removed
1 cup heavy cream
Watercress (or Bibb lettuce) for garnish
Toast, pumpernickel or crackers, for serving

Soften the gelatin in the cold water in a large mixing bowl. Stir in the boiling water and whisk the mixture slowly until the gelatin dissolves. Cool to room temperature.

Whisk in the mayonnaise, lemon juice, grated onion, Tabasco, paprika, salt, and the dill. Stir to blend completely and refrigerate until the mixture begins to thicken slightly, about 20 minutes.

Fold in the finely flaked salmon. In a separate bowl, whip the cream until it is thickened to soft peaks and fluffy. Fold gently into the salmon mixture.

Transfer the mixture to a 6-to 8-cup bowl or decorative mold. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

Garnish with watercress, and serve with toasts, pumpernickel, or crackers.

Serves: at least 12

http://www.easyjewishrecipes.com/Salmon-Mousse.html

 
Blini recipe from Ina Garten

Ingredients

1/3 cup buckwheat flour
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons milk
1 extra-large egg
1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, clarified, divided
1/2 pound smoked salmon, thinly sliced *
1/4 cup creme fraiche or sour cream
Fresh dill sprig, for garnish

Directions

Combine both flours, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, egg, and 1 tablespoon of the clarified butter, then whisk into the flour mixture. Heat 1 tablespoon of the clarified butter in a medium saute pan and drop the batter into the hot skillet, 1 tablespoon at a time. Cook over medium-low heat until bubbles form on the top side of the blini, about 2 minutes. Flip and cook for 1 more minute, or until brown. Repeat with the remaining batter. (I clean the hot pan with a dry paper towel between batches.) Set aside.

To serve, top the blini with a piece of smoked salmon. Add a dollop of creme fraiche and a sprig of dill.

* I served the blinis with caviar instead of smoked salmon.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/blini-with-smoked-salmon-recipe/index.html

 
Marg CDN2's fish soup with rouille

Provencal Fish Soup with Saffron Rouille Gourmet | March 2008

Your eyes aren't playing tricks on you: Yes, after simmering the fish with aromatics, wine, and tomatoes, we advise you to force every last bit through a food mill—heads, tails, bones, and all—for an incredibly lush soup, tasting of a beautiful union between land and sea (the food mill will strain any unwanted solids to be discarded). A garlicky rouille, exotic with a touch of crumbled saffron, further coaxes out the natural richness of the fish.

Makes 8 (first course) servings Active Time: 1 1/4 hr Total Time: 1 3/4 hr

4 medium leeks, chopped
1 large fennel bulb chopped, reserving fronds
3 medium carrots, chopped
2 large celery ribs, chopped
4 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon herbes de Provence
2 California or 4 Turkish bay leaves
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/8 teaspoon crumbled saffron threads
5 pounds whole whiting, perch, or cod (preferably with heads), cleaned and rinsed well
5 medium tomatoes, chopped (4 cups)
2 cups dry white wine
4 (3- by 1-inch) strips fresh orange zest
6 cups water
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 baguette, cut into 3/4-inch-thick slices

Accompaniment: saffron rouille

Wash leeks. Cook leeks, fennel bulb, carrots, celery, and garlic in oil with herbes de Provence, bay leaves, cayenne, saffron, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in an 8-quart heavy pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes.

While vegetable mixture cooks, cut fish crosswise into 2- to 3-inch lengths.

Add tomatoes, wine, and zest to vegetable mixture and bring to a boil, then boil 30 seconds. Add fish, water, and tomato paste and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until fish completely falls apart, about 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Arrange baguette slices in 1 layer on a baking sheet and bake until golden brown and thoroughly dried, about 20 minutes.

Force soup through food mill into a large heavy pot, discarding solids. Reheat soup over medium heat, stirring occasionally.

Mound rouille on croutons and put 1 in bottom of each soup bowl. Pour soup around croutons.

My (as in Marg's ) notes:

I double the garlic in the rouille. The rouille is absolutely essential, as it is to a bouillabaisse.

I use less fish, perhaps 3/4, using fresh-frozen (by a special Newfie), North Atlantic cod.

If it cannot be eaten with the bread, make sure every mouthful has few dots of rouile in any case.
I use a blender instead of a food mill. It can be blended again to make it smoother.

Saffron Rouille
Makesabout 1 1/2 cups

Active time:10 min
Start to finish:10 min

March 2008
Rich, aromatic rouille is a classic lily-gilding for French fish soups; this one has an extra something special: saffron. Even if you love saffron, though, don’t be tempted to add any extra threads. This is just the right amount to really flatter, not dominate, the soup.

1/8 teaspoon crumbled saffron threads
1/4 teaspoon hot water
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup chopped roasted peppers (see cooks’ note, below)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic
1/2 teaspoon cayenne

Sprinkle saffron over hot water in a small cup and let stand 1 minute.
Blend saffron mixture with remaining ingredients and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a blender until smooth.

Cooks’ note:

Instead of your own roasted peppers, you can use rinsed bottled roasted red peppers.
Rouille can be made 2 days ahead and chilled, covered.

http://eat.at/swap/forum1/220499_I%27ve_had_a_14_course_chestnut_dinner_and_found_it_fun_because_it_was_ser

 
Baccala with tagliatelle

A traditional Christmas Eve preparation to honor the Feast of the Seven Fishes. This sauce is served with linguine, and like most Italian sauces, it should be light and thin in consistency—just thick enough to coat the pasta.
Ingredients:

1/4 cup DeLallo Extra Virgin Olive Oil, plus more for drizzling
1 small onion, cut in half
1/2 of a red pepper, cut into 2 large pieces
Crushed red hot pepper, optional
2 (28-ounce) cans DeLallo Imported Crushed Tomatoes
1 1/2 pounds baccalà, prepared
1/4 cup chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley
Salt, if needed

Directions:

Prepare and soak your baccala at least 3 days prior. Follow this link to learn How to Prepare your Christmas Baccala, Step by Step.

In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and pepper pieces and allow to cook until they just begin to get golden in color and the onion have softened, about 8 minutes. Add crushed pepper and tomatoes, then bring to a soft boil, stirring often. Lower the heat, add the baccalà pieces and simmer for 20 minutes.

Add the chopped parsley and season, as needed, with salt and simmer for another 10 minutes. Be careful not to over-salt, as the fish may already bring enough salt to the finished sauce. Turn off the heat and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. Serve this sauce with linguine cooked al dente.

The sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for 1 week or up to 6 months in the freezer.

Serves 8 to 10

http://www.delallo.com/recipes/baccala-pasta-sauce-salted-cod-in-a-red-tomato-sauce-linguine

 
Scallops with herbed brown butter

INGREDIENTS

1 lb. sea scallops, side muscle removed
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
4 sprigs herbs (such as tarragon, lemon thyme, or sage)
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season scallops with salt and pepper and cook until deep golden brown on 1 side, about 3 minutes. Turn scallops and add butter and herbs to pan. Continue cooking, spooning butter over scallops often, until scallops are cooked through and butter is brown and smells nutty, about 3 minutes longer. Add lemon juice. Serve scallops with brown butter pan sauce.

http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/scallops-with-herbed-brown-butter

 
Fish cakes (served with aioli dip)

Savoury, crisp and starchy, fishcakes are not a particularly sophisticated pleasure, wherever you eat them, so keep things simple with plain potato, a mix of fish, and a couple of zesty flavourings. Sorrel sauce and Judi Dench are entirely optional.

Serves 2–3

400g floury potatoes, eg Maris Pipers
250g fish: I like a mix of salmon, firm white fish and smoked haddock
1 tbsp chopped chives
1 tbsp capers
2 anchovy fillets in oil, drained and finely chopped
1 egg, beaten
40g flour, for coating
50g fresh white breadcrumbs
A generous knob of butter
1 tbsp vegetable oil

1. Peel the potatoes and cut into evenly sized chunks. Put into a large pan and cover with cold water. Add a generous pinch of salt and bring to the boil, then turn down the heat slightly and simmer until tender, but not mushy. Drain and put back into the hot pan for a minute to dry off, then roughly crush them with a fork, so they're a mixture of mash and larger lumps.

2. Meanwhile, put the fish into a large pan and just cover with water. Bring to a simmer, then gently cook for 3–5 minutes, depending on the size of the fillets, until the skin, if any, pulls off easily, and it's just beginning to flake. Drain, skin if necessary and set aside to cool, then break into large flakes and add to the potatoes.

3. Stir in the chives, capers and anchovies. Season lightly, and mix together gently, adding a little of the beaten egg to bring the mixture together into patties – it shouldn't be too sloppy. Use your hands to form into four large cakes or six smaller ones.

4. Put the remaining egg in a shallow bowl, and tip the flour and breadcrumbs on to separate saucers. Dip each fishcake in turn into the flour, the egg, and finally the breadcrumbs until thoroughly coated. Put into the fridge for at least half an hour to firm up.

5. Heat a frying pan with the butter and oil until the butter begins to foam. Add the fishcakes, in batches if necessary, cook for 5 minutes on a medium-high heat until golden and well crusted, then turn them carefully over and repeat on the other side.

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2011/jun/16/how-to-cook-perfect-fishcakes

 
MargCND, next time I'd probably switch the blinis with tuna, and maybe work some

shrimps into the menu. I like the idea of serving several kinds of fish and seafood, but as my choices were so limited, I didn't get to serve either.

But all in all, I loved the flavours. The fish cakes were so good, the soup was awesome, the whole, baked salmon looked stunning on the table, the mousse is a classic, the baccala has been a personal favorite for a long time, and who can resist Russian caviar?

 
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