Pan-Roasted Cod with a Spicy Seafood Bisque Sauce

My mom picked up some amazingly fresh cod and Portuguese corn bread from the fish store on Friday night. After wrestling with what to make, I pan roasted the cod and concocted a seafood bisque inspired cream sauce to go with it.

I started the sauce with pancetta, shallots, and garlic, and then used a sweet cream sherry that's sometimes used in lobster bisque. I added hot smoked paprika and cayenne into the base of seafood stock, cream, and tomato paste for some spice, and a dash of Vietnamese fish sauce to finish. I really love using fish sauce; I think it gives it extra depth to the sauce, or “umami” as they say now. I spooned the sauce over the roasted fish and toasted some of the bread for dunking.

I was cooking in a hurry so I didn’t exactly measure ingredients, but I wanted to get down the rough recipe. We were both surprised at how well it turned out. It’s seriously a keeper!

Pan-Roasted Cod with a Spicy Seafood Bisque Sauce

Ingredients
Pancetta
Olive oil
Cod
Salt and pepper, to taste
Shallot, chopped
Garlic, chopped
Tomato paste
Cream sherry
Seafood stock
Heavy cream
Smoked paprika (hot)
Cayenne pepper
Vietnamese fish sauce
Chives, chopped
Bread

Instructions


I first sautéed some pieces of pancetta with some olive oil. When crisp, I transferred it to a paper towel lined plate, leaving the grease in the skillet.


Then, I seasoned the fish liberally with salt and pepper and then cut into two big pieces. I placed it in the cast iron skillet (with the pancetta grease and olive oil) over medium-high heat until the bottom started to brown. Then, I transferred to a 450 degree oven and cooked until it was flaky. It took no more than 10 minutes once in the oven, but the time totally depends on the thickness of the fish.

When the fish was done, I took it out of the skillet and covered with foil to keep warm. I immediately put the skillet back on the stove and added some chopped shallot and garlic. When these started to soften, I added a little bit of tomato paste and then a splash of cream sherry. After about a minute, I added probably equal amounts of seafood stock and heavy cream along with some smoked paprika and cayenne. I let this reduce for a few minutes and added just a dash of fish sauce.


As the sauce was cooking, I just sliced the bread and toasted under the broiler. This type of bread is new to me. It’s a little bit sweet, but not sugary sweet like the cornbread you’re probably used to. It’s also very dense, so it’s perfect for sopping up the extra sauce.


To serve, I spooned the sauce over the fish in shallow bowls and topped with some chopped chives and the crisp pancetta. I totally forgot to add the pancetta until after we dug in, but I highly recommend it!

Brussels Sprout Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette

I talked about this brussels sprout salad that my friend Katie and I had at Hub 51 in Chicago in my very first blog post. For some reason, I thought to Google it the other day to see if there was a recipe for it online. Sure enough, I found it here and I made it on Friday night. I plan on turning a lot of people into brussels sprout lovers with this recipe. It is that good.

I had to adapt the vinaigrette recipe slightly based on what I had (like apple cider instead of apple juice concentrate and figs instead of dates). I should also note that the vinaigrette recipe makes over two cups of dressing. It’s a really great dressing though, so it’s not a bad idea to make a lot.

Brussels Sprout Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette

For Mustard Vinaigrette:
2 Tbsp whole grain mustard
6 Tbsp white wine vinegar
3 ½ Tbsp sugar
1 tsp. chopped garlic
1 tsp. Kosher salt
1 tsp. ground black pepper
½ c. apple cider
2 c. Canola oil

For Brussels Sprout Salad:
2 ½ cups Brussels sprouts
2 Tbsp dried cranberries
2 Tbsp slivered almonds
2 Tbsp dried figs
2 Tbsp manchego cheese, grated
1 Tbsp parmesan cheese, grated
¼ cup Mustard Vinaigrette (see recipe above)

Instructions:

For Mustard Vinaigrette:
In a mixing bowl, whisk together mustard, vinegar, sugar, garlic, salt, pepper and apple cider. Slowly whisk in the oil.

For Brussels Sprout Salad:
Trim the leaves off around the stem of the Brussels sprouts and then peel apart each leaf. Bring 6 cups of water to boil. Place peeled Brussels sprouts in boiling water for 6 seconds (really, just 6 seconds). Quickly remove and place in ice water. When cooled, place on a tray to dry. In a mixing bowl, add the Brussels sprouts, dried cranberries, almonds, and figs. Toss with mustard vinaigrette. Place in a salad bowl and top with manchego and parmesan.


Aside from being delicious, it’s so bright and colorful. I think it might even be a new addition to our Thanksgiving dinner table!

Restaurants: Tupelo

Tupelo has been on my list of places to try for awhile now. My mom has been there before and has described it as “like Hungry Mother, but not as good…but still good.” Therefore, whenever we’re craving some southern comfort food, we end up down the street at Hungry Mother.

Last night we tried to get into Hungry Mother, but they were full! We then tried our luck at Tupelo and were able to get a table within 15 minutes.


Tupelo has a cozy atmosphere. The space is small, but not uncomfortably so. We were immediately given complimentary corn bread with butter. The bread was moist and sweet – a great start to the meal.

Our server told us about the fried alligator special on the appetizer menu. My mom, being from Florida, was skeptical about getting good alligator in the Northeast. When she asked if it was any good, he cringed a little and said “well, it’s alligator.” Assuming he was just a wimpy eater, we went ahead and ordered it. At least he was honest, I guess?


I haven’t exactly eaten a lot of alligator in my life, but I thought it was pretty darn good. The meat was actually very mild tasting and the batter was nicely seasoned. The remoulade was amazing. It was very spicy and a little tangy. It also came with some pickled cucumber, carrot, and ginger. I’m a huge fan of homemade pickles and these were superb.


I ordered the Texas brisket special, served with red beans, barbecue sauce, slaw, and more pickles (!). I thought it was good, but wasn’t blown away by it for some reason. My mom, on the other hand, loved everything on the dish. Maybe I'm just not be a huge fan of brisket and beans in general. The barbecue sauce was very good though, and we all know I loved the pickles and slaw.


My mom ordered the pan-fried catfish with cheddar grits, collard greens, and jalapeno remoulade. It was a simple but really well executed dish. The fish was perfectly cooked, the grits were rich and creamy, and the collards were sweet with a nice acidic bite.


We were totally full by the end of the meal, but the desserts sounded too good to pass up. We went with the chocolate bread pudding. I think it was made out of cinnamon sweet rolls, which was a nice surprise. It probably didn’t even need the chocolate, but it didn't hurt either.

I’m not sure it’s right to compare Tupelo with Hungry Mother; I think they’re totally different. Tupelo is more casual and a little less refined, but not necessarily in a bad way. I’m looking forward to coming back and trying new dishes.

Tupelo
1193 Cambridge St.
Cambridge, MA 02139

Crosnes

I stumbled across these funny little tubers called Crosnes at the Union Square Greenmarket last weekend. I grabbed a handful before even looking at the price ($20/lb – yikes!).

I did a little bit of internet research and found out that they are a member of the mint family. They can be sautéed, fried, pickled, and even eaten raw. They’re originally from China and are sometimes called “Chinese Artichokes.”

When I showed them to Matt, he started calling them mealworms. I found a better nickname for them online: “butter sluts.”

I decided to sauté them to go with our dinner on Sunday. I put them in some piping hot butter and olive oil with a sprig of rosemary for just a few minutes and sprinkled liberally with salt.

They were very good! They had a similar texture to a potato, though not quite as starchy. The best way I can think to describe them is a cross between a potato and an artichoke. I think they would be really, really good pickled. I’m going to have to try that next.

Restaurants: Thai Terminal

Matt and I ate at one of our standbys in New York last night: Thai Terminal. It’s embarrassing how often I ate there back when I lived on that 12th street block, but it was so nice to be back. They have really fresh, reliable, and tasty food. I honestly wouldn’t have ever tried this place if it weren’t right on my old block because of the odd airport terminal theme. Fortunately, what the restaurant lacks in atmosphere it makes up in great food.

Clockwise from bottom- left: veggie dumplings, chive pancakes, spring rolls, curry puffs
When we’re really hungry, as we were last night, we start with the Deluxe Vegetarian Appetizer assortment. It comes with fried tofu, veggie dumplings, curry puffs, and chive pancakes. Since neither of us ever gets too excited about the fried tofu, we ask to substitute it with spring rolls. The stand-outs are the chive pancakes and curry puffs. The chive pancakes are like nothing I’ve ever had before so they’re hard to describe, but they’re very crunchy out the outside and creamy on the inside. The best way I can think to describe the curry puffs are that they’re like a Thai version of a samosa.


Matt almost always gets the drunken noodles, which are stir fried with egg, onion, cherry tomatoes, carrots, bell pepper, and basil leaves. The noodles are always caramelized but not overcooked, and the sauce always has the perfect balance of sweet and spice.


I’m not quite as predictable when it comes to my entrée, but one of my favorites is the Pad Phik Khing with beef. It’s stir fried with string beans and bell pepper in a spicy chili paste. I get really annoyed when I order a stir fry and the meat is sliced paper thin and cooked until it resembles cardboard. The meat in Thai Terminal’s stir fries is actually meaty and tender, but still charred on the outside. The vegetables are cooked through but still crisp. One of the other things I love about this place is that the “spicy” dishes are actually spicy. I like when my Thai food makes me sweat a little!

I forgot to mention that most of the menu costs under $10. That is a serious bargain, especially in this neighborhood.

Thai Terminal
349 E 12th St.
New York, NY 10003

National Deviled Eggs Day

I’ve been trying really hard to keep up with my blog, but this time I have a reason for being absent over the past few weeks. I’ve been sick! I ended up with a bad case of food poisoning, ironically. Now that I’m back to eating like a normal human being though, I can blog again.

I came across the fact earlier that today is National Deviled Eggs Day. Rather than go through my backlog of things I had wanted to blog about a few weeks ago, I figured I should definitely make some deviled eggs tonight.

I LOVE deviled eggs and am thrilled that they seem to be making a comeback with the whole southern-comfort food trend. They’re like the world’s perfect party food: easy, cheap, comforting, adorable, and – most importantly – delicious. They were always a staple in my house on Easter, but lately we’ve been making them for more and more occasions.

My family usually makes them simply with some mayo, Dijon mustard, and hot pepper relish. Sometimes we garnish with more pepper relish on top, and sometimes with some spicy paprika. My mom has been known to replace the pepper relish and paprika with some chutney and curry powder, which is also delicious.

I went with the pepper relish and paprika version tonight:


Let’s start with the hard boiled egg. Everyone seems to have their own method for making the perfect hard boiled egg. I’m not convinced that there’s one correct method, but the key is to not overcook them. No one wants hard, rubbery whites and that nasty greenish-brown ring around the yolk. I start the eggs in a single layer in a small pot of cold water. I make sure they’re covered with about an inch of water. I cover the pot, turn the heat up to high, and wait for the water to boil. As soon as the water boils, I take them off the heat and set the timer for 13 minutes. After the time is up, I transfer them to a bowl of ice water to cool.


I never measure the ingredients in the filling. I just add a spoonful of mayonnaise and a smaller spoonful of Dijon mustard and hot pepper relish. Then, I season with salt and pepper, taste, and adjust as necessary. After I fill the whites with the filling, I sprinkle some paprika on top. Voila!


There are also endless ways to class up the deviled egg. I don’t agree with additions that mask the egg too much, but there are certainly some that, I think, enhance the egg. You could add things like smoked salmon, cornichons, salmon roe, or bacon. Rather than making a bunch of different versions tonight (which I was seriously would have done if I didn’t have a late work meeting), I scoured the internet for some great sounding combinations for your reading and cooking pleasure:

• Sriracha, cilantro, and sweet pickled carrots


• Shrimp, caraway seeds, and dill


• Worcestershire and two types of mustard


• Smoked salmon, dill, and capers


• Crab and tarragon


• Wasabi and tobiko


• Kimchi and bacon


• Bacon and cornichons


• Caesar salad inspired

Here’s one final tip: I forget where I read this (Ina Garten cookbook maybe?), but someone suggested boiling one or two extra eggs when you’re trying to make, say, a dozen deviled eggs. Use the extra yolks in the filling mixture to ensure that you have plenty of filling for each egg.

Happy Deviled Eggs Day!

Restaurants: Motorino

I love Motorino. I got really spoiled when I lived next door. As far as I’m concerned, their pizza is perfect. The crust is chewy but lightly charred and quality of the toppings is top notch.


I was practically giddy when we went back there last weekend. We went for lunch on Sunday, which is my favorite time to go. The tiny space gets jam packed on the weekends, but is usually much quieter in the afternoon.


We usually each get a glass of Gragnano, which Motorino has dubbed “pizza wine.” It’s a light, fizzy red wine that is served cold. It goes really well with the rich pizza.


Matt usually orders the Margherita. It’s incredibly simple, but made with the best ingredients. Their mozzarella is phenomenal.


I always have a hard time choosing what to order, but this time I went with the Brussels Sprout and Pancetta. It’s a white pie loaded with mozzarella and pecorino cheeses and topped with garlic, brussels sprouts leaves, and pancetta. Most people probably aren’t as obsessed with brussels sprouts as I am, but I promise this pizza is worth a try.


The Stracciatella pizza also holds a special place in my heart. This picture was taken from a previous Motorino trip, but it’s tied with the brussels sprouts pizza for my favorite. Stracciatella is a really creamy type of mozzarella. The pizza is another white pie and is topped with the cheese, garlic, olive oil, and basil leaves.

Now I need to find a comparable pizza place in Boston. Let me know if you have any suggestions!

Motorino Pizza
349 E 12th St
New York, NY 10003