Publication: The East Hampton Press & The Southampton Press

Jul 27, 10 8:36 AM  

Summertime offers great opportunities to serve healthy and tasty dishes that can be offered as an entrée, a starter, or part of a buffet menu.

Almost every type of fresh fish or seafood is a good choice for seviche. This week’s recipe is generous and each ingredient can be increased, reduced or deleted according to taste. As you may know, the acid in the lime juice changes the texture of the fish from soft to firm, effecting the same texture change as if the fish were cooked.

Here, I’ve added celery and bell pepper for crunch, jalapeño pepper for heat, tomatoes and herbs for color and flavor. Serve the seviche with a dollop of salsa on top in stemmed martini glasses for a first course at a sit-down dinner party.

For a buffet, spoon the seviche into a glass bowl and surround it with cherry tomatoes, serving salsa in a separate bowl on the side. For lunch or as tapas, add sliced avocado and tortilla chips and pass the salsa at the table to complete the menu.

A whole grilled trout is a fish lover’s delicacy. It’s a lot easier to have the fishmonger fillet the fish leaving the skin intact. Run your finger down the center of the fillet to check for bones; if bones remain, remove them with a long-nose pliers. Use a well-oiled basket to grill the fish.

This simple, straightforward recipe is absolutely delicious with a fennel and bell pepper salad. The bell peppers are an excellent source of vitamin C and there is also a good bit of vitamin A to be found in the fennel and the peppers.

Serve with roasted new red potatoes to complete the menu. Bon appetit!

Seviche of Red Snapper
with Lime and Chili Salsa

(Serves 6 to 8)

2 pounds red snapper or just-caught fish of your choice, skinned, filleted and cut into thin oval slices

juice of 8 fresh limes

2 large fresh tomatoes, blanched, peeled, seeded and diced

2 stalks celery, peeled and minced

1 large green bell pepper, seeded and minced

1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

1/4 cup fresh flat leaf parsley leaves, chopped

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Optional: jalapeño pepper seeded and diced

For the lime and chili salsa:

3 large ancho chilies, or less according to personal preference

8 limes, peeled and segmented

4 large cloves garlic, minced

1 large sweet white onion, chopped

1 bunch cilantro, chopped

8 tomatillos, chopped

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Pinch red pepper flakes to taste

To prepare:

To make the seviche, arrange the fish slices in a shallow glass dish, pour the lime juice over the slices and gently stir. Cover with parchment paper and plastic wrap and refrigerate for 6 to 8 hours.

Meanwhile, to make the salsa, preheat the oven to 300.

Bake the chilies until they begin to expand, about 5 to 6 minutes. Carefully cut the chilies in half; discard some or all of the seeds, according to taste, and chop fine.

In non-reactive bowl, combine lime segments, garlic, onion, cilantro, and tomatillos together. Stir in the vinegar, and add salt and pepper to taste.

Add chilies a little at a time until desired taste is obtained.

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least two to three hours before serving.

To finish the seviche:

Drain off the accumulated juices from the fish, reserving half.

Add the tomatoes, celery, bell pepper, cilantro, and parsley to the fish and stir gently to blend.

Return just enough of the reserved juices to the seviche to moisten the mixture, then drizzle olive oil over the top to blend.

Taste and correct the seasonings with salt, pepper, and optional red pepper flakes.

Transfer to a glass bowl and serve with the lime chili salsa.

Grilled Trout
with Bell Peppers
and Fennel Salad

(Serves 4)

4 fresh caught trout, cleaned, with heads left intact

4 cloves garlic chopped

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

About 3 tablespoons dry vermouth

Juice of one lemon

1 lemon cut into wedges for garnish

A good fistful of flat leaf parsley leaves, chopped for garnish

For the salad:

1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips

1 yellow bell pepper, cut into thin strips

1 green bell pepper, cut into thin strips

1 small head fennel, trimmed and cut into thin lengthwise strips

1 bunch scallions, chopped

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the dressing:

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Juice of half a lemon

About 1/4 to 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

To prepare:

Place fish in large shallow dish and cover with garlic, oil, vermouth, and lemon juice.

Turn over about every 15 minutes and marinate for 30 minutes. Drain off the juices and discard.

Place the fish in an oiled grilling basket. Grill until grill marks are visible and the fish is done, about 3 to 5 minutes per side. The cooking time will depend on the thickness of the fish.

Transfer to a platter and garnish with lemon wedges and chopped parsley.

Toss the bell pepper strips, fennel, and scallions together in a mixing bowl and season to taste with salt and pepper.

In a small bowl, whisk mustard and lemon juice together and gradually add the olive oil until blended.

Taste, adjust the seasonings, and dress the pepper salad until the vegetables glisten.

Serve as a side dish with the trout.