Little Presents: Fish Baked in Grape Leaves

If you are fortunate enough to have grapes growing near your house, or know someone who does, this is a fun little supper to put together. The recipe calls for fresh leaves and I would think that substituting the marinated ones that are used for dolmas would not be a good idea. Partly, just because I've never been a fan of the brined grape leaf and second because I'm not sure if the marinated ones would hold up to baking. But I could be wrong.

Still, what's more fun than serving something unexpected? Especially when it takes very little skill to wrap beautifully scented bits of fish in a grape leaf package. It strikes me as a very summery thing to do. The perfume of citrus always pairs nicely with fish and the fennel gives it just a little extra kick. Plus, the fish with it's melange of accompaniments couldn't be prettier peeping through the grape leaf.

Fish Baked in Vine Leaves

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 lemon, zested then juiced
1 orange, zested then juiced

1 fennel bulb, halved lengthwise and very thinly sliced crosswise, leaves reserved and chopped
½ large sweet onion, halved lengthwise and very thinly sliced crosswise

1 teaspoon coarse salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

6 (6 ounce) white fish fillets, such as red snapper, bass, or halibut

3-4 large grape leaves per serving

1 lemon, sliced

In a large, shallow ceramic or glass baking dish, combine the olive oil, citrus juices, chopped fennel leaves, salt, and pepper. Pat the fish dry with paper towels and add to the marinade, turning to coat evenly. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator 15 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400 °.

Spread 3 or 4 vine leaves on a work surface, overlapping them to form a large, sturdy wrapper. Place a few slices of fennel and onion in the center. Sprinkle with orange and lemon zest. Cover with a fish fillet and scatter a few more slices of fennel on top. Top with a lemon slice. Wrap the fish in the vine leaves by folding over the short sides first and then folding up the top and bottom sides.

Lay the packet, seamside down, in a large baking dish. Repeat with the remaining fillets, placing them in a single layer in the dish. Pour marinade over fish bundles and toss in any extra fennel, onion or lemon.

Bake 20 to 30 minutes, until the fish is opaque throughout; if the grape leaves have begun to brown you should be fine but you can open one package to check for doneness. Immediately transfer to serving plates and have guests unwrap the fish at the table.

Fruity Fish: Orange Roughy in a Citrus Bath

A very special dinner guest was expected the other evening, a person who is not at all picky about food but does especially like fish. I found some orange roughy at Trader Joe's and that was my inspiration for this dish. Orange roughy is neither orange in taste or appearance, but it put me in mind of summery citrusy things, nonetheless. (Orange roughy is a mild-mannered, firm white fish. It is similar to halibut in the way it cooks up, having a bit more substance to it than, say, cod).

This recipe is extremely quick to prepare and was a light, lovely entree for a summer's evening.

Orange Roughy in a Citrus Bath

4 fillets of orange roughy (or other white fish)
3 oranges
1 lemon
1 lime
salt and pepper
olive oil
1-2 T. unsalted butter

Zest the lemon, lime and one of the oranges. Set aside.

Juice all the citrus.

Pat dry the fillets, salt and pepper to taste. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat and add a scant Tablespoon of oil to the pan. Pan fry the fish in the oil, turning once, until both sides of the fillets are lightly brown and fish is cooked through (about 3 minutes per side).

Remove fish to a platter and keep warm. Deglaze the skillet with the citrus juices, stirring up the brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Allow to cook a minute or so then add the butter, stirring until it has melted into the juice. Give it a taste to see if you need a little more salt and/or pepper.

Using a strainer, pour the sauce over the fish. Sprinkle with the citrus zest and serve.

That's Almost Magic: Plate Cooked Salmon

You absolutely have got to try this recipe from Jeremiah Tower. The premise is delightful: take heated dinner plates, thin paillards of fish, a tasty broth and garnishes of flavored cream. Brush the hot plate with butter, add the fish, top with the hot broth and by the time you've put the finishing touches on the dish, the fish is perfectly cooked.

I know. It sounds crazy. But it's terrific because the fish retains it's fresh flavor and is cooked just to the point of flaky perfection with no chance of drying out, the bits of ginger and garlic floating in the broth hand the fish a few zippy compliments just before the jolt of chipotle cream hits you, lending its smokey goodness to the mix. It's simple to execute, lovely to look at and does a complex little quickstep on your tongue.

I've never tried this recipe with any of the suggested variations...we've been so happy with the salmon and chipotle...but the method does cry out for all sorts of interpretations; kind of a "sky's the limit" sort of thing. The only adjustment I've made to the recipe is to use a good organic vegetable broth instead of the fish stock. When you have something as splendid as a fresh piece of salmon in front of you there hardly seems a need to introduce a generic fish flavor. The broth acts as a nice supporting player to the other veggies in the dish, without stepping on any toes.

To accommodate The Child's "not too 'picy" issues, I make a cilantro cream for hers, just whizzing up a big handful of roughly chopped cilantro with about 1/2 c. of heavy cream & a pinch of salt, then gently heating it as directed. I make that first and don't bother rinsing out the blender before making the chipotle cream. Seems to me that any bits of cilantro that are clinging to the sides are going to be more than happy uniting with the chipotle.

'Picy Fish: Pan-fried Snapper with Chipotle Butter

We try to eat fish at least once a week and I often find myself cycling through the same few recipes, which is rather silly of me, given that fish is a perfect canvas for so many flavors. Subtle or bold, fish is accomodating that way. I was delighted to find this recipe because it really mixes things up and it is easy to adjust for those who don't like things too 'picy. Make a compound butter with herbs as well and offer your diners a choice.

Pan-fried Snapper with Chipotle Butter

½ stick unsalted butter, softened
½ to 1 T. finely chopped canned chipotle chilies in adobo plus 2 t. adobo sauce
1/2 t. honey
½ teaspoon salt
4 red snapper fillets (or any firm white fish)
1/3 c. flour
2 T. veggie oil

Mash together butter, chipotles, adobo sauce, honey and salt to taste until blended.

Pat fish dry and season with salt and pepper. Spread flour on a plate and dredge fish, knocking off excess.

Heat 1 ½ T. oil in a 12 inch nonstick skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then pan fry the fish, turning over once, until browned and just cooked through, 4-6 minutes. Transfer as cooked with a slotted spatula to plates and add more oil to skillet as need. Top fish with dollops of chipotle butter.

Extra chipotle butter (and you will have it) can be plopped onto some plastic wrap and then rolled up as you would for sugar cookies. Wrap that up with foil (don't forget to mark it) and you can keep it in the freezer, pretty near indefinately, for subsequent fish dinners.