Today I am going to introduce you to a type of fish you may or may not have ever heard of.  It is probably one of the ugliest fishes you will ever see, but this is one case where you will definitely not want to judge the book by its cover! 

 

Trust me when I say that this is a most flattering illustration as it is much uglier in real life than this. Other names for this fish are the Saint Pierre, or Peter's fish.  It is said to be the fish that Peter brought to Jesus and a related legend states that the dark spot on its side is St Peter's thumbprint.

 

 

All legends aside, this is one very delicious piece of fish, having been described by Jane Grigson to be one of the "most desirable creatures of the sea," and known to be a favourite noted Seafood Chef, Rich Stein.  It has a delicate sweet flavour, comparable to sole or turbot.

 

I got mine from The Fish Society.  The Fish Society is an online Luxury Fish Monger which carries a huge variety of fish, including everything from A - Z!  I am always really impressed with The Fish Society and its service.  Every piece of fish I have ever gotten from them has been lovely and of the highest quality. 

 

Such a beautiful piece of fish deserved to be cooked in the simplest of ways.  One thing I love about fish is that it is a protein that cooks quickly and easily.  I have always found with a fish such as John Dory, the simplest method of cookery is the best method to use and so I simply bake it.

  

Skin side down on an oiled baking sheet, in a moderate oven for only 10 to 12  minutes.  Just long enough for you to prepare a simple sauce to spoon over top.

 

A delicious sauce that will highlight and enhance the flavours of this beautiful fish.  Lemon, Caper and Butter Sauce  . . .  a delicate sauce for a delicate fish . . .

 

You begin by browning butter in a small skillet.  Get it foaming and then just let it cook until it starts to turn golden brown. Take care not to burn it!  If you do, you will have to dump it and begin again.  Trust me when I say it can go from perfect to burnt in a split second. I find it best to remove it from the heat just when you notice it turning a golden colour . . .  it will also take on a nutty, almost cookie/biscuity scent.

 

As soon as you notice this you add a quantity of fresh lemon juice which has been watered down a bit with some cold water  . . .  let this bubble up furiously and then throw in the capers and some chopped fresh parsley . . .

  

A bit of seasoning and that is it.  Your sauce is ready to pour over your perfectly baked fish!  Voila!

 

Todd enjoyed his with some crisp frites and runner beans from our garden.  I enjoyed mine with a lovely salad. We were both very happy.  This fish is so delicious.  Don't worry however if you can't get John Dory, you can use the same method to cook Sole or Turbot.  Tilapia would also be nice cooked this way.  You can't go wrong with a decent piece of fish and The Fish Society has some of the nicest fish around, delivered fresh/frozen right to your door.

Coming Tomorrow: Raspberry & Chocolate Ice Cream Parfait along with Nine other Parfait Ideas   

 

I think Sole has to be one of my absolutely favourites of all the fishes in the sea.  There are two types of Sole which we enjoy here in the UK, Dover Sole and Lemon Sole.  Both are highly-prized, delicately flavoured fishes.  Lemon Sole is slightly less expensive than Dover Sole, but in my opinion is just as delicious and that is what we enjoyed today. 

 

My sole came from The Fish Society.  The Lemon Sole comes two fillets in a package, and in a variety of sizes from small to large.  Mine were medium sized.  They had the skin on, which I didn't necessarily want.  The skin of Sole can be quite rubbery, so I quickly removed it and disposed of it. Its very easy to do if you have a sharp knife.  Just make a small cut through the flesh at the narrow end of the fish, and then, angling your knife slightly, grab hold of the skin and wiggle it through beneath the blade of your knife, pulling it gently away from the fish. I am not sure if I explained that correctly, but I found a video on YouTube that explains it perfectly.  Its a lot easier to do than it is to explain!

  

This is really a beautiful piece of fish, and I have to say, I am always really impressed with The Fish Society and its service.  Every piece of fish I have ever gotten from them has been lovely and of the highest quality.  

It arrives frozen and well packed, ready for you to thaw as and when you need it. With overnight delivery available I just unpack it and throw it right into the freezer when it arrives. Easy Peasy.

 

A fish as delicate and delicious as sole is deserves the simplest treatment when you are cooking it. You want to keep everything as simple as possible. You don't want strong flavours over-powering the flavour of the fish . . .  and with fish this nice, the more simplistic your method of cooking the better.

 

One thing I love about fish is how very quickly it cooks. This  cooks in about six minutes from start to finish to make sure any side dishes are ready and waiting to be served. You won't want to start cooking it until everyone is almost sat down at the table!

 

I seasoned my skinned fillets with kosher salt and black pepper on both sides and dusted them lightly with flour, shaking off the excess . . .

 

I added a knob of butter and some canola oil to a large skillet and heated it just until the butter began to foam, over moderate heat.

 

I threw a few sprigs of fresh thyme into the pan to flavour the butter and then applied the fish fillets, presentation side first. (Presentation side is the side of the fish you will want showing when you plate it up for service.)

 

You want to fry it just until it is golden brown on that side, which should take about 3 minutes, and then carefully flip it over to brown the other side. 

 

That won't take very long either. Two to three minutes maximum.  Remove it from the heat and scoop it onto a serving platter, placing some of the crisp thyme sprigs with it to adorn it and sprinkling it with some chopped fresh parsley.  That's it!

 

You could squeeze fresh lemon on it while it is still in the pan, but I prefer to pass lemon wedges at the table for diners to squeeze onto their individual servings.  This helps to maintain the crisp exterior of having fried it in butter . . .  why bother if you are just going to soggy it up before you serve it?

  

In any case these were beautiful fillets of sole . . .  perfectly cooked and golden brown.  Todd enjoyed his with some roasted baby new potatoes and peas/carrots.  He was in fish heaven.

 

I enjoyed mine also with some peas and carrots, and a bit of mashed sweet potato.  I do love sweet potatoes.  Oh my but this was some of the best sole I have ever eaten.  I found myself wondering why why don't we eat it more often than we do. It is just excellent excellent fish. Quality speaks for itself.  The Fish Society has all kinds of fish, fish that you normally won't find in the shops. Its like having your own private fish monger on line and on tap!  They have everything from Abalone to Zander and they deliver right to your door in a timely manner.  Shell fish.  Sea food.  All Sashimi grade.  I have never been disappointed, as Todd says, best fish ever.  You can't go wrong. 

  

 

I love using our outdoor grill in the summer months as much as we can. We get such lousy weather the rest of the year, when the sun is shining, I want to make the most of it.  Next Thursday we have all the Missionaries invited over for a BBQ, so it will be dogs and burgers (I hope the sun shines!).  Today we took advantage of the glorious weather and I cooked some fabulous Red Snapper which I had gotten from The Fish Society.

 

It has been at least 20 years since I have had Red Snapper. Its not a fish that I have seen readily available over here in the UK, which is a shame since it is a really beautiful fish, with sweet succulent flesh.  I love it.  I was so excited when I discovered it at The Fish Society! 

 

Todd had never had Red Snapper.  Did you know there are over a hundred species of Snapper?  There are only twenty five that are red.  The Fish Society sources their snapper from Indonesia, and comes flash frozen, descaled and ready to cook!  I knew we were in for a real treat! 

  

Because of the lovely weather we are having I decided to grill it on the BBQ grill. We don't have a fish basket so I did it in foil packets.  Its so easy to cook in foil packets, there is no fuss, no muss and no cleanup!

 

I added some lovely Mediterranean flavours  . . .  with a mix of olives, both black and green . . .  I used pitted Kalamata and Green Halkidiki olives.  Yummy!

 

I added some sliced unwaxed lemons for a bit of an acidic hit.  Lemon and fish go so very well together.  I also added some halved cherry plum tomatoes . . .  you can't get more Mediterranean than using olives, tomatoes and lemons  . . .

 

I tucked in a few torn basil leaves, and sprinkled them with some Italian garlic seasoning and coarse black pepper. You could also sprinkle with salt, but I didn't think with the seasoning mix that we needed any.

 

I also added some sliced Shallots for a bit of sharpness . . . peel them first.  A drizzle of good quality olive oil and we were ready to seal up the packets and go!

 

Make sure when you seal them up you leave some air space in the packets so that the fish can steam and absorb all of those aromatic and delicious Mediterranean flavours!

 

From between 12 and 18 minutes (depending on the thickness of your fish) on the grill and your fish will be perfectly cooked.  Sweet, succulent . . . tender and yes, really delicious!

 

Todd enjoyed his with a baked potato and some green beans!  He really loved the flavour of the fish. Some of the best he has ever eaten!  I concurred! 

  

This was a real taste treat, and oh so healthy as well!  The Mediterranean diet is one of the healthiest in the world!

 

I enjoyed mine with a salad on the side.  Oh, I would have loved to have a baked potato too  . . .  but I am really trying to be good!  This is a very healthy, Low Carb and Keto Friendly Recipe. Coming in at only 269 calories and a very low carb count (5.9 total) it is also perfect for anyone doing the 800 fast diet.

Fish from the Fish Society comes straight to your door, with an overnight delivery, and it is beautifully packaged.  Ready to throw right into your own freezer.  I highly recommend!  

 

You are probably wondering why I am showing you a fish recipe on a Monday.  Two reasons really.  First, as it is Canada Day back home I wanted to cook a typically Canadian dish, and not just Canadian, but a Maritime type of dish.

Secondly  . . . it will take you a few days of preparation to get this dish put together, so I am giving you a heads up!

  

Down East Fish Cakes.  There isn't a Canadian Maritimer worth their salt that doesn't love or know how to cook these fish cakes.  They have been a Maritime staple for many years.  These delicious potato and fish cakes use a traditional down east kitchen staple, Salt Cod.  

It hails back to the years when the fishing industry was really big in the Maritime Provinces. Humble people are the Maritimers, and in years before refrigeration they would salt their cod to use in the off season.  This was a great way to keep the cod. All they had to do was soak it to regenerate it and it was fit to eat. 

Funny Story:  It is said that during the Dust Bowl in the 1930's many Western Canadians risked starvation so the generous people of Eastern Canada sent  them trains filled with Barrels of Salt Cod, which they knew would not only survive the long journey to the West, but could be easily stored and kept.  Having no idea what it was, the Westerners used the slabs of salt cod to shingle their roofs.  

 

The Salt Cod I used today does not come from Newfoundland or Nova Scotia, but from Scotland, Shetland to be exact, and it is famous!  Mine came from The Fish Society, which is an online fish monger here in the UK. 

They offer a really vast variety of fish and seafood to choose from, from A to Z, smoked, dried, over 200 kinds.  They deliver across Western Europe but can also deliver further afield if you are looking for good fish to be delivered right to your door.  Frozen fresh it is as fresh as it is right from the ocean when thawed.  I just love their fish. 

I was really excited when I discovered that they had Salt Cod.  A little taste from home, Nova Scotia, which  means New Scotland. This was singing to my Nova Scotian heart. This Salt Air-Dried Cod is considered to be the single Malt of the fish world. This is the best Salt Cod that you can buy here in the UK. Sustainably fished from MSC accredited Shetland stocks, this is a handcrafted premium product! 

You do need to soak it in cold water before you can use it however.  I soaked mine for 48 hours, changing the water 3 times, which is what was recommended to me.  After that I simmered it in hot water for about 15 minutes, and then let it cool, whereupon I flaked it and used it in my recipe.

 

Some people cook their fish cakes right away, and you certainly could do that, but I like to mix them up one day and then shape them into a roll, wrap and chill, ready for me to cut into slices for frying the next day.

 

They are really easy to make.  You just mix equal amounts of reconstituted, cooked and flaked salt cod with mashed potatoes.  Don't add any milk or seasoning to the potatoes.  Just peel, mash and use.

 

Into this goes a beaten egg, and some seasoning . . . 

 

As a Maritimer I highly recommend Summer Savoury. Back home this is a staple of every kitchen larder.  You will find it added to lots of dishes.  Summer Savoury is the cousin of Winter Savoury, and adds incredible flavour to lots of dishes. 

Summer Savoury is very aromatic and has an appetizing-enhancing, expectorant, digestive-regulating and sudorific effect.