Still working through Mark Bittman’s recent book, I made this recipe from Food Matters (p. 248-49) and very much enjoyed it. Best about this recipe is not only is it delicious, I made it in 30 minutes flat, including prep time. I used fresh scallops and peeled shrimp (and did not bother with the breading), as well as using sweet potato, daikon, turnip and zucchini as part of the grated vegetables. His recipe suggests using floured cod, which I think would also be really good. I used a fair bit of cayenne pepper to spice up my curry powder and may have gone slightly overboard, but it’s nice to have a little kick with this recipe. I also chose to use lemon as the citrus of choice, and it combined well.
-hBru
Pan-Cooked Grated Vegetables and Crunchy Fish
Ingredients:
4 T peanut or vegetable oil plus more as needed
1 small red onion or 4 scallions, chopped
About 2 pounds winter squash, sweet potatoes, daikon, turnips, or celery root, trimmed, peeled, and grated
1 T minced ginger and/or garlic
1 T hot curry powder or to taste
salt & pepper to taste
About 1/4 cup each of cornmeal and flour, for dredging
About 12 ounces (3/4 pound) cod or catfish fillet, cut into 4 pieces
1/4 cup fresh parsley, or cilantro leaves
Lemon, lime or orange wedges (optional)
Directions:
1. Put 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet (preferably cast-iron) over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add half the onion or scallions and the vegetables. Add the ginger or garlic and the curry powder, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, and adding a little more oil if the mixture is sticking, until the onion has caramelized and the potatoes are lightly browned, about 10 minutes; the vegetables need not be fully tender. Taste and adjust the seasoning, and transfer to a large serving platter or divide among individual plates.
2. While the vegetables are cooking, combine the cornmeal and flour on a plate along with some salt and pepper. Dredge the fish in the cornmeal mixture, pressing to make some of it stick then shaking to remove the excess.
3. Return the skillet to high heat; don’t bother to wipe it out. Add the remaining oil. When it’s hot, add the fish to the pan and cook, turning only once, until nicely browned on both sides and cooked through- a thin-bladed knife will meet little or no resistance when fish is done. Put the fish on top of the vegetables; garnish with the remaining onion or scallion and parsley or cilantro. Serve with citrus wedges if you like.
Makes 4 servings or a generous 2.
Other Seafood Options:
Shrimp (large ones take about 2 minutes per side to cook; medium will take 3 minutes total)
Sea scallops (cook 3-4 minutes per side)
Salmon or halibut fillets or steaks (5 to 10 minutes total cooking time, depending on the thickness)
sounds like a perfect way to serve those veggies, I would have not thought of grating them……they are a perfect compliment for the seafood!
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