Simple Baked Whitefish (Cod, Pollack, Whiting)

I'm a fan of fish, fixed just about any way. I like fried fish with tarter sauce, grilled salmon fillets, orange roughy, tilapia, etc. But this week I found a sale at my supermarket of simple pollack fillets and decided to go for a light, baked fish.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb whitefish fillets (one fillet/ person)
• lemon pepper
• parsley
• 1 tbl butter or margarine
• 1/2 lemon
• salt
• pepper

(Preheat oven to 325°) Begin with spraying a glass baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Lay thawed fillets in the baking dish after checking for stray pin bones. Either melt the butter and drizzle on or take small bits of cold butter and arrange on top to get good coverage when it melts. Lightly salt and pepper the fillets, then sprinkle some lemon pepper lightly over fish, then use some chopped parsley (fresh is nice) across them. Finish with a squeeze of the lemon down the length of both fillets.

Bake uncovered in oven for 20-25 minutes. Fish is done when it the thickest part of the fillet will flake easily with a fork. Be careful removing fish from pan to plate, it will be fragile. But oh so light and flakey!

Serve with lemon wedge. Serves 2

Kevin's Oven-BBQ Ribs

I love ribs and being unable to smoke them during the winter doesn't stop me from making them in the oven.  I rub them down with a rub that is based on one by Emeril Lagasse, but mine is a little milder - his were HOT.  These were a particular favorite of Pete's.

Here's the rub:

Ingredients

• 1 Tbl salt
  
• 1 Tbl cumin
  
• 1 Tbl paprika
  
• 2Tbl Emeril's Essence
  
• 3 Tbl brown sugar
  
• 1 tsp black pepper
  
• 1 tsp cayenne
  

I usually rub the ribs down the night before and let them sit in the fridge overnight.  If you have a lime, squeeze the juice of 1/2 a lime over the ribs for some tanginess and to help break down the connective tissue.  Otherwise, I use a little wine vinegar, just a few splashes.

I cover them with foil and bake them at 300° for 2 1/2 hours, or until they begin to fall off the bone.  Then I take the foil off and brush with barbecue sauce, turn on the broiler and leave the ribs under the broiler until they begin to brown (usually 5 -10 minutes).

Sourdough Bread (And Buns!)

Mom always made sourdough bread.  We weren't rich folks, and that was a way that she could keep us in bread without having to buy yeast.  I still remember the hot loaves coming out of the oven, gently sliced and then loaded with real butter.  WOW!

This is my recipe, a combination of methods I've cobbled together from other bakers and several cookbooks.  It works well for me, I hope you like it.

I won't cover making your original starter, there are so many ways to start that it really doesn't matter.  Just start with a cup of starter and go from there!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of starter
  
• 2 cups warm water
  
• 2 cups flour
  

Mix all three and let proof for 8-10 hours (overnight).

Ingredients:

• 4 cups flour
  
• 3 tbl sugar
  
• 3 tbl oil or melted shortening
  
• 1 tsp salt
  
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
  

Mix in most of the flour and the other ingredients until you can't beat with a spoon any more. Then dump onto floured work surface and knead in the rest of the flour. It may take more or less flour depending on how wet your dough is. Work about 10 minutes or until it quits sticking to your hand right away.

Put in greased bowl, cover, and put in out-of-the-way area (dark is best, with no drafts) for 1 1/2 hours (or until it doubles in size).

Punch down, divide in half an let rest for 10 mins. Then shape each loaf into a ball (for loaves) or 6-8 balls (for buns). Put into loaf pan or on greased (or non-stick) sheet and slice 3 quarter-inch grooves in the top to allow better rising. Let rise for 45 minutes or until double again.

Bake loaves @ 375° for 40-50 minutes. Spray with water before baking and then every 10 minutes. Cover during last 10 minutes with foil to keep crust from over-browning.

Bake rolls/buns @ 400° for 15-20 minutes. Spray before baking and at least 1 time during.

(Replenish starter with 3/4 cup milk and 1/2 to 1 cup flour, allow to work for 12 hours before refrigerating.)

Kevin's Oven-fried Chicken

Pete usually deep-fried his chicken so I came up with this recipe so that I wouldn't be trying to imitate his. It turned out that he loved this recipe and often requested it when he wanted chicken but didn't feel like making it!

Ingredients:

• 3-4 lbs of chicken, cut up (legs, breasts, or whole chicken)
  
• 2 C flour
  
• 3 Tbs BAM
  
• Oil for frying (Olive oil or other cooking oil mixed with some bacon grease tastes best! Don't use shortening because it has a low smoke-point.)
  

Soak chicken for at least an hour (overnight if possible) in 1/3 cup of seasoned salt and cold water, enough to cover all pieces. Drain. Finish trimming pieces (cut off excess skin, etc.) and flour each piece in the flour and BAM mixture.

Heat the oil in a large skillet (about 1/4 inch of oil in the bottom) until it froths when you toss in a smidgen of flour. Add chicken pieces, dark meat first (thighs, then legs, then the white pieces about 5 minutes after). Brown each piece, turning to get the entire piece brown.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Now you have 2 options for finishing the bird:

Option 1(original method):Toss the entire frypan in the oven on the center rack. This only will work if the pan is not non-stick and the handle isn't plastic! A cast-iron skillet works best.

Option 2(low fat method): Put chicken pieces on a wire rack over large cookie sheet. Cover sheet in foil, if desired. Place the sheet w/racks and chicken in the oven.

Bake for 40-50 minutes, until a thigh or breast cut open at the bone is no longer red.

If desired, make chicken gravy in the used fry pan. Drain all but a couple tablespoons of the grease and mix with 1/4 cup flour (use the flour & BAM mixture if you like it spicy). Heat on high, adding milk (about 2 cups) and stirring constantly until boiling.

Jiffy Hush Puppies

Fish n' Chips is one of my favorite meals, and these go great along side.

Ingredients:

• 2 boxes Jiffy mix
  
• 1 cup flour
  
• 1 egg
  
• 2 tsp. baking powder
  
• 1/2 tsp. salt
  
• 1/2 cup onion, chopped fine
  
• 3 cloves of garlic, chopped fine
  
• 1 1/2 tablespoons of Emeril's Essence (BAM!)
  
• Milk
  

Combine all ingredients except milk. Just before cooking, add milk. Drop by teaspoons into deep hot fat. Cook until done (about 2 minutes at 350 degrees). Flip over halfway through cooking to brown both sides.

Shrimp Creole

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. Peeled and Deveined Shrimp, save shells to make Shrimp Stock
  
• 2 Tbsp Butter
  
• 1 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
  
• 1 Large Onion, finely chopped
  
• 2 Ribs Celery, finely chopped
  
• 1 small Green Pepper, finely Chopped
  
• 2 Tbsp Creole Seasoning (BAM)
  
• 2 Tbsp Tomato Paste
  
• 2-1/2 Cups Very Ripe Fresh Tomatoes, Diced
  
• 1/2 Cup Dry White Wine
  
• 2 Cups Shrimp Stock (recipe here)
  
• 2 Tbsp Garlic, minced
  
• 2 Bay leaves
  
• Cayenne to taste
  
• Kosher Salt to taste
  
• 1 tsp Black Pepper
  
• 1 tsp White Pepper
  
• 1 bunch Fresh Thyme
  
• 2 Tbsp Tabasco
  
• 1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
  
• 1/2 Cup Green Onions, green tops thinly sliced, white part sliced into 1/4″ thickness
  
• 1/8 Cup Flat Leaf Parsley, minced
  
• 1 Recipe Creole Boiled Rice*
  

Prep:
Melt the butter in a large sauce pan with the vegetable oil over medium high heat. When the butter begins to froth add 1/2 cup of the onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are golden brown. Add the remaining onions, celery, and bell pepper, reduce the heat to medium and season with 1 Tbsp Creole Seasoning and a healthy pinch of salt. Sweat the vegetables until the soft.

Add the tomato paste mixing well, and cook, stirring constantly, until the paste begins to brown, then add the fresh tomatoes and another healthy pinch of Kosher salt, this will help the tomatoes break down. Stir well.

When the tomatoes start to break down into liquid add the white wine, and turn the heat to high until most of the alcohol burns off. Add the Shrimp Stock, remaining Creole seasoning, garlic, bay leaves, black pepper, white pepper, cayenne (to taste), and Thyme. Bring to a boil then reduce to a low simmer. Simmer for 30-45 minutes.

(If necessary at this point thicken the sauce with 1 Tbsp Cornstarch/ 2Tbsp water. Bring to a boil to maximize the thickening power of the cornstarch.)

Add the hot sauce, Worcestershire, and season to taste with Kosher salt. Last chance to re-season your sauce, remember that good cooking is all about proper seasoning. Make your Boiled Rice, and season your shrimp with 1 Tbsp Kosher salt and a pinch of Cayenne.

Bring the sauce to a boil, reduce the heat to low and add the shrimp. The key is to not overcook your shrimp. Let them slowly simmer in the sauce until just cooked through.

Serve with boiled rice and garnish with the remaining green onions and parsley.

Serve immediately.

Serves 4.

*Creole Rice - Boil 1 cup rice with 1/2 tsp Emeril's Bayou Blast and a bay leaf.  Add 1 tbl butter after rice is done.

Singing Cake

This was sent to me by a friend I met on the 'net, Gypsy.

Ingredients:

•  1 c Butter
  
•  2 c Brown sugar
  
•  2 t Baking powder mixed in
  
•  1 c Buttermilk
  
•  1 c Raisins (I'd have to omit these for Pete - he hates raisins!)
  
•  2 t Cinnamon
  
•  2 Sq. bitter chocolate, melted
  
•  3 Eggs, separated 
  
•  1 c Strawberry jam
  
•  1 c Chopped nuts
  
•  4 c Sifted flour 
  
•  1 t Cloves
  

Prep:
Cream butter and sugar. Add egg yolks and stir. Add melted chocolate and stir. Add raisins and stir. Add cinnamon, cloves, flour and stir. Add nuts and jam and stir.

Now add the baking powder and buttermilk and quickly add to the cake mixture and stir. Fold in stiffly beaten egg whites. Quickly pour mixture into greased and floured angel food cake pan. Bake at 350 F until cake stops singing, about 45 minutes.

Make sure you time the recipe so your guests are present during the baking. Once cake is baked the effect is over.