The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook (64 page)

1 whole sea bass (2 pounds), cleaned

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

4 thin slices peeled fresh ginger, plus 2 teaspoons grated ginger

3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

10 sprigs cilantro, plus 1 tablespoon coarsely chopped for garnish

3½ tablespoons toasted sesame oil

1½ pounds baby bok choy, white stems cut crosswise into ¾-inch-thick pieces and leaves discarded

10 small shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced ¼ inch thick

7 scallions, thinly sliced on the diagonal

2½ tablespoons soy sauce

2½ tablespoons rice-wine vinegar

1 tablespoon mirin (Japanese sweet rice wine) or packed brown sugar

1.
Rinse the fish thoroughly under cold running water; remove any debris from the cavity with a spoon; pat dry. Season the cavity with salt and pepper; stuff with the ginger slices, 4 slices garlic, and the cilantro sprigs. Rub the fish with 1½ tablespoons sesame oil. Season with salt and pepper.

2.
Put the bok choy, mushrooms, two-thirds of the scallions, the remaining garlic, the grated ginger, and ¼ teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Season with pepper, and toss.

3.
Transfer half of the bok choy mixture to a 9 × 13-inch baking pan; place the fish on top. Top with the remaining bok choy mixture. Whisk together the soy sauce, vinegar, mirin, and ¼ teaspoon salt; drizzle over the fish. Tightly cover the pan with foil.

4.
Pour water to a depth of ¼ inch in another 9 × 13-inch baking pan; bring to a boil on top of the stove. Reduce heat; let simmer. Set the pan with the fish on top; steam until cooked through, 16 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a platter; garnish with the remaining scallions and chopped cilantro. Drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons sesame oil.

malaysian shrimp curry

SERVES 4 TO 6

2 teaspoons whole coriander seeds

1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds

8 whole black peppercorns

1 tablespoon paprika

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

¼ teaspoon ground turmeric

1 piece (2 inches) peeled fresh ginger, sliced

6 garlic cloves, sliced

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 medium onion, very finely chopped

1 can (14 ounces) unsweetened coconut milk

1¼ teaspoons coarse salt

1½ teaspoons tamarind concentrate (or lemon juice)

1½ pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails left intact

½ cup fresh Thai or regular basil leaves

6 cups cooked basmati rice, for serving

1.
Finely grind the coriander, cumin, and peppercorns in a coffee or spice grinder; transfer to a bowl. Stir in the paprika, cayenne, and turmeric. Process the ginger, garlic, and ¼ cup water in a food processor until smooth; stir into the spices.

2.
Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add the onion; cook, stirring often, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the spice paste; cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Add 1¼ cups water; bring to a simmer.

3.
Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover; simmer 10 minutes. Uncover. Stir in the coconut milk, salt, and tamarind. Simmer until thickened, about 30 minutes.

4.
Stir in the shrimp and basil, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the shrimp are cooked through, about 8 minutes. Serve immediately over rice.

poached cod with parsley sauce

SERVES 4

This main dish is delicious served with boiled potatoes or rice.

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

½ cup whole milk

½ cup homemade or store-bought fish or vegetable stock

Coarse salt

¾ cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus 4 sprigs, for garnish

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives

1 strip lemon peel (3 inches)

¼ cup plus 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)

4 cod fillets (5 ounces each), skinned

1.
Melt the butter over medium heat in a small saucepan. Add the flour; whisk until a paste forms. Reduce heat to low; cook, whisking, 2 minutes. Whisking constantly, pour in the milk in a slow, steady stream; whisk until incorporated. Whisk in the stock. Add ½ teaspoon salt, and cook, whisking occasionally, 10 minutes. Remove from heat; let stand 10 minutes to thicken slightly. Stir in the parsley and chives.

2.
Meanwhile, bring 1½ quarts water, the lemon peel, ¼ cup lemon juice, and ½ teaspoon salt to a boil in a medium sauté pan or other wide straight-sided pan. Place the fillets in the liquid (do not crowd). Return to a boil, then immediately turn off the heat. Let stand until just cooked through, about 10 minutes.

3.
Reheat the sauce over medium-low heat, if necessary, and add the remaining 2 teaspoons lemon juice. Gently lift the fillets from the liquid with a slotted spatula; place 1 fillet on each of 4 plates. Spoon one-quarter of the sauce over each serving, and garnish with a parsley sprig.

FIT TO EAT RECIPE
PER SERVING: 214 CALORIES, 8 G FAT, 72 MG CHOLESTEROL, 7 G CARBOHYDRATE, 713 MG SODIUM, 28 G PROTEIN, 1 G FIBER

poached salmon steaks with creamy dill sauce

SERVES 4

½ cup fresh lemon juice (2 juiced halves reserved)

Coarse salt

1½ teaspoons whole black peppercorns

4 salmon steaks (each ¾ inch thick)

1 small fennel bulb, trimmed and sliced

1 small onion, thinly sliced

½ cup finely chopped fresh dill, plus 8 sprigs, plus more sprigs for garnish

8 sprigs flat-leaf parsley

½ cup mayonnaise

½ cup sour cream

¾ cup snipped fresh chives

Freshly ground pepper

1.
Bring 6 quarts water, 6 tablespoons lemon juice, the lemon halves, 1 tablespoon salt, and the peppercorns to a boil in a large, wide pot. Reduce heat; let simmer.

2.
Season 2 salmon steaks with salt. Place one-quarter each of the fennel and onion and 2 sprigs each dill and parsley on a long sheet of parchment; top with salted steaks, one-quarter each fennel and onion, and 2 sprigs each dill and parsley. Fold the parchment to make a packet. Repeat the process to make another packet.

3.
With kitchen twine, tie one packet to a wire rack; place in the pot. Cover; poach until cooked through, about 10 minutes.

4.
Use tongs and a spatula to transfer the rack to a rimmed baking sheet. Carefully open the packet. Remove skin and any brown fat; discard. Transfer the fish to a platter, discarding the vegetables; cover. Cook the other packet. Reserve 1 tablespoon cooking liquid.

5.
Whisk the mayonnaise, sour cream, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, and cooking liquid in a bowl. Stir in the chopped dill and chives; season with salt and pepper. Garnish the salmon with dill sprigs; serve with sauce.

roasted wild striped bass

SERVES 4

2 bulbs fennel, with stalks and fronds

1 cup dry white wine

1¾ pounds wild striped bass fillets (each 1 to 1½ inches thick)

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

1.
Preheat the oven to 450°F. Remove the stalks from the fennel bulbs; reserve the bulbs for another use. Remove the feathery fronds from the stalks, and reserve for garnish. Using a sharp knife, halve the stalks lengthwise. Arrange the stalks in the bottom of a 9 × 13-inch baking dish; pour the wine over the stalks. Lay the fish fillets on top; drizzle with oil, and season with salt and pepper.

2.
Cover the pan tightly with foil. Roast until the fish is just cooked through and opaque throughout, 20 to 25 minutes. Divide the fish among serving plates, discarding the fennel stalks. Garnish with reserved fronds.

BUYING FRESH FISH

Steaks and fillets: These should smell fresh and have plump, moist flesh that is not discolored. Avoid any with flesh that appears dry and has sections that are separating.

Whole fish: Look for gills (just under the head) that are bright red, without any brown spots; eyes that are full and clean, not a discolored white or gray; and skin that is shiny, not dull. The flesh should be firm, and the odor should not be fishy.

grilled tuna with cherry tomato salad and herbed bulgur

SERVES 4

1 cup bulgur wheat

1½ teaspoons coarse salt

¼ cup loosely packed inner celery leaves, roughly chopped

¼ cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped

¼ cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped

¼ teaspoon ground coriander

½ pint cherry tomatoes, sliced in half

2 scallions, thinly sliced into rounds

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for the grill

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Freshly ground pepper

4 tuna steaks (each 6 ounces and about 1 inch thick)

1.
Bring 2 cups water to a boil. Place the bulgur in a large heatproof bowl; cover with the boiling water. Add ¼ teaspoon salt; stir just to combine, and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let steam until tender but still slightly chewy, 22 to 25 minutes. If all the water has not been absorbed, drain the bulgur in a sieve, then return it to the dried bowl. Let cool. Using a fork, stir in the celery leaves, mint, cilantro, and coriander.

2.
Make the cherry tomato salad: In a medium bowl, toss the tomatoes and scallions with the oil, lemon juice, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Season with pepper. Set aside.

3.
Heat a lightly oiled grill or grill pan over medium-high heat. Sprinkle both sides of each tuna steak with about ¼ teaspoon salt; season evenly with pepper. Cook until the first side is seared with grill marks, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip the tuna, and cook 3 minutes more for medium-rare. Serve with herbed bulgur on the side and cherry tomato salad spooned on top.

FIT TO EAT RECIPE
PER SERVING: 340 CALORIES, 5 G FAT, 77 MG CHOLESTEROL, 31 G CARBOHYDRATE, 781 MG SODIUM, 45 G PROTEIN, 7 G FIBER

slow-roasted salmon with caper and herb relish

SERVES 4

4 skinless salmon fillets (6 ounces each)

1¼ teaspoons coarse salt

Freshly ground pepper

1 small shallot, finely chopped

2 tablespoons capers, drained and rinsed

Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon, preferably organic

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 cup loosely packed fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped

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cup chopped mixed fresh herbs, such as tarragon, chervil, dill, and mint

1 bunch pencil-thin asparagus, tough ends snapped off

1.
Preheat the oven to 250°F, with the rack in the upper third. Place the salmon on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle both sides of each fillet with ¼ teaspoon salt; season evenly with pepper. Bake until opaque but still bright pink in the middle, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from oven.

2.
Meanwhile, make the relish: In a small bowl, stir together the shallot, capers, lemon zest and juice, and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt; season with pepper. Add the oil, parsley, and mixed herbs; toss.

3.
Place the asparagus in a steamer basket set over a pot of simmering water; steam until the spears are crisp-tender and bright green, 3 to 4 minutes. Divide the asparagus among serving plates. Place a salmon fillet on each plate next to the asparagus, and spoon relish on top of the fish.