The Minimalist Cooks Dinner (17 page)
Read The Minimalist Cooks Dinner Online
Authors: Mark Bittman
Steamed Fish
TIME:
10 to 20 minutes
MAKES:
4 servings
If you have forgotten how delicious a fillet of fish can be, do this: Steam it, with nothing. Drizzle it with olive oil and lemon. Sprinkle it with salt. Eat it. If the number of ingredients and technique are minimal, the challenge is not. You need a near-perfect piece of fish to begin with, your timing must be precise—which is all a matter of attention and judgment, really—and your olive oil flavorful. That taken care of, there is no better or easier preparation.
1½ pounds cod or other fillet, in 2 pieces, or 1 large halibut steak
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Juice of ½ lemon
Coarse salt
Pour at least 1 inch of water into the bottom of a steamer (see Keys to Success), cover, and bring to a boil. Put the fish on the steamer’s rack, making sure the rack is elevated above the water. Cover and steam for 4 to 8 minutes, or until the fish is done. (A good-sized halibut fillet may require 10 or even 12 minutes.)
Remove the fish to a warm platter and drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice. Sprinkle with coarse salt and serve.
| WINE | Muscadet, Pinot Grigio, or another light, fresh, white |
| SERVE WITH | Start with pasta like Linguine with Tomato-Anchovy Sauce or a soup. Serve with Simple Green Salad or Glazed Carrots . |
IN ADDITION TO
perfect freshness, there is one other qualification for the fish: It must not be too thin. Steaming is such a fast technique that thin fillets inevitably overcook. So flounder is out, as are small fillets from most fish. The best thickness for steaming is about an inch.
FEW FILLETS
are of uniform thickness; cod, for example, has both thick and thin ends. You can either remove the thin end (or ends, if there are more than one fillet) and save them for another use, or fold the thin end under itself to approximate the density of the thick end (this works). Obviously, you will not have this kind of problem with a halibut steak.
TO JURY-RIG
a steaming vessel, I use a large, oval casserole with a rack that fits in it; it was designed for roasting meat. Since the rack only sits about ¼ inch above the bottom, though, I have to elevate it, which I do by resting it on a couple of glass ramekins. As long as you have a large rack that fits inside a larger pot you will figure something out.
FINALLY, THERE IS
timing. Steaming is quick; sometimes 4 minutes is enough. You must check often—taking care not to scald yourself when removing the steamer’s lid—and stop the cooking the instant a thin-bladed knife meets no resistance when poking the fillet.
Simplest Steamed Fish with Soy:
You can drizzle the fish with anything you like in place of the olive oil and lemon. Try, for example, a drizzle of soy sauce and a little minced ginger and/or chopped scallion.
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This technique works beautifully not only with cod and halibut, but with red snapper, grouper, striped bass, sea bass, and even mackerel.
with Leeks
TIME:
30 minutes
MAKES:
4 servings
This is a dish that is almost too simple to believe, one that combines wonderful textures and flavors with a minimum of ingredients, no added fat, and almost no preparation or cooking time. Like the best minimalist dishes, everything counts here: the fish, the leeks—which remain crisp and assertive thanks to the quick cooking time—and even the wine or stock. For those who would prefer a little more potency in the dish, Dijon mustard provides a bit of a kick.
1½ pounds leeks, trimmed, chopped, and washed
½ cup dry white wine or chicken or fish stock
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, optional
About 1½ pounds cod, salmon, or other fish fillet, about 1 inch thick
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Scatter the leeks over the bottom of an ovenproof casserole. Mix with the wine, salt, pepper, and optional mustard. Top with the fish; sprinkle the fish with salt and pepper. Cover the casserole.
Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until a thin-bladed knife meets little or no resistance when inserted into the thickest part of the fish. Uncover and serve the fish with the leeks and pan juices spooned over it.
| WINE | Crisp Chardonnay-real Chablis would be ideal-or a glass of hard sparkling cider |
| SERVE WITH | 60-Minute Bread , good store-bought bread, Olive Oil Croutons , or Easy Rice |
YOU NEED
A tightly covered container to preserve all the liquid and flavors inherent in this dish, but that can be as simple as a pot with a good-fitting lid or a lidded glass casserole—anything that prevents moisture from escaping.
LEEKS ARE
the preferred member of the onion family because they remain crisp and their flavor is strong but not overwhelming; thinly sliced onions rings will do the job nearly as well. If you choose to use leeks, trim about ½ inch from the root end, then trim off all tough green leaves. Cut them in half lengthwise and chop; then wash well in a colander, making sure to rinse between all the layers.
Chicken Braised with Leeks:
Follow the recipe exactly, substituting boneless chicken breasts for the fish. Cooking time will be just about the same.
Shrimp Baked with Leeks:
Because shrimp cooks so quickly, it’s worth baking the leeks for 5 minutes first. Then put the shrimp on top and bake for an additional 10 minutes or so.
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Substitute a couple of cups of chopped tomato for the leeks; or add some in addition to the leeks. In this instance you can reduce or nearly eliminate the added stock or wine—or just use a sprinkling of olive oil or fresh lemon juice.
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In place of the mustard, try soy sauce, chopped fresh herbs (a couple of teaspoons of thyme leaves, for example), or a teaspoon of curry powder or another spice mix.
Crisp Potatoes, Olives,
and Bay Leaves
TIME:
40 to 50 minutes
MAKES:
4 servings
Aside from the fish, you probably have on hand everything you need to make this dish, which begins with cooking thin-sliced potatoes in good olive oil. Add a handful of bay leaves, fillets of sturdy white fish, and a lot of black olives. The result is crisp potatoes and tender fish with luxuriously juicy olives.
2 large baking potatoes (about 1 pound)
½ cup extra virgin olive oil Salt and freshly ground black pepper
15 bay leaves
1 cup black olives
1½ pounds monkfish or other fillets
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Peel and thinly slice the potatoes (use a mandoline if you have one). Oil the bottom of a 9 × 13-inch baking pan with ¼ cup oil; top with a single layer of the potatoes (it’s okay if they overlap a little). Season with salt and pepper and top with the bay leaves and the remaining ¼ cup oil.
Roast for 10 minutes. Check and turn the pan back to front, shaking it a little to bathe the potatoes in oil. Roast for 10 minutes more. At this point the potatoes should be browning; if not, roast for 5 minutes more.
Top the potatoes with the olives and the fish; sprinkle the fish with salt and pepper. Roast for 10 minutes more, or until the fish is tender, but not overcooked. Serve immediately.
| WINE | A Beaujolais, a light Pinot Noir, or a crisp, high-acid white, like Graves, or a well-made Sauvignon Blanc |
| SERVE WITH | Simple Green Salad or Steamed Broccoli (or Other Vegetable) |
THE COMBINATION
of high-heat roasting and plenty of olive oil is the easiest and most foolproof method for getting crisp potatoes. The quantity of potatoes must necessarily be limited or they will not brown properly.
ALTHOUGH ANY
black olives will work, the best to use here are good-quality oil-cured olives, the small, shriveled kind. They soften and plump up a bit, and their bitterness is greatly tamed by cooking.
THE STURDY
texture of monkfish is ideal for roasting, but certain other fillets will give similar results: red snapper, sea bass, pollock, wolffish, even catfish. And even more delicate fillets, from cod to bluefish, are suitable.
IT’S BEST
to remove the thin membrane clinging to the monkfish before cooking. Just pull and tug on it while cutting through it with a paring knife and it will come off; you don’t have to be too compulsive about this task, but try to get most of it off.
LARGE PIECES
of monkfish—those weighing more than a pound—should be split down the middle lengthwise to make two fillets before cooking.
FINALLY, UNLIKE
most white-fleshed fish, monkfish requires thorough cooking, to the point where it is opaque and tender throughout. You’ll know it’s done when a thin-bladed knife inserted into the thickest part meets little resistance.
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You can mix sliced onions or other root vegetables in with the potatoes, and the results will be delicious, but the juices of the vegetables will reduce the potatoes’ browning; it’s a trade-off, and there’s nothing to be done about it.
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Substitute about 10 sprigs of thyme for the bay leaves; or use about 2 teaspoons fresh (or 1 teaspoon dried) rosemary.
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Other possibilities
: 1 tablespoon ground cumin or cumin seeds, 1 tablespoon fennel seeds, 3 teaspoons curry powder (sprinkle 1 teaspoon on the fish itself), a few threads of saffron, or 1 tablespoon good, medium-hot paprika.
