Pan Broiled Amberjack with Orange Apricot Butter Sauce

This is the entree for the previously discussed, Floridian Citrus Seafood Trio. This recipe was born from our love of the flavor combination heat and sweet. Fish is a delicate canvas on which to paint an experimental sauce, glaze, rub or breading. When we create a fish recipe we take in consideration the type of fish and its natural flavor and we try to cook it in a way in which the flavors will be enhanced. Our approach can be compared to a woman applying makeup. She will apply a combination of products to her face in specific shades and amounts with the goal of enhancing her natural beauty. If she applies so much makeup to her face that she no longer looks like herself, then she has failed. In the same fashion, if we create a sauce, glaze, rub or breading to a fish in a way that the natural taste of the fish is lost, then we have failed. This is a sauce that was amazing on amberjack but I would also suggest using it on mahi mahi.

SERVES 2

Ingredients:

• 1 lb amberjack, 2 fillets
• 1 stick butter, cut in half
• 1.5 teaspoons Marie Sharp's orange pulp habanero sauce (here)
• .5 cup orange juice
• 1.5 teaspoons ginger, ground
• .25 cup white wine (we prefer Riesling)
• 6 dried apricots, chopped
• handful sliced almonds
  

Cookware/Utensils:

• paper plate
• paper towel
• large skillet or saute pan
• small skillet or sauce pan
• wooden spoon
• fish turner

Place amberjack on paper plate and pat dry with paper towels to remove excess moisture. Apply ginger to both sides of fish. Over medium heat place half the butter in each pan. Add orange juice, hot sauce, wine and apricots to small pan stir continuously. Once the butter melts in the large pan, add fish. Cook for 6 or 7 minutes on each side. Remove fish from pan and plate. Pour sauce over the grilled amberjack and sprinkle almonds over fish. Serve with confidence--this is delicious!

***The other components of the Floridian Citrus Seafood Trio include Pan Broiled Amberjack with an Orange Apricot Butter Sauce and Buffalo Bill's Orange Blossom Cream Ale (blog posts listed separately). The salad, fish and beer all centered around the idea of the orange. The salad and fish shared almond as a common ingredient. This trio is Floridan for its use of the orange, as the official state flower is the orange blossom and the official state beverage is orange juice. The seafood used are also both Floridian in nature. Amberjack is found in great numbers swimming in the water surrounding Florida enjoying the reefs, rock outcrops and wrecks. Gulf shrimp is caught off the coasts of Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas. Since we live on the Gulf Coast and know that our shrimp came from the local fishermen who docked their boats in our community this morning, we know that our shrimp shared our home state.

Cobia with a Sweet Chili Rub

This past weekend we were in the mood for fish! Saturday night we went to one of our favorite sushi restaurants and enjoyed a couple of large plates of Saba (Mackerel), Unagi (fresh water eel), Shake (fresh Salmon) and Idtakko (baby octopus) just to name a few. My partner in all things food mentioned that I should have brought our camera to capture the beautiful work of our sushi chef, but unfortunately I left it at home. This is a mistake I will not make twice.
Sunday rolled around and we were still in the mood for fish so we visited our local fish market. It was less than a half hour before closing time so we were a little nervous about what we would find. To our surprise there was a beautiful piece of Cobia that was calling our names.
Cobia is a fish that we were introduced to just a few short months ago when we saw it on a menu at a Cajun restaurant. I found a lot of useful information about Cobia such as: Globally, there is no significant Cobia fishery, this is because adults are often solitary or travel with just a few other individuals, frequently in the company of sharks. This makes them a difficult species to target and capture is therefore often incidental. Despite this, however, cobia is a highly sought after food fish throughout its range. In Mexico, for example, it is known as "esmedregal" and is the fish of choice for weddings and celebrations. In Belize, where it is known as "cabio", a captured cobia likely won't make it to market because the fisherman will keep it as a family treat. Cobia is also highly prized as a game fish. Here is where you can find that information and more.

As I have mentioned in previous posts about fish, my partner in everything food is the chef at our house when it comes to les poissons. For the first time while preparing and cooking fish he decided to use a rub. Continue reading to discover how he did it.

SERVES 2

Ingredients:

• 1lb of Cobia (we cut it into 2 filets after cooking--whether you have filets prepared before or after cooking is your choice)
• .25 tablespoon salt
• .25 tablespoon pepper
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• .25 tablespoon cinnamin
• .25 tablespoon nutmeg
• .25 tablespoon garlic powder
• .25 tablespoon ground ginger
• 2 tablespoons butter
• .5 cup sweet white wine (we prefer Riesling)

Cookware/Utensils:

• paper plate
• paper towel
• medium skillet or saute pan
• fish turner
• small glass bowl

Combine all dry ingredients in small glass bowl. This will be your rub. Place Cobia on paper plate and pat dry with paper towels to remove excess moisture. Apply rub generously to fish covering both sides and all edges. The goal is that the entire fish will be covered with the rub. Over medium high heat place butter in the saute pan. Once the butter melts, add fish to pan. After about one minute, add half of the wine. Cook for 5 more minutes. Flip the fish and cook for one minute. Add the remaining wine. Cook for another 5 minutes. Plate and serve!

***The cobia is shown here served over a mix of fresh vegetables cooked in a sweet balsamic glaze. I will be posting this side dish later. Check in soon!

Triggerfish with Spicy Lemon Caper Butter Sauce

My partner in everything food is the one who does all of the fish cooking in our home...and boy oh boy does he do a great job at it! I have yet to be disappointed with one of his creations. On his way home from work he stopped by the local fish market and picked up something new and exciting--Triggerfish. To be honest, I did not believe him when he told me the name of the fish and I went straight to my old friend Google to confirm his name for our dinner. He was advised by the fishmonger to try Triggerfish because it was a light, flaky, sweet fish. When I heard those adjectives I immediately thought that we needed a white wine butter sauce or a lemon caper butter sauce. My partner in food decided to combine the two ideas and add a little spice of his own.
Above you will see our Triggerfish and sauce placed over a bed of sauteed spinach arranged with three steamed shrimp.

SERVES 2

Ingredients:

• 2 ounces butter, room temperature
• 1 lb Triggerfish, 2 fillets
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
• 2 ounces white wine
• orange habanero or other citrus hot sauce, to taste
• .5 small onion, chopped fine
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon capers

Cookware/Utensils:

• medium skillet or saute pan
• fish turner

Add butter to saute pan or skillet and place over medium heat. Season fish with salt and pepper. Place each fillet in skillet and saute until light golden brown add drops of hot sauce to top of fillet. Flip fish, add hot sauce and saute again until each fillet is cooked thoroughly. Remove fish from pan. Reduce heat and add wine to skillet. Add onion and stir slowly but continuously for about 2 minutes. Add lemon juice and capers. Continue to stir until a sauce with a suitable texture develops. Drizzle sauce over the fish to taste.

***When you remove the fish from the pan and let it sit while you make the sauce, there is a chance that the fish will lose its temperature. In order to prevent this from happening I suggest placing a stockpot or crock-pot lid over the fish to retain the heat and moisture of the fish.

Blueberry Soy Tuna Steak

One perk of living by the ocean is the availability and abundance of fresh seafood. Going to the fish market can be a very exciting and enjoyable experience. It can also be a bit overwhelming. Yellowfin, or ahi tuna is one of our favorite choices because it tastes amazing seared (our favorite way to eat fish). However, it is also good for us. Yellowfin is low in saturated fat and sodium and is a very good source of protein, thiamin, selenium, and vitamin B6. If you have never picked a tuna steak from the market or grocery, here are some great tips. Tuna is a quick and easy meal for two that can and should become a staple in your diet. With this dish however, as in many meals, the secret is in the sauce!

SERVES 2

Ingredients:

• .25 cup soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons blueberry syrup
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• dash salt
• dash freshly ground pepper
• dash garlic salt
• 1lb fresh ahi tuna, cut into 2 8oz steaks
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil

Cookware/Utensils:

• medium skillet or fry pan
• tongs
• extra small bowl
• extra small whisk

Preheat skillet over medium heat. While the skillet heats, place soy sauce, syrup, cinnamon, salt, pepper and garlic salt into an extra small bowl. Whisk until all ingredients are thoroughly combined. Set this bowl of sauce aside.

Place the oil in heated skillet and coat the entire bottom of the pan. Add both tuna steaks to the skillet and drizzle with half of the sauce. Allow the steaks to cook for 4 minutes, flip, and drizzle the remaining sauce over the tuna. After 4 more minutes, remove tuna steaks from skillet and serve.

***We prefer our tuna steaks rare to medium rare. To obtain this temperature, cook steaks for 4 minutes on each side. To obtain the perfect temperature for your taste-buds, keep a close eye on the steaks as they cook. This is why we suggest making the sauce before you place the tuna into the skillet.

Nutty Chicken Alfredo with Farfalle

Farfalle pronounced far-FALL-lay is one of those words that just rolls off your tongue. It is fun to say, fun to eat, and as you will learn, it is very fun to cook. Farfalle is commonly known as “bow tie pasta” because of its shape, but literally it translates to "butterfly" in Italian. It is often used in pasta dishes that use a cream sauce, in pasta salads or in dishes such as casseroles, since the pasta bakes and holds its shape well.

SERVES 2
Ingredients:

• 3 cups farfalle
• 8 cups water
• .5 small red onion, coarsely chopped
• .25 red bell pepper, coarsely chopped
• 1 nectarine, coarsely chopped
• 1.5 cups alfredo sauce
• 2 jiggers Nocello® walnut liqueur (or other nutty liqueur of choice)
• 2 tablespoons peanut butter
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 cups chicken stock
• extra virgin olive oil (for the skillet)
• dash of salt
• dash of freshly ground pepper

Cookware/Utensils:

• saute or chef pan
• medium skillet or fry pan
• stockpot
• colander
• cooking spoon (wood, nylon or other heat resistant material
• tongs
• cutting board
• santoku or chef's knife

Place water in stockpot and over high heat bring to a boil. Once there is a rolling boil place farfalle into the water and cook until al dente.*** Strain and return to pot.

Add chicken stock and chicken breasts to the saute pan and cook over medium heat. Turn chicken every 2 or 3 minutes to cook thoroughly. Preheat skillet over medium heat and add olive oil. Add onion, pepper and nectarine. Cook for 3 minutes and reduce to a low heat. Add alfredo sauce, liqueur and peanut butter stirring constantly until all of the ingredients mix together to form a sauce.

Remove chicken from pan and place on cutting board. Cut into half inch pieces. Place sauce and chicken into pot with pasta. Stir all three components together over a medium heat. Continue to stir together for 3-5 minutes. Serve warm.

***Pasta is referred to as al dente when there is a slight resistance against your teeth. If it's brittle it needs more time. If it's mushy, you've cooked it too long.

Double Pork Chop

I'm usually not a fan of pork, but I went out on a limb with this double pork dish and fell in love with its savory flavors.

SERVES 2
Ingredients:

• 2 thin-cut, boneless pork loin chops
• salt and freshly ground black pepper (for seasoning)
• extra-virgin olive oil (for the skillet)
• 1 cup chicken stock or broth
• .5 pound Italian bulk sausage
• 1 celery rib, chopped
• 1 small red onion, chopped
• .25 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped
• 6 dried apricots, chopped
• 1 tablespoon parsley
• 1 tablespoon sage
  

Cookware/Utensils:

• large skillet or fry pan
• casserole dish
• aluminum foil
• cooking spoon (wood, nylon or other heat resistant material)
• cutting board
• santoku or chef's knife

Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat and preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. While you wait for both to heat up, season the chops with salt and pepper. Add enough olive oil to lightly coat the bottom of the skillet, then add the chops to sear and caramelize the meat on each side (2min/side). Transfer the chops to a casserole dish and add .5 cup of chicken stock to the dish to help the meat remain moist while it continues to cook in the oven. Loosely cover the dish with foil and place in the oven.

Return the skillet to your stove and add a small amount of olive oil again. Add the sausage and crumble it with your wooden spoon as it browns. Add the celery and onion and cook for 2 minutes, then add the bell pepper and apricots and cook for another 2 minutes. (At this point the aroma should be fabulous.) Add the parsley, sage and .5 cup of remaining chicken stock. Reduce the heat and cook for 5 or 6 minutes longer until the apricots are tender and plump, stirring occasionally.

To serve, remove the chops from the oven. Place them on individual plates. Scoop a nice helping of the sausage and vegetable mixture from the skillet onto the top of each chop. Bonn Appetite!