Spicy Fish Tacos with Avocado Crema

As I was making these fish tacos last night, a memory popped into my head. Visiting my friend Lauren who lives in southern California, walking around Manhattan Beach, seeing Wahoo's - famous for their fish tacos, and thinking...eww. This was about 8 years ago. I can't believe what a picky eater I used to be. The thing is, if I had been forced to eat a fish taco I would have liked it! I guess it has to come naturally. This fish taco recipe comes from Bobby Flay. Well, part of it does - the green marinade part.

1 pound tilapia
1/4 cup canola oil
1 jalapeno, minced
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
juice of 1 lime
big pinch salt

Combine chile, cilantro, lime juice, oil, and salt in a bowl.



Spread over the fish and let marinate in the fridge for about 15 minutes.



Broil fish for about 4-5 minutes on each side, and break apart with a fork.



1 avocado, pitted and peeled
3/4 cup sour cream
juice of 1/2 lime
pinch salt

Puree all ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth.



I used crunchy taco shells. Garnish tacos with fresh salsa (I used mango) and crema.



The fish could be grilled instead of broiled, but you'll lose a lot of the jalapeno so I would recommend cooking it in foil. I liked the broiler so I could salvage the pieces of jalapeno from the bottom of the pan. I might use a serrano chile next time for a little more heat - it wasn't too spicy and I wouldn't have minded a little more heat.

Skate Wing

Skate wing just sounds cool, doesn't it? It looks pretty interesting, too.



It really is the "wing" of a skate, which is a type of ray. Kind of strange, but very delicious. I wanted to make lamb kefta last night, but Peter announced that he was taking control of dinner (which really means he buys the food for me to make) and came home with skate, asparagus, and potatoes for mashed potatoes. Boys love mashed potatoes. I had never made skate before, but it's pretty similar to other white fish - it cooks quickly and only needs very simple flavors. And it's inexpensive, too - a little less than a pound cost about $7.

Serves 2
a little under a pound of skate wing
kosher salt
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon hot paprika (optional)
2 tablespoons butter
freshly squeezed lemon juice

The piece of skate I was working with was one big piece, so I cut it in half. Lightly salt both sides of the fish. Mix together the flour and paprika on a large plate.



Dredge the fish in the flour mixture, thoroughly covering both sides. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Once skillet is hot melt the butter and add the fish.



Let the fish cook for about 4 minutes, and don't move it until you're ready to flip it over. It should have a nice golden color.



Let cook for another 4 minutes or so until the same golden color is achieved on the other side. Remove from pan, add a bit of freshly squeezed lemon juice, and serve.



Skate has the mild, light flavor of white fish but a little bit meatier texture. Not quite like lobster or crab, but definitely not flaky like cod or halibut or sole. Some of the recipes I saw suggested for the skate to be served with aioli, which sounds pretty good. And you can do almost any vegetable or grain on the side. I think skate will be appearing on my weeknight menus more regularly.

Calumet Fisheries

Earlier in the week we took the car out (sounds like no big deal, but our parking spot is not by our apartment) to go apple picking, and whenever we take the car out we try to take advantage and go to places that are otherwise too difficult on public transportation or too expensive in a cab. So...Calumet Fisheries, here we come.



CF is on the south side of Chicago, on 95th Street by the Calumet River bridge. The bridge was up when we arrived, kind of cool. Peter has been once before and wrote a little something for me, but now it's MY turn.

Before going in we took a peek around back at the smokehouse. They smoke all their own fish right in there.



It's not a big place. Just a counter to place your orders, some fryers in the front room and a bit more of a kitchen in the back. No seats, no bathrooms, just get your fish and go find somewhere to eat it.



Here's a better look at the menu:



We ordered a half order of fish chips (NOT fish & chips), a half order of fried clams, and a quarter pound of smoked shrimp. There's plenty to look at while you wait for your food, including a wall pasted with lots of recognition from various websites, newspapers, tv shows, etc. I like this sign on the wall:



This one's not bad either:



That's right folks, Calumet Fisheries won a James Beard Award this year. As legend has it, the owner had to look up who James Beard was when he found out.

And of course there's the breaded seafood ready to fry and the smoked fish to admire.




Order's up! Time for a picnic on the hood of the car.



We could have sat inside the car to eat, but it was kind of warm out. Plus we saw some other people doing the same thing and it looked like a good idea. Here are some close-ups of our spoils. Fried clams:



Smoked shrimp:



And the fish chips:



I know this place is known for their smoked fish, but if I had to pick a favorite - if someone was holding a knife to my throat demanding that I choose one type of fish that I liked best at Calumet - I would say the fish chips. They were very lightly breaded and white and flaky on the inside. The smoked shrimp were amazing though.

I should note that besides the typical menu, hours, and directions pages on their website they also have pages for James Beard, Anthony Bourdain, and Blues Brothers. Anthony Bourdain visited Calumet while filming his Chicago show (last season I believe). And part of Blues Brothers was filmed right at that bridge. Any place that smokes their own fish, has won a James Beard award, has been paid a visit by Bourdain, and has been a part of such a great movie...is more than ok in my book.



Calumet Fisheries
3259 E. 95th Street, Chicago IL 60617

Paella 2.0

I made paella a few weeks ago, and it was good...but not great. I used my biggest skillet, long grain white rice, and I bought some chorizo from the butcher counter at Whole Foods. I don't know if they mislabeled the chorizo, or put the wrong spices in it, or what...but it wasn't working. And I thought - if I'm going to do this again, I need to do it right. Go big or go home!



I bought a proper paella pan, Spanish chorizo, and Calasparra "Bomba" rice from La Tienda. No messing around this time.





I had been using long grain white rice because it was the best option at the store. Even though arborio rice is short grain I didn't want to use it because I thought it might make the paella too creamy and risotto-like. But the Bomba rice is short grain and expands perfectly without being sticky.



The chorizo was so good and spicy. It's cured so I just threw it into the pan along with the shellfish.



And obviously, the pan made a big difference. It's bigger than my skillet so it allowed everything to be properly spread out, especially since I added chicken this time so there was even more in the pan. The best part - the crust on the bottom, called the socarrat. You can see a nice chunk of it in the foreground of this picture.



Yum! The paella turned out really, really well this time with all the proper ingredients. And I used a hot Spanish paprika which made everything nice and spicy. The chicken was a nice addition - cooked in the oven, chopped, and added along with the shellfish. I also added a little 2 ounce jar of sliced piquillo peppers. Except for the nice steam burn I gave myself on a couple of my fingers, it was a perfect meal. Here's the recipe.

Lemon and Herb Crusted Swordfish

When I want to make something new but am short on time to both research recipes and cook, seafood is usually what I gravitate towards. It's pretty easy to find a new spin on some type of fish I make often, and fish always cooks quickly so I don't have to worry about it being labor or time-intensive. Last night I found this Emeril recipe right before I went to the store, and it was exactly what I was looking for - easy, clean flavors, minimal cooking time, fresh ingredients. And for once the recipe was for just two servings, I didn't have to cut it down!

2 teaspoons chopped lemon zest
2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill
2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
2 teaspoons chopped fresh chervil
1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper
2 (6-ounce) swordfish steaks
1 tablespoon canola oil

In a bowl combine the lemon zest, dill, parsley, chervil, and black pepper.



Season the fish with salt and pepper, then lightly brush with Dijon mustard on one side.



Firmly press the mustard coated side of the swordfish into the lemon-herb mixture.



In a skillet (preferably non-stick) heat canola oil. Place fish, coated side down into the hot oil. Cook for 4 minutes, until the crust turns golden. Flip and continue to cook for 3 more minutes.



I did have a few things go wrong here. I wanted to cook the fish on the grill instead of in a pan, but as soon as I put it on the propane ran out.



I had to cook it on the stove instead but some of the herbs had already fallen off, so I tried to preserve as much as I could. Then the fresh mozzarella I was planning on using for a caprese salad was bad. Ugh. Despite all that, it was a great meal and now I have a new way to make swordfish to add to my repertoire!

Mussels in White Wine

PEI (Prince Edward Island) mussels seem to be a bit harder to find in Chicago, so when I saw them at Isaacson & Stein I didn't think twice and bought a pound and a half. Mussels are so quick and easy to make, and I knew I wanted to do a basic white wine recipe so I consulted my good friend Ina when I got home. I found this great, basic recipe for white wine broth and I cut it in half (and changed just a couple things) since I had 1 1/2 pounds of mussels.

3 pounds cultivated mussels
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons good olive oil
1 cup chopped shallots (5 to 7 shallots)
1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic (5 to 6 cloves)
1/2 cup chopped canned plum tomatoes, drained (4 ounces)
1/2 teaspoon good saffron threads
1/3 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1 cup good white wine
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

If they're dirty, scrub the mussels with a brush under running water. Remove the "beard" from each with your fingers. Discard any mussels whose shells aren't tightly shut. (If any of the mussels are a tiny bit open, give them a good tap against the countertop and if they're still alive they will close. If they don't close they're dead, so toss them.)

In a large non-aluminum stockpot, heat the butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook for 5 minutes; then add the garlic and cook for 3 more minutes, or until the shallots are translucent.



Add the tomatoes, saffron, parsley, thyme, wine, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Add the mussels, stir well, then cover the pot, and cook over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, until all the mussels are opened (discard any that do not open). With the lid on, shake the pot once or twice to be sure the mussels don't burn on the bottom.



Pour the mussels and the sauce into a large bowl and serve hot.



How easy is that? All the work is in the prep for the broth, the actual cooking of the mussels couldn't be easier. You can change up the broth however you like - onions instead of shallots, no saffron if you don't like it, add chorizo slices or a little cream to the broth to really give it a different flavor, and you can change up the fresh herbs too - tarragon is a good addition. Serve with crusty bread for dipping. Fries wouldn't hurt, either.

Isaacson & Stein Fish Co.

I'm sorry Rubino's, but I'm in love with a new fish market...and its name is Isaacson & Stein. Isaacson isn't new, just new to me. It's in the West Loop, where I don't venture during the day all that often.



It still has a wholesaler feel to it, as does Rubino's, but it's not so much of a warehouse. They sell to both restaurants and the public. Their fish is really excellent quality, a lot of sushi-grade fish, and fantastic prices. They have a lot of whole fish, which they will filet for you if you ask.



They had so many types of fish I had never even heard of, one that's sticking out in my mind was a Pompano fish. I hope that's what it was called, I can't remember. I'm sorry, I'm not being very eloquent here. They sell fish. I like fish. Fish yummy.



They also had a whole row of filets and a great assortment of shellfish, plus lots of frozen things like lobster tails, crab meat, and frog legs.



That thing was big enough to be Ursula the Sea Witch. They also sell fish bones to make stock.



I ended up buying a pound of beautiful, deep red sushi-grade tuna, and a pound and a half of PEI mussels. For $20. Whaaaat? Yes,$20 for everything. Isaacson & Stein is my new favorite spot, next time I'm in the West Loop I'm definitely going back.

Boston Trip - Barking Crab

I hadn't been to the Barking Crab since college about 6 or 7 years ago (was college really that long ago? Gross.) but when I was driving around Boston with my mom and dad trying to think of somewhere to get a great seafood lunch it was the first place I thought of. It's right on the water with lots of outdoor seating and every variety of New England seafood you could ever want.



4 kinds of crab? Check. Lobster? Obviously, check. Not sure about the whole 10 lb. lobster thing, but they apparently have it.



My mom and I shared some oysters to start. 2 Island Creek, and I forget the other two...but also from Massachusetts.



And my dad got clam chowder, which I sampled and it was very good.



And then, we were a little family of crab cakes. My dad got a crab cake sandwich with onion rings, and my mom and I had mixed green salads with two crab cakes on top. And my sister didn't get anything because she didn't come because I'm the favorite child.




I wish I could have ordered more...peel n eat shrimp, clam roll, lobster BLT, kind crab legs...I guess I'll just have to go back next time I'm in town!

Barking Crab
Fort Point Landing, 88 Sleeper St., Boston MA 02210