Parmesan Fillets with Skinny Dill Sauce

Sautéed Trout with Lemon Sauce

Indian-Style Grilled Tuna with
Aromatic Spice Paste

Poached Salmon Fillets with Julienned Vegetables

Parmesan Fillets with Skinny Dill Sauce
Instead of the typical deep-fried fish laden with calories, these light, cornmeal-coated strips are baked quickly in a hot oven. Use flounder, sole, pollock, catfish, cod, haddock, halibut, snapper, tilapia, ocean perch, or whiting fillets.
Serves 4

3/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt

1/4 cup reduced-calorie mayonnaise

2 Tbsp. dill pickle relish or finely chopped dill pickle

1 tsp. dried dillweed

3 Tbsp. lemon juice

2 tsp. vegetable oil

1/3 cup yellow cornmeal

3 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. paprika

1-1 1/4 pounds white fish fillets, cut into 4 serving pieces

To make the dill sauce, combine the yogurt, mayonnaise, pickle relish, and dill in a small bowl and mix well.
Preheat the oven to 500ºF and lightly oil a baking pan.

Combine the lemon juice and oil in a shallow dish. Combine the cornmeal, Parmesan cheese, salt, and paprika in another dish. Dip the fish pieces in the lemon juice mixture to moisten, then into the cornmeal mixture to evenly coat. Put the fish on the pan and bake until the fish is just opaque through the thickest part, 6 to 10 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish. Serve with the dill sauce.

— Simply Seafood, Winter 1995

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Sautéed Trout with Lemon Sauce
Sautéing requires the use of oil, butter, or margarine, but a skillet with a nonstick surface keeps added fat to a minimum. If you are not using a nonstick pan, be sure that a thin layer of fat evenly covers the bottom of the pan. Once the fish is cooked, you can make a sauce using the same skillet. Add a splash of lemon juice or white wine, some freshly chopped herbs and green onion, and heat just until warmed. This method can be used with any small whole fish as well as firm fillets.

Serves 2

2 small whole trout, cleaned (about ½ lb. each)

1/4 cup flour

Salt and pepper

2 Tbsp. olive oil, or more if needed

1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

Lemon wedges for garnish

If using whole fish, rinse in cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Season the flour with salt and pepper and use it to coat the fish, patting to remove the excess. Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the fish and cook over medium heat until browned, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spatula, carefully turn the fish and continue cooking on the other side until the fish is opaque through the thickest part, about 4 minutes longer for whole fish, less for fillets.

Transfer the fish to individual warmed plates and cover with foil to keep warm. Add the lemon juice to the pan and cook over medium-high heat, stirring with a wooden spoon, just until heated through, about 30 seconds. Pour the sauce over the fish, garnish with lemon wedges, and serve immediately.
— Simply Seafood, Fall, 1994

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Indian-Style Grilled Tuna with
Aromatic Spice Paste
Substitute any firm-fleshed fish steaks such as swordfish, salmon, shark, or king mackerel.

Serves 6

6 6oz. tuna steaks, 1-1½” thick

2 Thai or serrano chilies, seeded and chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 small onion, chopped

1 Tbs. fresh ginger, grated

1 tsp. ground turmeric

10 saffron threads, soaked in 2 tsp. water for 30 minutes

2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice

1/4 c. unsweetened coconut milk

2 Tbs. fresh cilantro, chopped

Salt

Combine all ingredients except the fish and salt in a blender and purée to a smooth paste. Season the mixture to taste with salt and spread the mixture over both sides of the fish steaks. Marinate, in the refrigerator, for 30 minutes (no longer).

Preheat the grill or broiler. Transfer the fish carefully – so the paste doesn’t fall off – to the grill. Grill tuna 1-2” above a bed of very hot coals for about 3 minutes each side (tuna will be left rare in the center this way). Other fish should be cooked about 8 minutes total cooking time per 1” of thickness.
Serve immediately.

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Poached Salmon Fillets with Julienned Vegetables

Substitute any firm or moderately firm-fleshed, delicately flavored fish such as cod, halibut, sea bass, king mackerel, scallops, shrimp.

Serves 4

1-1/2 lb. center-cut salmon fillet, skin removed

Salt and pepper

2 medium leeks

2 large carrots, peeled

1 medium turnip, peeled

1 celery stalk

3 fresh thyme sprigs

Small bunch of parsley

1 bay leaf

1 c. dry white wine

1 Tbs. finely chopped parsley

Remove any small bones from the salmon fillets with tweezers or pliers. Cut fillet crosswise into 4 equal pieces and fold under thin stomach flaps so the pieces are of even thickness. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, cover and refrigerate.
Trim the leeks, leaving on a bit of green.

Cut leeks lengthwise, rinse very well, and cut into a fine julienne. Julienne the carrots and turnip into 3” lengths. Cut the celery into 4” sections and julienne as finely as possible. Tie the thyme sprigs, parsley bunch, and bay leaf together with a bit of string.

Combine the julienned vegetables, the herb bundle, and enough water to cover – about a quart – in a 4 quart saucepan. Simmer gently, partially covered, for 15 minutes. Add the wine and simmer 10 minutes more. Strain the vegetables, reserving the broth and vegetables separately.

Ten minutes before serving time, place 1/4 c. of broth and vegetables in a covered saucepan over low heat. Bring the remaining broth to a simmer in a sauté pan just large enough to hold the salmon in a single layer. Gently slide the fish into the simmering broth; if there is not enough liquid to just cover the fillets, add a bit of hot water. Poach the salmon for 8 minutes per inch of thickness, or until the middle of the fish has just a trace of transparent orange.

To serve, put 3/4 of the julienned vegetables in hot soup plates and top with salmon. Add the chopped parsley to the cooking broth, salt and pepper to taste, and ladle some broth over the top of the fish and vegetables. Arrange the remaining julienned vegetables over the fish and serve.

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