First, for all you Little Mermaid fans that understood that, just know I appreciate you. Now on to the important stuff...

My last fish newsletter was so popular, I felt that I would be remiss if I did not do another one. I know that a lot of people are trying to incorporate more seafood in their diet for health reasons, but cooking it the same old way can get boring. So here are 4 new fish recipes to add to your rotation!

Duo of Salmon Burger

Makes 4, 8-oz or 6, 5-oz burgers

Ingredients:

For the patty:

24 ounces fresh salmon, pin bones removed and cut in 2-3” pieces

8 ounces smoked salmon, torn in pieces

2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

2 large eggs (learn the best way to crack them here)

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the spread:

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

Zest and juice of 1 lemon (learn the best way to zest here)

2 tablespoons capers

2 tablespoons minced shallot

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the burger:

1 tablespoon neutral oil (such as avocado, canola, or vegetable)

4-6 brioche buns

Procedure:

Make the patties:

Place salmon, smoked salmon, and dill in a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped. Add eggs and pulse until combined. Season with pepper. Form burger patties and set aside.

Make the spread:

Combine all spread ingredients in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

Cook and assemble the burgers:

Heat a large skillet (preferably nonstick) over medium heat. When hot, add oil. When oil is hot, place patties in pan, making sure to not overcrowd the pan. Cook until browned on one side and the patty has set halfway up the thickness (the meat will get paler as it cooks), about 4-5 minutes. Flip with a fish spatula and continue cooking until the other side is brown and patty is cooked through, about an additional 3-4 minutes.

While burger is cooking, toast buns. Spread both sides of the bun with spread. When burger is cooked through, place on prepared bun and serve immediately.

Fennel-Crusted Tuna Salad with Roasted Cherry Vinaigrette

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 pints cherry tomatoes

1 teaspoon minced fresh oregano (or 1/2 teaspoon dry)

1/2 teaspoon minced fresh thyme (or 1/4 teaspoon dry)

2 cloves garlic, halved and thinly sliced

1/4 cup Extra Virgin olive oil, divided

3/4 cup peeled fava beans

2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon fennel seeds, toasted and ground in a mortar and pestle or electric spice grinder

2, 8-ounce tuna steaks

1 tablespoon neutral oil (such as avocado, canola, or vegetable)

2 hearts of Romaine or 1 large head of romaine, chopped

1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil, plus additional for garnish

Chopped chives, for garnish (see a trick how to do it here)

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Procedure:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a sheet tray with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

Place cherry tomatoes, oregano, thyme, and garlic on prepared sheet tray. Drizzle over 3 tablespoons olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Place in oven for 15 minutes, or until skins have burst and start to blister. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil and season generously with salt. Cook fava beans until tender, approximately 2-3 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Once tomatoes have cooled, place 1/2 cup of the roasted tomatoes in a blender or food processor. Add vinegar and puree. Pour juices from baking sheet into a measuring cup until you have 1/4 cup. Add remaining one tablespoon olive oil. While blender is running, drizzle oil into machine. Season vinaigrette with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Season tuna with salt and pepper. Press ground fennel seeds on to all sides of the fish.

Heat a medium (preferably non-stick) skillet over medium heat until very hot. Add neutral oil. When very hot (almost smoking), add tuna to the pan, one steak at a time. Once a white line has formed at the bottom (a very thin line), immediately flip to another edge. Repeat until all 4 edges have been seared. Remove from pan and place on cutting board. Repeat with remaining tuna steak. Slice tuna into thin slices.

Place romaine and basil in a large bowl and season with salt and pepper. Dress lettuce lightly with tomato vinaigrette. Place dressed lettuce in bowls. Add fava beans to the bowl used for lettuce and add additional vinaigrette to season fava beans. Place dressed fava beans and roasted tomatoes on top of lettuce. Add sliced tuna. Drizzle a bit more vinaigrette over the tuna and garnish with basil chiffonade (learn what that is and how to do it here) and chives. Serve immediately.

Coconut Milk Poached Fish

Serves 4

Ingredients:

3 cups vegetable stock

1 can coconut milk

1 teaspoon minced ginger

1 teaspoon freshly grated turmeric (or 1/2 teaspoon of dry)

Zest of 1 lime (learn the best way to zest here)

3 sprigs cilantro, plus additional minced leaves for garnish

1 large sprig Thai basil (or regular basil), plus additional minced leaves for garnish

2 teaspoons Fish sauce, plus additional to taste

4 filets of white fish (cod, sea bass, tilapia, or black cod are great choices)

Procedure:

Place all ingredients except for fish in a wide, shallow pan that will comfortably fit all the ingredients (if you don’t have a pan like this, a Dutch oven would also work). Bring to a boil, and reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 15 minutes to allow the flavors to meld. If desired, remove 1-2 cups of liquid to cook rice in (as long as enough liquid remains to completely cover fish). Taste and adjust seasoning with fish sauce, if needed.

When ready to eat, reduce temperature of pan so that no bubbles are breaking the surface (turn off if necessary). Add fish filets and ensure they are completely covered with the poaching liquid. Cook 3-4 minutes, or until fish flakes. Remove fish from pan and serve immediately, garnished with fresh herbs and with a little poaching broth in the bowl.

Slow Roasted Salmon with Saffron Beurre Blanc

Serves 4

Ingredients:

For the fish:

4, 6-oz salmon filets

1/4 teaspoon garam masala

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the sauce:

1/4 teaspoon saffron

2 tablespoons hot water

1/2 cup dry white wine

2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

10 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut in 10 pieces

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Procedure:

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. Line a sheet tray with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and set aside.

Season fish with salt, pepper, and garam masala. Place on prepared tray and place in preheated oven. Bake until fish flakes at the corners, 10-15 minutes.

Add saffron to hot water and set aside for 5 minutes. Once saffron is softened, place saffron mixture, wine, and vinegar in a medium skillet set over medium heat. Bring to a boil and reduce until pan is almost dry. Add cream and remove from heat. Whisk in butter, a tablespoon at a time, until melted and whisked into sauce. Do not return pan to heat or the sauce will break. When all butter is incorporated, season with salt and pepper and serve immediately with fish.

Special Equipment Used

I put links to many of the ingredients and equipment straight into the recipes. But there are a couple other items I used that you may want to know how to get your hands on. Here is a list (complete with links) for you. 

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