I run hot. Who doesn’t in July? It makes me tired and fussy, sighing over and over inordinately and picking fights with the dog. I often want to live in the basement forever or bathe in iced tea. But I cheer up when there’s a dinner that looks and tastes like this on the table. And even though we cook quite a bit of our summer meals on an outdoor grill, the weather isn’t always cooperative. Sometimes I take one look out on the deck (see left photo) and decide we are cooking indoors. The other option is to go out to eat but we rarely go out to dinner. This isn’t a complaint. We could do it. We just don’t do it very often as we like to eat at home. (In hot weather, some restaurants aren’t really cool, either.) The other day, my rockfish was thawed. The plan was to grill it simply and top it with a blueberry-peach salsa. Maybe some asparagus? Instead, moving indoors after glancing at troublesome skies, I knew a different meal was about to take place. I had had a taste for roasted vegetables for days and, despite them not being terribly summer-ish, thought I’d roast them up in my countertop Breville oven. Carrots and baby potatoes are nearly always in my larder, so I’d go with those. Should I grill the fish in the stovetop grill pan or do something different? The rockfish is kinda flakey and tender; I had had concerns about grilling it and keeping the thin fillets intact. I knew I was jonesing for a solid pan of some sort.
What was available in my kitchen? A quick glance at the window garden told me my indoor basil was about to take a dive. I grow basil in a few different ways and places but the bunnies (maybe) have made off with the outdoor plantings for now. I had fresh mozzarella sitting right at its “best by” date in the fridge (fresh cheese doesn’t really keep) and, as always, my Campari tomatoes were ready, willing, and able. So then, I’d skip the grill totally, pan sauté the fish, and top it with a little bright caprese salad. I’d need to start with setting the table as this meal would be fast, and would next roast the vegetables, which would take about half an hour. After that, I’d be pretty free for about twenty minutes (hello, NY Times and a glass of wine) before spending just 5 or 6 minutes cooking the fish and chopping the caprese. This meal isn’t just pretty quick, it’s both easy and simple. Did that mean it tasted easy? Nope; it was lovely, fresh and balanced, and a nice change to enjoy wintery veggies with a warm weather main dish. Watching the cyclospora news, I’d been avoiding at least some lettuces and was just glad to skip the salad question for one night. Dave opened a bottle of California Chardonnay, which we drank but I later agreed it should have been a Sauvignon Blanc or, or maybe a California Fumé Blanc. I think it would have sat better with the acidity in the tomatoes.
So how to cook the fish? There’s little to it besides melting some butter and oil, sautéing a little lemon rind for a couple of minutes, if you like…
…and then adding the fish (patted dry and seasoned well) to the pan, cooking it on both sides. It’s best to leave the fillets sit and cook for about three minutes– without moving them– to develop a nice sear, turning them only after you can see that gorgeous golden brown on the bottom. Patience is key! Depending on the size of the fillets, they’ll cook another 2-3 minutes on the second side. They should then be ready to release and not stick. The fish is done when it’s opaque and firm but still moist. FDA will say 145F for safety reasons if you want to use an instant read thermometer. I take the fish off before that point, say at 135 or 140F –if I’m using a thermometer– because the temperature should rise after removal from the pan. Personally, I think eyeballing it is the easiest method to test for doneness.
Plating is a personal choice. I like large white, shallow bowls (mine are inexpensive Fitz & Floyd) but often plate right at the center, keeping the food fairly close together for warmth and beauty, leaving the rest of the white bowl for a frame. You’ll do things just as you like when you try this:
Sautéed Rockfish with Caprese and Roasted Vegetables
Ingredients
ROASTED VEGETABLES
- 10 baby red potatoes, cut in half
- Olive oil
- Kosher salt, fresh ground pepper, dried thyme
- 4 large carrots, peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces on the bias (at an angle)
- 1 tablespoon salted butter, melted
ROCKFISH
- 1 tablespoon salted butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 (¼-inch) slivers lemon rind
- Kosher salt, paprika, fresh ground pepper, and garlic salt
- 2-3 (6-oz) fillets rockfish or any white fish you like
- Lemon wedges for serving
CAPRESE
- 1 large, ripe tomato-diced
- 2 tablespoons julienned basil
- 6 fresh mozzarella bocconcini, small balls of mozzarella, cut in half or quarters
- Crushed red pepper
Instructions
- ROAST THE VEGETABLES: Preheat the oven to 400F. Prepare 2 quarter sheet pans (or put the carrots on one side and the potatoes on the other of a half sheet pan) by spraying with cooking spray or lining with foil. Potatoes: In a medium bowl, toss the potatoes with a drizzle of olive oil and a ¼ teaspoon each kosher salt, fresh ground pepper, and dried thyme. Turn the potatoes out onto the prepared pan and flip them cut side down. Carrots: In a medium bowl, toss the carrots with the melted butter and sprinkle generously with kosher salt. Turn the carrots out onto the prepared pan. Roast for 30 minutes or until tender, turning once midway through roasting. The carrots may take a few minutes extra, depending on how thickly you sliced them. If veggies are done before fish, cover lightly and set aside until serving. (I like these vegetables roasted differently and separately because I like buttered carrots. If you’d rather, you can season them the same, mix them all together with olive oil, and cook them together.)
- COOK THE ROCKFISH: 10 minutes before the vegetables are done, heat a large, nonstick skillet over medium heat and add the slivers of lemon. Cook two minutes. Meanwhile, pat dry the fish fillets. Season one side with salt and paprika and the other with garlic salt and black pepper, patting the spices into the fish. Add the seasoned fillets to the pan and cook undisturbed for about 3 minutes or until golden brown. Turn and cook the other side until it’s firm and opaque—another 2 or 3 minutes. FDA indicates cooking fish to 145F on an instant read thermometer. I take it off at 135F or 140F and let it rest briefly to insure a moist fillet.
- MAKE THE CAPRESE: While the fish cooks, stir together the tomato, basil, and mozzarella in a small bowl; add a pinch of crushed red pepper. Set aside until the fish is cooked, if necessary.
- PLATE THE MEAL: Place a cooked fish fillet and a lemon sliver or two (cooked lemon rind is edible) at the center of a dinner plate or shallow bowl. Add roasted potatoes and carrots. Top the fish with a generous spoonful of caprese and snuggle up a fresh lemon wedge to the side. Repeat. Serve hot or warm.
Notes
Wine: Sauvignon Blanc
DINNER PARTY? Dessert: High end ice cream bars or an affogato (ice cream with espresso poured over). It’s summer; don’t bake. Or have a friend bring something!
Never heard of rockfish?
Rockfish is not a single species of fish but rather part of a family of over 70 species of fish that are part of the genus of Sebastes.
The fish commonly referred to as “rockfish” is often Pacific ocean perch, a relatively small species that is found in abundance in Alaskan fisheries. This fish is the most common near-shore fish on North America’s West Coast. “Rockfish” may also refer to similar species called “canary rockfish” or “rock cod.” These smaller species of rockfish are robust in flavor and are comparable in texture.
~What is Rockfish? A Comprehensive Guide (Wild Alaskan Company)
Other rockfish recipes from NOAA.
IF YOU LIKED THIS, YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE MY:
Here’s some cod Dave grilled last weekend. I topped it with a fresh salsa of tomatoes, peppers, summer squash, onions, garlic, and fresh herbs. Salsa comes in many forms.
Oven-Roasted Rosemary Halibut with Fresh Tomato-Zucchini Sauce
Sweet Chili Salmon with Black Bean Pasta Salad
Pepperjack Fish Burgers with Sriracha-Dijon Tartar Sauce
LIFE GOES ON:
What did you cook this week? A number of months ago, I made a slow cooker Chicken Cacciatore by the wondrous Sarah DiGregorio, who is a recipe writer at NYTIMES, amongst many other things. (Sarah, as if I know her personally, also has a fine slow cooker book, should you be interested.) I kept meaning to put this tasty chicken dish back in the rotation but just this week finally did it. It’s a big meal and would be fine for company but does freeze well if there’s just you or just two of you. There’s bacon and mushrooms cooked first on the stovetop, then deglazing the pan with tomato paste and red wine before putting all of that and a bunch of other goodies, including boneless chicken thighs, into the slow cooker. It cooks for just 4 hours on low but can hold on warm for quite a white after that.
Before cooking:
After cooking:
You can serve it on pasta (I chose whole wheat spaghetti; see below), all by its lonesome, with rice, or on hard rolls.
I’ll gift the recipe for you here. You’re welcome.
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Like most of the rest of the country–or at least the ones who aren’t enduring a sweaty vacation– we’ve been staying put with windows closed and shades down to keep out the hot-hot sun but unlike many spots, we’ve had a few cooling storms that make it all bearable–at least for a while. Next week promises cooler temperature and I’m betting on it! It’s beginning to feel like we live in a cave.
Stay cool and be brave with your fish. You own it! The great thing about cooking is, unlike other artistic endeavors, you can eat your mistakes. If you overcook fish, you can chop it all up and stir it together with mayonnaise, onions, and celery and make like tuna salad or some such. You’ll likely not do that again because freshly cooked fish is a treat and you deserve it! Practice makes edible. I buy most of my fish fresh (well, it looks fresh, though it often says, “pre-frozen,” and I do buy some frozen, too) at COSTCO in rather large packs. Dave divvies it up and we freeze it in 1 -2 pound packs for meals like the one you saw today, fish tacos, fish salads, or fish sandwiches. This blog is full of fish. Just click on FISH AND SEAFOOD in the word cloud or look in spring posts as I blog FRIDAY FISH during lent each year. You can also search under specific fish, such as SALMON.
As I’ve said in earlier posts, I plan on getting back here later in the summer but if I don’t, we’re on our way to Japan for a month, mid-September to mid-October. I’ll bring back some cool sneakers and green tea. Probably not much else as I don’t ever have much extra room. You can follow me on facebook, where I usually write a minor travelog every day or two when time permits. We’re sailing to Japan on one 2-wk cruise, doing a circle-Japan for a second 2-wk cruise, and then flying back to Colorado. See maps below.
Summer on, friends,
Alyce
