Creamy Heavenly Haddock

This recipe was inspired by one of the most beautiful pieces of fish I have ever cooked. It was a fillet of Alaskan Haddock, about 2.5 lb. and at least an inch and a half thick. It was a buttery, flaky texture--the very best of firm-fleshed white fish--sweet, tender, and delicious. All of perishable ingredients except the fish were local. Here's how it went:

Sauce
2T salted butter

2T white flour

1+ c soured heavy cream (I had this on hand from cream that was in the fridge too long. You could also use prepared sour cream and heavy cream, about half and half.)

white pepper, salt, and black pepper

2c packed (about) baby spinach

1T capers

Melt butter. Make a light roux with the flour, adding a little at a time, stirring constantly for about five minutes or more on low heat. Add the soured cream a little at a time to make a smooth sauce. Add dash of white pepper to taste. Add a little salt and black pepper. Add spinach a handful at a time, stirring in. Let simmer on low heat until spinach is all wilted. Add capers and mix in. Adjust seasoning.

Fish

2.5 lb. Haddock fillet

olive oil

2T salted butter

salt and black pepper

Tony Chachere's Creole seasoning, or another spicy seasoned salt--cayenne and salt essential.

4-5 scallions, 2 whole and 2 sliced into 1/4 in. rounds.

Preheat oven to 350.

Lightly oil a baking dish. Put fillet in dish, skin side down. Lightly salt and black pepper. Lightly season with Tony Chachere's. Cut butter into 10 pieces and scatter on surface of fillet and in dish. Scatter sliced scallions across top and lay whole scallions along sides of pan.

Bake at 350 for 8 min. Turn heat to broil. Put fish in broiler for 5-6 minutes, until starts to brown on top. Finish in oven for 6 min. or until just cooked through. (Remember the fillet was very thick.)

Assembly

3 corn tortillas, toasted on a burner

1 scallion, finely sliced

Toast tortillas and place on serving platter, slightly overlapping. (This seemed a little "out there," but the flavors of the rich sauce, fish and tortillas go well together, and the presentation is very good.)

Place finished fillet on top of tortillas. Top with the sauce down the center of the fillet. (You won't use all of it.) Garnish with scallions and scatter around plate. Put the two very roasted on whole scallions on the platter as well. Serve the extra sauce on the side. Enjoy!

Awesome Lamb Stew

This lamb stew was from all local ingredients. What really makes it is the unbelievably flavorful lamb of Jamison's. I got this at the Fair Foods stand at Reading Terminal. As far as I know, that's the only place they're sold. The key here is braising the meat for a long time first. It's a tender cut, so this is not for tenderizing, but it gets the maximum flavor out of it.

Serves 10. Prep and cook time: 3 1/2 hrs. (mostly simmering time)

Ingredients:
3-4 T olive oil
3.5 - 4 lb. deboned lamb shoulder, cubed (Cost more for deboned, but worth it because it's a cut to manage.)

2T flour

2T Worcestershire Sauce

2 T butter

1 XL leek, chopped (4-6 cups chopped)
16 cl. garlic, chopped
1 med. onion, chopped
1 med. apple, chopped
1 turnip, small cubed
10-15 med. potatoes, peeled, chunked (rough cut pieces)

Braising Lamb
In a heavy pot or sauce pan, Saute garlic in oil. Add lamb and seer. Add 2-3 cups water. Braise/simmer for an hour. Add 1t salt. Add 2T flour sifted in a little at a time. Simmer more (10 min?) to thicken. Add 2 T Worcestershire.

Vegetables
In a large heavy pot, saute leeks, onion, and apple in 2T butter. 10 min. low. after onions translucent.

Combine
Add lamb mixture to onions, etc. Add potatoes and turnip. Add about 4 c. water. Simmer uncovered for 2 hours or so. Add s & p to taste.

Great Leftovers Vegetable Soup

This started as a way to use up mostly local vegetables from the fridge but turned out to be a great winter vegetable soup--very hearty and good layers of flavor.

Ingredients:

1/2 + c. olive oil

1/3 c. white flour

4 small onions, chopped

5 stalks celery, chopped

the following cubed:

1 XL! rutabaga

3 parsnips

1 XL carrot

1 M turnip

14 oz. crushed tomato (canned)

about 6 c water

1T powdered garlic

2T dried basil

2T dried oregano

1T dried thyme

1T salt

1/4-1/2t red pepper flakes (more for kick)

1/2t ground black pepper

Start by heating the oil and make a roux with the flour (med hot oil, add flour in bits and stir constantly, scraping bottom) to a light brown nutty scent. This is what gives the soup its body.

Add the onions and celery. Cook to soft. Lower heat and add garlic.

Add carrots, parsnips, turnip, rutabaga--one at a time, heating through.

Add crushed tomato and heat through. Add spices and mix in.

Add water and bring to a full boil. Let simmer for 1-2 hours.

Adjust seasoning.

I the soup is a little spicy and goes well with a dollop of yogurt.

I served it with cous-cous, but I wasn't crazy about the texture. Israeli cous-cous would be better--or rice.

Great soup, though, and worth repeating.