Tale of Two Fishies

All photos were sadly taken by Me

I am not known for my seafood cooking ability.  Why?  Because Ray has a “so-called” fish allergy and I am afraid to make fish in the house.  I have not seen the aftermath of a fish incident nor do I want to, so I’ll have to take his word for it.  The one time I did make it, I was overloaded with concern.  “Did I touch a door knob with my fish hands?  Am I sure all spoons that Ray would use are washed immediately?  Did I avoid poking his eye out with the fish covered finger?”  I had to be cautious.  Rather than putting Ray in a HAZMAT suit, I leave fish on their little ice beds at the grocery.

But last night was a different story.  Ray was out-of-town on business so I took the opportunity to redeem myself.  Last time my tuna steak was so overcooked it magically turned into the texture of a pork chop.  I preferred canned tuna than my tuna steak.  Yes, that bad.  But the tide has turned. 

Here is my tale of two fishies.  I choose a salmon filet and a tuna steak.  Both these pieces of fish do very well with a quick marinade and seared in a non-stick pan.  Just a word of caution – don’t marinate longer than 30 minutes.  The acid in the marinade begins to cook the fish – a.k.a. ceviche.  Since I was tasting two entrees, I decide to serve these on a simple bed of watercress. 

Just hanging out and marinating

Sesame Seared Tuna
1 tuna steak
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1/2 teaspoon of sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon of chili oil (optional)
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons of rice wine vinegar
1/2 clove of minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon of both salt and pepper
1 tablespoon white sesame seeds (use 2 if not using black sesame seeds)
1 tablespoon black sesame seeds

Mix everything, except the tuna, in a small bowl using a whisk.  Add the tuna.  Cover and place in the fridge for 30 minutes.

To Cook:
Pre-heat a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat (water should dance if dripped in the pan).  Place the sesame seeds in a shallow dish.  Remove the tuna from the marinade and coat each side with the sesame seeds.  Place in the hot pan.  Cook for 2 minutes each side.  (Cook longer if it looks too rare in the picture for your taste).  Slice thinly and arrange on the dish of your choice.

Fish #1 - Seared but rare

Seared Marinated Salmon with Lemon-Dill Crème Fraîche
1 salmon filet
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 teaspoon dill
1/2 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon  each of salt and pepper

Lemon-Dill Crème Fraîche
1/4 cup crème fraîche (Don’t have it? Use sour cream and thin with a little milk or butter milk)
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 teaspoon dill weed
1 tablespoon capers
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Combine all ingredients except for th fish in a small bowl and whisk till combined.  Add the salmon.  Cover and place in fridge for 30 minutes.
While the fish marinates, whisk all ingredients for the crème fraîche in a small bowl. Check the salt and pepper – I added a little more to taste.

Found the creme fraiche at Whole Foods

To Cook:
Pre-heat a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat (water should dance if dripped in the pan).   Place salmon filet in the hot pan.  Cook for 3 minutes on one side.  Carefully turn and cook another 5 minutes or until fish flakes. Place the salmon on the dish of your choice.  Spoon the crème fraîche over the filet.

Fish #2 - Nicely seared

So  I redeemed myself…thanks to all the Food Network shows.  I enjoyed both dishes…now if only Ray would go out-of-town more often.  If that doesn’t work, anybody have a HAZMAT suit I can buy? 

Tags: creme fraiche, fish marinade, salmon, seared salmon, seared tuna, tuna