Recent Cooks: Gluten-free!

Squash Ravioli fried in Bacon Fat!

 Handmade gluten-free rice/quinoa ravioli with Doe's Leap pancetta.  Buttercup squash, shallot and pecan filling.  Will have the recipe written down soon :)

Cup4Cup Pizza

Gluten-free pizza shell from the "box".  Works well using a cold cast iron pan (to reduce the incidence of overcooking).  Still haven't been able to perfect a "scratch" recipe to use in the wood-fired pizza oven.

Parmesan-crusted Halibut

Brilliant baked halibut with pan-fried purple (and white) potatoes.  Dan said the cheese crust overwhelmed the fish, but I thought the flavors were very complementary.

Quick and Easy: Baked Walleye

 Baked Walleye

Here’s a fish dish that comes together quickly and takes very little time to cook. 

That’s important because standing for long periods of time is difficult with this cast on my foot.  Plus, I keep bumping into the cabinets and the cats, and tripping when I catch an uneven kitchen floor tile.

This recipe is from a very long time ago, when I worked a 9-5 job. I wanted the flavor of chowder without the work.

And comfort.  And convenience.

When I was growing up, plain kettle-style chips were used to embellish tuna casserole and mac ‘n cheese.

The chips in this particular recipe are not just for the pretty; they provide both salt and texture.

There are so few ingredients – every single one has to “bring it”.

The cheese doesn’t have to be Havarti, but it’s butteriness and acidity complements fish and cream without becoming dominant.

Serve with oven-roasted winter vegetables. Preferably the ones that don’t take a lot of fuss - like slender baby carrots and Brussels sprouts, especially if you need to be off your feet.

Like me.

Easy Fish Dish

 Simply Baked Fish

Serves 2-3

1 lb. Walleye Filets (or Cod)

Freshly Cracked Black Pepper

½ Pint Heavy Cream

4 ounces Havarti, Shredded

A handful of Plain Kettle Chips

Preheat oven to 375f

Place fish in a shallow oven-proof dish just large enough to accommodate it. 

Season with pepper on both sides.

Pour cream over fish, top with havarti.

Crush chips and sprinkle over the top.

Fish Casserole

Bake for 20 minutes, or until fish flakes easily.

All Local: Lamb and Walleye

Lamb Shank Tagine

 225f for 8 hours - no liquid, just shanks, carrots and sprouts.

Fish Chowder

Big Wow!  Walleye, carrots, potatoes, butter, cream - there just isn't a bad meal when using the best ingredients.   Secret: poach the veggies in stock, turn off the heat after the potatoes are done, add the cream, butter and fish last - so they don't overcook.

Good the first day - exceptional on the second!

Gluten-free: Fried Fish

Brown Trout Deep Fried

Flashy Fish Fry (Gluten-free)

(Adapted from a recipe by Tyler Florence)*

Serves 4-6

Batter:

1 Cup of Cup4cup Flour Blend  

1/2 TB Baking Powder

1 tsp. Salt

1 tsp. Black Pepper

1 Large Egg, lightly beaten

1 12 oz. Seltzer or your favorite gluten-free beer

1/3 Cup of Cup4cup (for dredging filets)

2 lbs. Brown Trout Filets, skinless (Cod and Haddock will do)

Vegetable Oil for deep frying.

Heat three inches of oil in a deep fryer to 375f.  If using a saucepan on the stove, make sure oil does not exceed 1/3 the height of the sides.

In a mixing bowl combine flour, baking powder, salt, pepper and beaten egg.  Pour in liquid while stirring, until a pancake-thick batter forms.

Pat dry filets, dredge in cornstarch and dip in batter.

Fry for 3-4 minutes until browned.  Turn if necessary.

Drain on paper towels and season with salt.

*Original recipe using wheat flour can be found at Foodnetwork.com.

Tartar Sauce

(Adapted from a recipe by Ina Garten)

½ Cup Mayonnaise

2 TB Pickles, diced

1 TB Rice Vinegar

1 TB Worcestershire Sauce

1 tsp. Dijon Mustard

½ tsp. Sugar

Pinch of Salt

Pinch of Pepper

Place all ingredients in a food processor fitted with a blade and pulse until pickles are finely chopped.  Taste for a sweet/tart balance and add vinegar or sugar to adjust to your taste.

Gluten-free Fried Fish

When I was a single child (I eventually would have two siblings) both parents had jobs – and for a while there, I didn’t realize I had a father, because he would leave for work before I woke, and return after bedtime.

Our situation was not unique in the village of Bakersfield. 

Most families had one vehicle, and this meant there were at-home services.

The dry cleaner would pick up and deliver.   A yellow card in the window meant they would show up at the door. 

And then there was Schwan’s truck.

Their beer-battered cod kickstarted a life-long addiction to crunchy-coated fish.

Ummm.

More than a year ago, I began experimenting with gluten-free batters to re-create that culinary experience.

Disaster!

Either the coating flaked off, filets sunk to the bottom of the deep fryer and never came up, or finished fish adhered to the paper toweling used to drain it.

Those efforts bore fruit.

This is a recipe for a GF crispy coating that stays put, and is not just edible – it’s downright appetizing

Brown Trout is a pale coral color with a creamy, sweet flavor –the taste reminded me of when tasty food was magic and found in the deep-freeze, just out of reach.

Beer Battered Fish

Beer Battered Fish

Now, let's be clear - I don't react to Coronas, and this recipe has more ingredients than someone without Celiac would have in the pantry.  

Use 1 1/2 to 2 cups of regular flour for the batter if you don't have allergies to soy or gluten.

The setup

I marinated 2 pounds of lake perch in buttermilk for two days.  Because I hate the smell of perch.

Batter:

1/4 Cup Tapioca Flour, 1/3 Cup Cornstarch, 1/3 Cup Potato Starch, 1/2 Cup King Arthur Wheat-free Flour, 1 tsp. Baking Powder, 1 tsp. Black Pepper, 1 Egg White, 1 tsp Sugar, 1 tsp. Salt, and enough beer to make a thick batter (about 3/4 cup).

Whisk together and let set on the counter for an hour.  Heat deep fryer (peanut oil) to 375f.

Drain fish, coat in batter letting excess drip off.  Fry until golden brown.

Fried Perch

 There was no fishy smell, a lot of flavor, and a lot of bones, since these weren't filleted out.

The coating was yummy, though as the fish cooled it became a bit chewy (due to the tapioca).  I had a homemade tartar sauce recipe, too - but lost it during an effort to clean up the place.  Use this.

Baked Walleye, Depths of Flavor

Baked Walleye

 Finally!  It's been nearly 15 years since I last had a taste of this incredible fish.  Dan complained that it been prepared baked, not fried - but I hadn't cleaned the deep fryer, so into the oven it goes. (Plus, he withdrew his complaint after consuming five pieces.)

Whacked cleaned fish in half across the backbone so that I had several large and four small same-sized pieces.  Let them marinate in buttermilk (from the butter recipe, scroll down) and 2-3 TB of hot sauce for a few hours in the refrigerator.

I set the oven to 400f, sprinkled on some s&p, and coated the large pieces in corn crumbs and shredded Tomme Collins.  I let that set for 15-20 minutes.

Baked Walleye

In 38 minutes, moist and flakey.  The buttermilk tanginess was a great combination with the sweetness of the fish and the butteriness of the cheese.  Nice healthy fishy!

Tomorrow: Deep Fried Perch from Lake Carmi... and another beer batter recipe, coming up!

Quick and Easy: Cioppino

Cioppino

Enthusiastic about flavor and food again!  The first thing I wanted was garlicky, noodley and simple.  I know this isn't the classic cioppino - but this is rural Vermont.  In winter.  I was lucky to find cod.

Heat: 1 qt. Seafood Stock, 2 Bay Leaves, 2 C. Strained Tomatoes, 1 head of minced Garlic, 1 med. Onion, minced, 1 TB Sambal Olek (or any hot sauce).  Bring to the boil, then simmer and adjust for salt and spice.

Add a handful of rice noodles and cook until soft (about 6 minutes); turn off the heat and add a pound of cod, cut into bite-size pieces. Put the cover on for ten minutes or until the fish is cooked through.

Garnish with sliced green onion.

Garlicky Broth and Noodles

This really hit the spot, and all that garlic made the house smell delicious.  More cooking to come.