Fish Tacos- Updated

This is an updated version of fish tacos. 

It's a little more appropriate for the summer since it involves grilling instead of the steaming version in the original recipe. 

The fish has also been made a little more flavorful. 

That's one really nice thing about tilapia: it soaks up whatever flavor you give it. It's sort of like a blank canvas. 

And the black beans...? Well, those pretty much remain the same. 

But they're good enough as a side any time, though I could sometimes just eat black beans as a main and supplement with other things like salsa and some good tortilla chips.

I also think they'd be good with a fried egg (sort of semi-huevos rancheros). 

Fish Tacos and Black Beans

Yield: 6 servings

1 pound dried black beans

7 cloves garlic, divided

6 cups water

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 large white onion, peeled and sliced

2 teaspoons kosher salt

3/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (divided)

2 cups roughly chopped cilantro leaves, stems reserved (divided)

2 pounds fresh tilapia fillets

4 tablespoons soy sauce

1 jalapeno pepper, minced (see note)

3 to 4 tablespoons vegetable oil

salt and black pepper to taste

12 six-inch corn or flour tortillas

1 cup thinly sliced green cabbage

1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion

1 medium tomato, diced

1 avocado, sliced

1 cup sour cream (optional)

1 cup shredded cheese; Monterey jack, cheddar or Mexican blend (optional)

3 limes, quartered lengthwise


Prepare the black beans 2 to 3 hours ahead of the fish. Rinse black beans and sort, removing any small pebbles or particles. Peel and mince 3 garlic cloves. Place rinsed beans, minced garlic, water, olive oil, onion and salt in a 5-quart pot with a tight-fitting lid. If desired, add 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper. Bring to a boil. Lay cilantro stems over beans if desired. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer beans, stirring gently a few times. Simmer beans about two hours, until the beans are soft and most of the water has been absorbed. Test for doneness after an hour, then check every fifteen minutes.


Remove pot from heat. Remove cilantro stems. Using a potato masher or the back of a large spoon, partially mash and stir the beans. Cover until ready to serve. The beans will thicken as they sit. 


When the beans are nearly ready, arrange tilapia fillets in a single layer in a shallow pan or tray. Peel and mince remaining 4 cloves garlic. In a small bowl, combine garlic, soy sauce, jalapeno and cayenne pepper. Pour over fish and turn to coat. Refrigerate fillets for 20 minutes, turning once or twice in the marinade


Prepare to grill fillets. Heat grate over medium heat. When the grate is hot, brush with vegetable oil and place fillets on grill. Cook about 5 minutes on one side, the flip the fillets. Grill about 2 minutes on the other side and check for doneness (continue cooking as necessary). The fillets should be opaque and will flake easily when done.


Remove fillets to a plate. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Using a fork, break fillets into large flakes. Warm the tortillas


Assemble the tacos with fish on the bottom. Add shredded cabbage, sliced onion, tomatoes, avocado slices, sour cream and cheeses in any combination desired. Squeeze with lime juice and eat. 

Note:

Remove jalapeno seeds and ribs for a milder marinade. 

Photo by David Carson of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
(So, I completely forgot to take a photo until the tacos had been completely demolished. Too late... but it can be blamed both on negligence and lunch time.)

As to the recipe, it's an update of my fish taco recipe from April of 2011, and was part of an article in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch by Pat Eby published on August 1, 2012. 

Lavender Syrup

Kakao Chocolate has been serving ice cream since this past April or so. And because we would be serving ice cream in the Maplewood Kakao store, we needed toppings to go with it.
Serendipity makes the ice cream, we make the toppings.
A chocolate shop would require a good chocolate sauce, of course. Caramel (burnt and salted) is also necessary.
Additionally, seasonal fruit sauces and compotes are necessary when offering ice cream, and with a farmers' market right down the street a couple days a week, why not utilize the convenience of fresh fruit?
Strawberry-rhubarb, fresh peach, there's been a blackberry sauce...

Lavender syrup is a little different. I'm aware it's not going to be one of the first things that comes to mind when one thinks of ice cream.  I know it's not everyone's cup of tea- but it could be if you would give it a chance. Sometimes you need to try something different, folks.
Be a little adventurous!

We normally have plenty of dried, food-grade lavender buds in the shop for the lavender truffles.
As I am a fan of lavender and like to find different things to do with it, I wanted to try using it to make syrup to offer for ice cream. It took a couple tries, mostly for texture and technique, but it ended up working out.

In the end, lavender is infused into a simple syrup and yields a delicate and flavorful, clear, pale mauve syrup.

While corn syrup isn't going to be everyone's most favorite ingredient, it does serve a purpose. In the confectionery world corn syrup helps to inhibit crystallization. Not much is needed, but it keeps the syrup in a free-flowing state. Who wants grainy syrup?

As long as it doesn't end up growing sugar crystals, the consistency of this syrup is similar to a light honey.

Syrup is a versatile ingredient in the desert world.
It can be used over pound cake (perhaps with some whipped cream and fresh strawberries), as the syrup for an Italian soda, drizzled over fresh fruit (blueberries?), as part of a trifle, or between layers of cake.

My favorite, however, is spooned over good vanilla ice cream and with a sprinkle of delicate flakey salt on top, such as fleur de sel or Cyprus black lava salt. However, if I had to choose, I would go with the black salt since it offers a visual treat in addition to the gustatory.
Yes, salt on ice cream.
The contrast is amazing, and the bit of salt makes all the flavors really stand out.

I will caution that if you've never done something like this before, do be careful when adding the salt. It's easier to add more than it is to take it away.

Dried lavender can be found at Dean & Deluca as well as at Penzey's. Certian gourmet grocery stores may carry it with the herbs and spices.

Lavender Syrup
makes about 1 1/4 c


1 1/4 c sugar
1 c water
2 T corn syrup
1/3 c food grade dried lavender buds (preferably organic)


Place all ingredients in a saucepan. Stir over medium-low heat until the sugar has completely melted. Once the sugar has melted, stop stirring. Continue cooking the mixture and bring to a boil. Wash down the sides of the pan with a pastry brush dipped in a small dish of cool water as necessary (it should probably be done a few times during the course of cooking). This will help prevent sugar crystals from forming in the syrup.  
When the syrup mixture reaches 223 degrees F, remove the pan from the heat and cover with a cocked lid. Let the lavender buds steep in the syrup for 15 minutes. 
Strain the finished syrup through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl (if you want the syrup to be completely clear, without little lavender specks, place a few layers of cheesecloth into the strainer before pouring the syrup through). Do not scrape the sides of the pan after pouring the syrup through the strainer- this is another bit of insurance against crystallization. 
Press on the lavender buds in the strainer to extract as much flavor and syrup as possible. 
Let the syrup cool completely and use or store for later use. 
Lavender syrup can be stored in a glass jar in the refrigerator at least a month. 

Rice Bowls

Rice bowls can make a fun and economical dinner.

Not that "economical" and "fun" belong in the same sentence very often, and they certainly should not be confused. However, we must consider that they're not mutually exclusive.

Just make a big pot of basmati or jasmine rice, saute whatever fresh vegetables are available- maybe add a nice helping of garlic to the veggies, possibly offer some sort of protein (chicken, beef, shrimp) as well as condiments like soy or tamari sauce, chili paste or sriracha, and toasted sesame oil- and think about making some lime wedges available for those so inclined.
Perhaps a fried egg could be offered for the top of the rice and vegetable mountain, sort of like a bibimbap. This way, when the yolk is broken there's an impromptu silky sauce to go with the rice.
Fresh basil, cilantro, and sliced scallions would be flavorful finishing accompaniments to include.

This type of meal can be tailored towards dietary restrictions or preferences, too. Vegetarian, low sodium, gluten free, low fat...

Once everything is together, serve people a nice steamy bowl of rice, then everyone is welcome to put together his own dinner.

For example, for a recent rice dinner, the choices available as rice bowl toppings included:

• Sauteed (hot and quick) red and green bell peppers
• Sauteed garlic, onion, zucchini, and mushrooms, 
• Shrimp sauteed with lemongrass, ginger, and garlic
• Fried eggs
• Soy sauce, sesame oil, chili paste, and torn basil leaves. 

It's sort of like the rice version of a salad bar- a rice bar.

And it's a dinner for which an actual recipe is unnecessary.

Personally, I think it's important to use real rice. Nothing quick-cooking here, nothing that's been processed.
Good basmati or jasmine rice has much more flavor, and takes little more than 20 minutes (probably 30 at most). Can't people take that small amount of time? It's not that big a deal, and the flavor/texture and potential nutritional benefits outweigh the time "disadvantage".... and there are plenty of other things you could work on during that time period. 

Rice is so easy, too.
And one really nice thing is that the measurements don't need to be exact in terms of grams, ounces, cups or whatever you happen to use. Ratios, yes. Nitpicky numbers, no. You just need double the liquid (water or stock) to the amount of rice you plan to use.
I will, however, give a recipe as an example.
Aim for making more rice than you need as opposed to just enough- leftover rice can be a very good thing to have around.

Basmati Rice
probably good for about 4 rice bowls


1 c basmati rice
1 T olive oil
2 c water
1/2 t salt


Rinse the rice thoroughly in cold water. 
In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the rice and saute a few minutes, until each grain of rice is coated in oil. Add the salt and water, stir, and increase the heat. When the rice comes to a boil, stir again, reduce the heat to a simmer (low/warm), and cover. If the rice and water remain too hot for a while and start to boil over, pull the pan off the heat a little so it's only partially on the burner. 
Simmer the rice 20 minutes, then remove from heat. Keep the pot covered and let the rice rest and steam at least 5 minutes... but it can sit for longer as it will stay hot.

Bananas Foster

Overripe is how some people like their bananas. But for me, it's much too intense.
I'd like to go ahead and say that most of the population out there is on my side when it comes to banana flavor preferences, but I guess I have no real way of knowing this.

A ripe banana can be almost 20% sugar content, according to food scientist Harold McGee. This naturally makes them among the sweetest fruits- apparently a percentage exceeded only by two other fruits, one of them being the date.

Once bananas are ripe, they can be stored in the fridge for a while.  This will slow the ripening process of banana starches breaking down into sugar. The bad news is that cold makes them develop an unsightly black peel, and eventually the texture may change, so it's not a trick you can use indefinitely.
Refrigerators aren't really part of a banana's natural habitat.
It doesn't look too pretty, but it'll taste ok.

Really though, at that particular stage, bananas must be too intense and too soft to be palatable to many (but as an ingredient in banana bread, they're perfect). If you have an overripe banana or three, put them in the freezer for banana bread someday down the line.

Cooked is also not how I like bananas as it also tends to intensify that already somewhat intense banana flavor.
Really though, how often does anyone eat cooked bananas, other than in the requisite banana bread?
However, bananas in a rum caramel sauce is very nice (who can argue with a rum caramel sauce?). Bananas, which are a custardy fruit to begin with, become softer and more of a creamy as they melt into the sauce a bit.
Warm, sweet, custardy, banana-y, rummy-ness laced with a bit of cinnamon. And of course, because there are bananas in this dessert we can say it's semi-healthy.

I think I'd have to say the toasted pecans are necessary. They offer a nice contrast to this creamy and ultra sweet dessert.

Dark rum is highly recommended, but sometimes you don't have it available to you and you're not about to run out to the store. In that case, it's important to use whatever rum you might have- you can only do what you can do. And hey, if you feel like being wild and crazy and using coconut rum, go right ahead and do just that because it's your dessert.

Bananas Foster
probably serves 6 or more

5 T butter (and add a generous pinch of salt if using unsalted butter)
1 c packed brown sugar
1/2 t cinnamon
1/3 c heavy cream
2/3 c dark rum
3-6 bananas, thickly sliced (use your judgement here, it depends on the number of people)

Vanilla ice cream

Toasted pecans

Melt butter (and salt, if using) in a heavy skillet over low heat, add the sugar and cinnamon and stir to combine. Increase the heat to medium and continue cooking and stirring until the sugar melts and caramelizes. Add the cream and stir through the caramel. Pour in the rum and stir the mixture thoroughly. 

Once the rum is fully incorporated, add the sliced bananas. Stir quickly to coat the bananas in the caramel sauce, and ignite the sauce. This can be done either by tipping your pan towards a gas flame (if you have one), or using a match (preferably long) or even a long uncooked piece of spaghetti that you have lit with a match or lighter. Then again, of you're not comfortable with this, it's ok and not completely necessary (perhaps just cook a little longer to burn off some of the alcohol).
When the flames have died down, spoon the sauce over vanilla ice cream and top with toasted pecans.

Saffron Rice

Saffron rice makes a lovely and flavorful side dish (or it could me a main depending on who you are).

Sometimes you really need some color on the plate, especially with grilled or roasted meats (which this very conveniently pairs nicely with).

Funny though, saffron certainly is not my favorite spice of all time. I'll confess that it has always reminded me of plastic in both smell and flavor. However, if it's used in appropriate amounts and in combination with the right dishes, it can be just fine- it doesn't stand out as overly strong and blends well.

The most expensive and most time consuming spice to harvest, saffron is undoubtedly also beautiful. Alone, the hand-harvested stamens of a particular crocus are bright crimson, but when added to a dish, they help food become a vibrant gold.

The good thing is that not much is necessary for both color and flavor transformation. A little really does go a long way.

This recipe is adapted from Moro The Cookbook by Sam and Sam Clark.

For one thing, the original recipe calls for optional fried onions. Sadly, I have a slight fear of frying... perhaps it's more of an apprehension. Yes, I know it was "optional"- but sometimes I feel that optional really isn't optional. Anyway, I have tried to fry them, but because of my feelings towards pots of hot oil, things didn't quite turn out like they were supposed to. It was fine, don't get me wrong, but I can't normally bring myself to bring a large(r) quantity of oil to a high heat- even if it's in a deep pot. It's a dangerous thrill I'm not partial to. Other dangerous thrills, yes, but that one, no. I much prefer cliff diving.

And so, it was decided that caramelized shallots would have to be a fantastic substitution. They're so good, and much safer when it comes to options in cooking alliums.

By the way, leftovers are great with a poached or fried egg on top!

Saffron Rice

serves 6

1 1/2 c basmati rice

7 large shallots, peeled and thinly sliced

2 T olive oil

1 good pinch saffron threads

4 T butter

1 stick cinnamon

6 green cardamom pods, cracked

7 black peppercorns

2 t kosher salt

1/3 c chopped pistachios

Rinse the rice thoroughly, place in a bowl, and cover with hot water. Add enough salt so that the water tastes salty, and stir to dissolve. Set aside to soak for 3 hours.

While the rice soaks, caramelize the shallots. Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium-low heat and add the sliced shallots. Stir occasionally at first, and then frequently until the shallots are a browned and caramelized (probably 10-15 minutes). If some of the shallots brown too quickly, turn the heat down a bit and continue cooking and stirring. Set the shallots aside.

Prior to cooking the rice, add the saffron to a small bowl with 1/3 c boiling water. Let soak at least 15 minutes.

When the rice has finished soaking, place a medium pan over low heat and add the butter. Once the butter has melted, fry the cinnamon, cardamom, and black peppercorns in the butter for about 4 minutes, until warm, fragrant, and the flavors are released. Drain the rice and add it to the butter and spices, frying and stirring to coat each grain with butter (about 2 minutes).

Add the 2 t kosher salt, chopped pistachios, and enough water so that it covers the rice by about 1 cm. Increase the heat to medium.

Place a round of parchment paper directly over the water, cover with a lid, bring to a boil and simmer for about 5 minutes.  When the 5 minutes are up, remove the lid and paper. Drizzle the infused saffron water evenly over the rice, gently stir through, and replace the paper and lid.  Continue cooking on low about 5 minutes longer. Remove the pan from the heat, carefully fold in the caramelized shallots, taste for seasonings, and serve.

Salade Lyonnaise

This is a spring salad you could make a light meal out of. Or breakfast.

No wimpy salad, this. It's a bistro lunch that's got everything you need.

It could be one of those rare "if-I-close-my-eyes-I-can-easily-imagine-I'm-not-eating-a-salad" salads. But you'll probably want to keep your eyes open because it's pretty much the Matisse of salads (sans blue), especially if you put some ripe tomatoes in it. 

The poached egg is like the icing on the cake. When broken, the yolk becomes a brightly colored, silky addition to the vinaigrette. It all comes together as creamy, crispy, smokey, sharp, smooth... and the tomatoes will add a nice little sweet pop.

When you poach the eggs for this salad, you'll mix a little vinegar into the water.  This helps to keep the eggs more compact so that they form a nice little package which is perched atop the greens just prior to serving. Another thing is that fresh eggs are better for poaching than those that are a little older since they'll stay comparatively more neat and the whites won't spread as much (conversely, eggs that are a little older are easier to peel after being hard boiled).

Because it's a meal type of salad, you'll want some good bacon. Not that you're eating TONS of bacon, you just want what you have to be a nice bit of porkiness. 

I understand that in the quest for good bacon, one can search quite a while and those searches can come up relatively fruitless again and again. It's not a problem, just do your best. I guess what I'm trying to say is that bacon is important since it's a main part of the salad, but that less-than-ideal bacon really isn't the end of the world. Then again, it's probably a good idea to know a good butcher.

You want meaty bacon. Substantial bacon. Thick-cut bacon. Manly rashers.

If you want to go for pancetta, that's fine too... just cook it until it's nice and crisp. 

Salade Lyonnaise

serves 6

8 oz mixed spring greens

8 oz bacon

2 T olive oil

6 large eggs

1 T white vinegar

2 1/2 T Sherry or red wine vinegar

2 t Dijon mustard

2 T minced shallot- about 1 small smallot  (or 2 minced cloves of garlic)

Fine sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Optional: cherry tomatoes and croutons

Wash greens and dry well. Refrigerate until ready to use.

In a dry skillet, cook the bacon until crisp, and set aside to drain on paper towels.

While the bacon cooks, poach the eggs. In a saucepan, bring about a quart and a half of water to a gentle boil. Add the white vinegar and swirl to combine. Crack 2-3 eggs in small, individual bowls. When the water comes back to a very gentle boil, carefully tip in the eggs at water level. Poach eggs about 4 minutes or until white is set, but the yolk is still runny. With a slotted spoon, remove the eggs to a bowl of warm water and repeat with the remaining eggs.

Divide the greens among 6 salad plates.

Remove all but 4 T bacon grease from the pan and add 2 T olive oil along with the minced shallot. Reduce the heat, saute the shallot until soft, scraping the fond from the bottom of the pan, and remove the pan from the heat (if using garlic, just add it to the warmed oils, scrape the bottom of the pan, and remove the pan from the heat). Add the Dijon mustard, whisk, then add the red wine or sherry vinegar to the warm shallot-oil mixture and whisk again until combined. Add a generous pinch of salt and several grinds of fresh black pepper. Taste the dressing and add salt and pepper as necessary.

Spoon the warm dressing over the prepared greens and crumble bacon over the top. If using croutons and/or cherry tomatoes, sprinkle them on the salads.  Carefully remove poached eggs from their warm bath with a slotted spoon and blot to dry if necessary. Crown each salad with a poached egg and sprinkle each egg with a little salt and pepper.

*Croutons are traditional for this salad, and packaged ones were never my favorite. Once upon a time when I used to make them, I would just use a chunk of good French bread (day-old if possible). Cut the bread into rough 1 inch pieces. Toss in a bowl with some olive oil, a couple cloves minced garlic, Kosher salt and fresh pepper. Be careful not to completely douse the bread with olive oil- you can always add a little to the pan while you're cooking if you need it. Toast in a dry skillet, stirring occasionally at first and then more frequently towards the end until you get the desired toasty doneness. Salty garlickyness, crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside.