We've had a wonderful two weeks in the South Seas, going down the Chilean fjords, around the horn of South America, and now out into the Atlantic to the Falklands, Uruguay, and Argentina. We've been teaching cooking classes aboard Holland America's Veednam all the while, paella and cookies and lasagna, for crowds and for small, private groups. (The photo is of the audience gathering in the cooking theater for one of our demos.)
One of our favorite dishes we do in these cooking classes has always been a simple coconut curried fish. The dish lets us teach the secrets to making a good curry blend, as well as a simple way to make fish more enjoyable come dinnertime.
But you don't have to go on a cruise with us (although it would be nice). Here's the recipe: start by making a simple curry paste. Crush two 2-inch pieces of lemongrass under a heavy pot on a cutting board, then put them in a mini food processor or a spice grinder. Add 1 small seeded jalapeno or serrano chile, 2 halved medium garlic cloves, 4 whole cloves (the dried spice), 2 tablespoons cumin seeds, 2 teaspoons ground coriander, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, and 2 teaspoons turmeric. Grind these up until they make a fine, powdery paste, more dry than wet.
It's too much curry paste for this dish, but you can save it back in the fridge for future stews, braises, and other curries. Keep it covered for up to 4 months.
OK, preheat the oven to 400F. Place 1 1/2 pounds thick-fleshed fish like cod or hake in a large sauté pan. Now pour in enough white wine to come about halfway up the fish pieces in the pan. There's no real measurement here--just eyeball it.
Remove the fish and set the pan over high heat. Add 2 chopped medium scallions, about 6 ounces thinly sliced shiitake mushroom caps, and 1 1/2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger. Bring it to a full simmer--then add 2 to 4 teaspoons of the curry paste, depending on how strongly flavored you like the dish. You might start with the lower amount the first time, just until you get the hang of it.
Cover the pan, reduce the heat to low, and cook at a slow simmer for 5 minutes.
Place the fish back in the pan, cover it, and bring back to a simmer over medium-high heat, usually in just a few seconds. Place the pan in the oven and cook until the fish will flake with gently scraped with a fork, about 7 minutes per each inch of thickness.
Remove the pan from the oven--it's hot!--and transfer the fish to a serving plate. Set the pan back over high heat and bring to a full simmer. Stir in 1/4 cup coconut milk, 2 tablespoons minced fresh basil leaves, and 1 tablespoon soy sauce. Pour this sauce over the fish and serve at once--with rice, of course. A stick white rice like sushi rice is best. But you want to keep up every drop of that sauce.
The other night, Bruce asked me if I wanted coconut or almond macaroons for dessert. I couldn't make up my mind. Not that I'm all that indecisive. Oh, a little. But not a lot. I'm like any good Southern boy who's lived a decade and a half in New York City and New England. You know, just a remnant of good manners left. I smile before I cut you off on the highway.
Mark Scarbrough | Posted on 
