Spicy Pan-Seared Salmon with Feta Sauce

There seems to be a fish theme going on here lately, with this third post in a row. The wild Alaskan salmon caught over summer and frozen for later is now so handy for a quick and sumptuous meal.

Some fresh greens from the fall garden was handy for this dish: Lacinato kale and Baby Romaine leaves make a lovely crisp bed of salad to serve this spicy pan-seared salmon dish.

Salmon was rubbed with a mix of spices: cayenne pepper powder, berbere powder, salt, onion powder. Mix the spice powders in some ghee to make a paste and rub on the salmon.

Home-made ghee is an indulgence every once in a while - a recipe shared here over a decade ago: Home-made Flavored Ghee at Delectable Victuals

The fusion of flavors is one of my favorites - the spiciness from Ethipioan berbere and the buttery flavor and aroma from the Indian ghee, plus the Mediterranean flavors of Feta sauce, sun-dried tomatoes, capers, and olives makes this a richly flavored dish.

Feta sauce: Crumble some feta, stir in some thick Greek yogurt, olive oil, minced garlic, marjoram sage, and oregano. I blend it into a smooth thick dressing-like sauce consistency.

Pan-seared Salmon: Heat some oil in a cast-iron skillet and place the salmon skin side down first and sear well till skin is crispy; flip so that the side that is rubbed with the spice mix is now getting seared, then, turn down the heat and cook till salmon is cooked through and flaky.

Lahori Fish Fry

In keeping with the fish theme here, this Lahori Fish Fry is a perfect snack food that can be made into a meal with some standard accompaniments.

Over summer our fresh-caught Alaskan Halibut was frozen for later use so as to savor the flavor and make the catch last longer.

Halibut and Salmon seem to be the only two fish that kids and the other adult seem to relish the most, cooked up in any which way that suits my mood.

Typically, Lahori fried fish is not served with any sauce, it is enjoyed as a fried snack food along with chutney. The seasoning and batter mix makes all the difference, bringing this dish alive, requiring no further enhancements.

However, I decided to make a simple sauce and serve with rice for dinner one evening.

Rather than make a batter, I decided to keep the seasoning and flour mixture dry and coat the fish with it and fry the pieces in batches, much like Indian pakoras.

Ingredients:
2 cups cubed halibut pieces
vegetable oil for frying

Lahori Fish Seasoning Mix:
1 cup chickepea flour
¼ cup rice flour
½ tsp crushed carom seeds (ajwain)
1 tsp crushed coriander seeds
1 tsp crushed caraway seeds
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp ginger powder
1 tsp black pepper powder
½ tsp turmeric powder
¼ tsp powdered clove
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp salt (adjust to taste)

For the sauce:
1 Tbsp tomato paste
2 tsp grated ginger
2 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp chaat masala
4 Tbsp distilled white vinegar
2 Tbsp sambal oelek
2 Tbsp Bragg liquid aminos
1 cup water
cornstarch as needed to thicken

Preparation

1. Make the chaat masala and keep it handy; can prepare ahead and store it in an airtight container
2. Combine the Lahori fish fry seasoning ingredients to form a smooth dry mixture
3. Coat the halibut pieces with some cooking spray and add the Lahori fish fry mix a little at a time, stirring well, until all the fish pieces are coated well
4. Fry in batches and drain in a paper towel
5. Make the sauce and toss in some of the fried fish in the sauce, serve with rice; reserve the rest of the fried fish minus the sauce to enjoy as-is

Halibut Stir-fry

Over summer, some fresh-caught Alaskan Halibut got frozen and put away to relish later in the colder months of the year.

This seemed like a good time to thaw some small pieces and cook them up with an interesting sauce and some stir-fry veggies.

I went with colorful peppers and onions for the stir-fry as I had a good batch of them handy from the farmers market. The stir-fry sauce is an impromptu made-up one, which is how most of my stir-fry sauces are, where I don't bother to measure accurately, just adding a bit of this and a dash of that and calling it good when the proportions seemed right.

Ingredients
Tender quick-cooking fish pieces
sesame oil
colorful pepper and onions sliced

Stir-fry sauce (approx.):
1 Tbsp tomato paste
2 tsp grated ginger
2 tsp minced garlic
4 Tbsp distilled white vinegar
1 tsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp sambal oelek
2 Tbsp Bragg liquid aminos
4 Tbsp seaweed dashi stock or vegetable broth
cornstarch and water as needed for thickening

Preaparation

1. Marinate the thawed fish pieces in some of the stir-fry sauce, saving the rest for stir-fry
2. Heat some sesame oil in a wok, add the peppers and onions and stir-fry a bit, then add the marinated fish and the remaining stir-fry sauce and cook till fish is done
3. Serve warm 

Chunky Halibut and Potatoes in Spicy Gravy

The rich aroma and flavors that come about when sautéing onions to the point of caramelization is irresistible. Throw in organic home garden sweet cherry tomatoes and some finely grated ginger and minced garlic, the combination is giddying.

That's how this Halibut and Potatoes dish started -- with a rich base for the gravy brought in by prolonged gentle sautéing of onions, tomatoes, ginger and garlic, with a sprinkling of salt and turmeric powder.

Meanwhile, halibut was rubbed with Ethiopian Mekelesha spice powder and some salt, and allowed to marinate for a while. Chunks of potatoes were steamed just enough so they can finish cooking with the gravy.

When the onions are almost caramelizing, add in the halibut and potatoes, splash some water, cover and allow to sweat and simmer till fish is cooked and potatoes are fork-tender.

Drizzle some fresh lemon juice, garnish with spring onions and cilantro, serve with warm cooked pearl millet and Sprouted Moong Bean Salad.

Over the last few years, portioned plated meals for dinners has become the norm. I rarely do family-style meals anymore. However, I do make the portions quite small to start with so we can go for seconds to simulate family-style dining.

Sauteed Sweet Potato Leaves and Sweet-Sour Salmon and Lychee-Chili Sauce

A bunch of gorgeous Sweet Potato Leaves seemed so fresh and inviting at the farmers market that I had to bring it home and sauté it right away.

A hunk of Silver Salmon caught in Alaska during our recent trip was thawed and ready. Sweet-and-sour salmon was one of the requests I received while wondering how to cook up the salmon this time.

Sweet-and-sour Salmon it is, then.

Tamarind paste and grape molasses is a perfect sweet-and-sour combination that I've come to love while cooking with these two staple ingredients in my kitchen.

Of course, vinegar and sugar is a default sweet-sour combination, which I am not very fond of... so, am glad I settled on tamarind paste and grape molasses for now, that bring in a deeper flavor and an interesting layering.

(Disclaimer:I don't have any affiliation with these brands, these just happen to be the ones easily available where I shop.)

I grew up loving lychees (aka litchi), enjoying this seasonal fruit whenever it hits the local market. Litchi chinensis has a shell like peanuts which are peeled and discarded to get to the translucent mildly sweet flesh that has a strong odor characteristic of many tropical fruits. There were at least half a dozen varieties cultivated in northern and eastern parts of India, where the warm and humid climate and soil seem ideally suited for these lovely trees.

These days, every once in a while, I find fresh and frozen lychees at the Asian market, and bring them home for some fun smoothies and chutneys and sauces. It has a rather large pit inside, so, getting the flesh is a bit of an effort, but well worth it if one loves these fruits as much as I do.

Lychees with home garden chilies became a hot-and-sweet sauce in the form of Lychee-Chili Sauce, much like the sauce made for Lychee-Chili Chicken. This time, I served the sauce on the side as I knew kids don't care for it.

Sometimes, the combination of ingredients might seem like a mish-mash meal, but those are the ones I've noticed turn out satisfying as it is rather unexpected and refreshing.

The salmon was slathered on with tamarind and grape molasses, and a sprinkling of salt, then, lightly dusted with flour. It is first pan-seared skin-side down. Then, flipped to cook the other side. I peel the skin off at this stage and slather more of the tamarind and grape molasses plus salt to the now skin-free side, then flip again and sear it till flaky and cooked through.

Batter-fried Rockfish with Home-grown Potatoes

Not quite prolific yield as some years back, but, despite my inadvertent neglect, the bush green beans are trickling in by the handful. I stuck them in a spot where they barely get a few hours' direct sunlight each day so I am not expecting them to be bountiful this year.

Some of the home-grown potatoes were dug up as well, while they were still young, just the way I like them for a quick steam-and-sauté

Some rockfish caught in Alaska seemed perfect for batter-dipping and frying.

Corn starch plus chickpea flour with salt and paprika blended in ice cold plain soda is my favorite batter for getting a nice crisp crunch. Of course, oil temperate matters, so checking that between batches is something I am training myself to do.

Some chimichurri made with home-garden herbs served as the dip for the fish, although the kids turned up their noses and reached for the ubiquitous ketchup (no HFCS, organic!) when it came to dipping their fish and chips.

Salmon Curry Indian-Style with Coconut Cream

The very last fillet of salmon, caught by the other adult in Alaska, emphatically insisted on being served as a sublime Indian-style curry full of ambrosial flavor and heady aroma.

Curries, I can make on autopilot. Call it conditioning, call it instinct, call it self-possession... but, it seems rather unlikely to find myself bungling curries. They are the most flexible and tractable of Indian dishes with no single carved-in-stone recipe to befoul, and therefore quite forgiving when I take liberties with the tried-and-tested.

One could simply toss the chopped salmon chunks into the simmering gravy and all will be fine. But, the extra effort that adds a touch of discernible difference is to cook the salmon first on a hot cast iron skillet after gently rubbing with garam masala powder, salt, splashing some fresh lemon juice, and allowing the fish to marinate before searing it on the skillet.

Scoring the skin-on salmon fillet, and marinating as a single large piece rather than cut chunks works best for the skillet-searing, rather than worrying each individual piece to cook uniformly.

Ingredients

A splash of lemon juice and about half a teaspoon of garam masala powder mixed with a pinch of salt for marinating
A 7-inch long skin-on salmon fillet, scored to separate chunks after cooking
Chopped Vegetables: red bell pepper, onions, kale, peas, potatoes
2 Tablespoon Coconut oil
Salt to taste

For the gravy/curry sauce:
14 oz. can coconut cream

dry roast and grind to powder:
2 cardamom pods
2-inch piece of Indian cinnamon bark
2 cloves
1 teaspoon whole green (or black) peppercorns

grind to fine paste:
½ cup tomato purée
2 teaspoon ginger paste
1 teaspoon minced garlic
½ tsp turmeric powder
1 teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder (or cayenne pepper)


Preparation

1. Sear the salmon: Heat a cast iron skillet to high heat, add a tablespoon of coconut oil and place the scored and marinated salmon skin side down and allow to crisp a bit; then flip and cook the salmon till mostly done, it will finish cooking in the curry sauce; by now the skin will easily peel off and the chunks can be separated to individual pieces scored earlier
2. Start the curry: heat a tablespoon of coconut oil in a saucepan, add the ground paste and saute till aromatic, then add the finely ground powder of dry roasted spices, stir well till well-incorporated, season with salt to taste
3. Simmer: Add the veggies, salmon, a scoop of water as needed, and simmer for 5 minutes or so, then, stir in the coconut cream, cover, and simmer gently over medium heat till salmon is fully cooked and the curry reduces to a creamy consistency
4. Serve warm with brown or white basmati rice, or even naan/roti

Salmon with Fig Chipotle Mint Sauce

Looks like there is a theme going on here with the mint and the chipotle.

The thing is, when I open a can of chipotle in adobo sauce, I rarely manage to use up the whole can right away, and what I don't use up right away, I save for later, but don't want to refrigerate it for too long, so, the chipotle finds its way into as many dishes as I manage to make over the next few days.

A portion of the last of the skin-on Salmon fillet needed to be used up as it is nearly a year since it was last caught by the other adult and frozen safely.

Rub the non-skin side of the salmon with butter and chipotle sauce. Heat a cast iron skillet to medium-high heat. Place the chipotle-butter side down and cook till seared. Flip the fish so the skin side is down and cook till it gets crisp, and the salmon is cooked through and flaky.

Fig Chipotle Mint Sauce: In a blender, add a tablespoon of chipotle in adobo sauce, about 8 large mint leaves, and a tablespoon of fig preserves or fig jam, blend coarsely. Then drizzle some lemon juice and olive oil much like making an aioli till the sauce consistency is to your liking.

The sauce may not sport an alluring color, but, it sure exuded an alluring flavor, if one likes the potent combination of fig and mint and chipotle, which I do.

Fresh peapods, kale, and spring onions from the garden got sauteed and thrown onto the plate as the green bed on which the salmon is served, with a drizzling of the fig chipotle mint sauce, plus more sauce on the side.

I do tend to smother the dish with all the green stuff from the garden, which seems like a clutter in the picture... maybe next time I will take the time to compose a plate carefully instead of the quick plate-click-serve routine that I've gotten used to lately.

Lingcod Fish Encrusted with Mint, Fennel, and Lemon

Fresh mint and fennel from the garden is hard to resist. Being perennials, they come up before the weather warms up for planting basil and lemon grass.

Mix some salt and black pepper with softened butter and rub the fish with it. Dip in flour, dust off excess, and press into Panko seasoned breadcrumbs one one side. For the other side simply place an overlapping layer of fresh mint leaves, then press some breading on top.

Heat oil in a cast iron skillet, place the mint side down and sear the fish, leaving it undisturbed till the coating sets. Then, flip over and cook till the other side is set. Then, move the skillet to a 375°F oven and finish cooking. Remove the fish and set it on the serving plate to rest while the sauce comes together.

Lemon Butter Mint Sauce: Melt some butter in the same pan, squeeze some fresh lemon juice, add some mint and fennel leaves, simmer gently. Spoon over fish before serving.

Spring onions from the garden are another treat, they make a fantastic garnish, which I can't seem to resist.

Lingcod with Chipotle Garlic Capers Sauce

Another small hunk of lingcod caught by the other adult in Alaska came in handy for this simple dish.

Sprinkle the fish with some paprika and salt, add a drop of avocado oil and rub the spices in. Dip it into a plate of flour and dust off excess. Then, press into Panko seasoned bread crumbs.

Heat some oil in a cast iron skillet, place the breaded fish and let it sear over medium high heat, leave it undisturbed for 8 minutes or so, depending on the thickness of the slice. Flip and cook the other side the same way, without moving it much, till the breaded coating seals the fish.

Transfer to a 375°F oven and finish cooking till internal temperature of the thickest part is 145°F. Remove from pan and allow to rest on a plate while the sauce is getting ready.

The Chipotle Garlic Capers Sauce: In the same pan, after transferring the fish to a plate, saute some crushed garlic cloves, add some stock and chipotle in adobo sauce, simmer gently till thickened a bit. Stir in capers and spoon over the fish before serving.

Pan-Seared Yellow Eye Rockfish Infused with Hibiscus Tea and Tamarind

Another small portion of the Alaskan Yellow Eye rockfish was in the freezer, caught by the other adult last summer.

For over half a dozen years now, I have been savoring hibiscus tea made with dried hibiscus flowers as my beverage of choice for a relaxing evening. I've used the thick steeped hibiscus tea for home-dyeing of small fabric projects with the kids.

While making the thick gravy-ish sauce/topping for the pan-seared yellow eye, I decided to incorporate some of the lovely flavor (and color!) of the hibiscus tea that I had steeping handily in the tea pot.

Some fresh baby kale leaves and arugula leaves from the home-garden was rubbed with a hint of olive oil and sprinkled with a dash of lime juice to make a quick side salad.

Ingredients
½ onion, diced
6-8 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 large tomato, chopped

½ cup thick rich hibiscus tea
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper powder
1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 Tablespoon tamarind paste
salt to taste

2 Tablespoons olive oil

fairly thin fish fillets, thawed and ready to cook

Preparation

1. Grind the onions, garlic, and tomato to a coarse paste
2. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil, add the paste, some salt, and saute
3. Add some hibiscus tea and saute some more till the gravy is rich and aromatic
4. Rub the fish fillets with salt, cayenne pepper, and tamarind paste
5. In another pan, heat another tablespoon of oil and add the fish fillets
6. Flip when bottom side is golden brown, and a dash of balsamic vinegar and hibiscus tea
7. Cook till fish is done

Teriyaki Halibut with Sauteed Garlic Gai Lan

Asian grocery store nearby had fresh Gai Lan (aka Gailon aka Chinese Broccoli) which is immensely tasty when sautéed with ginger and garlic and Asian flavors, particularly the stalk which gets tender in texture like steamed asparagus.

A small chunk of halibut caught by the other adult over last summer was handy as well. This time, the other adult requested for teriyaki-flavored fish. The home-made teriyaki sauce is customized with what was handy and what the mood called for.

Ingredients
Halibut 4 to 6 small portioned pieces
some sesame oil

For the teriyaki sauce:
2 Tbsp mirin
2 Tbsp white wine (I had some Sauvignon Blanc handy)
2 Tbsp rice vinegar
2 Tbsp low sodium vegetarian oyster sauce (aka mushroom sauce)
½ tsp brown sugar
4 Tbsp water

For the stir-fried gai lan:
1 lb of Gai Lan, washed and patted dry
a bunch of baby bok choy, washed
5 cloves of garlic
1 Tbsp grated ginger
1 Tbsp sesame oil
1 Tbsp vegetarian oyster sauce (aka mushroom sauce)
1 Tbsp rice vinegar
¼ tsp brown sugar or agave nectar

Preparation

1. Gai lan stir fry: Heat the sesame oil in a wok; add the garlic and allow to brown a bit then add the ginger; stir well then add gai lan, the rest of the flavoring ingredients, cover and allow to wilt and cook till the stalks are tender
2. Teriyaki sauce: combine the sauce ingredients and simmer over low heat and keep handy
3. Halibut: Brush the halibut with some oil and cook in a cast iron skillet, flipping it over till the fish is mostly cooked; then brush generously with teriyaki sauce and broil till fish is fully cooked and the teriyaki sauce forms a rich coating
4. Serve with a drizzling of the remainder of the teriyaki sauce

Herb-Walnut Encrusted Wild Alaskan Ling Cod with Kale Pesto

Ling cod is mild and buttery, perfect for fish-and-chips or broiling with a crusty topping. We had a hunk of it caught in Alaska by the other adult last summer that I wanted to use up.

Herb-Walnut crust that crisps under the broiler, with a layer of Parmesan cheese forming a crunchy topping, seemed like the way to go. Typically, butter is used for the crust, but I went with olive oil in this recipe.

Paired with Kale Pesto made with sunflower seeds and sesame seeds, this was a nutty, seedy treat one winter night.

I did leave the fish a tad longer in the broiler than I intended... that seems to happen a lot when I ignore the oven timer and focus on something the kids have drawn me into... but, it was still all good. It helps to keep an eye and check often when broiling.


Kale Pesto:
1½ cups chopped kale
½ cup roasted salted sunflower seeds
¼ cup toasted sesame seeds
6 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp lemon juice
2 cloves of garlic
salt to taste

Pulse the ingredients till desired coarseness/smoothness for the pesto.

Herb-Walnut Crusting:
½ cup chopped walnuts
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp fresh chopped basil or freeze dried basil
2 cloves of garlic
salt and pepper to taste


Ling cod cut into portioned chunks
1 Tbsp vegetable or olive oil (or any oil)
1 tsp smoked paprika (optional)
3 to 4 Tbsp Parmesan cheese,grated, to use as topping

Preparation

1. Start the Crisp Julienned Veggie Salad as below, and allow it to marinate while the fish is getting ready
2. Pulse the Herb-Walnut crust ingredients and keep handy
3. Preheat the oven to Broil at about 370 °F
4. Rub the fish with some salt and smoked paprika, if using
5. Heat the oil in a cast iron skillet, place the fish gently, allow to brown a bit, then flip and brown the other side, on medium low heat, till mostly cooked through on the inside
6. Turn off the stove, apply a layer of the Herb-Walnut crust on the fish and place the skillet with the fish under the broiler and cook for about 8 to 10 minutes till the crust turns brown and crunchy
7. Sprinkle a layer of grated Parmesan and continue to broil for a few minutes more till crisp on top
8. Remove from the oven, serve on a bed of Kale Pesto, accompanied by Crisp Julienned Veggies salad.

Crisp Julienned Veggie Salad:
Julienne some beets, colorful bell peppers, yellow sumer squash, purple onions, carrots, ginger
Toss with some lemon juice, salt, and apple cider vinegar
Serve as a side salad to add a cleansing freshness to the palate

Salmon Fish Curry

A hunk of fresh-caught Alaskan salmon was asking to be made into an Indian-style flavorful fish curry. Not too spicy but full of aromatic goodness.

Most Indian curries start with a ginger + garlic + onion + tomato  ground up to the masala paste base; to which cumin + coriander + star anise + Indian cinnamon bark + black peppers/dry red chilies mix is added in powdered form and sautéed for flavors to develop.

That is just one of the popular combination of dry mix, but there are umpteen regional variations, of course: fenugreek seeds, bay leaves, poppy seeds, nigella seeds, fennel seeds, black cumin seeds, black cardamom, black mustard seeds, black sesame seeds...

Similarly, the masala paste has a few variations like adding yogurt, or almonds, or coconut, or tamarind, or curry leaves...

Part of the fun for me is to go with the flow, with my mood, with the ingredients handy in the kitchen (which is usually well-stocked with spices), and make a "surprise" curry.

Ingredients
2 cups of cubed salmon
1 large Poblano pepper, sliced
a few colorful sweet peppers, sliced
½ cup red onions, sliced
2 Tbsp coconut oil
½ tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp brown sugar or demerera sugar
salt to taste

For the masala paste:
½ cup diced onions
½ cup diced tomatoes
2 Tbsp chopped garlic
2 Tbsp grated ginger
2 Tbsp tomato paste

For the spice mix:
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 Tbsp coriander seeds
1 Tbsp white sesame seeds
1 tsp white poppy seeds
1 star anise
2 dry red chilies


Preparation

1.  Masala paste: Combine the masala paste ingredients and blend to a fine smooth paste and keep handy
2. Spice mix: toast the spice mix ingredients in a pan till mildly aromatic, allow to cool a bit, then grind to a fine powder, keep handy
3. Heat coconut oil in a pan, add the onions, turmeric, some salt and sauté
4. Add the masala paste and peppers and saué some more till the rawness of garlic and ginger cook away
5. Add the fish cubes and the spice mix, stir well and saute some more
6. Add just enough water to immerse the fish, stir in the brown sugar, cover and simmer till fish is cooked and the flavors meld
7. Serve with cooked quinoa, or millet, or rice, or roti or naan.

Breaded Halibut with Poblano Peppers and Colorful Sweet Peppers

Another hunk of halibut fillet was thawed and ready in the fridge, part of a 10-pounder that the other half caught in Alaska last summer.

Breading and pan-frying is the easiest, but it can get boring if just using plain old bread crumbs or Panko all the time. So, in an effort to use up the soon-to-go-stale Triscuit™ crackers, I went with a fun breading made out of roasted almonds, parsley, and the said Triscuit. Simply crumble them in a blender.

Poblano peppers when sauteed give out this delicious flavor and aroma, which when combined with red onions and sweet peppers can be heavenly. This formed the veggie accompaniment to the breaded halibut, which was pan-cooked. Rather than dip in egg whites before the crumb coating, I dipped in buttermilk and pressed into the breading mix, on both sides.

Heat some oil in a cast-iron skillet that is moderately hot, place the breaded halibut fillet and press down, leave it undisturbed in medium heat till browned and firmed on one side. Carefully flip and cook the other side as well. If the flipping is not done with caution, the breading will peel off. Cook till fish is done, about 150° F in the thickest part.

Baked BBQ-flavored Halibut with Charred Eggplant and Steamed Asparagus

I had some Kolhapuri Thecha leftover from my previous venture. To balance its heat, it seemed like sweetish BBQ Sauce would be ideal. So, I slathered both these flavorings on the halibut filet and baked in a 400° F oven for about 25-30 minutes till done. Simple, no fuss dish.

The pristine Alaskan fish caught over summer and brought home by the other half feels like a precious resource, fast dwindling...

Some steamed asparagus plus some char-broiled eggplant slices round out this sumptuous weeknight meal. The asparagus sat in the steamer a bit longer than I intended, but, it was still fine.

Herb and Almond Encrusted Pan Seared Halibut Fingers

I said, "Holy Bagumba!" emulating Flora, from Flora & Ulysses by Kate Dicamillo, when I came to know about the humongous halibut that the nicer half caught in Alaska. Yes, even accounting for the fact that fishermen tend to exaggerate, the proof was in front of my eyes, I couldn't discount it.

Not being a big fish and seafood fan, the catch-o'-the-day stories don't excite me much personally. But, knowing the health benefits of pristine fish, and knowing how much the rest of the family loves to eat the recent Alaskan catch, and, especially knowing how expensive halibut can be, I am grateful that I get to cook it up for them in as many interesting ways as possible.

These pan-cooked halibut fingers are encrusted with my favorite herb+almond coating. Served in a bed of crisp Romaine hearts, they are perfect as snack; or can be served as a major part of a balanced dinner along with veggies and buckwheat bhaturas.

Some home-garden mint, fennel, oregano plus raw almonds and one Serrano chili got pulsed coarsely, with a dash of salt, to make the crusty coating.

This time, I dredged the halibut in seasoned Pride of the West™ batter mix, then, dipped in lightly beaten eggs, then, pressed onto the herb-almond crumbs to make a firm coating. Then, pan fried in a cast-iron skillet till done.

A simple dish that comes together quickly and is immensely satisfying for the folks at home.

Salmon en Papillote

The nicer adult in the family brought back lovely, pristine Chinook Salmon from his fishing trip in Alaska. Plus, humongous halibut, lean cod, and some yelloweye.

As I was exploring ways to cook the salmon, the ever-popular en papillote appealed to me to be the quick and easy thing.

I would've preferred to slather on some South Indian spices and wrap it in banana leaf and bake it. Maybe next time...

Since this was good-sized skin-on fillet, it was easy to sear the skin first and then cut to portioned pieces for baking.

Although sauce is optional and Salmon-purists may frown upon added flavors, this time the dish was asking for my favorite fresh herbal chimichurri sauce using the fennel, mint, and oregano from the garden. A generous layer of this chimichurri sauce was spread on the salmon.

Some flame-blistered chilies, sliced lemons, fresh fennel leaves, mini red bell peppers, and slivered garlic went into the packet as well.

Parchment paper packets were not fancy, just a rectangular piece that wraps tight and seals, with just enough room to puff up in cooking.

Bake in a 450° F oven for about 10 to 15 minutes. I went with longer baking time and the parchment paper browned a bit, but it's all good.

Yellow Eye Pan-seared with Wild Rice and Blanched Green Beans

The other adult came back from Alaska with a modest catch of pristine fish.

Humongous Halibut was among the catch. As was immaculate Chinook Salmon. Plus lovely Ling Cod. These are the only kinds of fish, caught fresh in unspoilt waters, that we like. Some Yelloweye came home as well and I sure won't turn up my nose on them either, especially when I know the source and the work that went into catching them and bringing them home for us.

The good part is, it was all cleaned and cut and vacuum sealed and frozen, ready for storing and using over the next few months.

And, yes, I had to ask if the fish suffered much, trying to make peace with the handful he brought home, talking to the frozen packets as if they were alive, thanking them for nourishing us.

Although we don't eat much of ocean's bounty, these few above are the best of the best so am glad to have them.

This is a no-fuss pan-seared yelloweye rockfish dish. Quite a mouthful there.

The fish was marinated in ginger-garlic paste. Then pressed on to seasoned coating and pan-seared in my trusty cast iron skillet to seal and brown the sides, then covered a cooked till the insides were done to flaky tenderness.

Wild rice was cooked in the rice cooker with some garden herbs and aromatic spices. Green beans were blanched to crisp-tender perfection.

Some blistered mild chilies are a fantastic accompaniment for the fish, with some lemon slices and sauteed onions.