I left the little creek where we live and headed for the open bay around 5:30 this morning. The wife and I had gone out last evening after dinner and did a little bottom fishing to get some spot for bait to save me some time this morning. So with my livewell full of frisky baitfish, I headed straight for the area that has been holding Rockfish for close to a month. As much as I love to fish, and love to write about it, I'll spare you the details of my fishing trip. But rest assured, the Rockfish were right where I left them, and in no time, my limit of two fish were flopping around on ice in my cooler, and I was headed to work.
I saw this recipe somewhere a while ago, and with the plethora of Rockfish in the bay right now, I was running out of creative things to do with them. Then I remembered seeing this, so I thought I would try to re-create it this evening. Served with a couple of cold, local ingredient, summertime salads, it is the perfect way to celebrate this time of year. And paired with the remainder of that pale ale......Ok, who am I kidding...the remainder of that pale ale, didn't make it through the cucumbers getting chopped, so I paired it with a freshly opened pale ale and it was the prefect compliment
ROCKFISH with ORANGE ALE SAUCE
1 18-20 inch Rockfish, scaled and filleted.
1 quart of cold water
2 tbsp of salt
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 cup of pale ale (For this recipe I used Sierra Nevada...but any pale ale will do)
1 cup of orange juice
4 tbsp butter
2 tbsp olive oil
pepper to taste
Brine the fresh fish by dissolving salt and sugar in 1 quart of cold water. Leave fish in brine for about 20-25 minutes, then remove from brine and pat dry.
In small saucepan heat orange juice and beer to boiling, then reduce heat to medium and simmer until reduced by about 1/2. add butter and whisk until dissolved. Cover sauce and keep warm.
Heat olive oil in large skillet over high heat. Grind fresh pepper to taste on each fillet, and then place skin side down in hot olive oil. cook about 4 minutes on each side or until fish is cooked through. time will depend on the size of your fillets but don't overcook. Next, lay down a layer of Orange Ale Sauce on a clean plate, and lay Rockfish fillets in the sauce. Drizzle a bit more of the sauce over each fillet and serve with sides of your choice. (Pictured are fresh local roasted corn salsa and cucumber salad...want the recipe for those? OK sure..)
We try to use fresh local ingredients in everything we cook. If we cant catch it, shoot it, or grow it ourselves, we are surrounded by great farmers and fisherman that can. These two dishes are another example of how using fresh ingredients enhances the food you prepare.
ROASTED CORN SALSA
4 ears of fresh local corn
1 cup of chopped local tomatoes
3 green onions chopped
3/4 cup Cilantro chopped
2 tbsp crumbled feta cheese
Juice of one lime
pinch of kosher salt or more to taste
Remove kernels from corn and place in a heavy skillet. Roast kernels over med/high heat for about 15 minutes or until they become aromatic. Mix with remaining ingredients and allow to sit in refrigerator for several hours before serving to blend flavors and cool
FRESH CUCUMBER SALAD
I went out to the garden this afternoon to get tomatoes for dinner, and noticed two gorgeous cucumbers that were ready to be picked. So I invited them to the dinner party as well, and made one of my favorite summer dishes. I usually have this in my refrigerator at all times throughout the summer.
2 cucumbers chopped
4 tbsp white vinegar
1.5 tbsp of sugar
fresh dill chopped
1/2 red onion sliced thin
Mix vinegar and sugar until sugar is dissolved. pour over cucumbers and onion. Add dill and mix well. Allow to sit in the refrigerator for several hours to blend flavors and cool.
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