CUISINE AT HOME WEEK – Cilantro Pesto Halibut with Chile-Garlic Dipping Sauce and Sweet and Sour Slaw

 Today’s recipes come from Cuisine At Home, June 2008.  I’ll be linking this post to Tasty Tuesdays.  There will be great ideas shared there today, so go over and check them out.

 I  try to prepare fish as often as I can.  It just depends on what’s available fresh.  I will use fresh frozen fish, but my problem is that I forget about it being in the freezer – and, well, fish loses its flavor so quickly that I’m usually not satisfied to use it as my main ingredients.  While this recipe calls for halibut, I have a great piece of grouper in the freezer that I will be using instead.  I think any firm-fleshed white fish would work well here.  Salmon would be another good choice as well, I think.  Fortunately, fresh frozen fish is becoming more readily available in my area.  I was “suggesting” to Hubby the other day, however, that the shrimp supply is down to the LAST bag in the freezer and that we really, really, really needed to make another trek to THE Gulf for restocking.  We love Joe Patti’s in Pensacola for fresh seafood.  I would LOVE to live closer just to get to there more often.  You do know THE Gulf, don’t you?  If you live in the South you do, but I forget that not all of you get to share in that little piece of Heaven down here.

Ingredients

For the fish:
2 cups fresh cilantro leaves and stems
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 garlic cloves
2 halibut or mahi mahi fillets (5 oz. each)

Process cilantro, soy sauce, black pepper, oil, 1/2 teaspoon sugar and the garlic cloves in a food processor until minced.  Spread onto both dies of the fish fillets to coat and let stand at room temperature 10-15 minutes.  Preheat grill to medium-high.

Lightly coat both sides of the fish with nonstick spray, then grill until cooked through and firm, 4 – 6 minutes per side; do not overcook.

For the dipping sauce:
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup white vinegar
1 tablespoon garlic, chopped
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (I will use sea salt.)
2 teaspoons red pepper flakes, or to taste

Simmer 1/2 cup sugar, water, vinegar, 1 tablespoon garlic, and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat.  When sugar is dissolved, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until the consistency of maple syrup, about 10 minutes.  Off heat, stir in the red pepper flakes; set aside.

I will be serving this with this packaged precooked rice.  It has a subtle Thai flavor.  While I don’t normally use precooked rices, I actually like this one.  It could easily be duplicated using your own fresh ingredients, but heck ….sometimes I like a shortcut:) 

Sweet and Sour Slaw 
 
Makes 2 cups

Muddle:
1 red serrano or jalapeno thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, chopped
1/2 shallot, chopped
1 tablespoon sugar
6 grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
2 teaspoons fish sauce or 1/2 teaspoon anchovy paste
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt  (I will use sea salt.)
1/2 lime, cut into wedges
Toss with:
1 1/2 cups packaged broccoli slaw
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
3 tablespoons Spanish peanuts, toasted
Muddle serrano, garlic, shallot and sugar in a mortar and pestle until they begin to break down (or pulse briefly in a food processor).  Add tomatoes, fish sauce and salt; squeeze lime wedges into mixture and add rinds to the bowl.  Muddle ingredients to lightly crush tomatoes and release oils from rinds.  Taste for seasoning; remove lime rinds from bowl.  Toss slaw and cilantro with dressing; let stand until ready to serve.  Top with peanuts before serving. 

Note from CAH:  If you can, make the slaw dressing the authentic way --- using a mortar and pestle.  Its flavor will be much more delicate.  A food processor works too, but omit the lime wedges. 

Special Starbucks offer:  You're Invited to Enjoy a Free Pastry on the Morning of July 21st - with the purchase of a beverage*
I just got this in my email, so I thought I would pass it along.  We like FREE at my house:)

  Remember to check back here for details of Crock Pot Wednesdays beginning August 5.  You won’t want to miss it.