I appreciate all the positive feedback I’ve been receiving, but this week, let’s change up the format.

Whenever I have taught cooking classes, one of the most requested topics is how to prepare fish properly. What I often hear is that while home cooks can roast a piece of fish—although I am told that the results can be more dry than moist—they don’t feel confident in serving an interesting fish dinner.

We can do this together! I have gathered some easy and delicious fish offerings for you to enjoy with your family, and I have purposely not focused entirely on salmon because there are many tasty fish to try. As you will see, since fish is a relatively mild “canvas,” our other ingredients can be bolder and more flavorful.

Let’s start with a yummy salmon adapted from Rachael Ray:

Dressed Salmon

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• ½ English cucumber
• 1 plum tomato
• ¼ medium red onion, minced
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• ¼ cup rice vinegar
• ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
• Snipped fresh dill to taste (don’t be shy)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 4 6-ounce skinless salmon portions
• Old Bay seafood seasoning

Directions:

Dice washed, unpeeled cucumber and plum tomato into ¼-inch pieces. Combine them with half the minced red onion in a bowl and set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together mustard, sugar and rice vinegar with remaining half of the minced red onion. Slowly add the olive oil while continuing to whisk. Stir in snipped dill and season to taste with salt and pepper. (Chefs will tell you that one of the reasons that restaurant food tastes so good is that they use enough salt, and most home cooks under-salt.)

Season the salmon with a little freshly cracked black pepper and the Old Bay seasoning.

Heat a nonstick skillet with a glug of extra virgin olive oil over medium-high heat. Place fish rounded side down and cook until a little crispy around the edges, about 4-5 minutes. Carefully flip fish and cook 4-5 minutes for opaque fish.

Place salmon portions on dinner plates, top each serving with tomato-cucumber relish and cover with a generous amount of dill dressing.

Tilapia With Arugula and Capers

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved crosswise
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2 6-ounce tilapia fillets
• Coarse salt and cracked black pepper
• 1 box baby arugula
• 2 tablespoons softened butter
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1-2 tablespoons capers, rinsed

Directions:

In a large nonstick skillet, bring ⅓ cup of water to a boil; reduce heat to medium-high. Add cherry tomatoes and red pepper flakes; top with tilapia and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and cook 5 minutes.

Add arugula, cover and cook until tilapia flakes easily, about 3 minutes. Remove fish with a slotted spatula to 2 dinner plates; remove the vegetables with a slotted spoon and divide between plates.

Off the heat, add butter, lemon juice and capers to the skillet, swirling until butter has melted. Season sauce with salt and pepper and drizzle the sauce over the tilapia.

(Adapted from Martha Stewart)

Red Snapper With Olive-Tomato Compote and Rice

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 cup long-grain rice
• 1 medium onion, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, slivered
• coarse salt & cracked black pepper
• 4 6-ounce red snapper portions, halved crosswise
• 14 ½-ounce can diced tomatoes
• ½ cup Kalamata olives, slivered
• 2 tablespoons drained capers
• Healthy pinch of sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 F. Cook rice according to package instructions; set aside.

Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and place fish on top, drizzling with 1 tablespoon oil; turn fish to coat. Arrange snapper in a single layer, skin side down. Season fish with salt and pepper. Bake 10-12 minutes.

While fish is baking, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion begins to soften, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and their juice, olives, sugar and capers. Cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, 5 minutes.

Plate red snapper and rice, spooning tomato-olive compote over.

(Adapted from Martha Stewart)

Don’t be afraid to try this next recipe. The few anchovies melt into the delicious sauce, and by seeding the red chili, you are removing the heat.

Gennaro’s Fish Spaghetti

Ingredients:

• 1 box fettuccine (Barilla preferred) 1 large clove garlic, sliced
• 4 anchovy fillets
• 1 container cherry tomatoes
• 1 ½ tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 cans best quality tuna in olive oil*
• 1 red chili, seeded and sliced
• 1 tablespoon capers, rinsed
• 1 bag baby kale, stemmed
• Extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

Cook fettuccine in a large pot of boiled water until al dente. Drain, reserving some of the cooking water.**

Meanwhile, roughly chop the anchovies and the tomatoes. Using the oil from a can of tuna, heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, chili, anchovies and capers; sauté 2 minutes, then add the tomatoes and toss well.

Add pasta to skillet. Toss together until everything is coated, adding just a splash of cooking water if needed to create enough sauce. Flake in the drained tuna, then add some lemon juice and the baby kale. Toss well to warm through and wilt the kale, then season if needed with more lemon juice and black pepper.

Serve with a drizzle of olive oil on top.

(Adapted from Jamie Oliver)

* There is Italian tuna in olive oil in jars with hashgacha if you can find it.

** Chefs often use pasta cooking water to loosen a sauce

I hope you will enjoy your fishing expedition. Don’t hesitate to try these scrumptious recipes, and I am always happy to hear from you!

Dorene Richman has taught cooking classes, written recipe columns, and was the recipe testing coordinator for the original award-winning Kosher Palette cookbook. She is a passionate cook and baker for whom cooking is therapy, as well as being a pescatarian. She can be reached at
[email protected]