STRIPED BASS

Striped Bass

There is nothing better than properly cooked, fresh seafood, in season! From the fun energetic fish markets, to the time everyone gathers around to marvel and the beautiful feast in front of them… I love seafood in the summer! 

Grills and BBQ's are working overtime right now, for a beautiful fish to accompany them at your gathering, or elegant enough for a sit down dinner, this is a perfect Summer fish course. Present the whole fish as above to really impress, and with a fish spatula if it’s a communal dish, letting your guest serve themselves, in awe.

Although buying fish is a bit overwhelming if you’re not sure what you’re looking for, how to buy,  how to properly filet, how to prepare it, cook it, and serve it, and a million other concerns, like, what exactly is a fishmonger?

A simplified outline for those of you who need it:

• Buy local and a place you trust that knows where their fish comes from.
• Have any questions - ask your fishmonger - the one who sells, debones (not today), and cuts your fish.
• Buy the fish where you can physically get close enough to touch it, more importantly smell it!

What you’re looking for:

• Shiny and bright. Firm scales and skin that bounces back after you touch it - does not sink or take to long to plump back up.
• Bright and shiny eyes - not sunken in or decay.
• Brightly colorful gills, full of blood - you want to see them because they’ll cut them off before you take it home.
• Same for the stomach; you want to see that it is full and intact before they remove it - not punctured in any way.
• Of course the most obvious - odor free! It should smell like the ocean and of fresh fish - Not funky fishy nastiness.

Striped Bass with Sperma!

-Yes Sperma! Follow the link for the recipe… and the story behind the name. Simple, Fast, Divine!

Difficulty: Moderate Time: 10-14 min per fish, 10 min prep Clean Up: easy!

• Striped Bass - scaled, fins & stomach removed only; leaving tale, head, skeleton in tact.
• Sperma
• Salt & Pepper - plenty
• Olive Oil & tsp butter per pan - for searing
• Shallot - sliced 2-3 pieces per fish
• Lemon - sliced 2-3 pieces per fish & more for garnish

Thyme, Oregano, Parsley- couple sprigs each (same you use for Sperma)

You’ll have had your fishmonger scale and take off all the fins but the tale, and empty the stomach. (Unless you feel comfortable doing this yourself.) They aren’t going to debone this fish, you’ll be cooking with the skeleton in tack, as well as the head!  So just the guts, fins, and scales. Always double check with your hand when your home to make sure the scale are all removed, or take the back of a knife and wipe the rest off. Clean the inside and out of the fish - they did not do this before handing it to you and it most likely was the same knife to do both, amongst many others.

The sizzle platter is one of my most important essentials in the kitchen. A knife, tongs, and sizzle platter is really all you need. When you’re broiling fish, you want something that is individual so that you can control everything, especially if you’re making a few, or serving a lot! Not everyone has these readily at home, so use an aluminum pan - oiled up- and don’t over crowd.

(Side Note: sizzle platters are what we use in the professional kitchen & and I at home, for EVERYTHING! They’re around $6 each- rediculously easy to clean! So considering grabbing a few.)

• Use the Sperma to coat the pan and both sides of the fish. 
• Open cavity and season both sides with salt & pepper.
• Stuff the herbs, lemon, and shallots. (Refrigerate until ready to cook!)

• Turn Broiler on High. Place rack 6” from top.

• Make sure pan is well coated with Sperma or Olive Oil so skin will not stick to pan. Coat top of fish as well.

• Salt skin sides of the fish well.

  

• Place fish in oven for 6 minutes. Check to make sure it’s golden brown, may need a minute or two longer pending on oven.

• Take the entire pan out of the oven.

• More Sperma! You want to make sure it’s coated so the skin will stay on when finished!

• Gently and carefully use fish spatula to edge under fish until it’s sliding easily, and a clean flip is available. Use fingers if have to but make sure you gently flip, not like pancakes.
  
  

• Add more Sperma on the top of the fish showing.
• Put back in the broiler for another 6 or so minutes.
• Have plates ready because you’ll be serving immediately.

• Take a spoon and use the juice from the pan to base fish before plating.

You may leave the filling or remove. I leave it in for that extra beautiful aroma that escapes when it’s opened on the table. I also serve it all by itself with only lemons because it looks beautiful and this way you won’t need a separate plate for the herbs and bones once you remove.

Careful of the bones when eating. Flip open the fish, after breaking neck off with spoon, the spine/skeleton of fish should easily lift right out, though there will be bones throughout so eat carefully.

Now that was Simple, Quick, and Divine! Go enjoy!

#StripedBass #Organic #LocalFarming #GourmetCooking #DIYGourmet #IndependenceDayMeal #Hosting #Entertaining #GlutenFree #DiabeticDiet #Paleo #FoodandWine #Seafood #Broiling #4thOfJuly #PicNic #HealthyDelicious #SeasonalFish #AllAmerican #ChefCaylena

ChefCaylena

A Robust & Divine Chicken Stock

A Robust & Divine

Chicken Stock

A Simple and Cheap version anyone can do, and You’ll never buy pre-made again.

Chicken Stock is the first thing everyone should spend the time to make at home… after all there is a reason there’s a saying, “it’s Chicken Soup for the Soul,” not to mention a massive collection of books. It is as Soulful and Heartwarming as anything you will ever make and it has a ripple effect to everything it touches.

I didn’t grow up with a lot of money or food in our house. We made due where we could and ate whatever we could find. It was almost always bad and undefinable, it was certainly expired and hardly ever nutritious. However some of my fondest memories were all my brothers and sister sitting together, eating at the table on special days, where we’d have a proper meal. We were together, we laughed, talked, and devoured the food. As I’ve gotten older, I understand how wonderful and important those moments are, as well as how powerful and special a beautiful meal can mean.

This Chicken Stock is more robust, and, the most divine, I’ve ever had. It’s taken me a couple of years to get it just perfect, now, you can even savor it alone. Chicken Stock can be universally used and in substitution for both Beef - if you want more subtle, or Vegetable - if desiring more intensity (and aren’t a vegetarian of course).

I highly recommend making this when you have an extra minute- you really just let it cook itself so you can perfect it between commercial breaks or laundry loads - throw it in the freezer for up to 6 months, and you're always prepared. It will save you when everyone suddenly comes down with the flu, and you need Soup pronto - such as my Chicken Tortilla Soup - or Chicken Dumpling (which I’ll add soon). 

More so you just elevated every dish you intend to make using Stock in the future! It’s that extra factor that ‘they’ won't be able to pinpoint, but know there is something special and beautiful about your cooking.

Chicken Stock

Easy / 2-3hrs /Serving 6-7 Qts

*Note - if you make in NYC 6 qts should cost you $16-$18 from Scratch!

That’s $24 if you buy pre-made  in the store!

*The rest of the world! $$$ NICE SAVE!!! And Organic without crazy Additives!

Ingredients:

All veg are cut large and quick - you’re not eating them later.

• 3lbs chicken - rinsed, innards discarded
• 6 Celery stalks (1 medium-bunch) -(including leaves & Rib)   
• 3 Large Carrots (No need to shave just clean)
• 1 White onion  (if you have left over green onions, shallots… you can use just not Red onions)
• 1 Large or 2 Small Leeks (CLEANED very well!-it’s easier after cut)
• 2 cloves garlic - crushed
• 1 handful Parsley still whole -rinsed well
• 4 Bayleaf
• 1 Tbsp Fennel seeds
• 1 Tbsp Thyme -or handful fresh
• 5 cloves (whole, if powder - 1 tsp)
• 1 tsp whole peppercorns

**NO SALT**

EASY 10 STEP by STEP with Pictures:

1. RINSE CHICKEN WELL. Inside and out.

2) Put whole Bird in pot minus insides. Don’t worry about clipping wings off - though you can if you want to fry those up.

3)Put everything in the pot, fill to top with cold water & room for the boil.

4)Bring boil - without lid on.

5) Drop to a simmer 2 hours. Skim scum off as go. Don’t worry if Chicken is bobbing on top, just roll her over every so often.

Add water as needed, including at end.

6)Once Chicken is cooked thru, pull out. (Check on this at 1 hour if you’re planning to eat the chicken -ie soup or enchilada, so that you can cool it and shred now, otherwise leave it in.)

If you’re using your meat, you can put in freezer for 15 minutes to cool enough to take skin off and shred meat, with out melting everything in the freezer.

7) If you have time - you can let this stock go for another hour to really get the flavor of the vegetables. Or pull it when you’re ready.

8)Pull out the vegetables and discard. (easier this way than dumping.)

9)Strain the broth thru fine sieve

10)Degrease… You have two options. I do both, you can do either or…

a)if you want to use broth right away use a paper towel to pat top and pull grease off. Don’t worry about the juice, it’ll fall off, mostly the fat will stick to towel if you keep the towel on the surface.

b) if your not using right away let it cool off, chill it, and the fat will have solidified and floated. Easier to remove.

Now you’re finished! You have a gorgeous stock!

Freeze it in portions that make sense for your household. I keep them in quarts and one in the fridge but I cook everyday. I keep the ends of my parsley, carrots, onions, & celery from everything else I make, I freeze it and then -- Stock or Braised dish always ready to go, and those cents all add up!

This stock is incredibly easy to make and you can make substitutions - though I’ve made Gallons and Gallons of stock in different restaurants, and many different ways at home… this one is richer, and simply divine!

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