James Beard's New Fish Cookery - James Beard [70]
SALMON CHEEKS
These tiny delicacies — they are about the size of a fifty-cent piece — are hard to come by. If you live near the canneries or in the salmon district, possibly you can get some. To my taste, the cheeks are the very best part of the fish. They should be lightly dipped in flour and sautéed in butter. Serve them with lemon and finely chopped parsley.
Cheeks are often kippered and put in tins or glasses for cocktail tidbits. They are remarkably good.
KIPPERED SALMON
Kippered salmon is fish that has been cooked while it was being smoked. It has a pleasant flavor and is a most attractive luncheon dish with salad or it may be heated for a breakfast or supper. Flaked and mixed with horseradish, chopped fresh dill, and sour cream, it makes a wonderful spread for sandwiches or canapés.
SALMON ROE
The roe of salmon, like that of similar fish, is a delicacy of which many people are very fond. Try it sautéed or poached. Salmon roe is also used and cured, in various grades, as red caviar. (See shad roe, pages 222–224.)
Sand Dabs
Unfortunately this delightful morsel is not available outside the state of California. I can think of no other fish that is so delicately, subtly flavored.
BROILED SAND DABS
To broil these delicate fish, anoint them well with butter and cook quickly. The meat must not harden or dry out or the perfect texture will be destroyed. Season to taste and serve with a delicate sauce.
SAUTÉED SAND DABS
To my taste, the best way a sand dab can be cooked is sauté meuniére (page 10).
BAKED SAND DABS
Helen Evans Brown says in her West Coast Cook Book that sand dabs are excellent cooked in parchment, as follows:
Cut heart-shaped pieces of cooking parchment big enough to hold filleted, skinned pieces of sand dab. Butter the paper well and place a fillet on each piece of parchment, a little to one side. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add a thin slice of ham, 2 or 3 mushroom caps that have been lightly cooked in butter, and a sprinkling of chives and parsley. Fold the parchment over and crimp the edges together. Bake at 425° according to the Canadian cooking theory (page 8), adding 5 minutes for the paper.
Sardines
No doubt there are many children — and possibly some adults — who think that sardines are caught in cans. The fresh fish are available, also, and may be prepared in a variety of ways. For myself, I prefer them tinned.
Actually, there is no one fish named “sardine.” The term refers to any tiny fish with weak bones that can be preserved in oil. They are probably called sardines because they were first prepared in this manner on the island of Sardinia. In the Mediterranean and in the English Channel the pilchard is used for sardines. The Norwegian sardine is the brisling or sprat. Our East Coast variety is an infant alewife or herring, while the West Coast version, as in the Mediterranean, is the pilchard.
The sardines of Maine and California would be tops if the packers seasoned them well and used good oil. Since this is not the case, I recommend the fine Portuguese, whole, and skinned and boned. Try also the smaller Norwegian fish.
Sardines are the perfect emergency food. If your shelves are stocked with these, and good canned salmon and tuna, you need never worry about feeding the unexpected guest.
Fresh Sardines
Either the pilchard of the West or the infant alewife or herring of the East cooks well and makes a tasty dish.
GRILLED SARDINES
Estimate 4 to 5 sardines per person. Remove the heads, brush with oil, and broil 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper and serve at once with lemon wedges.
SAUTÉED SARDINES
Split and bone the fish. Dip them in milk and crumbs and sauté them in butter very quickly until nicely browned on both sides. Serve with a tartar sauce (pages 35–36), a lemon-flavored vinaigrette sauce (page 36), or a mustard sauce (page 23).