The Catskill Chronicle

By Jude Waterston

In the balmy, sometimes scorching days of summer, nothing seems a finer experience than sitting down to a meal of fish and seafood, particularly when it is prepared chilled. This past week, my sister, Janet, and I “vacationed” at our house upstate. The temperature hovered in the upper nineties each day. While mulling over what meals to serve that would be cool and refreshing, plus also  allow me to forgo standing over a hot stove, I was reminded of the days Janet and I spent in Oaxaca, Mexico some years back.

Early one afternoon we found Marco Polo, a seafood restaurant that kept us coming back for more. Seated in an open-air, backyard dining area surrounded by lush trees and flowering plants, the experience was heavenly even before any food appeared. A cold Corona embellished with a slim wedge of lime was the perfect antidote to the heat. At lunch one afternoon, we split a ceviche (marinated raw fish) of chunks of pompano in a piquant lime juice vinaigrette topped with a confetti of chopped tomato, red onion, cilantro and minced chile peppers. A cocktail of octopus salad in a sprightly marinade arrived piled into a large martini glass. Perfectly grilled shrimp and empanadas de cazon (baby shark) rounded out the meal.

An evening soon after found us wending our way back to Marco Polo. Red snapper ceviche was served mounded on crisp, freshly made corn tortillas. Two slightly different seafood cocktails followed. These came in tall soda fountain glasses and were, variously, plump shrimp in a ketchup-based red sauce and one of mixed seafood in a similar, though thinner, dressing with a spicy kick. We ended with one cooked dish: squid stewed in its own ink.

Earlier this week after rereading my journal of that exceptional vacation, I got the bug to prepare a bunch of cold seafood dishes for Janet and me. I’ve always found the concept of ceviches interesting. They are popular in South American counties, particularly Peru, and are also eaten in Mexico and in the Caribbean. Raw fish is “cooked” in freshly squeezed citrus juices, usually a combination of lemon, lime, and orange until it is no longer opaque, then dolled up with all manner of ingredients such as sweet bell pepper, cucumber, avocado, hot chile peppers, citrus segments, or fresh tomato seasoned with chopped fresh parsley, cilantro, or mint. My favorite is one made simply with ultra-fresh silky sea scallops and ruby red grapefruit sections, but I’ve also used other fish such as salmon along with the scallops. (see photos below for details on how to cut Citrus Supremes and Slaw pieces)

Seafood salads provide another fresh alternative to ceviche. Insalata di Mare is a popular Italian antipasti that is a celebration of lightly cooked seafood such as octopus, calamari, shrimp, scallops, mussels, and clams fortified with crunchy chopped celery, flat-leaf parsley, lemon juice and extra-virgin olive oil. Many Hispanic countries make a similar dish substituting lime juice for lemon and cilantro for parsley. Ingredients from Thailand inspire a favorite seafood salad I often turn to on hot days. Calamari, sliced into thin rings, is parboiled for less than a minute then bathed in fresh lime juice, rice wine vinegar, and Asian fish sauce. Yellow, red, or orange bell peppers and cucumber sliced into matchsticks are added along with minced fresh ginger, sliced scallions, spicy chile garlic sauce or chile pepper flakes and chopped fresh mint, cilantro, and Thai basil. Served atop a bed of lightly dressed greens, it’s one of the most beautiful and refreshing mid-day meals imaginable.

Finally, cold poached salmon napped with a mustard and dill sauce; tarragon-mustard mayonnaise, or cucumber and yogurt sauce makes for a classy-looking yet easy dinner. Sometimes I serve it in bite-size chunks as an appetizer presented on a bed of thinly sliced lemon slices. Just before serving, I ladle some sauce over the salmon and garnish it with fresh snipped chives or parsley. A brightly colored slaw of white and red cabbage, crisp jicima, bell peppers, carrots or any other vegetables you favor is the accompaniment of choice on these hot, steamy days and nights of summer. Stay cool.

Poached Salmon with Tarragon-Mustard Sauce

Serves 2

Salmon:

1/3 cup water

1/3 cup dry white wine

3 lemon slices

4 whole peppercorns

4 – 5 fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley sprigs

2 6-ounce salmon fillets

For mayonnaise:

1/3 cup mayonnaise, preferably homemade

1 teaspoon whole-grain Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Finely grated lemon zest from 1 small lemon

1 tablespoon minced fresh tarragon

1 tablespoon minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 teaspoon minced fresh chives

Pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and taste for seasoning. Chill until ready to serve.

For salmon:

Combine water, wine, parsley, lemon slices, and peppercorns in a large skillet. Simmer 5 minutes to blend flavors. Add salmon fillets, skin side down, cover and simmer over medium-low heat until salmon is barely opaque in the center, about 9 minutes. Transfer salmon to plate to cool; discard wine mixture. Cover salmon with plastic wrap and chill until cold, at least 2 hours and up to 6. Serve with mayonnaise.

To serve, place 1 salmon fillet on each of four plates. Spoon some of the mayonnaise over each fillet and pass additional sauce separately. Garnish with lemon wedges, if you like.

Scallop Ceviche

Serves 4 as an appetizer or 2 as a main course

This is a colorful and beautiful looking appetizer that is versatile as well. You can substitute lime or lemon zest for the orange; red or orange bell pepper for the yellow; and add diced avocado or tiny cubes of seeded cucumber to the ceviche. It can be served piled into martini glasses as an appetizer or over greens and halved cherry or grape tomatoes dressed with a fruity extra-virgin olive oil and rice wine or Champagne vinegar.

 

For marinade:

¾ pound (seven or eight) sea scallops

¼ cup fresh lime juice

¼ cup fresh orange juice

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

 

For ceviche:

Juice of ½ large lime

1 teaspoon orange zest

½ yellow bell pepper, seeded

2 scallions, white and light green parts, thinly sliced

1 medium ruby red or pink grapefruit

2 heaping tablespoons chopped fresh mint

2 heaping tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Salt and pepper to taste

Rinse scallops and pat dry. Carefully slice each scallop horizontally into three discs and place discs in a shallow bowl. Pour orange, lemon, and lime juices over scallops and chill, refrigerated, for 3 to 5 hours, until opaque. Drain scallops and discard liquid. Place scallops in a clean large bowl. Slice the bell pepper into matchsticks, then stack and cut the matchsticks into tiny cubes. Slice off the top and bottom of the grapefruit and stand the grapefruit cut-side down on a cutting board. With a very sharp knife and rotating the fruit, slice off the skin and white pith. Slice the grapefruit into segments and cut the segments into thirds. To the bowl of scallops slices add the orange zest, lime juice, bell pepper, scallions, cilantro, mint, and grapefruit. Season with salt and pepper and toss well. Serve immediately or keep chilled for up to an hour.

Thai-Style Squid Salad

Serves 2 as a main course or 4 as an appetizer

½ cup fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

1 tablespoon Asian fish sauce

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger

1 teaspoon salt

1 red, yellow, or orange bell pepper, cut into thin strips

1 kirby or ¼ of an English hot house cucumber, skin on, cut into thin strips

¼ cup thinly sliced scallions

¼ teaspoon Asian chile garlic sauce or chili pepper flakes

3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

3 tablespoons chopped fresh Thai basil (or sweet basil, if Thai is unavailable)

3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1 pound cleaned squid sacs and tentacles, sacs cut into ¼-inch rings

In a large bowl, stir together the lime juice, vinegar, fish sauce, sugar, ginger, salt, and 3 tablespoons water. Add the bell pepper, scallions, chile sauce, mint, cilantro, and Thai basil. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the squid and cook for about 45 seconds until opaque and tender. Do not overcook. Drain immediately and place in an ice-water bath for 1 minute. Drain well and add to the vinaigrette. Toss the salad and refrigerate for 20 – 30 minutes. Remove the salad from the fridge 10 minutes before serving. Toss again and adjust seasoning. Serve, if desired, with sliced avocado seasoned with fresh lime juice and sea salt.

How to cut Citrus Supremes –

Cubed Pink Grapefruit –

Close-up of Slaw Ingredients –