Monday

Fish Meuniere with Capers

We wanted a light pan-fried fish and this fit the bill. It cooks unbelievably fast, so have everything else ready first - or scramble around like me and make a mess.

Ingredients:
4 dover sole fillets, about 5oz each, but if they're more or less just make sure they're all about the same
1/2c flour
2 Tbs vegetable oil
2 Tbs unsalted butter

Sauce Ingredients:
4 Tbs unsalted butter (yes, I know, more butter)
1 Tbs parsley, chopped
1.5 Tbs lemon juice
2 Tbs capers, drained
lemon wedges for garnish/serving

Move the oven rack to the lower middle and place your dinner plates in there. Preheat your oven to 200*

Pat fish fillets dry with towels. Season fish with salt and pepper and let sit until glistening with moisture, about 5 minutes. Put flour in shallow pan. Dredge fillets in flour shaking off excess and place in single layer on baking sheet or dish until ready to cook.

Heat oil until shimmering in a large frying pan. Add butter and swirl in pan. Once butter stops foaming, add fish and reduce temperature to medium high. (Note: If you have a big frying pan (12") you may be able to do everything at once, but consider doing it in two batches. If you do cook in two shifts, heat only half the oil and butter, cook your fish and then wipe out the pan with a paper towel before you do the second batch.)

Cook until fillets are opaque at the edges and the bottom is golden brown. Don't move your fish around too much. Once it looks opaque at the edge, then you can peek at the bottom. Flip gently with a wide spatula (good luck) and cook the other side until golden. Transfer fillets to dishes in warm oven and start making your sauce.

Over medium high heat, melt butter and constantly swirling pan, cook butter until it browns and has a nutty aroma. Remove skillet from heat, add lemon juice and capers, adjust salt if necessary. Spoon over fillets, serve with lemon wedge and enjoy!

Thursday

Turkey Meatballs with Pasta in Cream Sauce

Makes: 4-6 servings
Prep: 20 min
Cook: 40 min

Ingredients:
3 Tbs olive oil
1c scallions, finely minced and divided
1.25 tsp salt, divided
3/4 tsp freshly ground pepper, divided
8 oz shitake mushrooms, sliced
2 Tbs all purpose flour
2.5c chicken broth
1/4 c fine dry bread crumbs
1/3 c milk
1c freshly grated Parmesan, divided
1 large egg
1# ground turkey
2 garlic cloves minced
3 Tbs minced fresh flat leaf parsley
2/3c heavy cream
1 # dried pasta such as rotini

Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add 1/2c scallions, 1/4tsp salt, 1/4tsp pepper, and mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, 2 minutes more. Add broth, cover and simmer 10 minutes.

Combine breadcrumbs and milk in small bowl, and let soak 10 minutes. Combine 1/2c Parmesan cheese, remaining 1/2c scallions, remaining 1 tsp salt, remaining 1/2 tsp pepper, 1 egg, ground turkey, garlic, and parsley in separate bowl. Stir in breadcrumb mixture and form into 1.5 inch meatballs.

Add meatballs to sauce; cover and simmer 20 minutes more. Add cream, and return to simmer. Add remaining 1/2c Parmesan and stir until sauce is slightly thickened.

Add drained cooked pasta and sauce to post and toss gently to combine. Serve with additional Parmesan.


Cottage Living Jan/Feb 2008