Baked Haddock Fillets with Dill Pesto, Polenta Cakes, Oyster Mushrooms, and Roasted Carrots

Face it.  If it wasn't for the fact that I post photos on this blog, much of the food I cook would end up haphazardly mushed together in a bowl - all function, no form.  But sometimes, human beings are inclined to make the world a prettier place.  Much like the way we decorate our homes, create works of art, or put on makeup for special events, sometimes I like to take my everyday glasses-and-ponytail plates and turn them into prom queens. 


oyster mushrooms

In the recipe below, I've taken three very simple dishes - baked haddock, polenta, and baked carrots - and I've given them a special presentation with a bit of elegance.  Fresh dill is the glue that holds the recipe together.  Originally, I bought a large bunch of fresh dill for use in another recipe, but there was so much of it left that I needed to put the rest to use.  What better way than to transform it into a garlicky pesto?  The dill pesto's flavor complements each element of the dish, especially the oyster mushrooms, whose mild flavor and delightful texture add an earthy element that keeps this presentation grounded.  Try this recipe sometime when you're feeling artistic!




Dill Pesto

2 cups fresh dill (fronds only - discard the stems)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil*, plus more if necessary
pinch salt

Combine the ingredients in a blender or food processor.  Blend until the mixture is consistent and creamy. 


* This is probably the only instance in which I will ever encourage you to NOT use an extra-virgin olive oil.  Oils labeled "pure olive oil" or simply "olive oil" will work best with this recipe; flavorful virgin olive oils will overpower the other flavors in this recipe. 


Polenta Cakes with Dill

1 cup instant polenta (I prefer Pastene brand)
5 cups water
2 t. salt
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
2 T. butter
1/2 cup grated pecorino romano

In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, bring the water, salt, and dill to a rolling boil.  Next, add the polenta in a steady stream, stirring quickly and constantly (this prevents lumps from forming).  Continue stirring, and once the polenta has thickened up considerably, add the butter and the pecorino.  Stir until they have melted into the polenta. 

Pour the polenta into a buttered 9x13 baking dish.  Set the polenta aside to cool for about 20 minutes, then using a round cookie cutter or the lip of a pint glass or tumbler, cut the polenta into round cakes.  Serve the extra polenta as leftovers. 


Baked Haddock Fillets with Dill Pesto, Polenta Cakes, Oyster Mushrooms, and Roasted Carrots

4 3-oz. haddock fillets
4 slices fresh lemon
4 T. butter
4 sprigs fresh dill
4 polenta cakes will dill (see recipe above)
4 very thin carrots with tops, tops trimmed to 1", halved lengthwise
1 bunch fresh oyster mushrooms, divided at base into 4 portions
1/4 c. dill pesto (see recipe above)
2 T. olive oil
splash lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 350.  Place the haddock fillets skin-side down in a baking dish lined with foil (the foil doesn't aid the cooking, it just makes cleanup much easier).  On each fillet, place 1 T of butter and a sprig of dill, and top each with a slice of lemon.  Place in the oven and bake for 10 minutes. 

Once the fillets have baked for 10 minutes, add the carrots to the dish.  Bake for an additional 5 minutes.  In the meantime, place 4 polenta cakes in a separate baking dish.  Once the carrots have baked for 5 minutes, add the polenta cakes to the oven to warm them.  Bake for 5 more minutes, adding the oyster mushroom portions to the dish alongside the polenta rounds for the last two minutes of cooking. 

While the fish, polenta, carrots, and mushrooms are baking, thin the dill pesto with the olive oil and a splash of lemon juice. 

When you are ready to plate the recipe, spoon the thinned pesto into the center of each plate in equal proportions, reserving about a teaspoonful.  Place a polenta round in the center of the pesto.  Next to each polenta round, place one of the oyster mushroom portions, and finally, top the polenta cake with a fish fillet.  Use two of the carrot halves to border the polenta and fish.  Finally, dot the edge of the plate with the remaining pesto.  Serve with a chilled white wine.

In the Mood for a Quickie?

We've all had those days. You know the type - the days when crawling out of bed and getting dressed seems only slightly less horrific than being waterboarded with Clorox, or the days when your schedule is packed so full that you have to deliberately schedule time to use the bathroom. 

These are the days when I rely on a few quick and easy recipes that don't require many ingredients, don't require much time, and are so simple that I can prepare them in full-on zombie mode. These are the days when I'm in the mood for a quickie (that's what she said). 

The beauty of these recipes is that they're not only delicious, but they look and taste like they required a good deal of time and effort to prepare, so they're great to keep up your sleeves for those instances when you have unexpected houseguests!



Garlic and Chile Shrimp

Splash olive oil
Bay leaf
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 red chili peppers, sliced (Fresno chilis work well in this dish)
1 pound raw medium-sized shrimp, peeled (16/20s work best)

Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over low-medium heat. Add the bay leaf, garlic, and chilis, and saute for 2-3 minutes, or until the garlic and chilis become fragrant.

While the garlic and chilis are cooking, pat the shrimp dry on paper towels. Once the garlic and chilis become fragrant, increase the heat to medium-high, then add the shrimps. Stir-fry the shrimp for 3-4 minutes, or until they’ve curled and turned opaque.

Serve hot with a bit of the cooking oil drizzled over them.

Pate-Stuffed Apples with Leeks and Cider

4 apples, cored and halved lengthwise, with a bit scooped out of the middle

1 cup hard cider*, plus more to thin the pate
1 cup chicken liver pate, brought to room temperature
Crushed potato crisps

Preheat the oven to 400. Place the sliced leek in a shallow baking dish, then place the apples skin-side down in the dish. Carefully pour in the hard cider, making sure that it doesn’t splash into the hollowed part of the apples. Bake for approximately 15 minutes.

While the apples are baking, thin the pate with a splash of hard cider until it reaches the consistency of frosting. Use the thinned pate to fill a pastry bag, or alternatively, a plastic baggie. If using the plastic baggie method, simply snip off the corner seam, as shown below:

After the apples have baked, use the pastry bag/plastic baggie to fill the apples with the pate. Once the apples are equally filled, sprinkle each with a pinch or two of the crushed potato crisps, then slice with a sharp knife and layer on individual plates. Spoon a bit of the cooked leeks on the plate next to the stuffed apple slices, and serve with glasses of hard cider.

* Magners is a popular and easy to find hard cider brand, but many small breweries are beginning to produce hard ciders - these are often worth the search!




Grilled Nectarines with Lemongrass Mint Balsamic Glaze

2 nectarines, halved
¼ c. Boston Olive Oil Co. Lemongrass & Mint White Balsamic Vinegar
3 T. powdered sugar, plus more to garnish.

Heat a grill or grill pan. Place the nectarine halves, cut side down, on the grill, and cook until lines have formed on the flesh. Set aside to cool.

In the meantime, whisk the vinegar and powdered sugar together to make the glaze. Set aside.

Once the grilled nectarines are cool enough to touch, slice lengthwise and arrange on individual plates. Drizzle with the glaze, then sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Baked Haddock

4 haddock fillets, approx 8 oz. each
2 oz. butter (approx half a stick), sliced into pats
Juice of 1 lemon
1 T. salt-packed capers, rinsed and drained
Chive- or shallot-based seasoning, such as Penzey’s Fox Point
Salt & pepper

Preheat the oven to 375. In the meantime, place the haddock fillets skin-side down in a baking dish lined with tinfoil. Place a few pats of butter on each fillet, then squeeze the lemon juice over the fillets. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.

Once the fish is cooked, place each fillet on a plate, drizzle with a few spoonfuls of the liquid, sprinkle with the seasonings, and serve.

Blistered Poblano Peppers

2 poblano peppers, sliced into strips*

1 T. lime juice

Kosher salt or sea salt

Lime wedges, to garnish

Heat a large, preferably cast-iron pan over high heat.  The pan is hot enough when a drop of water dances across the surface of the pan rather than sizzling.  Once the pan is hot enough, add the peppers in an even layer (depending on the size of your pan, you may have to do this in batches, as each pepper slice should touch the bottom of the pan). 

Cook the peppers for a minute or two – you’ll hear the peppers begin to “pop,” and there may be a bit of smoke.  Toss the peppers – you should see dark blisters on the skin.  Once these blisters form, stir-fry them for another 2-3 minutes, or until they are softened, but retain a crunch. 

Immediately after cooking the peppers, transfer them to a large bowl.  Sprinkle the lime juice and a few pinches of salt over the peppers, and toss a few times.  Serve on individual plates with lime wedges. 

*Poblanos are one of the milder chili peppers, but they’re still hot enough to sting like hell if you stick your fingers in your eyes.  I learned that the hard way when I took my contacts out after making these.  Don’t be an idiot like me and assume that because they don’t taste hot, they won’t burn you.