Masterclass
Keep it Simple This Summer R ECIPE + T E X T
S T Y L ING • PHO T OGR A PH Y
Denise Marchessault
Deb Garlick
When garden veggies are at their peak and fish is on the menu, there’s no better time for simplicity in the kitchen.
F
Snapper is dusted with an aromatic blend of smok y paprika, chilli powder and freshly ground cumin and coriander. reshly caught fish and just-picked corn are two of my favourite summer ingredients, and they’re a breeze to cook. Add a side of savoury stuffed tomatoes and you have a meal worthy of company yet simple enough to whip up anytime.
One of the easiest and most flavourful ways to cook white fish (snapper, cod, or halibut) is to dust it with spices and pan-fry it. In this recipe, fresh snapper is coated with an aromatic mixture of smoked paprika, chili powder, and freshly ground cumin and coriander. To experience the true intensity of spices, purchase them whole and grind them with a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder. Pan-frying fish is as simple as it sounds, but be mindful of a few things: bring fish to room temperature before adding it to a sizzling-hot pan. And for the love of fish, don’t crowd the pan. Otherwise, you’ll end up steaming rather than frying it. For the most succulent fish, remove it from the heat and tent it with foil just before it’s done. The residual heat will take care of the rest.
Fish has many great partners, but grilled summer corn is one of its finest pairing. (This from a gal who could eat fresh-picked corn every day and never tire of it.) There are many ways to cook corn, but grilling it, in its husk, is a fine way to keep it moist and sweet. The heat from the grill and the corn’s protective husk steams the kernels. Some recipes call for pre-soaking the corn, but I don’t bother with 20 JULY/AUGUST 2021
this extra step if the corn is super fresh. I place the corn in their husks directly on a heated barbecue grill, turn the cobs now and again, and in about 25 minutes they’re cooked to perfection. Corn is most flavourful within three days of harvest. Here on the island, it’s easy to buy direct from the farmer, but if you don’t have that option, look for corn with tassels that are light, sticky, and moist, not dark or dry. When you peel back the husks a bit, the tip should reveal plump and tightly packed kernels. The season also brings an abundance of tomatoes, and although I enjoy them simply with a sprinkling of salt, there are plenty of creative ways to prepare them. Stuffed tomatoes are a great option for rounding up leftovers such as cooked rice and bits of cheese. In this recipe, small tomatoes are stuffed with a heady mixture of caramelized onions, briny olives, kale, tangy goat cheese, toasted walnuts, and a hint of sweet raisins. The filling is so flavourful you’ll want to stuff everything from Portobello mushrooms to sweet peppers. Stuffed tomatoes last a few days in the fridge, so prepare them when you’re in the mood for cooking and enjoy them when you’re not. Cooking doesn’t need to be complicated to taste great. When vegetables are at their peak and fish is on the menu, there’s no better time to keep it simple.
