Sunday Roasts (15 page)

When it comes to fish, many cooks’ first instinct is to panfry, deep-fry, boil, broil, or grill it. But there is another way: Roast it! Though this technique for preparing seafood may be less familiar to you, it is incredibly fast and easy and results in fish that is unfail-ingly moist.

Whether you want to roast whole or individual fillets or even shellfish, the guidelines are the same. Start out with the freshest and best catch possible. If you live in an inland area where it is not possible to buy fish straight from the ocean or stream, there are still good options. Look for fish that has been flash-frozen on the boat or dock just as soon as it is caught; it retains its flavor and texture nicely. Also, make a point of getting to know your local fish merchants. Ask when they receive deliveries and how the fish arrives in their store. Is it driven straight from the pier? Is it flown overnight from Asia? Once you’ve established a rapport, these vendors will be the first to point out specials and can also suggest alternatives when a fish you hope to purchase is not available. In this section, you’ll find recipes for roasting a variety of different fish and shellfish. For dinner with friends, you could serve a big, impressive whole fillet, like the Salmon Side with Fresh Orange-Ginger Relish or The Blue Heron’s Striped Bass with Summer Herbs, Tomatoes, and Aioli. Both are gorgeous, fresh, and tasty.

Big, beefy cuts of tuna and swordfish, called steaks, take to oven cooking naturally. Sesame-Coated Tuna Steaks with Orange-Sherry Mayo and Swordfish Steaks with Fresh Corn Salsa are likely to please even your most die-hard meat eater. For seafood paired with bold seasonings, you won’t go wrong with Roasted Cod with Tomatoes and Chunky Guacamole Salsa or with Halibut Steaks with Spinach, Chickpeas, and Bacon. Finally, shellfish is sublime when placed in a hot oven for only a few minutes, as you will discover with Skewered Shrimp with Warm Citrus Butter or Scallops Gratins with Lemon-Garlic Bread Crumbs.

Fast and fabulous—that’s what I think of when it comes to roasting fish.

When you’ve had a long day but still want to serve an attractive and delicious main course, this roasted cod is the answer. It’s quick to assemble and needs only a short stay in a hot oven. Although cod is my favorite, other fish such as striped bass, grouper, or even halibut steaks also work well. The fish is drizzled with lime juice, and then topped with thinly sliced tomatoes. When roasted, the flesh is extra-moist and flakes easily. Garnishes include dollops of guacamole, a pinch of crumbled bacon, and a sprinkle of cilantro. The resulting dish, with its vibrant colors, looks as if it requires far more expertise and much more time than what is actually needed.

Serves 4

COST
: Moderate

PREP TIME
: 25 minutes, including making the guacamole

START-TO-FINISH TIME
: 35 minutes

Olive oil for oiling the baking sheet/tray

2 cod fillets, 10 to 12 oz/280 to 340 g each and about ½ to ¾ in/12 mm to 2 cm thick

8 tsp fresh lime juice

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

2 to 3 medium tomatoes, stemmed and thinly sliced

4 slices bacon/streaky bacon (about 4 oz/115 g), fried until crisp and broken into bits

Chunky Guacamole Salsa ( see market note)

4 tsp minced cilantro/fresh coriander

4 lime wedges, for garnish

1.
Arrange a rack at center position and preheat the oven to 425°F/220°C/gas 7.

2.
Line a heavy, rimmed baking sheet/tray with foil and oil the foil generously. Arrange the fish fillets on the baking sheet/tray. Drizzle 4 tsp of lime juice over each fillet, then salt and pepper generously. Arrange slightly overlapping tomato slices on top of each fish to cover completely. (You may not need to use all of the tomatoes.)

3.
Roast the fish until the flesh is opaque and flakes easily when pierced with a sharp knife, for 10 minutes or longer. (Cooking time will vary depending on the thickness of the fish so watch carefully.)

4.
To serve, cut each fillet in half and, using a fish turner or a large metal spatula, transfer each piece to a dinner plate. Top each serving with a mound of the Chunky Guacamole Salsa, and sprinkle with some bacon and minced cilantro/fresh coriander. Garnish with a lime wedge.

SIDES
: Blanched tender green beans and either buttered couscous or basmati rice scented with a hint of saffron would make easy and delicious sidekicks to the cod.

LEFTOVER TIP
: Extra guacamole can be used as a dip with tortilla chips.

MARKET NOTE
: Homemade guacamole is best, but if you are pressed for time, you can substitute a good-quality purchased one.

On a visit to Barcelona, I ate a glorious lunch at Cal Pep, one of the Catalonian city’s celebrated tapas bars. Among the endless parade of palate pleasers, an unusual sauté of spinach, chickpeas, and bacon caught my eye. At home I tried my own version of this delectable combo and topped it with roasted halibut steaks. The fish needs only about twelve minutes in the oven, just enough time for the spinach and chickpeas to be sautéed.

Serves 4

COST
: Moderate to Splurge, depending on the season

PREP TIME
: 15 minutes

START-TO-FINISH TIME
: 30 minutes

4 tbsp/60 ml olive oil, plus more as needed

Two 1-lb/455-g halibut steaks, 1 in/2.5 cm thick

4 tbsp/60 ml fresh lemon juice

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

6 bacon slices (about 5 oz/140 g), cut into ½-in/12-mm pieces

One 15-oz/430-g can chickpeas, rinsed and drained well

10 oz/275 g baby spinach

2 tbsp minced flat-leaf parsley

Fleur de sel (optional)

Lemon wedges, for garnish

1.
Arrange a rack at center position and preheat the oven to 450°F/230°C/gas 8.

2.
Line a rimmed baking sheet/tray with foil and oil generously. Place the halibut steaks on the foil and drizzle each steak with 1 tbsp of lemon juice and 1 tbsp of oil. Salt and pepper the steaks.

3.
Roast the fish until the flesh is opaque and flakes easily when pierced with a sharp knife, for about 12 minutes.

4.
While the halibut is roasting, prepare the spinach and chickpeas. In a large, heavy frying pan over medium heat, fry the bacon pieces until golden and crisp, for about 3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to drain on paper towels/absorbent paper. Discard the drippings in the frying pan and add the remaining 2 tbsp of oil. Heat until hot over medium heat.

5.
Add the chickpeas to the frying pan and stir for 30 seconds. Add half of the spinach and stir until it starts to wilt, for about 1 minute. Add the rest of the spinach and stir constantly until all of the spinach has just wilted, for about 2 to 3 minutes; do not overcook. Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining 2 tbsp lemon juice and all but 2 tbsp of the bacon. Season with salt and pepper.

6.
Spoon the spinach and chickpea mixture onto a serving platter and place the halibut steaks on top. Sprinkle the fish with parsley and with the remaining bacon. Season with fleur de sel, if desired. Garnish the platter with lemon wedges.

7.
To serve, gently remove the skin by peeling it back from the flesh. Using a serving fork and spoon, lift the flesh away from the bones to get 2 servings from each steak. Accompany each serving with some of the sautéed chickpeas and spinach.

SIDES
: Add a salad of mixed greens and tomatoes tossed in lemon juice and olive oil and a crusty loaf of peasant bread (sourdough is particularly good) to complete the offerings.

LEFTOVER TIP
: If you have any remaining spinach-chickpea mixture, fill scooped-out tomato halves with it. Brush the tomatoes with olive oil and bake in a 350°F/180°C/gas 4 oven until tomatoes are tender and stuffing is warm, about 15 minutes.

Even fervent carnivores will be tempted by the delectable taste of these simple-to-prepare swordfish steaks. Thickly cut, the steaks are pan-seared, then roasted for a few minutes in the oven. A colorful corn salsa makes a vivid accompaniment to the succulent and tender fish.

Serves 4

COST
: Moderate to Splurge, depending on the season

PREP TIME
: 25 minutes, including making the salsa

START-TO-FINISH TIME
: 35 minutes

Olive oil to coat the roasting pan/tray

Two 12-oz/340-g swordfish steaks, 1 in/2.5 cm thick

2 tbsp fresh lime juice

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Fresh Corn Salsa

1.
Arrange a rack at center position and preheat the oven to 450°F/230°C/gas 8.

2.
Place a large, heavy, ovenproof frying pan over high heat with enough oil to lightly coat the bottom. When the oil is very hot, add the swordfish steaks and sear on one side until just starting to brown, for about 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and carefully turn the steaks. Pour 1 tbsp lime juice over each steak, and then salt and pepper them generously.

3.
Place the pan in the oven and roast the fish until the flesh is opaque, for 6 to 8 minutes. Check for doneness by making a slit in the thickest part of a steak with a small, sharp knife.

4.
Cut each steak in half and serve each portion mounded with some of the salsa.

SIDES
: Roasted or blanched asparagus and buttered couscous sprinkled with minced chives would make easy accompaniments.

LEFTOVER TIP
: Extra corn salsa can be used with other meats; it’s especially good with pork, chicken, and turkey.

The only tuna I knew as a youngster came from a can, but later I discovered the fresh variety and became a devotee. Fresh tuna is endlessly versatile and cooks extremely quickly, especially when roasted. In the following recipe, tuna steaks, coated with sesame seeds, are pan-seared, then finished in the oven in less than five minutes. An orange-scented mayonnaise, prepared with good purchased mayo, takes minutes to assemble and makes a bracing garnish.

Serves 4

COST
: Splurge

PREP TIME
: 10 minutes, including making the mayo

START-TO-FINISH TIME
: 20 minutes

COOKING TIP
: Tuna can overcook easily and turn dry, so it needs only a very short time in the oven. It is best when cooked to medium-rare, which means that there should be a thin line of slightly uncooked meat than runs through the center of each steak.

Mayo

½ cup/120 ml good-quality mayonnaise

1 tbsp minced flat-leaf parsley

2 tsp finely chopped shallots

1½ tsp dry sherry

1¼ tsp grated orange zest

Tuna

1 egg white, beaten lightly

½ cup/70 g sesame seeds

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

4 tuna steaks, each 5½ to 6 oz/155 to 170 g and about 1 in/2.5 cm thick

Canola oil to coat the frying pan

1 tbsp minced flat-leaf parsley, for garnish

FOR THE MAYO
:

Whisk together the mayonnaise, parsley, shallots, sherry, and orange zest in a medium bowl. (The mayo can be prepared 4 hours ahead; cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature 30 minutes before using.)

FOR THE TUNA
:

1.
Arrange a rack at center position and preheat the oven to 450°F/230°C/gas 8.

2.
Place the egg white in a small bowl and spread the sesame seeds on a dinner plate. Salt and pepper the tuna on both sides. Brush each steak with some egg white, then coat both sides with sesame seeds.

3.
Use enough canola oil to lightly cover the bottom of a large, heavy, ovenproof frying pan. Place the pan over medium heat and, when the oil is hot, sear the steaks for 1 minute, then turn and sear the other side for only 30 seconds. Place the frying pan in the oven and roast for 2 minutes, then, using a metal spatula, turn the steaks and roast for another 2 minutes for medium-rare (see cooking tip).

4.
Remove the pan from the oven and transfer the steaks to 4 dinner plates. Garnish each serving with a dollop of the mayo and a sprinkle of parsley.

SIDES
: Blanched snow peas and white rice tossed with chopped scallions, minced ginger, and a hint of sesame oil would make easy and tempting sides.

LEFTOVER TIP
: Although this tuna is best eaten immediately, any extra can be flaked and added to a watercress and green onion salad tossed in orange juice, white wine vinegar, and olive oil.