Monday, January 12, 2009

sunday supper

Eh, what a lackluster day.  So I'll write about Sunday.  I spent quite a while at the farmer's market assembling the ingredients for a Portuguese-inspired dish that was in Saveur.  I got a striped bass for about $3.50 from the fish cart.  I had to clean it, which was fun even though a bony fin stabbed me in the finger.  To get back at him I cut him up and stuffed lemon in his wounds.  Take that!
The farmer's market had no fennel but the co-op has pretty baby fennel for pretty cheap.
Here's the bass before he fucked with me.
I got some nice fingerling potatoes, too.  This one is so teeny.
Mussels and clams from the mussel and clam guy.  These manila clams are so small that each one just contained a sweet half bite.  No finger included for scale.
Here's the finished dish.  I blanched the fennel for four minutes.  I cooked it with white wine, salt and pepper, and orange zest.  I didn't have lunguica, but next time I would add a bit, or some Spanish chorizo.
This was the vinho verde that inspired it all.  Someday I hope to visit this winery and see that stone structure in person.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

That all looks so delicious.
I really admire the fact you put so much work into a meal.
I usually plan, cook and eat my meals in about an hour.

-Natalie.

beckler said...

That's true for me a lot of days, but some days it's my entire plan for the day.

Anonymous said...

Can't really tell from the photo, did the fish head stay on old school style?

beckler said...

yes. this was a very white and soft and tasty fish.

Anonymous said...

did you eat the eyes?

JB said...

I'm impressed. Today I made a grilled cheese sandwich out of Saveur (same issue?). You win.

Anonymous said...

this makes me want to get steve out fishing so we can take one to the Chinese restaurant that cleans 'em and steams them up with ginger, soy, sesame oil and scallions. Soooo lovely, and this is the perfect time to eat black bass and stripers, because they don't taste like mud.