Adler Karen - Fish and Shellfish, Grilled and Smoked

To our families:
Sarah and Nick;
Dick and daughters Ellen and Jill,
and their families

T HE H ARVARD C OMMON P RESS
535 A LBANY S TREET
B OSTON , M ASSACHUSETTS 02118
WWW.HARVARDCOMMONPRESS.COM

Copyright 2002 by Karen Adler and Judith M. Fertig
Illustrations copyright 2002 by ChrisVan Dusen

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

Printed in the United States of America
Printed on acid-free paper

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Adler, Karen.
Fish & shellfish, grilled & smoked : 300 foolproof recipes for everything from amberjack to whitefish, plus really good rubs, marvelous marinades, sassy sauces, and sumptuous sides / Karen Adler and Judith Fertig.
p. cm.
ISBN 1-55832-180-2 (cl : alk. paper)ISBN 1-55832-181-0 (pbk. : alk. paper)
1. Cookery (Seafood) 2. Barbecue cookery. 3. Cookery (Smoked foods) I. Fertig, Judith M.
II. Title.

TX747.A315 2002
641.692dc21
2001051538
ISBN-13: 978-1-55832-181-6
ISBN-10: 1-55832-181-0

Special bulk-order discounts are available on this and other Harvard Common Press books. Companies and organizations may purchase books for premiums or resale, or may arrange a custom edition, by contacting the Marketing Director at the address above.

10 9 8 7 6 5

J ACKET & INTERIOR DESIGN BY R ENATO S TANISIC
Jacket photograph Rita Maas/Envision
Illustrations by ChrisVan Dusen

We thank the following home cooks, restaurateurs, chefs, cookbook authors, seafood aficionados, and barbecue friends for recipe inspiration: Jody Adams, Darina Allen, Georgiana Baer, Terry Barkley, Todd Baron, Brenda Burns, Steve Cole, Shirley Corriher, Norm Crisp, Ardie Davis, Brooke Dojny, Larry Forgione, Lila Gault, the late Jane Grigson, Sharon Tyler Herbst, Geraldene Holt, Monique Jamet Hooker, Paul Kirk, Susan Herrmann-Loomis, Michael McLaughlin, J.J. Mirabile, Joyce Molyneux, Laura ORourke, Louis Osteen, James Peterson, Patrick Quillec, Steve Raichlen, Chris Schlesinger, Guy Simpson, Michael Smith and Debbie Gold, Nancy Stark, Elizabeth Terry, the late Barbara Tropp, Carolyn Wells, and Patricia Wells.

Many thanks to the following for special assistance in the research of this book: the Chefs Cellaborative, the Catfish Institute, the National Audubon Society, Nick Nicholas, and Traeger Industries.

To all of our food friends from the International Association of Culinary Professionals, Les Dames DEscoffier, the National Barbecue Association, and the Kansas City Cookbook Club, we thank you for your ongoing support.

The Harvard Common Press, our publisher, has a remarkable list of people that we work with, including Bruce Shaw, Pam Hoenig, Skye Stewart, Sunshine Erickson, Abbey Phalen, Beatrice Wikander, and many others.

Last but not least, our closest friends and family are the dear ones who put up with our cranky moods when deadlines are upon us, cheer us on when wonderful things happen, and do the grunt work of everyday life when our plates get too full. They also are the ones who help us clean our plates when we need thoughtful tasters. Our warmest thanks to: Dick Adler, Dee Barwick, Mary Ann Duckers, Nick Fertig, and Sarah Fertig.

Why are two women from the landlocked Midwest writing a fish and shellfish cookbook? Good question.

First of all, new technology has made fresh fish available all over North America. In larger cities, just-caught fish is flown in daily. Frozen-at-sea halibut or cod and flash-frozen catfish, trout, and shrimp are also in supermarkets and seafood shops.

But thats not fresh! some might say. But we maintain that fresh is in the flavor and texture, and frozen-at-sea and flash-frozen fish and shellfish can often be delicious. In a recent seminar and blind fish and shellfish tasting by the Chefs Collaborative, many food professionals (including the two of us) preferred some of the previously frozen to the fresh fish and shellfish because the flavor and texture were superior.

To enjoy and cook from Fish & Shellfish, Grilled & Smoked, you dont have to live on a coast. You can live anywhere and just select the best and freshest-tasting fish and shellfish you can find. We are very careful to offer substitute varieties in our recipes and in an informative chart, as fish and shellfish in the wild have definite seasons when they are and arent available. Overfishing has also caused depletion of some varieties, and youll have to substitute others. Farm-raised fish and shellfish are generally available all year long.

Secondly, we live in a part of the country that takes grilling and smoking very seriously. Kansas City has been known as the melting pot of barbecuewhere all of the many regional styles come together. So, we are in the perfect spot to grill and smoke fish and shellfish of all kinds, using many different techniques.

We have caught fresh fish, then grilled and smoked our catch far away from Kansas City as well. Karen and her husband, Dick, often go fly-fishing in Colorado and Idaho and deep-sea fishing around Baja, California. Judith grew up vacationing and fishing with her father and grandfather on the Great Lakes, lived and fished in New England, and now vacations with her family off the coast of the Carolinas. We know how delicious fresh-caught mackerel can be on the grill or in the smoker, but it is a fish that just doesnt travel well. Take our book with you when you go on a coastal vacation and enjoy grilling and smoking some of the fish varieties you cant get at home.

The two of us also belong to an all-women barbecue teamthe tiara-topped, beauty queen sash-wearing Barbeque, or Que, Queens. In yearly Battle of the Sexes Barbeque contests for charity, the Que Queens usually beat the all-mens team. We have a costume, a special secret ingredient barbecue sauce known as Love Potion for the Swine, and a song to go with it. For this book, weve set aside our Que Queen barbecued baby back ribs for amberjack and yellowfish, cherrystone clams, and Olympia oysters. But we havent set aside the fun.

When we teach our fish and shellfish classes at culinary schools across the country, we like for everyone to laugh and learn. We have tried to include our two favorite conceptsbig flavor and big funin every recipe. After all, when youre standing outside and smelling something wonderful on the grill or smoker, doesnt that put you in a good mood?

Because grilling and smoking fish and shellfish are fairly simple when you follow our guidelines, youll feel accomplished when you turn out a perfectly grilled salmon fillet or moist and delicious smoked trout. When you taste the delicious grilled and smoked recipes you can easily prepare, along with sassy side dishes and sumptuous sauces, your taste buds will be ready to rumba. And so will your guests. Just be prepared.

When youre in the mood for a meal offish or seafood, grilling is your quickest, easiest, and tastiest cooking option. Because fish has no tough connective tissue, its perfect for the fast, hot nature of the grill.

Buy the Freshest Fish and Shellfish

Rule number one is to always use the freshest ingredients. When selecting and buying fish, go to a reputable fish and seafood market. The manager of this market, known as a fishmonger, will help you select the best catch of the day to sizzle on your grill. So be flexibleif your recipe calls for halibut but the salmon is the freshest, change your plans. The fishmonger also can suggest similar fish when you need to substitute, or use the Fish and Shellfish Substitution Guide for the Grill on . Choose fish with bright, clear eyes if you are buying whole fish, make sure the flesh is fresh and moist, and beware of an overpowering fishy or ammonia odor.