Friday, April 8, 2011

Fish

Fish.

Let me tell you, I have a troubled relationship with fish. I don't really like catching them, and if I do, I throw them back in. I absolutely do not like killing them. I even wrote at least one song that are fish-pro-life (see on the right).
I do not really like eating fish (or other seafood, for that matter), partly because of the fish-flavour, partly because I am terribly terrified of fish bones. Inside myself lives a huge fear of accidently getting a fish bone stuck in my throat and choking to death painfully and slow.
Then again, fish is supposedly good for you and healthy. And really fresh fish does not smell like fish.
Therefore I do eat fish, and when I do, I prefer caught-the-same-day-fresh filleted fish and I like to cook it myself.

(So I can pat down the fillets once or twice from all sides, feel them up and down for hidden and overlooked fishbones. That's what I do, and I do it very carefully.)

While there exist a lot of ways to create awesome fish dishes, this one is my current favourite:

At first you make some mashed potatoes, which at the moment I do this way (for two):
Take 4 medium sized potatoes, peel them, dice them, cook them.
Drain them, but not completely. Mash them with a fork, if too dry, add water. Add salt and a nice splash of olive oil. Stir.
Done.

Now for the fish (I use pickerel, nice white fish):
Preheat your oven to 350.
Make 2 "bags" out of aluminium foil. Put them on a baking sheet.
Put 1 portion of your fish fillet in each aluminium foil bag.
Chop and distribute evenly (just throw on top of the fish):
1 medium sized or big green pepper
1 medium sized red pepper
1 medium sized onion
a few black or green olives, sliced
1 big tomato (peeled)
100g or so of mushrooms, sliced

Add a nice amount of freshly ground pepper and a nice big splash of lemon or lime juice.
Then close the bags and place them in the oven.
Wait 20-25 minutes.

Enjoy.

(It's like fish soup, but better*. The veggies will still be crunchy, so somehow it'll feel like you are eating a warm salad. There will be a lot of juice, tasty and a bit sour from the lemon juice. The mashed potatoes will just soak it up. The fish will be cooked awesomely, just coming apart by itself when you touch it gently with your spoon.)

*no bones.

No comments: