Turbot Fillet with Creamed Okra and Corn

A few weeks ago I made this fish dish, which was really yummy and made me feel like I was back at home in Alabama (okra is a very popular vegetable in the South). With a nice glass of white wine, it was the perfect treat. I especially love the tarragon with this as it adds a nice bite to the creaminess of the veggie mixture. As with most my dishes, this was also simple to make.

Although I made this dish with turbot, you can certainly use other types of fish too. Really any white fish, such as tilapia or flounder, should work.

So here is how I made it (per 1 serving):

Fish

• 1 Turbot fish fillet
• 2 tbsp Flour
• 1 tbsp Olive oil

1. Lightly flour the fish fillet, shaking off any excess flour.
2. Add olive oil to a skillet over medium heat.
3. Place fish in skillet. Cooking time will vary depending on the size of the fillet, but generally you will want to cook the fillet for a few minutes on each side. When done, the fillet should feel stiff with a slight give.

Creamed Okra and Corn

• 1 tbsp Olive oil
• 2 tbsp Shallot, chopped
• 1/5 lb Okra, chopped in 1 centimeter pieces
• Corn cut off of 1 cob
• 1 tbsp Tarragon, chopped
• 3 - 5 tbsp Crème fraiche (depending on how creamy you want it)
• Salt and pepper

1. As the fish is cooking, place a separate small skillet over medium to medium-low heat and add the olive oil and chopped shallot. Sauté until the shallot softens. (Use a larger skillet if making more than one serving.)
2. Add the okra and cook until the okra is almost cooked through. About 5 minutes.
3. Add corn and cook for about 2 minutes—enough time to warm up the corn while keeping it crunchy.
4. Remove skillet from heat and add tarragon and crème fraiche. Mix until the crème fraiche liquefies, creating a nice creamy sauce.
5. Place the fish fillet on a plate and top with the creamed okra and corn mixture.

Enjoy!

Grilled Southwestern Salad with Shrimp

For Memorial Day weekend, my friends and I spent one evening grillin’. Speaking of grilling, let me use this opportunity to make a very important note—grilling is not the same as bar-b-queing.

Ever since I moved up North, I have noticed that these northern people think throwing some hamburgers on the grill is bar-b-queing. Obviously they have never been to the South where we know what true bar-b-queing is! Contrary to grilling, bar-b-queing generally requires pork ribs (or beef, when in Texas) that have been slowly cooked over a grill allowing the smoke to gradually seep into the meat. Anything else is just grillin’.

Now that we have that cleared up, let’s move onto what we grilled up. Most of our friends grilled hamburgers. Carrie prepared the hamburgers by mixing the meat with finely chopped onions, worcestershire sauce (can any of you pronounce this sauce?), and salt. They looked great!

Alison and I opted for a grilled southwestern salad with shrimp. Aside from having to spend some time chopping, this is a very simple dish and a nice deviation from the normal grilling food. Bobby Flay would be proud.

Before I share the recipe, I should point out that when grilling shrimp, you need to place the shrimp on kebab sticks. Otherwise, the shrimp would just fall through the grill. If the kebab sticks you are using are made of wood, make sure you first soak the sticks in water to prevent them from burning—or worse, catching on fire. That would be a bummer.

Okay, here is how I made this meal (for about 4 servings):

Grilled Southwestern Salad

• 2 large tomatoes, diced
• ½ large red onion, diced
• 1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• Juice and zest from 1 lemon
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
• 4 ears of corn
• Salt and pepper to taste

1. Mix first five ingredients in a large bowl.
2. Grill corn until grill marks appear. Cut corn kernels off the cob and add to the bowl. Note that the cobs will be very hot. I used a napkin when holding the top of the cob to cut the kernels off.
3. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Grilled Shrimp

• 1 ½ lb shrimp, peeled
• Cumin (you can also use cayenne pepper or paprika)
• Pepper

1. Place shrimp onto kebabs.
2. Sprinkle a little cumin and pepper over shrimp on both sides.
3. Place shrimp kabobs on grill and cook through. Remember to not over cook or the shrimp will become tough.

Very easy and very good. Enjoy your Memorial Day weekend!