Fish Heads Rule!

Fish stock, or fumet, is among the most nourishing foods known to man and even more so if you use your head, er, I mean their heads. Fish stock is a mineral-rich cocktail of calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, silicon and sulphur. But more than that, fish heads deliver health benefits that a cow or chicken simply cannot. So, it is no wonder that this precious potion is a central ingredient in the gastronomy of all cultures that enjoy abundant seafood.

Ewww alert: The magic that a beady-eyed fish cranium delivers is in part due to thyroid glands and iodine. Mmmm, right? Well, anatomy lessons aside, iodine assists your thyroid gland in producing hormones which regulate metabolism. Add to all these heady benefits, the fact that fish stock is loaded with gelatin, a digestive aid. And, of course, for those suffering from one food allergy or another, fish stock is casein-free, egg-free, gluten-free, nut-free, sugar-free, yeast-free, anti-candida, and low-carb. Oh, and delicious.

Ideally, fish stock should be made from non-oily white fish such as sole, turbot, rockfish or snapper. A good fishmonger will save fish heads and bones for you if you ask. If the monger only has sections from large fish, ask them to hack them down to pot-sized pieces. Fish bones are surprisingly tough and your kitchen will thank you for not playing ninja at home.

The process to make fish stock is simple. My recipe takes more time than the average simmer-and-slurp variety (about an hour) but you will be rewarded for the extra effort. Slow and steady reduction creates incredible depth of flavor. The fish stock freezes very well for up to 4 months so make more than you need and freeze portions. Far from “fishy,” a well-balanced fish stock can be sipped on its own. But, don’t miss the opportunity to see it shine in Clams with Salsa Verde, traditional Paella Mixto, or as poaching liquid for fish.

The Esquites of Peña de Bernal

It seems that corn is as essential to the people of Mexico as is air and water. Around 10,000 BC, corn was first domesticated in the Sierra Madre Mountains giving birth to the tortillas that fueled the Mayan and Aztec empires.

But tortillas are just one of the many essential Mexican incarnations of the almighty tassel-topped ear: gorditas, huaraches, sopes, garnachas, tlacoyos, tostadas, tamales, champurrado (a hot chocolate beverage thickened with masa), and of course, the street food staples: elote (eaten on the cobb) and esquites seasoned or plain and served in a cup dressed with aged cheese, mayo, lime and hot sauce. (See Esquites recipe here.)

Never before have I seen such a variety of esquites as I did in tiny picturesque town at the foot of Peña de Bernal (The 2nd tallest monolith in the world—thank you, Victor Bibbins, for that random fact!) Earthenware bowls display vibrantly prepared esquites with poblano, guajillo, habenero, epazote, and other seasonings that cling to the plump golden kernels through the miraculous properties of butter. I was offered a taste of each formulation but I could not order a whole cup. Sadly, I was too stuffed from my corn-centric breakfast gorditas—filled with huitlacoche (corn fungus). Rookie corn-bingeing mistake.






What do the Swiss know about Gazpacho?

In the heat of summer, gazpacho appeals on a number of fronts. It is deliciously refreshing, it can use up surplus tomatoes and peppers that tend to stockpile in mid-summer, and there is no need to heat up your kitchen to put dinner on the table.

As I was learning Spanish and Basque cuisine, gazpacho was the rare recipe that was easier than I thought it could be. The cold, thick, vaguely creamy version specific to Andalucia, Spain, required forethought to begin a day in advance, but that is the greatest challenge it presents. The overnight mingling of roughly chopped ingredients is followed by 20-minutes at the blender emulsifying the soupy salad with olive oil. The secret ingredient is dried French baguette which contributes to a hearty, but smooth texture. You’ll be surprised how much the texture and color resembles a cream-based soup.

On my first gazpacho attempt, I was feeling pretty proud of my efforts and invited a Swiss guest, Rachel, who was staying in our Airbnb property to dine with us. I’m generally skittish about testing new recipes on non-family members but I took confidence in the fact that a Swiss woman would hardly be a tough critic of gazpacho.

To elevate the presentation, I placed bits of brightly-colored veggies and a chartreuse celery leaf in the bottom of each bowl, then dramatically ladled the soup over the edible artwork at the table. As a last touch, I floated a freshly toasted garlic and Parmesan crouton on the top of each bowl to oohs and aahs from my diners.

We chatted about the trials and tribulations of learning English. Rachel from Bern, repeatedly dipped into her soup, seemingly enjoying the dish. When the bowl was empty, she put her spoon aside she said, “That gazpacho is exactly as I remember from trips to my parents’ summer home in Andalucia. It was so good, it brings back wonderful memories of Spain.”

I sat stunned and made a mental note to never assume! Lesson learned.

Make Adalucian-style gazpacho

Mise en place: A Good Place to Start

In home cooking, as in restaurants, mise en place refers to the process of organizing and arranging the ingredients that are required for meal(s) being prepared. It is the mise en place which allows restaurants to rapidly serve hundreds of dishes each night. Prep cooks work all day so that when service begins, each station is fully prepped with all the ingredients necessary to make a particular dish. All the protein is cut, skinned, descaled, etc…, the fresh products are washed, cut, and separated into bowls, the vegetables are sliced, diced, or julienned to the correct size and the sauces are standing at the ready.

Some mise en place tasks take only minutes, like chopping vegetables but others take hours, for example caramelizing onions, cooking dry beans, making stocks and reductions. Still others are all day engagements like slow cooking meat or marinating overnight. Without a doubt, some of the preparations which elevate restaurant food beyond “home cooking” are born in labor-intensive mise en place – for example, cured meats, reductions, and fresh cheeses are not especially practical for a schedule which assigns 6:00 pm-6:45 pm for the creation of dinner. Few home cooks have the time or equipment to accomplish these tasks on a routine basis.

That said, a little preparation goes a long way. Basic mise en place will make you more efficient in your daily cooking and more capable of pulling off extraordinary meals on special occasions. By taking a little time each week to do produce kitchen essentials such as minced garlic, simple vinaigrette, and chopped parsley, you can put restaurant quality meals – in taste and presentation – on the table with relative ease. Furthermore, mise en place preparation will extend the shelf life of fresh products. Confit duck, for example, will last for weeks in the fridge, compared to a piece of fresh meat that may only keep for a few days.

So get out your prep bowls and get chopping! You will be amazed how quickly and effortlessly a meal comes together when work is done in advance. As an added bonus, a thorough mise en place makes it impossible to realize while cooking that you don’t have an ingredient or have missed a time-consuming step (hard boiling eggs, marinating meat, etc…). On the other hand, if you like improvisational cooking, have limitless time, and enjoy back-to-back emergency trips to the store, mise en place may not be for you.