Mustard-Crusted Bass

We had friends over for Sunday lunch yesterday, and this was one of the many things I made. Now that the French gastronomic meal has UNESCO protected status and all, I feel the pressure has ramped up to produce the proper meal in its many courses. So we had gougères with the aperitif, then salad, then this fish and a quinoa pilaf, then cheese, then an apple crumble of sorts, then coffee and macarons. Our friends came at 12:30 and left at 5. That's a civilization worthy of protection, I guess...

Instead of buying frozen fish fillets, which I usually do because I'm a squeamish frightened fish buyer, I bought whole fish at the market, which the friendly guys cleaned and gutted for me. I also had them cut the heads and tails. They gave me the look, "OK, weird foreign lady." But I hate having my food look at me. So sue me.

This recipe, which I've adapted for a bit more simplicity, is from the August 2005 issue of Bon Appétit. I'm not sure why it didn't make it onto the Epicurious site--it's very good: flavorful and light. Which is good if you're doing an all-afternoon meal.

Mustard-Crusted Bass with Tomato Sauce

2 T. olive oil

2 T. butter

4 cloves garlic

1 branch thyme

Salt, pepper

2 lbs. tomatoes (get the tastiest you can find), cut into cubes

1 basket cherry/grape tomatoes, halved

1/3 c. Dijon mustard

1/3 c. whole-grain mustard

1 t. hot pepper sauce (I used Sriracha)

1-2 T. chopped fresh thyme

2 c. panko breadcrumbs (I used regular dry breadcrumbs because I couldn't find panko anywhere...)

4 striped bass fillets (or whatever bass-like fish is considered sustainable in your area)

Canola or other neutral oil

In a large saucepan or skillet, heat the butter and olive oil until the butter is melted and no longer foamy. Add the garlic and heat it until it sizzles a bit. Throw in the thyme and some salt and pepper, and then the cubed big tomatoes (save the little tomatoes for later). Let simmer until the tomatoes have broken down and the sauce has thickened--mine took at least half an hour. Throw in the cherry tomatoes when you're ready to cook the fish.

For the fish, get out two pie plates: put the mustards, hot pepper sauce, and thyme in one; put the panko in the other. Get out a skillet (nonstick is probably best) and heat some oil in it--enough to cover the bottom of the pan generously. Dip the fish in the mustard--you may need to smear it on with your hands or with a rubber scraper--and then in the breadcrumbs. Fry the fish until the outside is crisp and the fish is just opaque in the center--about 3 minutes per side.

To serve, spoon some tomato sauce on a plate and top it with a fish filet. Enjoy and get ready for the cheese.

Mexican Bean-Stuffed Peppers

I seem to be continuing with the retro recipes. This one comes from New Recipes from Moosewood Restaurant, which, as I see from the inscription, my cousin Cate gave me in 1987. I know for a fact that this book has traveled to Germany and back at least once, and now it's here with me--and there are still recipes I haven't tried. I liked this one--it's hearty but still has some good texture interplay, and if you leave out the cheese/sour cream thing (maybe top with avocado?), it's vegan.

The recipe recommended serving this with rice, but I didn't think that was necessary. Bulgur might also be nice if you want to be really healthy...

Mexican Bean-Stuffed Peppers

First, make a bit of a cooked salsa thing. Get out a food processor and put in it:

1 large can whole tomatoes, juice and all

1 bell pepper, green or red, seeded, cored, and coarsely chopped

(1-2 jalapeños, if you have them lying around, also cored and perhaps seeded)

1 onion, coarsely chopped

2 cloves garlic, peeled

1 chipotle chili

2 t. cumin

2 t. coriander

2 t. salt

Whiz that all together until it's pretty much smooth. Put it in a pot over medium heat and let it bubble away for an hour or so. If you don't have time for this foolishness, you could just use salsa or even enchilada sauce. Your call. Now we'll stuff some peppers.

1 large onion, chopped

2 T. olive oil

Salt and pepper

1 t. cumin

2 t. coriander

1 t. ancho chile, if you've got it

4 garlic cloves, minced

3 large tomatoes, chopped (I used a basket of cherry tomatoes, quartered)

2 c. corn (I used a can of corn--I'm sure frozen or fresh would be better)

2 cans pinto and/or kidney beans, drained, rinsed, and mashed up with a fork just a bit

2 T. soy sauce (that's how you can tell this is a Moosewood recipe--leave it out if you like)

6 bell peppers--you can buy two of those "stoplight" packs

Grated Cheddar/Jack/pepper jack and/or sour cream and/or avocado

Get out a 13x9-inch pan and oil it. Put about a cup of the salsa you just made in the bottom of it. In a large skillet, sauté the onion in the olive oil over medium-high heat until translucent. Add the salt, pepper, and spices and garlic and sauté another minute. Add the tomatoes, corn, beans, and soy sauce, and heat until it's all hot. Take off the stove and get your peppers ready: cut them in half lengthwise, core and seed them. Fill each one with the bean mixture (I had way more beans than peppers; oh, well) and put into the pan that you've put salsa in. When all your peppers are lined up, cover the pan and bake for about 30-40 minutes, or until the peppers are tender and everything is nice and hot. Garnish the peppers with cheese and/or sour cream and/or avocado and enjoy a taste of the 80s.

Lentil and Split Pea Soup

This is another recipe that's been lurking in the archives: it's from the December 1994 Bon Appétit, which I have in hard copy form in my apartment because I'm That Kind of a Person. Made as written, it's not very vegetarian, but you could leave out the smoked pork products and it would still be quite good--if you had a Parmesan rind lying around your refrigerator, you could put that in, as I did, which would add a nice savory edge. One more thing: I used the ham hock to make broth and then didn't use chicken broth. It's an easy enough thing to do if you have time and/or a Crock Pot.

Lentil and Split Pea Soup

3 slices bacon, chopped

1 onion, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

1 leek, cleaned and chopped

1 stalk celery, chopped

Salt and pepper

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 cup lentils, rinsed

1/2 cup split peas, rinsed

6 cups chicken broth

1 smoked ham hock

1 bay leaf

1/2 t. dried thyme

1 smallish potato, peeled and cubed

2 T. red wine

In a big pot, cook the bacon over medium heat until it's rendered and brown. Scoop out the bacon and sauté the onion, carrot, leek, and celery in the bacon fat until light brown. Add salt and pepper to taste (remember that smoked pork products tend to be salty) and the garlic; sauté another minute. Add the lentils, split peas, chicken broth, ham hock, bay leaf, and thyme. Bring to a boil and then simmer for about 30 minutes. Add the cubed potato and red wine and cook for another 20 minutes, or until the lentils, peas, and potato are all tender. Fish out the bay leaf and the ham hock. If you want, you can cut the meat off the ham hock, cube it, and put it back in the soup. If you like your soup on the thick side, get out an immersion blender, if you have one (you could also ladle a few cups of soup into your blender and turn it on, but be careful!) and blend until the soup has some body but also still some chunks. Top with the bacon, if you haven't already eaten it as a snack, and ham chunks. Serve on a cold day. Should serve about 6.