Fish Stuffed With Herbs Walnuts And Pomegranate Food

FISH STUFFED WITH HERBS, WALNUTS AND POMEGRANATE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 475 degrees. Set a large frying pan over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons olive oil. When oil shimmers, add shallots and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 12 minutes until the shallots are tender and golden brown.
• Meanwhile, place herbs, scallions, garlic and walnuts in a large bowl. Stir well with a wooden spoon to combine.
• Add remaining 2 tablespoons oil to the pan, then add the herb mixture. Add a generous pinch of salt and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until herbs begin to soften, about 4 minutes.
• Combine zest, orange juice and lime juice in a small bowl or glass. Add 6 tablespoons of the juice mixture to the herbs and cook another 4 minutes, until the taste of raw garlic subsides and the liquid simmers away. Add pomegranate molasses and tobiko, if using. Cook, stirring, for another 2 minutes, until molasses is absorbed. Remove from heat and let cool.
• Season the fish with salt, inside and out. Lay the fish open on a cutting board and drizzle 1 tablespoon juice mixture onto the flesh of each fish. Spoon about 1/4 cup stuffing inside each fish and tie closed with kitchen twine spaced 2 inches apart.
• Lightly drizzle a baking sheet with olive oil and lay fish on the sheet. Drizzle remaining juice over fish. Roast until flesh is opaque, flaky and firm to the touch, 18 to 20 minutes. Serve hot or at room temperature.

PERSIAN TAMARIND FISH

Steps:

• Put the barberries in a bowl and cover with warm water. Let soak for 30 minutes.
• Rinse fish under cold water and pat dry. Season generously with salt and pepper on both sides, brush all over with oil, and place fillets on a baking sheet. Refrigerate until ready to use, up to 2 hours uncovered, or up to 24 hours covered with plastic wrap.
• Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook until they start to darken at the edges, 7 to 10 minutes. Reduce heat to low and cook until dark brown and reduced to half the original volume, about 20 minutes.
• Add garlic, almonds, drained barberries and 2 tablespoons tamarind to pan. (If using cranberries instead of barberries, add an additional tablespoon of tamarind.) Cook over medium heat until fragrant, 5 minutes. Stir in herbs, and salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a bowl and cool to room temperature. Meanwhile, heat oven to 375 degrees.
• Press barberry mixture on top of fillets. Drizzle with more oil and bake until fish is just cooked through, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter. Top with any barberry mixture that fell off the fish, sprinkle with more fresh herbs, and serve with lime wedges.

HERB-STUFFED WHOLE FISH

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F. Place a large oven-safe saute pan or baking sheet on the lower rack of the oven to preheat.
• Season the belly cavity of the fish with salt and pepper. Place 2 or 3 lemon slices and a few sprigs each of thyme, oregano and parsley into the cavity of each fish. Really, just fill the cavities with all the lemon and herbs that will fit.
• Now for the fun part! Close the cavity of each fish by "sewing" a skewer through the skin: Hold the skin together, tucking in the herbs, and weave the skewer up and down through the skin to seal the cavity. The skewer stays in while the fish is cooking. Season the outside of the fish with a generous amount of salt and pepper. Divide the olive oil among the 4 fish and use your fingers to rub it on, coating them well on all sides.
• Carefully remove the preheated pan from the oven and gently place the fish in it. There should be a searing noise -- that means you're doing it right! Return the pan to the oven and roast the fish for 15 minutes.
• Remove the fish from the oven and let rest for 2 minutes. Carefully remove the skewers and place the fish (herbs and all) on large plates for serving. Since these are whole fish, be mindful of the bones as you eat, and advise your guests to be careful as well.

GRILL-ROASTED WHOLE FISH STUFFED WITH FRESH HERBS AND WRAPPED IN PANCETTA

Steps:

• Grilling Method: Indirect/Medium Heat
• Rinse fish and pat dry. Season with salt and pepper inside and out. Place fresh herbs inside cavity of fish. Lightly oil both sides of fish. Wrap seasoned, oiled fish with pancetta or bacon that is thinly sliced and unrolled. Wrap fish loosely, mummy-style, with the pancetta, leaving head and tail exposed.
• Place fish in center of cooking grate. Cook until opaque, but still moist in thickest part (10 to 15 minutes). Remove from grill.
• Place fish onto platter and serve immediately.

WALNUT AND HERB-STUFFED SALMON WITH SPICY TAHINI SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375°F. Prepare the salmon fillets by trimming the extra thin belly part. Use tweezers to pull out any bones. Blot dry and sprinkle half of the cinnamon on the meat side of each fillet and set aside to make the filling.
• In a food processor, place the walnuts, garlic, cilantro, parsley, lemon juice and zest, chilies, paprika, cumin, cinnamon, olive oil, salt and pepper. Pulse a couple of times until all the ingredients are chopped. Don't overprocess-try to keep a slightly coarse texture.
• Place one fillet skin side down on a working surface and place enough of the spicy walnut filling to fully coat the fish. Cover with the other fillet skin side up. Using the kitchen twine, gently tie up the fish to ensure the filling stays in place. Drizzle olive oil in the baking dish and put in the prepared fillet, drizzling a little more oil on top. Season with salt and pepper. Bake for about 20-25 minutes until done. Serve with tabbouleh and spicy tahini sauce on the side to drizzle over the cooked fish.