Nairagi Tartar with Mango and Zucchini

I know, I know....you are probably getting sick of seeing this variation of my favorite dish, but what can I say - I love it! So simple, so satisfying, so not bad for you, such a better bargain than restaurant tartar, so amazing and addictive! Sorry, groan all you want but I eat a variation of Tuna/Salmon/Nairagi tartar EVERY week. Here is this weeks!

Tartar

• 1/3 pound of fresh Nairagi, cut with a Sushi Knife into small dice
• 1/2 Large Avocado – diced
• 1 cup Green onions – large dice
• Sesame seeds – black or white – to taste (I use about two tablespoons)
• Sriracha – to taste – I use about a tablespoon and a half
• Soy sauce – to taste about a 1/2 tablespoon
• One Lime, Juiced
• Eel sauce, 1 tbsp
• Ginger Lime marinade/sauce, 1.5 tbsp
• Salt and pepper
• 1 Mango, diced
• 1Small Zucchini, cut into small dice

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well, adjusting flavors as desired.

Coconut Rice

• One cup Coconut Milk
• Two Tablespoons Ginger People Minced Ginger
• One tsp salt
• Half cup of Basmati Rice

Bring milk, ginger and salt to a boil in a small saucepan. Add rice, cover, reduce to simmer. Cook for ten minutes and fluff.

To Assemble:

Pack Rice into a small, round ramekin. Turn upside down in the middle of the plate, then remove ramekin leaving a small mound of rice. Top with the tartar, drizzle with additional eel sauce - or place a small dot in various spots on the plate. Feel free to top with fried shallots if desired. Alternately, you can Julienne the zucchini and arrange the zucchini below, above, or around rice, then top with tartar and shallots if desired. I went for the all-in-one combo to make life simple.

Wasabi Crusted Nairagi with Mango Salsa and Coconut Rice

Nairagi is a Hawaiian fish that is very similar in texture to Big Eye Tuna. Central Market (at least in Austin carries it) and it is cheaper than big eye and yellow fin tuna (more expensive than albacore). Lately the price has been about two dollars higher than normal, luckily my fish monger likes to talk to me about food and gives me a fantastic discount whenever I go! Gotta love fish mongers! This dish is one half of what I made last night. I needed a recipe that I could use for both fish and beef and I wanted a twist on my classic fish dish (I seriously eat Ahi poke with coconut rice WAY too much), so I sort of said hey this sounds good and this sounds good and this sounds good. In truth, in making the nightly menus for the week I decided to just take components from three different meals and put them together. Had I had more time I would have loved to do a couple more things, which I plan to just include in my recipe. Additionally, the mango that I bought was deceptively un-ripe and the salsa, though it tasted great was a bit off texturally and looks less like salsa than I would like. This will be remedied soon when mangoes come into full season so it will be great if you try it over summer. Also, word of caution - I HATE cutting mangoes. It is one of those fruits that I just cannot figure out regardless of how many times i do it, see it, read about it - you get the picture - so I will not be telling you how to cut a mango.

Serves One

Fish

• One four oz Nairagi steak (can sub tuna if you wish)
• One tsp Wasabi powder
• Half Cup of crushed Wasabi Peas
• One tablespoon Sesame Seeds
• Salt 
• Pepper
• Olive Oil for coating

Combine salt, pepper, Wasabi powder and crushed wasabi peas, and sesame seeds on a plate - mix well. Dip the fish in olive oil on both sides then coat each side with the wasabi mixture. Bring olive oil or canola oil to temperature over medium heat, place fish in pan and sear for about 45 seconds on each side. Remove and reserve.

Coconut Rice

• One cup Coconut Milk
• Two Tablespoons Ginger People Minced Ginger
• One tsp salt
• Half cup of Basmati Rice

Bring milk, ginger and salt to a boil in a small saucepan. Add rice, cover, reduce to simmer. Cook for ten minutes and fluff.

Mango Salsa

• One Mango, diced
• One half a red onion or one large shallot, fine dice
• 2 garlic cloves, made into a loose paste
• 1/3 cup minced green onions
• 1/2 large avocado, diced
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• Cayenne Pepper to taste
• Squeeze of lime juice, about half a lime
• Salt and Pepper to Taste
• One Jalapeno, seeded and finely diced
• A few tablespoons of fresh basil or mint (optional) 
• 2 tablespoons Ginger, minced

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well (but gently) keep in fridge until ready to use.

Fried Shallots (had I had time I wanted to make this, you can also use pre-made ones that you can buy in Asian markets)

• One shallot, thinly sliced
• Canola Oil (can use olive oil but Canola or Safflower oil will be best for frying) 
• A small handful of flour
• Salt

Heat oil in a skillet (about a cm worth of oil) to 325 degrees. Toss Shallots with flour then put into the hot oil. Fry until a LIGHT golden brown (anywhere from 2 minutes to 12 minutes depending on heat and depth of oil and amount of shallots being fried) and remove to a napkin lined drying rack or plate. Sprinkle with a bit of salt.

Dish Assembly
Place a small mound of rice in the center of a plate (can be done in free form, with a molding ring, or with an upside down measuring cup. Place the fish on top of the rice once it has finished searing. Drizzle fish with eel sauce then top with the Mango Salsa. Top the Salsa with Fried Shallots and serve (fish can also be sliced before serving if desired - this is recommended if you do not have sushi knives or smaller sharp knives).

Fish Tacos

I love fish tacos. I have not made these in a while, but I really do love them and I think they are way better than a lot of fish tacos that you can buy at resturants. You can get as crazy as you want with the toppings - I typically like them a certain way. Incidently, this is the only way that I will eat Tilapia. Not sure why, but I just do not like it any other way.

Serves 4 (one taco each)

• 2 Fresh Tilapia fillets
• 4 corn tortillas
• 1.5 cups Chile Corn Crust (you can buy this pre-made from Central Market or make your own crust using tortilla chips and various spices - I have done both they are equally good one is much simpler)
• Half head of radicchio or red cabbage, shredded
• 1 carrot, julienned
• Chipotle Aioli
• Large handful of Cilantro, chopped
• Avocado Slices
• Olive oil, egg or soy sauce for coating fish
• Shredded cheese of choice *optional

Marinated fish in soy suace - if using for a few minutes. In a small bowl beat an egg, then coat the fish on both sides (after salt properly seasoning the fish). On a plate, spread the crust out and then dip the fish onto the crust, coating well on both sides. Place the fish in a large skillet with heated oil (canola oil poured at least a half inch high), flip after about 2-3 minutes depending on thickness of fish. Remove fish to a plate covered with a napkin to absorb excess grease. Squeeze with a bit of fresh lime juice.

Warm tortillas in oven (laid directly on the rack. Prepare the Chipotle Aioli (garlic mayo, chiptole peppers in adobo, lime juice in a food processor) and put into a small bowl. Into individual bowl, place radicchio, carrots, avocado slices, cilantro and shredded cheese if using (I don't like mine with cheese but feel free).

Build taco as you wish and enjoy (the fish will be divided into two pieces per filet).

I like to serve this with black bean corn salsa.

Halibut with Artichoke-Tomato Broth

For some reason this dish just soothes my soul. It has a ton of flavor and is one of my favorite things to make. Bear with the recipe me as I have not made this in a while and it may need updating.

This is my own version of a Giada de Laurentis dish.

• Use any kind of thick white fish – I prefer Halibut when it is in season or fresh caught, but you can use Orange Roughy as a good sub (though this is not on the sustainable list), or Sea Bass – just please no Chilean Sea Bass – incredibly unsustainable
• Several Shallots – sliced thin - I use at least four medium to large shallots per half pound of fish
• Garlic – minced – I use about 4 larger cloves
• Dry white wine – at least a half cup – more to taste (I use about a cup)
• One or two cans of artichoke hearts (can also use frozen) – with a little bit of the liquid reserved
• One pint grape tomatoes – halved and seeded
• 4 tablespoons butter
• Chicken broth – maybe a half cup
• Red Pepper Flakes to taste
• Salt and pepper
• Fish – properly seasoned to taste

Season the fish, heat olive oil or butter in a sauté pan on medium high heat and sear fish quickly to get a nice crust, remove fish to a plate and turn heat to low. Using the same pan, sauté shallots, red pepper flakes, and garlic (with a pinch of salt) in olive oil or butter. Once glassy, Add wine and reduce to cook the alcohol off, add chicken broth and reduce (if you like more wine at this point add to taste). Add in artichokes, artichoke water, and tomatoes and butter. Simmer for about five minutes or until the tomatoes begin to lose their shape just a bit. Depending on how you like the doneness of your fish, return the fish to the pan at some point during the five minutes. Salt and Pepper to taste.

Once done, plate the fish and smother with the sauce. If using garnish (such as fresh herbs, fried leeks or shallots, or crispy prosciutto) add now. Serve with steamed veggies or roasted dark greens and toasted chibatta bread to soak up sauce (can also use rice).

Variations: You can add a bit of bacon, pancetta or prosciutto to this for more flavor if you are a pork lover. I like to add something crispy on top for texture – crispy leeks or prosciutto are my favorites. If using pork of some type crisp it before you sear the fish to add flavor to the pan and the sauce.