One big difference between Brooklyn and Berkeley is the fish. I I should have expected this, now that I live miles from the Pacific Ocean instead of the Atlantic. I have to say though, Brooklyn has great fish. My local fishmonger was Fish Tales in Cobble Hill, and not only did they have incredibly fresh stuff, the friendly guys behind the counter would give me creative new ideas on how to prepare it. Here in Berkeley, I've found a few solid fish markets, my favorite being Monterey Fish Market on Hopkins Street.
A very close second is Ver Brugge on College Avenue in Rockridge. This is where I found some beautiful Pacific Red Snapper fillets, the star of my dinner last night.
Ingredients:
Fish:
2 Pacific Red Snapper Fillets (approx. 3/4 pound)
New Mexico Chili Powder
Salt
Black Pepper
Peanut Oil
Chipotle Sauce:
4 chipotle peppers, chopped, from a can with adobe
1/4 cup adobe sauce from the can of chipotles
2 small tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup chopped onion
small handful cilantro, chopped
1 tbls butter
olive oil
Serve with:
Brown Rice
Guacamole
Homemade corn tortillas (made with Masa Harina)
Start with the Chipotle Sauce
This sauce is extremely spicy, but with an intensely smoky, flavorful heat. To make it a bit milder, take the seeds out of the peppers.
- Heat up a small sauce pan. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil.
- Add onions, cook 4 minutes, until translucent.
- Add tomatoes and chipotle peppers, cook for 2 minutes.
- Add adobe sauce and butter, cook on medium heat until butter melts.
- Put heat on low and gently simmer for 20 minutes uncovered, stirring occasionally. The sauce will thicken considerably.
- Add cilantro and take off heat.
- Using an immersion blender or food processor, puree the sauce.
Chili-Rubbed Red Snapper
- Pat the fillets dry and generously season both sides with sea salt, freshly ground pepper and chili powder
- Heat up a cast iron grill pan on high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of peanut oil.
- When oil is hot, add fish. shake pan around right away so it doesn't stick. Cook for 3 minutes on each side.
- Lower the heat a bit, and cook 2 minutes longer until just cooked through. The time will vary depending on the thickness of your fish.
You should have a dark crust on both sides. Cut the fillets into big chunks. Serve with brown rice, guacamole and the freshest corn tortillas you can find - or make your own. This fish really turned out amazing - super tender inside and crispy on the outside
Homemade Corn Tortillas
- Add 2 cups of Masa Harina into a large mixing bowl.
- Slowly add warm water, stirring, into you have a sticky dough. I added about 1 cup. Let dough sit for 5 minutes.
- Put a large tbls of dough between 2 sheets of wax paper and flatten out in a tortilla press. If you don't have one, roll the dough out by hand. I often use an empty wine bottle.
- Heat up a cast iron skillet, and cook for about 30 seconds on each side. These freeze really well too!
Tips and Changes
- Use Alton Brown's recipe for Baked Brown Rice. I usually don't recommend anything that comes from The Food Network, but this rice comes out perfect every time. When it's done, toss it in a sauce pan for 5 minutes and add olive oil and cilantro. The rice gets a great crispiness to it.
- Be sure to use high quality, fresh chili powder. Using older stuff won't add a thing to the fish.
Where I Shopped
Pacific Red Snapper: Ver Brugge on College Ave. in Rockridge
Chipotle Peppers: Mi Tierra Foods on San Pablo Ave.
New Mexico Chili Powder: Berkeley Bowl
