Fish - Alan's Cookbook

Fish 

a chapter from 

Alan’s Cookbook 

Alan G. Yoder


Some guys sprout a fishing pole at the end of their arms 

whenever they get near water. I sprout a frying pan 

whenever they come home.

Fettucini with yellow squash, salmon and herbs 

Fresh salmon sashimi in a warm bed of pasta and vegetables. 

Delicious! 

Fresh linguini 

Olive oil 

Yellow squash or 

zucchini 

Fresh wild salmon 

Parsley 

Oregano 

Salt and pepper 

Optional 

Cilantro in place of 

parsley makes for a 

piquant and interesting 

variation on this dish. 

You can use dried pasta for this dish, but fresh 

pasta, if you can get it or make it, is best. 

Use a utility oil for the squash, and a good fruity 

olive oil for the dressing. 

It’s nearly impossible to get salmon that hasn’t 

been previously frozen. Just make sure it smells 

clean, not at all fishy, and is advertised as being 

sashimi grade. 

Cut any skin off the fish and clean off any 

discolored parts. Cut into 1/2” pieces. Sprinkle 

with chopped oregano. Put somewhere warm to 

breathe and come to life. 

Use about half as much vegetable as pasta. Cut it 

into julienne pieces like very slender french fries, 

about 1” long. Fry in very hot oil until it’s a light 

crispy brown. Drain on a paper towel. 

Cook the pasta in boiling water. Fresh pasta takes 

two or three minutes to get al dente, dried takes 

longer. Drain and immediately stir in a liberal 

quantity of the good fruity oil. 

Chop a good amount of parsley. Toss everything 

together, season to taste and serve with a 

parsley garnish. 

Serves: 5 per pound fish 

Cooking time: 25 minutes 

- 139 -

Lavender and lox 

A lovely variation on a common way of serving lox 

Lox 

White bread 

Lavender leaves 

Capers 

Red onion 

Olive oil 

I prefer an Italian loaf that is hearty but not 

overpowering. 

The lox needs to rest a while at room temperature 

to wake up. 

Cover the lox on both sides with lavender leaves 

and press them in a bit. Let rest for a while. 

Slice and toast the bread and let cool. 

Mince the onion finely. You won’t need a lot, and 

doing it by hand will look nicer. 

Fry a few leaves of lavender in a hot dry pan until 

they smoke, to release their flavor. 

Drizzle a bit of oil on the toast, or use a brush. 

Very thinly spread the onion bits—they should be 

like stars in the sky. 

Remove the lavender leaves from the lox as you 

lay a piece of it over to mostly cover the toast. 

Crumble a bit of the fried lavender over it and 

decorate with several capers. 

Serves: 8 per lb lox 


- 140 -

Scallops with garlic and herbs 

A wonderful accompaniment to most any kind of pasta 

Large scallops 

Olive oil 

Garlic 

Parsley 


Optional 

Thyme 

Marjoram 

Green onion 

Cognac 

Any richly flavored olive oil will work here. The 

original recipe uses butter, so an oil of that kind 

of softness and richness is what you want. 

Fresh scallops are of course better, but previously 

frozen ones will do. Make sure they are 

completely thawed. Bring them to room temperature 

if you have time. They should smell nice, 

not fishy. 

Chop the parsley finely and set aside. Don’t use 

too much. We want the scallops to look like 

scallops, not herb crusted marshmallows. 

Chop a liberal amount of garlic—medium fine—at 

least one clove per serving. Heat the oil over 

medium heat and saute the garlic a bit. Before it 

gets brown, add the scallops and fry them a 

minute or two on each side. They should be just 

warm inside. 

If you’re using cognac, splash a bit over the 

scallops and light it, swirling the pan around to 

get the oil and liquids well acquainted. 

Take off heat and add the parsley and any other 

finely chopped fresh herbs you’re using. Toss 

until everything is mixed and the herbs are 

sticking to the scallops. Let set a minute and 

serve. 

Serves: 3 scallops each 


- 141 -

Salt cod and potato fritters 

Crispy fritters of Spanish or possibly Jewish origin. 

Dried salt cod 

Potatoes 

Onion or shallot 

Celery 

Egg 

White flour 


Peanut oil 

Salt cod can be prepared in one day if you start in 

the morning, but it’s usually best if you let it go 

overnight in the fridge. 

I prefer white or yukon gold potatoes (not baking 

potatoes) for this dish. 

The better quality the peanut oil, the better these 

will taste. 

Rinse the extra salt off the fish and cut it into 

manageable chunks. Cover with cold water and 

refrigerate. Two times, take out and change the 

water. It needs to take on water and become only 

moderately salty. 

Dice a stalk of celery and equal amount of onion, 

as you would for a mirepoix, but leave them raw. 

Run the potatoes through a shredder; you can 

peel them first if you prefer. Squeeze them dry in 

a kitchen towel, fluff them back up and add the 

celery and onion bits. Add enough flour to coat 

everything lightly. Also add pepper at this point. 

Chop the cod finely and add to the potato 

mixture, then add enough egg to just bind everything 

together. Form into patties and fry on a 

griddle. Only add salt if you try one and the cod is 

not salty enough to season everything else. 

Serves: 8 per lb cod 


- 142 -

Salt cod pancakes 

These are wonderful when used as the base for other dishes, such as 

chicken, turkey, duck or seafood and accompanying sauce toppings. 

Dried salt cod 

White flour 

Butter 

Milk 

Cold water 

Eggs 

Salt 

Baking soda 

Baking powder 

Butter or oil 

For a cup of flour, use 2/3 c water, 2/3 c milk, 

three eggs, a half stick of butter and a tsp each of 

baking powder and soda. Only add salt after a 

trial to see if the salt cod already contributes 

enough of that. 

Prepare the salt cod as in the previous recipe 

(page 142). 

Separate the egg whites from the yolks. Melt the 

butter in a pan or microwave. 

Mix the dry ingredients together. Add the egg 

yolks, butter, milk and water. Stir gently. There 

will be lumps, The batter should be fairly liquid— 

add more milk and water if necessary. Incorporate 

the cod gently. 

Whip the egg whites until stiff, and fold in the rest 

of the batter. 

Fry on a buttered griddle. 



- 143 -

Sea bass with black beans and peppers 

This colorful dish is of Caribbean origin. 

Chilean sea bass filets 

Canned black beans 

Red and yellow bell 

peppers 

Poblano pepper 

A couple serrano 

peppers 

Onion 

Celery stalk 

Chicken broth 

Parsley 


Oil 

Optional 

Fresh cilantro 

Most any kind of pepper will do, but be stingy 

with the hot ones. Caribbean food is generally 

spicy and flavorful, not hot. 

Make a mirepoix of the celery and some of the 

onion. While that is gently simmering, destem 

and deseed the peppers. Cut them into small but 

not insignificant pieces. Add them to the 

mirepoix, adding oil, and raise the heat just a bit. 

Also chop the rest of the onion and add it. Fry for 

a few minutes until about half done. 

Drain the beans, add them, and add enough 

broth to make everything wet and mixable. Tie 

up the parsley and put it in as a bouquet. 

Cook for about a half hour, until everything is 

yummy. Take out the parsley bouquet and 

season to taste. 

Arrange the filets on top of the beans and cover 

tightly. You want to steam the fish, not cook it. It 

should be done in well under 10 minutes, and be 

medium rare—warm but still translucent on the 

inside. 

Serve each filet on top of a mound of beans and 

peppers, and garnish with parsley or cilantro. 

Some fresh orange, red or yellow bell pepper 

slices on the side are a nice touch. 

Serves: 3 per lb sea bass 


- 144 -

Crab and lobster on potato fritters 

An impressive main dish, combining several recipes from this section. 

Potatoes 

Onion 

Celery 

Crab meat 

Lobster meat 

Lobster sauce 


Unsalted butter 

Parsley 

Peanut oil 

Salt cod fritters (page 142) are a fine accompaniment 

to lobster and crab, or you can make plain 

potato fritters. 

Cooking lobster and making lobster sauce are 

explained on page 35. I usually buy crab meat at 

a good fishmonger, because it’s such a pain to get 

the meat out of the crabs oneself. Needless to 

say, it must be very fresh. 

To make plain fritters, follow the directions for 

salt cod fritters (page 142), leaving out the cod. 

You’ll need a fair bit of salt though, since the cod 

won’t be around to introduce it. 

Fry the fritters in hot peanut oil, and rest them on 

brown paper. They’re best if kept fairly small. 

Warm the lobster and crab pieces in the oven, 

drizzling them liberally with butter to keep them 

moist. 

When plating, put a spoonful of sauce on a plate, 

set one or two fritters in the pool, and arrange 

crab and lobster pieces on them. Drizzle just a bit 

of sauce over the meat, and garnish with parsley. 

Ratatouille or any other tomato and vegetable 

dish makes a fine accompaniment. 

Serves: 8 per lb shellfish 

Cooking time: 1 hour 

- 145 -

Sand dabs 

A simple and delicate fish with a delicious flavor. 

Fresh sand dabs 

Lemon 

Egg 

Pecans 

Flour 


Oil 

I prefer sand dabs with the bone in. When they 

are cooked, the flesh peels off the skeleton very 

nicely, just by sliding a fork along the spine on 

either side. 

Grind pecan pieces to a coarse meal, and place in 

a dish. Whip an egg until it’s smooth, add the 

amount of salt and pepper you’d use if you were 

planning to scramble it, squeeze some lemon 

juice into it, mix again, and put in a separate 

dish. 

Sprinkle a layer of flour in a separate dish. 

Wash the dabs, dip them in the flour, then in the 

egg mix, then in the pecans to make a crust. The 

flour helps the eggs bind to the skin, so the crust 

doesn’t flake off as you fry the fish. 

Fry the dabs over medium heat, about 2-3 

minutes, until a fork stuck into them goes clear 

through the thickest part near the spine and the 

gills very easily. Serve immediately. 

Serves: 1 per dab 


- 146 -

Fish with vegetables, olives and capers 

Very Mediterranean. 

Fish filets 

Spring potatoes 

Other vegetables 

Capers 

Provencale olives 

Grassy olive oil 


Lemon 

Oil 

Optional 

Rosemary or lavender 

branches 

Use a nice firm white fish like halibut, or even 

shark. 

Carrots, celery, cauliflower, onions, leeks and a 

number of similar vegetables all go fine in this 

dish. Use what you like. 

I particularly love the large mature caper berries 

that are harder to find. Alessi is a wonderful 

brand. 

Clean, peel, cut to bite size, and cook the 

vegetables in salted water until they’re just done. 

Drain. 

Fry the fish in oil, squeezing on a bit of lemon 

juice and grating a bit of salt and pepper onto 

each side. Don’t overcook it. 

Put a piece of fish and some vegetables on each 

plate. Drizzle the good grassy oil over everything, 

and anoint all with a few olives and a liberal 

number of caper berries. A rosemary or lavender 

garnish is a wonderful touch. 

Serves: 3 per lb fish 


- 147 -

Fish and potato bourride 

A lovely assembly, meaning a dish put together from ingredients 

that are wonderful on their own. 

Tender white fish 

Pugliese bread 

Small yellow potatoes 

Leeks 

Aioli 

Clam broth 

Chicken broth 

Bouquet 

Orange 

Lemon juice 




Any white fish that is not normally made into 

“steaks” will work here. 

If you can’t get Pugliese, any good solid Italian 

bread will do. 

For the bouquet, use a combination of parsley, 

thyme, lavender, and a tiny sprig each of fennel 

and tarragon. 

The basic idea here is fish on a bed of potatoes 

and leeks over toast, served in a bowl with an 

inch of bourride binding everything together. 

First make the bourride. Combine a couple jars/ 

cans each of clam and chicken broth, put in the 

bouquet, and reduce to 1/3 volume. Remove the 

bouquet when it starts to look used up. 

While this is reducing, make an aioli (page 34), 

Add aioli about 1 part to 3 to the reduced broth 

and whisk vigorously to blend. Correct 

seasonings and set aside. 

Concurrently, slice the potatoes and boil in water 

until nicely done. Drain. 

Also concurrently, wash and slice the leeks (one 

will do for 4 people). Sauté them very gently in 

butter until tender and set aside. 

Toast slices of the bread, one per serving. 

Fry the fish in oil and lemon and pepper until 

barely done. 

To assemble, place a piece of toast in a soup 

bowl, arrange leeks and potatoes generously on 

top. Place a piece of fish atop all, and pour 

bourride around the mound. Zest a bit of orange 

peel over everything and garnish with a spring of 

parsley. 

- 148 -

Catfish del pacifico 

A Mexican favorite. 

Catfish filets 

Olive oil 

Flour 

White wine 

Garlic 

Poblano chilis 

Lemon 

Cumin powder 


Make sure the filets are fresh. Use a whole 

poblano for each filet. 

Destem and deseed the poblanos and cut them 

into bite-size pieces. Coarsely chop the garlic. 

Cook them together in oil and a bit of wine until 

tender but not overdone. 

Remove the chilis from the cooking liquid. 

In a frying pan suitable for the fish, make a roux 

(page 25) with flour and oil. Add the cooking 

liquid and more wine to make a thick but still 

liquid sauce. Adjust seasoning with the salt and 

pepper. 

Zest some lemon rind into the sauce and add 

juice to taste. Add a generous amount of cumin— 

it should be a really obvious flavor. 

Now place the filets into the sauce, followed by 

the peppers and garlic. Cook gently for several 

minutes, until a fork passes easily through the 

fish. Like most fish, it’s much better to undercook 

than overcook this, so best err on the side of 

impatience. Remove from heat and serve. 



- 149 -

Octopus on potato slices 

A traditional Spanish tapas dish. Octopus is called pulpo (pool’- 

poh) in Spanish, a somewhat nicer name for a most deserving 

creature. 

Octopus 

Salt 

Potatoes 

Onion 

Olive oil 

Paprika 

Parsley 

Yellow or red potatoes are best here. 

A better quality olive oil will pay dividends. 

Wash the octopus thoroughly and cut out the 

stomach and beak if they’re still on it. You’re only 

going to use the arms, but it’s convenient to have 

the whole thing in one piece at this point. 

Tenderize the octopus by whacking it on a heavy 

cutting board, then rolling it with a heavy rolling 

pin. An ordinary meat tenderizer will do too, but 

don’t be overly muscular about it—the meat can 

fall apart if you abuse it too mightily. 

Bring a large kettle of salted water to a rapid boil. 

“Scare” the octopus by dipping it into the water 

with a tongs and then removing it for a minute. 

Repeat two times. 

Put the octopus into the boiling water and simmer 

for 45-60 minutes, until it’s tender. 

Meanwhile, peel, slice and gently boil the 

potatoes, until they’re tender. 

Meanwhile, sauté a small amount of finely minced 

onion. Mix with olive oil and paprika to make an 

oily sauce. 

When the octopus is done, drain it and slice thin 

(about 1/4” or less) pieces off the arms until 

there’s no more meat left. Arrange the potatoes 

on a platter with the octopus slices on top. Grate 

some salt over all, then drizzle with the paprika 

dressing and garnish with parsley. 

Serves 6-8 per octopus 


- 150 -

Mussels 

If you’ve never had mussels, you’ve missed one of the better 

treats the ocean has to offer. Here are two ways to make them, 

both dead simple and delicious. 

Green mussels 

Red or white wine 

Garlic 

Bay leaves 

Parsley 

Green mussels often have “beards”, little 

hairballs of seaweed that help disguise the 

mussel’s “mouth” from its prey. When you get 

the mussels, place them in a large mixing bowl. 

scrub with cold water, but don’t soak them in it. 

Grab the beard with your fingers and rip it off, 

using the sharp edge of the shell to help. And 

they’re ready. 

I often wimp out and use pre-peeled garlic from a 

jar, though peeling it fresh is better. 

A nice citrusy wine like Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon 

Blanc is best for the white. For the red, use a nice 

light Rhône wine. 

Recipe 1. Coarsely chop about 20 cloves of garlic 

and a handful of parsley for each five pounds of 

mussels. Place them in a large kettle with 1/2 

bottle of white wine (this is enough for any 

amount of mussels). Boil rapidly, covered, until 

the wine foams up through the mussels and the 

mussels open. Serve with good toast. 

Recipe 2. Coarsely chop about 5 cloves of garlic 

and 5 fresh bay leaves for each 5 pounds of 

mussels. Place them in a kettle with 1/2 bottle of 

red wine. Boil rapidly, covered, until the wine 

foams up through the mussels and the mussels 

open. Serve with good toast. 

Some say you should not use mussels that don’t 

open during the cooking process. Others—who 

are still living—pooh pooh this. 

Serves 1 per lb mussels 


- 151 -

Salt cod and brie on puff pastry 

A sinful but delicious contribution to the potluck table. Also 

suitable as a rather extravagant yet easy to make appetizer. 

Salt cod 

Mashed potatoes 

Brie 

Puff pastry 

Pimentón 


You’ll need approximately equal quantities of 

each of the main ingredients. 

Use salt cod as explained on page 142. 

Make mashed potatoes as on page 73, but don’t 

add salt, as the cod will contribute enough of 

that. 

The large round puff pastry shells you can get at 

better grocers these days have worked fine for 

me. You don’t want too much puff on these 

pastries anyway. 

The brie needs to come to room temperature 

before use. This magnifies the flavor as well as 

making it more workable. 

You may be tempted to use one of those tart 

pans with the removable bottom. Don’t. The 

butter in the crust and cheese will run all over 

your oven (ask me how I know). 

Set the oven to 400°. 

Mix the cod and mashed potatoes together and 

adjust the seasoning. Add the brie and stir until 

they’re more or less mixed. Check the seasoning 

again. 

Place the puff pastry into a tin with an edge on it, 

to prevent the filling from running out. Spread 

the filling evenly and decorate with a few shakes 

of paprika. Place in the oven until the crust is 

nicely browned. Remove, let cool, cut into pieces 

and serve. 



- 152 -

Fish on parsnip fettucini 

An interesting variation on regular fettucini dishes. 


Parsnip 

Clam broth 

Chicken or vegetable 

broth 

Carrot 

Parsley 


You can substitute salsify for parsnip in this 

recipe. Use a nice firm fish such as halibut or 

orange roughy, in approximately equal proportions 

to the fish. 

Peel the parsnip and cut it into long julienne 

pieces like fettucini. A mandoline will come in 

very handy for this, if you have one. 

Finely chop about 1/6 as much carrot and some 

parsley. 

Cook the fettucini, carrot and parsley in 1/2 clam, 

1/2 other broth over medium heat. As the 

vegetable starts to seem like it might be done 

soon, about 15-20 minutes, place the fish on top, 

cover the pan and poach until the fish is done. 

Serve immediately. 

Serves 3 per lb fish 


- 153 -

Open face crab on croissant sandwiches 

A beautiful snack on a summer day. 

Croissants 

Crab meat 

Mayonnaise 

Celery 

Paprika 

Parsley 

A good homemade mayonnaise (page 33) is by 

far the best here. 

Slice celery into very thin, almost translucent, 

slices. 

Slice the croissants as if to make a sandwich. 

Toast these lightly in a toaster oven or under a 

broiler. 

Anoint the toasts artistically with mayonnaise. 

Sprinkle liberally with celery slices. Place a 

mound of crab pieces in the center of each. Top 

with a sprinkle of paprika, and a sprig of parsley. 

Serves: 2 per croissant 


- 154 -

Paella 

Paella is traditionally made in a “paellera,” a large round or oval 

flat-bottomed pan, without stirring, over a wood fire. I 

recommend gas, unless you just love cleaning the blackened 

smudge off the bottom of large round pans. 

Ground veal or beef 

Ground sausage 

Medium shrimp 

Scallops 

Calamari 

Filet of firm fish 

Chicken broth 

Clam broth 

White wine 

Onion 

Carrots 

Bell peppers 

Bread crumbs 

Eggs 

Parsley 

Cognac 

Pepper 

Olive oil 

Arborio rice 

Saffron 

Thyme and bay leaves 

Optional 

Chicken 

Duck 

Clams and mussels 

Serves 8-12 


Veal is preferred for its milder flavor. Make sure 

all seafood is fresh smelling—if there is any 

ammonia smell after you wash it is probably bad. 

Pino Grigio is a good wine to use. Chicken and 

shellfish are traditional additions. 

Make small meatballs with the veal, some finely 

chopped onion, bread crumbs, chopped parsley 

and enough egg to bind them. 

Repeat with the sausage, using finely chopped 

bay instead of parsley, and no onion. 

Cut the calamari into rings and bite size pieces. 

Cut the carrots and peppers into small julienned 

pieces, about 1/8” x 1/8” x 1/2”. Keep in water. 

Sauté the scallops in butter or oil. As soon as 

everything is very hot, splash in some cognac and 

light it. Cook about 2 minutes total and remove to 

a large mixing bowl. 

Add oil to the pan, keeping the heat high, and do 

the same with the calamari. Three minutes 

should be plenty. 

Repeat with the shrimp. Remove them as soon as 

they turn red. 

Turn the heat down and sauté the fish until flaky. 

Now, in the paellera, cook a couple cups of rice, 

dry, until it begins to pop. Add an equal amount 

of wine, and let the alcohol boil off. Now add 

three times that amount of broth—using some of 

it to deglaze the sauté pan first. Arrange into this 

all the rest of the main ingredients, some thyme 

leaves and a bay leaf or two, and generous 

pinches of pepper and saffron. Reduce heat and 

cook gently until done, about 45 minutes. 

- 155 -

Boquerones 

No cookbook would be complete without mention of these 

amazing little treats. Though taken from the same animal, they 

bear little resemblance to the canned anchovies of infamy. 

Boquerones 

Crackers 

Optional 

Roasted peppers 

Boquerones (pronounced bo-care-o’-nace) are 

anchovies that have been treated the way these 

divine little creatures should be—with love, 

respect, vinegar and olive oil. 

You’ll need to find a high-end or Spanish or 

Italian deli to procure these, and they can be 

quite expensive. But the burst of flavor in your 

mouth is just exquisite. We have been known to 

require a trip back into the deli when a small 

amount bought for a party failed to make it out of 

the parking lot. 

Arrange the fish in the center of a plate, with 

crackers around them. Serve. 

Roasted peppers (page 86) are a nice accompaniment. 

Serves 12 per pound 

Serving time: 5 minutes 

- 156 -

Shrimp and friends with saffron linguini 

A delicious and aromatic way to enjoy shrimp, calamari and 

scallops. 

Shrimp 

Calamari 

Scallops 

Linguini 

Onion 

Celery 

Paprika 

Saffron 


Olive oil 

Cognac or brandy 

Clam broth 

Cream 


I usually use about 2 parts shrimp to one part 

calamari and one part scallops. Buy large scallops 

and cut them into quarters, in preference to the 

small kind. 

Fresh or homemade pasta will absorb the flavors 

of the saffron better, so I recommend that for 

this dish. But dried pasta will also work. 

Bring a large pot of water to boil and put a 

spoonful of paprika, a generous pinch of saffron, 

some salt and pepper, and a spoonful of oil in it. 

Let it boil a few minutes to release the flavors 

from the spices. Add the pasta and cook until al 

dente, about 3-4 minutes for fresh pasta and 10- 

11 minutes for dried linguini. Pour off the liquid 

(you can save it if you want) and drain the pasta. 

Add a dollop more of oil and stir to coat it and 

prevent it from sticking together. 

While the pasta is getting ready, put some oil in a 

hot chefs pan. Place the shrimp and let fry for a 

minute, tossing frequently. Toss in a shot of 

cognac, and light it to burn off the alcohol and 

singe the shrimp. Take out when just done and 

set aside. Repeat with the other seafood. 

Deglaze the pan with a bottle of clam broth. 

Reduce until a bit thick. Meanwhile, prepare a 

small amount of celery and onion mirepoix. Add 

that, and several dollops of cream and a couple 

shakes of paprika to the reduction. Season to 

taste. Combine with the seafood and serve over 

the linquini. 

Serves: 4 per lb shellfish 


- 157 -

Fish - Alan's Cookbook

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