Baked Stuffed Fish

The best way to a fisherman’s heart is through his fly.  ~Author Unknown

There’s nothing I love more than stuffed ‘anything’.  A tasty something, inside a vessel of another tasty something is really kinda cool.

I remember the 1st time I saw this dish, or a variation of it.  It was decades ago and I went on lunch break with a co-worker.  She was lucky enough to have her girlfriend bring her a homemade dish that consisted of baked stuffed fish.  When she unwrapped the  fish, the steam came billowing out…and the smell!

Oh-em-f’ing-gee!

Then she lifted that first bite with her fork…really, if food porn daily included video…this would be the most viewed, I’m sure. Yes.  I think I totally forgot about my lunch, altogether.  As we all sat and chatted with each other, the conversation was on a variety of subjects.  Gossip, laughing…etc.  But I don’t think I contributed much, being hypnotized and all.  I kept trying to tell her, through mental telepathy, to give me her fish.  All of it.  But I wasn’t even offered a bite.  Sad.

As we were heading back to the office, I was rehearsing the recipe in my head.  I went to the store after work, and made this version when I got home.  Yay me!

Ingredients

1/4 cup chopped celery

1/4 cup chopped green onion

1/4 cup green bell pepper

1 clove garlic, minced

4 tablespoons butter

1/2 lb shrimp, coarsely chopped

3/4 cup-1 cup breadcrumbs

2 tablespoons real lemon juice

1/2 lb lump crab meat, picked through for cartilage

2 tbsp chopped parsley

1 egg, beaten

2 tbsp mayonnaise

1/2 tsp mustard

salt & pepper

1 lg whitefish (3-5 lbs), scaled and cleaned (keep the head on)

3 tbsp melted butter

1 lemon cut into wedges

Directions

Saute the celery, onion, and bell pepper in the butter over medium heat until soft, about 2-3 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper. Add the shrimp and garlic; cook for 1 minute stirring constantly.  Remove from the heat and let cool.

Butter a shallow baking dish and pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees f.  Pat the fish dry, liberally salt the inside and place the fish in the baking dish.

After the vegetables have cooled, add the breadcrumbs, crab, parsley,egg, mayo, mustard and lemon juice.  Mix well, but try not to break up the crab too much.  Loosely stuff the fish, and brush the top with melted butter.

Bake for 45-55 minutes.  When the fish is done, divide it into portions and serve with lemon wedges.

Japanese Eggplant with Smoked Mozzarella

This recipe calls for the small, delicately shaped Japanese variety of Eggplant.  Fresh eggplant is firm to the touch and has a shiny skin that ranges in color from mauve to almost black.  The eggplants are cut lengthwise, fried, and then topped with fresh tomato, basil, and smoked mozzarella, then baked in the oven. 

Serves 6

Ingredients

 

6 Japanese eggplants

Salt

Olive Oil for frying

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

2 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced

2 large, ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and coarsely chopped

10 fresh basil leaves, divided

salt & pepper to taste

1/2 lb smoked mozzarella, shredded

Directions

 

Trim the tops of the eggplants and cut in half lengthwise.  Salt the cut sides and let drain for 30 minutes.  Pat dry.  Heat enough olive oil in a frying pan to measure 1/4 inch.  When the oil is hot, but not smoking, fry the eggplant halves on both sides until the cut sides are golden and eggplant is tender.  Fry in batches and do not crowd the pan.  Drain thoroughly on paper towels.  In a small saute pan, combine the extra-virgin olive oil and garlic.  Cook over med-low heat for 1-2 minutes, then add tomatoes, 4 basil leaves, and salt and pepper to taste.  Simmer for 15 minutes or until the sauce forms.  Arrange the eggplant halves cut side up in a baking dish.  Spoon the tomato sauce over the eggplant and sprinkle with the shredded mozzarella.  Bake at 350 degrees f for about 15 minutes, or until the cheese melts and is bubbly.  Chop the remaining basil leaves coarsely, and sprinkle over the top.  Serve hot.

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Yummy Appetizer Meatballs

Savory meatballs mixed with spinach and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, then stuffed with a small nugget of Mozzarella. I usually serve these with a tomato cream sauce, appetizer style, but they’re also excellent served traditional style with pasta. They’re a hit everytime, and my guests always ask for the recipe!!

Serves 4

Ingredients
1/2 cup plain bread crumbs
3/4 cup milk
1 box of frozen spinach, thawed
1 lbs lean ground beef
1 lbs ground pork
2 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 cup freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese
2 large eggs
Salt
Olive Oil (enough to brown the meatballs)
4 ounces mozzarella cheese, cut into 25-30 cubes
1 jar of Tomato/Cream Pasta Sauce (my preference, you can use whatever the heck you want)

Directions
Preheat oven to 375. In a medium bowl, soak the bread crumbs in the milk. Wring the spinach dry in a clean kitchen towel and set aside. Place the ground beef and ground pork in a large bowl and combine (don’t over work the meat), and make a well in the mixture. Add the spinach, garlic, egg, parmigiano-reggiano cheese, salt, and the bread crumb/milk mixture.
Mix until combined (like I said…don’t over work the meat!!). Place about 2 tablespoons of the meatball mixture in your hand and press a mozzarella cube into the center. Form the meat around the cheese making a ball. Repeat with the rest of the mixture and cheese.
Brown the meatballs in the olive oil, being careful not to over crowd the pan, then transfer to an 11X7 baking dish.
Pour the sauce over the meatballs and cover with foil. Bake in the oven for 45 minutes to an hour or until baked through.

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