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How to Prepare Frozen Fish

May 11, 2013 By Leave a Comment
Frozen Fish

Frozen Fish

How to Prepare Frozen Fish

It’s not always easy to get to the market before dinner, especially if you work full-time, or have children at home. It’s often easier to purchase food in bulk, place it in the freezer, and prepare it during the week. Frozen fish can be bought ahead of time- but be careful, not all seafood items are freezer-friendly.

Which Fish are OK to Buy Frozen?

Some fish freeze well while others do not. Species that you might consider buying frozen are- salmon, cod, swordfish, monkfish, halibut, orange roughy, sole, and tilapia. Fish such as mackerel, herring, sardines and trout may be difficult to freeze and defrost due to their high fat content.

Defrosting Fish

There are a few ways to defrost frozen fish. First, if the fish is in a vacuum-sealed (cryovaced) pouch you can simply remove it from the freezer and place it in the refrigerator. In 12-16 hours the fish will thaw completely. If you are in a rush, you can run the fish under cold water- this procedure will usually defrost the fish within 20-30 minutes. If your seafood isn’t in a sealed container, put in on a small plate in the refrigerator and let it defrost in the refrigerator overnight. Never defrost fish under warm or hot water- this is not a safe food practice.

Preparing the Fish

Baking

Once the fish is defrosted, there are many ways to prepare it for a quick, healthy meal. My favorite way to make fish when I am in a rush is to bake it. Make sure your oven is pre-heated to 350 degrees. Place your fish on a clean, sanitized surface and put a few drops of extra virgin olive oil on the surface of the fillet. Massage both sides of the fish with the olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Place in the oven for 6-8minutes (your time may vary depending on the size or thickness of your fillet). Remove from the oven and squeeze some fresh lemon juice on the surface of the fish.

Grilling

Grilling is another good alternative if you don’t want to turn your oven on, especially during summer months. Coat the fish with olive oil, salt and pepper as described previously and place it on a pre-heated gas or charcoal grill. After the fish cooks for 3-4 minutes, carefully flip it with a metal spatula. Remove it from the grill after an additional 4 minutes of cooking. My favorite accompaniments for grilled fish are mango salsa, fruit chutneys, and homemade citrus butters. Salmon, halibut, and swordfish are ideal for the grill. More delicate fish such as flounder, sole, and orange roughy and cod may be more difficult to grill.

Pan-Searing

Pan searing works well with most whitefish species such as flounder, sole and cod. The procedure is quite simple. Season both sides of your fish with salt and pepper. Place 3-4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Dredge the fish in flour, shaking the excess from the fillet. Carefully put the fillet in the pan and let it cook for 3-4 minutes a side. Once the fish is done cooking, place it on paper towels to absorb any excess oil. Serve with lemon wedges, or homemade tartar sauce.

Frying

I rarely deep-fry fish, but when I do, it’s for a fish sandwich. Place a medium-sized soup pot on the stove over medium-high heat. Add enough veggie or olive oil to fill the pot half way. I usually use tilapia, or a fat piece of cod for my sandwiches. There are a few ways to do this. You can make a simple beer batter, or use breading. Place the battered or breaded fish in the oil once it has reached 350 degrees, and fry until golden brown- this usually takes usually 3-4 minutes. Drain, and serve immediately.

One of my favorite fish preparations is with salmon. Season both sides of the fillet with salt and pepper. Mix equal parts apricot jelly and Dijon mustard. Apply a liberal amount of this mixture to the top of the salmon; coat with panko breadcrumbs and bake in a 350-degree oven for 10-12 minutes.

Frozen fish is equally as nutritious as fresh fish if handled and prepared correctly. If you’re a busy parent, or just trying to improve your health, consider having a few different types on hand in your freezer.

Chef Chuck Kerber

chefchuck@pittsburghhotplate.com

pittsburghhotplate.com

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How to Make Perfect Barbecued Ribs

April 25, 2013 By Leave a Comment
Barbecued Pork Ribs

Barbecued Pork Ribs

How to Make Perfect Barbecued Ribs

Barbecued ribs are one of my favorite dishes to make during the summer months. If made the correct way, barbequed pork and beef ribs are juicy, flavorful, and most importantly- tender.

Here are a few secrets to making delicious barbecued ribs.

Pork or Beef?

I’ve made beef ribs before, but usually opt for pork. Pork ribs have a higher fat content (fat=flavor!) and are readily available (and affordable) at your local supermarket. There are a few kinds of pork ribs- country-style, and baby-back are the most common. Baby back pork ribs tend to be the easiest to pre-bake, and cook on the grill.

Uncooked Baby Back Pork Ribs

Uncooked Baby Back Pork Ribs

Pre-Cooking

I usually don’t cook my ribs from start to finish on the grill. It’s difficult to control the temperature, and the ribs often become burned before they’re done cooking.

Pre-baking the ribs in the oven before grilling is an easy way to assure that they turn out the way you want them to.

Baby Back Pork Ribs

Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees

Serves 6-8

Prep-time: 2 ½ hours

Ingredients:

2 racks of pork ribs

Directions:

Place the rack of pork ribs on a clean, sanitized cutting surface. Carefully make cuts between the bones ¾ of the way down. When you get to the third of fourth rib, make a complete cut through the flesh removing it from the rest of the rack. Continue this process until you have worked your way through both racks of ribs.

Put the rib pieces in a large stainless steel bowl. Coat the ribs with extra virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper. Massage the ribs making sure the oil and seasonings get between the meat of each cut rib.

Place the seasoned ribs in an ovenproof stainless steel baking dish. Seal the baking pan with aluminum foil and cook the ribs until fork tender- approximately 2 hours. Remove the ribs from the pan and let cool slightly.

Light your grill and let the temperature reach 350 degrees. Lightly grease the surface of the grill so that the ribs don’t stick.

Carefully place the ribs on the cooking surface. After a few minutes of cooking, rotate the meat with tongs- don’t over-handle the ribs!

Once the ribs have become brown and caramelized, apply barbecue sauce. At this point the ribs should only cook for 2-3 more minutes, or the sugar in the sauce will cause them to burn.

Remove the ribs from the grill and serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Chef Chuck Kerber

chefchuck@pittsburghhotplate.com

pittsburghhotplate.com

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Cooking and Kitchen Tips

January 24, 2013 By 1 Comment
Kitchen Tips

Kitchen Tips

Cooking and Kitchen Tips

Here are a few cooking/kitchen tips that will help you work safer, and more efficiently in your kitchen.

Store your nuts in the freezer- make sure they’re in double Ziploc bags. This practice will prevent them from becoming rancid. I also keep my batteries in the freezer.

When cooking with liquor, make sure to add it to your pan when the flame is turned off. This will prevent you from getting burned, or burning your house down.

If you have a container of brown sugar that has become hard, simply place it in the microwave for 1 minute- it will become soft again.

Use unsalted butter when you’re cooking- this way you can better control the seasoning of the dish.

Never use soap on Teflon pans. Let the pan cool, and wipe it clean with a paper towel.

If you’re preparing a blended soup, add a few pats of butter at the end- this will add flavor and give your soup a beautiful sheen.

Always use a dry hand towel when removing food from the oven- damp towels transfer heat and cause burns.

I keep a squirt bottle in my kitchen with 1 tablespoon of bleach and the rest water- I spray down all the surfaces after I’m done cooking or preparing food. This keeps my kitchen sanitized.

Once a month, run an empty cycle in your dishwasher with a few cups of vinegar- this cleans the components, and gets rid of residue, odors and bacteria.
Use dish brushes instead of sponges- sponges are havens for bacteria and other nasty things. If you must use sponges, soak them once a week in a bleach solution, or better yet, just buy new ones.

Never store your knives blade-side down. This will dull your knives, and everyone knows a dull knife is dangerous. If you use a block to store your cutlery, make sure the blade is facing away from you.

Buy good stainless steel cookware- stay away from aluminum if at all possible. The handles on large soup pots should be held on by rivets or screws, not spot-welds.

If you’re a baker, never use glass bowls to mix your ingredients- they can chip. Stainless bowls are ideal, and relatively inexpensive.

If you have any tips to add let me know!

Chef Chuck Kerber

chefchuck@pittsburghhotplate.com

Pittsburghhotplate.com

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Perfect Prime Rib of Beef

December 23, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Perfect Prime Rib of Beef

Perfect Prime Rib of Beef

Perfect Prime Rib of Beef

One of my favorite foods to eat during the holidays is prime rib- it’s tender, delicious, and succulent. Here are a few tips to cooking and serving a perfect prime-rib dinner for the holidays.

The three top grades of meat are Prime, Choice and Select. Usually, prime cuts are the best, and have good quality marbling (white flecks and streaks of fat within the lean sections of meat that determine flavor and texture). The difference between Prime and Choice is negligible, so you may want to opt for the cheaper cut of meat.

Get to know your butcher. Talk to the man/woman behind the meat counter- they know what’s good, and will often make recommendations.

Bone-in, or bone-out? I usually opt for bone-in prime rib; the bones add flavor, and are always fun to grab with your hands on munch on.

Before cooking your prime rib let it sit out for at least an hour. Cold meat tends to seize up when they hit heat, and can become tough.

Don’t over-season! This is a flavorful cut of meat, and doesn’t require much additional herbs or spices. When I make a large prime rib, I usually rub it with olive oil, salt, pepper, and a little rosemary.

If you have a bone-out prime rib, sear the edges before placing in the oven- this will add another flavor component. If you have a bone-in rib, sear the exposed meat, and place in the oven.

I think that 375 degrees is an ideal temperature for cooking prime rib. A 7-10 pound rib will take approximately 1 ½ to 2 hours to cook. Once the rib is removed from the oven it will carry-over cook an additional 5 degrees. If you’re looking for rare meat in the center, remove the prime rib when it reaches an internal temperature of 120-125 degrees. If your guests prefer medium or well done, they will be accommodated with one of the outside cuts.

Once the rib is finished cooking let it rest for at least 20 minutes- if you cut it too soon, all of the flavorful juices will remain on your cutting board.

Serve with horseradish sauce or natural jus.

Enjoy!

Chef Chuck Kerber

chefchuck@pittsburghhotplate.com

pittsburghhotplate.com

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Thanksgiving Leftover Ideas

November 24, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Turkey Bread Pudding

Turkey Bread Pudding

Thanksgiving Leftover Ideas

Do you still have some left-overs from Thanksgiving? Here are a few ideas of what to do with them!

Turkey:

Instead of a standard sandwich, try using a layer of stuffing between two slices of bread, sliced turkey, gravy instead of mayo, and cranberry sauce!

Turkey casseroles are also delicious- just add veggies, thick noodles, canned mushroom soup or leftover gravy.

Turkey Pot Pie- If you like chicken pot pies, you’re really going to enjoy these!

Turkey Caesar Salad- If you like chicken Caesar salads, this is sure to please… it’s also a good choice of you’re trying to cut come calories.

Turkey Noodles Soup- Easy to make, especially if you have some turkey stock; just add turkey, veggies and noodles.

Turkey Burrito- Get a big flour tortilla and stuff it with turkey, beans, cheese, sour cream, guacamole and salsa.

Potatoes:

Potato Cakes- Add a few eggs, bread crumbs and seasoning to your left over mashed potatoes. Form them into patties and fry them in a little oil.
Serve with sour cream and apple sauce.

Potato Casserole- Use the potatoes as your base and add ground meat, chicken or turkey. Mix in some veggies, cheddar or jack cheese and bake in a casserole dish.

Potato Soup -one of my favorites. Start with some chicken base, add roasted garlic, parsley, cheddar cheese, bacon and heavy cream- perfect for a cold day.

Potato Bread- this may take some time, but the end product is worth the wait.

Shepard’s Pie- Brown some ground meat, add cream soup, peas, carrots celery and onions- top with leftover mashed potatoes and bake until the top become brown.

Pierogies- Mashed potatoes are the perfect filling for these traditional potato-filled pastas.

Gravy:

Gravy is a great soup base. Simply add a little water, vegetables, pasta, rice, dumplings, and salt and pepper.

Leftover gravy may also be frozen in a Ziploc bag and used for future meals.

Stuffing:

Leftover stuffing lends itself perfectly for turkey bread pudding. Simply mix together turkey, stuffing and gravy. Place in a greased casserole dish and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes- delicious!

Cranberry Sauce:

Homemade cranberry sauce should never be thrown away. Try making cranberry bread, (it’s a great gift for the holidays), cranberry pancakes, or cranberry French toast.

I’ve also seen some interesting cranberry-pumpkin bread and cranberry muffin recipes floating around.

Try cranberry sauce on top of yogurt instead of fruit in the morning!

Cranberry butter- add equal parts of cranberry sauce and butter, refrigerate until set, then spread on your toast, pancakes, or muffins.

If you have any tips let me know- I will add them to the list!

Chef Chuck Kerber

chefchuck@pittsburghhotplate.com

pittsburghhotplate.com

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