Welcome to Pescetarian Journal! I’m Alaiyo Kiasi-Barnes, and I grew up eating fresh, pole-caught and hand-trapped seafood on the Alabama Gulf Coast. I remember and appreciate the abundant seafood of my upbringing, and I created Pescetarian Journal to celebrate sustainable seafood and to help educate others about the importance of supporting sustainable seafood practices. Here you’ll find delectable seafood recipes along with vegetarian recipes with an emphasis on organic produce.
I am honored to contribute my latest post to the Kwanzaa Culinarians project. You're likely familiar with Kwanzaa--a seven-day holiday celebrated from December 26 through January 1 by African-Americans and Pan-Africans . The Kwanzaa Culinarians are food bloggers of African descent who are preserving the folk ways and food ways of a people through personal stories and recipes.
Please visit the Kwanzaaa Culinarians website to read my latest post, which features an interview with Washington D.C. Chef Jawanza Zulu of Tofu Delights. Chef Zulu, a former student of mine, is an intensely creative chef who does amazing things with tofu. I hope you'll click through and read the post. Thanks for your support since I started Pescetarian Journal in July, 2011.
Seafood gumbo may be a non-traditional idea for your holiday feast, but if planned as a soup course, this zesty jumble of fish, shellfish, aromatics, vegetables, and the almighty roux can make for an unforgettable meal. As a Gulf-Coast native, I associate gumbo with Christmas and Mardi Gras. There are as many variations of gumbo as there are gumbo cooks, and I've rarely sampled bad gumbo prepared by a home cook. (I've sampled plenty of bad gumbo in restaurants, though.)
Gumbo is an Inclusive Dish
Pescetarians or just-plain seafood lovers use shellfish or a combination of fish and shellfish in their gumbo. Omnivores (those with the most varied diet) typically add pork sausage or chicken. Cajun-style gumbo traditionally includes wild-game meat such as venison. There is even a gumbo that would appeal to vegetarians: Gumbo Z'Herbes, which is gumbo with various greens--collards, turnips, mustard, spinach, etc.--but omit the customary salt pork for vegans.
The Calculus of Roux
Gumbo is perceived by many to be a mysterious and difficult dish. Making the roux can be anxiety producing. My early attempts to make gumbo required a conference call with relatives in Mobile, Alabama; and, even now, I still will send text messages with a gumbo question or two. Without going into the steps of making roux this time (another post, perhaps), I'm suggesting that you use a ready-made gumbo base. This step will eliminate making the roux, which requires consistent attention, constant stirring, and spot-on judgement for determining when the roux is ready. Burn the roux and you must toss it and start the flour-and-fat browning process again until it's right.
Two ready-made roux mixes will result in a successful and flavorful gumbo. These include Zatarain's New Orleans Style Gumbo Base and Tony Chachere's Creole Gumbo Base Mix. If you have trouble finding either of these mixes at your local market, both are available at Amazon.com. I used the Zatarain's mix for this post. Even with a prepared gumbo base, stirring is still significant. So much so that I've demonstrated the importance of dissolving all lumps that show up when water is added to the gumbo-base mix.
A Word about Aromatics
You've heard of the holy trinity of creole and cajun cooking: onions, green peppers, and celery? Well, when making your festive gumbo, feel free to upgrade to shallots, include red and green peppers, and experiment with chinese celery or the red stalks of bok choy. Of course, if you want to stick to the traditional aromatics (as I did for this post), your gumbo can still be a festive brew that is thickset with your favorite seafood, meats, or greens.
The "Holy Trinity" of Onions, Green Peppers, and Celery
The Recipe: Festive Seafood Gumbo
Ingredients
1 box of Zatarain's New Orleans Style Gumbo Base
3 cups of water (as indicated on the Zatarain's box)
2 tablespoons of canola oil (as indicated on the Zatarain's box)
1/2 cup diced onions
1/4 cup diced green peppers
1/4 cup diced celery
1 28-ounce can of whole Italian tomatoes (those from the San Marzano region are best)
1/2 cup sliced, frozen okra
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
8 ounces of blue-crab, back fin crab meat from the U.S. (the sustainable choice)
1 pound of fully cooked, wild-caught Canadian or Alaskan snow crab claws, thawed (the sustainable choice)
1/2 teaspoon of Gumbo File
Salt and cracked white pepper to taste
Chopped green onion tops for garnishing
Directions
Follow the box directions for the Zatarain's Gumbo Base. Once you add the water, stir vigorously for 3-5 minutes with a wisk to eliminate lumps from the gumbo base.
Add raw onions, green peppers, and celery. Continue to stir until even the smallest lumps disappear.
Add the tomatoes, including the juice.
With a potato masher or fork, smash the tomatoes a bit to help them break down during cooking.
Add the okra and stir to distribute vegetables.
Let the mixture simmer for 30-40 minutes, checking and stirring every five minutes to prevent ingredients from sticking to the pot.
Stir in the thyme, red pepper flakes (add a bit more if you like a spicy flavors).
Add back-fin crab meat and the crab claws and simmer an additional 10 minutes.
Add Gumbo file and cracked pepper to taste. Gumbo should be thicker by now.
It's surely an oxymoron to pair the words "succulent" and "canned," to describe food, but I have no other words for what I was able to make with sustainable, canned wild salmon. In my last post, I showed off the cream-of-oyster soup I made from wild-caught, canned oysters. This time, I was convinced that using quality ingredients, canned or not, will help the home cook achieve the best results from any recipe. It's a plus, too, that a can of wild-caught salmon has quadruple the omega 3 fatty acids compared to canned tuna. According to Oceana, an international organization that helps to protect the world's oceans by influencing governmental policies, only three-to-six ounces of salmon provides a week's worth of Omega-3 fatty acids.
Why Bother with Canned Fish?
The one-word answer: convenience. It's easier to consume the American Heart Association's recommended two-fish-servings a week if one of those servings includes canned fish. Heart-healthy wild salmon is also less expensive to eat regularly if purchased canned. However, I don't suggest replacing fresh fish with canned.
Succulent Salmon Meatballs Recipe Ingredients 2 6-ounce cans skinless, boneless Alaskan salmon, drained (Wild Planet and Henry and Lisa brands include sustainable fish) 2 organic eggs (you don't have to use organic eggs, but I recommend them highly) Fresh parsley, chopped (about 1/4 cup) 1/2 teaspoon of Old Bay seasoning Cracked pepper Smoked paprika (optional)
Directions
In a bowl, separate and flake the salmon with a fork. Break the eggs into the mixture and stir until eggs are thoroughly mixed with the salmon. Add parsley, the Old Bay seasoning and cracked pepper. Let the mixture sit in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes. Spray a baking pan with non-stick cooking spray and use a tablespoon to scoop the salmon mixture into your palm. Hand roll each meatball, holding the bottom hand steady while making circular motions with the other hand. Place meatballs 2 inches apart. Sprinkle meatballs with smoked paprika (optional).
Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Use these succulent salmon meatballs with your favorite pasta or soup recipe--or eat them on their own. (Serves 4)
The idea for this soup came from confusion over what to do with a can of oysters and from my husband, who is the reason why I had canned oysters in the first place. My wonderful, big-brained husband, who knows everything about anything, it seems, is preparing for us to survive (and continue to eat well) in the event of a disaster or prolonged power outage. Canned foods are a big part of the plan. I thought his disaster preparations were cute--until the Washington, D.C. area was hit with that earthquake and that hurricane last summer. So, OK. Point taken. I decided to "test-drive" the oysters to see what I could make with them. After all, canned oysters don't have a good reputation among chefs and savvy foodies.
My Ingredients: (I used dried, flaked onion; I was out of onion powder!)
Before giving you the recipe, I also want to thank Chef Felisha Wild (@ChefFelisha on Twitter), who responded to my Tweet, which asked "are canned oysters good for anything?" This creamed oyster soup is quick, elegant, and perfect for a weeknight starter or for serving to your guests during the holidays.
Recipe for Weeknight Cream-of-Oyster Soup (Adapted from Oyster Soup Louisiane, Mandy's Favorite Louisiana Recipes)* Click here for a printable recipe. Ingredients:
1 8-ounce can of premium, boiled whole oysters in water
1 cup of unsweetened soy milk (You can use skim or 2% milk for a richer soup)
1 tablespoon of butter (the real thing)
2 sprigs of parsley (chop one sprig; save the other for garnishing)
1 teaspoon of onion powder
1 tablespoon of heavy cream (optional)
Salt and white pepper to taste
Directions:
Drain and collect the liquid from the oysters into a small pot. Place the stove heat on medium-low. Season the oyster liquid with the onion powder and white pepper (don't season with the salt yet). As the mixture begins to bubble, add the chopped parsley. When it just begins to boil, turn the stove dial to low heat. Place 8 ounces of milk in a microwave-safe container and heat for 2 minutes or until hot (but not boiling or frothing).
Pour hot milk into the oyster liquid, stirring constantly. Add the butter and the oysters; continue to stir and don't allow the mixture to boil again. Use an immersion blender to liquefy the oysters or allow the contents to cool a bit and add it to the blender in two small batches. After blending the mixture, pour it through a strainer or sieve into a clean serving bowl. Taste the soup at this point and add more salt to taste if needed. Stir in the heavy cream, if desired, and garnish with parsley.
When power fails and I can't use the blenders, I'll have to make this dish rustic and leave the oysters whole!
Makes 2, one-half-cup servings.
* I had to get over the Mandy's Cookbook illustration and the Black English within the text. I realize, though, that the cookbook is based on authentic, turn-of-century recipes.
