To all of our beloved clients and friends and I hope you all had a glorious July 4th weekend & still have most of your fingers to prove it

While cruising the produce isle yesterday for something a tad sexier that apples and oranges I spotted them, round luscious and within my reach, ripe Mangos. Yes I know you can get Mangos all year around but from May to September these gems can ameliorate a common meal to the status of a bona fide summer memory. Kinda like when Meatloaf released ‘Bat out of Hell’ in ‘77. I digress…I hope you enjoy today’s recipes featuring Opah(Moonfish) and Catfish

From the North: Skate, Monkfish, Halibut, and Tilefish, Wolfish
From the South: Grouper, Red Snapper, Mahi-Mahi
From the Pacific-Northwest: Ivory King Salmon, Copper River Sockeye, Peale Passage Oysters
From the Waters of the World: New Zealand Opah(Moonfish), Branzini, Durato
From the Sustainable Seafood Sources of the World: Icelandic Artic Char, Catfish, Tilapia, and Hamachi


Grilled Opah (Moon Fish) with Mango Salsa

Serves 4
Ingredients
Opah:
1 lime, juiced
4-8 ounce Opah fillets about 1 in thick you can also use Swordfish, Mahi, or Grouper
A drizzle extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
Salsa:
1 ripe mango, peeled and diced
1 small red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 jalapeno pepper seeded and finely chopped ( if you like it hot leave the seeds in)
1 inch fresh ginger root, grated or minced
1/4 seedless (English) cucumber, peeled and chopped
4 Tablespoons fresh chopped chives or scallions green only
1 lime, juiced
How it’s Done

Preheat grill pan or gas grill to high heat. Squeeze juice of 1 lime over fish. Drizzle steaks with a little oil and rub oil into fish to coat. Season fish with salt and pepper. Cook fish 5-6 minutes on each side on hot grill.

For salsa combine all ingredients in a bowl and test repeatedly with some tortilla chips. Please refrain from finishing the bowl…take it from personal experience it’s quite embarrassing


Pan Fried Catfish with Mango Mint and Pepper Salsa

What’s great about this dish is that it allows Catfish to get out of the culinary jail that only allows it to talk to southern cooking techniques. There are thousands of species of Catfish world wide. It’s time to give this whiskered delight its’ international appreciation.

Serves 4
Ingredients
For the Catfish and spinach
6 tbsp olive oil
4 8 oz catfish fillets
4 tbsp plain flour
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 bag fresh spinach
2 oz unsalted butter
For the salsa
1 large ripe fresh mango peeled and chopped
1 small red onion, finely chopped
1 sweet red pepper, finely chopped
2 limes, juice only
6 tbsp fresh mint, chopped
To serve
olive oil and balsamic vinegar, for drizzling

How it’s done
1.For the Catfish and spinach, heat half of the oil in a pan, season fish with salt and pepper then dust the fish with the flour and fry, skin-side down, for 3-4 minutes. Turn the fish over, and continue to cook for a further 3-4 minutes (transfer fish to warm platter)
2. Heat the remaining oil in a separate pan and fry the spinach for 1-2 minutes, or until it begins to wilt. Melt the butter into the spinach at the end of the cooking time. Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
3. For the salsa, place all of the salsa ingredients into a bowl and mix well.
4. To serve, spoon the spinach onto a serving plate and place the Catfish on top. Spoon the salsa alongside. Finish the dish with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and olive oil over the top.