Stuffed Fish

Serves

Four people.

Hardware

• 2 qt. saute pan
• Oven-proof loaf pan

Ingredients

			butter
1/2	med		yellow onion, finely chopped
6	cloves		garlic, minced
12	oz		white mushrooms, chopped very small
12	oz		shrimp, peeled, chopped very small
			dark rum
			bread crumbs
			salt
			black pepper, freshly ground
4	fillets		fish, approx. 4 oz each

Procedure

1. Preheat the oven to 450F.


2. Melt butter in the saute pan.


3. Gently saute the onions and garlic until they’re soft but not brown.


4. Add the mushrooms and cook until they soften; use more butter if necessary.


5. Turn up the heat, add the rum, and cook until all the alcohol has evaporated.


6. Reduce the heat and cook the mixture at a moderate-to-fast simmer until the liquid is reduced.


7. Remove the mixture to a bowl and let it cool a bit; while you wait, wash and dry the fish.


8. Add the shrimp, salt, and pepper to the bowl and mix well; add enough breadcrumbs to make the mixture hold together.


9. Lay out a fillet, skin side up; spoon some stuffing onto the center of the fillet then fold the ends in. If possible, angle the ends a bit so they don’t overlap. Carefully place the rolled fillet in the loaf pan with the folded ends on the bottom. Repeat for the other three fillets.


10. If you have extra stuffing, spread it on top of the rolled fillets.


11. Bake for 20 –25 minutes, until the fish is just cooked through. As with all fish, do not over-cook!

Notes

Instead of rum you could use sherry (dry or sweet), madiera, port, bourbon, or any combination that suits your tastes. Remember, though, that this will be a significant taste in the final dish, so choose wisely. Start with about 1/4 cup, adding more if you think it’s needed.

I prefer plain, unseasoned bread crumbs. I also prefer flounder fillets.

Buy the smallest shrimp you have the patience to peel; I find 31/40 to be a good compromise between effort and expense but I have used 26/30 when that was all I could find.

The stuffing should be fairly dense and just slightly moist; if the chunks are too big, or it’s too wet, the fish rolls won’t hold together. If necessary, chopped the mixture more after it’s been cooked.

It works best if the rolled fillets fit snugly in the loaf pan; this will help hold them together while they bake. Choose fillets with the size of your loaf pan in mind.

Rating

Difficulty: Easy.

Time: About 90 minutes.

Precision: 1.

Source

Adapted from The Legal Seafoods Cookbook, by George Berkowitz and Jane Doerfer (with a lot of modifications).