Thursday, July 30, 2009

Matzo Crusted Fish with a Spicy Tomato-Corn Ragout



Several months ago I came across a fish I had never heard of or seen - Basa Swai. It is a white fish from Vietnam that I have cooked with a few times since first trying. My other basa recipes can be found here.

I wanted something light and summery, and what says summer more than sweet corn and fresh tomatoes? I prefer my fish breaded, so I went back to an idea from a previous recipe using matzo meal to coat the fish.

I came up with a Matzo Crusted Fish with a Spicy Tomato-Corn Ragout.

The Fish...

Ingredients
  • 2 basa filets (or any light, white fish)
  • 1 egg, beaten and mixed with approximately 2 tbsp milk
  • 1 envelope matzo meal (I'm estimating it was 4 tbsp)
  • A few shakes each of the following spices: chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, salt, pepper
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • Cooking spray

Directions

  • Heat olive oil in a large saute pan over medium high heat; preheat oven to 375
  • Rinse fish, pat dry. Dip in egg then matzo mixture. Transfer to hot pan and cook for 30-45 seconds on each side. Transfer to a baking dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray.
  • Bake on 375 for just 5 minutes more, or until fish is done

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Spicy Tomato-Corn Ragout

I planned on using a jalapeno in this recipe, but when I started to prep realized I didn't have one. I still wanted the heat so I used some red pepper flakes and cayenne. Next time I will definitely use a jalapeno for both color and heat. I used this under the fish on the plate as well as spread over it once plated.

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 red onion, finely chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 c frozen sweet corn
  • 2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
  • Approximately 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes and a pinch or two of cayenne pepper
  • Pinch or two of salt (to taste)
  • 1/3 c chicken broth
  • Handful chopped fresh spinach

Directions

  • Heat olive oil in a saute pan over medium high heat
  • Add onions and garlic, saute 3-4 minutes
  • Add corn, saute 1-2 minutes.
  • Add spices and tomatoes; saute 1-2 minutes.
  • Add broth and let simmer until most of the liquid has absorbed.
  • Stir in spinach until wilted.

This ragout was so delicious - sweet from the corn, but had a nice amount of heat from the red pepper flakes. If you don't like heat, omit the red pepper flakes. I can see turning this into a more Mediterranean or Italian flavored dish by replacing the spicy ingredients with basil (fresh) and/or oregano.

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4 comments:

  1. Not only does this look mouthwatering, but it's so colorful and I LOVE how creative the ingredients are!!

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  2. Sounds great. I love the corn ragout and your pics are lovely!

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  3. This looks fabulous - a nice, fresh summer meal!

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  4. This looks yummy, my dad is a big fan of the matzo meal as a breading I'll have to share this one with him!! Thanks!!

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