i Lead Recipes

Rocky Mountain oysters, also known as prairie oysters, are a North American culinary name for edible offal, specifically buffalo or bull testicles. They are usually peeled, coated in flour, pepper and salt, sometimes pounded flat, then deep-fried. This delicacy is most often served as an appetizer. It is a well-known novelty dish in parts of the American West and the Canadian Prairies where cattle ranching is prevalent and castration of young animals is common (“prairie oysters” is the preferred name in Canada, where they may be served in a demi-glace, not deep-fried). In Oklahoma and North Texas, they are sometimes called calf fries but only if taken from very young bulls.

Filed under: Fish Recipes | No Comments »

FISH CAKES

Fish that are typically South African are Sole, Kabeljouw, Stockfish, Cape Salmon, Red Roman and Snoek. After a fish braai (barbeque) there are often little bits of fish left over. Fisk cakes are a great way of stretching these.

Left over fish (about  the same quantity as 2 cans of salmon)

3 medium potatoes, peeled and cooked.

30g butter

salt and cayenne pepper

1 egg beaten

45ml finely chopped parsley

500ml fine dried breadcrumbs

little flour for dusting

2 eggs extra for dipping

oil for frying

Mash the potatoes and butter. Mix the fish, potatoes, 1 egg and parsley. Season with salt and cayenne pepper. Allow to cool.

Lightly flour your hands and mould 12 cakes from the mixture. Dip into eggs and then breadcrumbs. Heat oil and fry the cakes until crisp and golden. Drain on paper towels and serve.

Filed under: Fish Recipes, South African recipes | No Comments »

Duxelles is the word used to describe finely chopped mushrooms and onion (or shallots) that are sautéed in butter until soft. The mixture, which should be quite dry, is used to flavour poached fish or shellfish, or to dress a fillet of beef or leg of baby lamb before they are wrapped in pastry, or to garnich a papillote.

Cooking en papillote is to enclose an ingredient, usually already half cooked or sealed, in an envelope of strong paper or aluminium foil. The foil or paper is cut into an oval the size of an A4 piece of paper, greased with butter or oil on the inside, and then folded to enclose the ingredient to be cooked. Herbs may also be added. This is an excellent way to cook trout, sole, salmon, turbot or veal.

Filed under: Fish Recipes, cooking terms | No Comments »

This is a delicious Tuna Dip for a Cocktail Party. Serve with crackers or crisps. Blend together in a liquidizer the following:

• 1 Tin Tuna
• 3 Capers – finely chopped
• 1 small onion – finely chopped
• ¼ cup mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• Salt and pepper to taste

Pour into serving bowl and decorate the top with chopped parsley and paprika.

Filed under: 1 Salads and Side Dishes, Fish Recipes | No Comments »

Season 5 fillets of fresh Hake with salt and pepper and place them on a generously buttered shallow ovenproof dish. Sprinkle them with a finely chopped onion, one crushed clove of garlic, two tablespoons of chopped parsley and a pinch of thyme. Add two chopped peeled tomatoes and a cup of thinly sliced mushrooms that have been sautéed in butter. Add a cup of white wine. Bake in the oven (180°C) until the fish is tender (about 15 – 20 minutes). Arange the cod fillets on a heated serving dish. Reduce the cooking liquid to about a half of its original volume and add a tablespoon of butter. Pour the sauce over the fish and serve.

Filed under: Fish Recipes | No Comments »