So look. Fish is ugly, it can be slimey, it's intimidating but...it's just food after all. It's pretty cheap, if you buy right, and it tastes freakin delicious so get over it, find a good fish market, a sharp knive and get to work.
Buying whole fish can be quite economical. Once you learn to butcher the few types of fish you might come across, it becomes pretty simple and quite quick. I'm not saying you will be ready to work at Le Bernardin, but you will be more than capable to throw together a meal for a few guests. There are a few very simple rules to buying whole fish that can easily be memorized. Always, always, always start with the smell when picking out fish. It should not smell fishy. It should be on ice and not sitting in its own juices. The flesh should be firm and not very slimey. The eyes should be clear and round not flat and cloudy. Pay attention to the signs at fish markets also. They should tell you if the fish was previously frozen and where it comes from. Don't refreeze previously frozen fish and DO NOT be afraid to ask your fish monger questions or for help. That's what they are there for and that's what you are paying them for.
Anyways, on to the better stuff.
So, I was lucky enough to get a nice whole trout which I promptly took home, on ice, and took apart to cook for my lady. We had a nice "fish and chips", aka, Poisson et pommes frites. Sans malt vinegar, but we did throw in a semi decent burre blanc, butter sauce, and a very acidic lemon sauce to top. I'm not going into crazy specifics for the recipes right now but I'll briefly describe at least the techniques behind it. As for filleting the fish, just youtube how to filet a flounder or trout or red snapper or whatever fish tickles your fancy.
For the French Fries, Frites, Fried Potatoes: If your normal, French, or uber patriotic; respectively
French fries are generally a two step process. You cut your fries then dry them well. If they sit too long they will oxidize and turn brown so don't leave them on a sheat pan for an hour while your oil heats up.
Fry the potatoes at 300-320 degrees until tender all the way through. Shouldn't take more than a couple of minutes. Let them cool and drain well. Heat the oil up to around 375 and put the fries back in until golden brown. Remove from the oil and season immediately. The fries should be crispy on the outside and warm and soft on the inside. It takes a little bit of playing around when you're using a dutch oven as a deep fryer. The temperature will swing wildly in different directions so, one hand on the food, the other on the gas knob.
The Fish
The fish was incredibly simple. I filleted it into two pieces about 8 inches long and cut them both on a bias. The trout was about 2 lb's and was easily enough to feed two people. I left the skin on and dredged the skin side in a little bit of flour, although I'm told Wondra works a little better. I seared the skin on medium heat in a little butter and olive oil. Keep in mind how fatty and how thick the skin is, if it's a thick cut you don't want to sear it on too high heat or it won't render completely. Flip the fish after the skin is crisp and lightly browned and warm the bottom side through.
The buerre blanc sauce was a classic recipe that I got from cooking school. Nothing crazy and quite unimaginative but pretty good I suppose. I'll post the recipe another time.
At the end I took a little vinegar, sugar, lemon juice and supremed lemon. Tossed it in the drained pan that I pan seared the fish in. Let it warm up just a touch and spooned it on top of the fish.
Sorry for the not so typical post but I'm kind of scattered, have a lot to do and a bunch of stuff to read and not a lot of time to get it done so I'm kind of flying through this. Hope at least someone out there might at least try making the french fries. They are definitely worth the effort. Don't forget you can season fries with anything. Lately, my palate is enjoying onion powder, garlic powder, salt, black pepper and celery seed.
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