Fresh Fish

By Dee Ryan // Photos by Carmen Troesser

No one will ever mistake our town for the seafood capital of the nation, but there’s much more to seafood in St. Louis than Lenten Friday fish fries. Don’t be intimidated –- try these quick, easy dishes at home.

Grilled Mussels with Red Curry

An Indian-inspired twist on seafood.

Carmen Troesser

Keep that grill fired up and keep your kitchen clean. Fair warning: There’s no guarantee you’ll keep your shirt clean.

4 to 6 servings

1 5.6-oz. can unsweetened coconut milk

½ cup vegetable broth

¼ cup lime juice

1 Tbsp. brown sugar

1 Tbsp. red curry paste

1 Tbsp. sesame oil

1 to 2 lbs. fresh mussels, rinsed and scrubbed

Chopped cilantro, green onion, and/or basil, for garnish

Naan or rice, for serving

• Prepare a gas or charcoal grill for medium-high, indirect heat.

• In a bowl, whisk the coconut milk, vegetable broth, lime juice, brown sugar, red curry paste and sesame oil, then pour into a disposable aluminum pan. Add the mussels and toss to coat.

• Cover the pan tightly with foil and grill 7 to 10 minutes.

• Remove the pan from heat, dispose of any mussels that did not open, and toss in the cilantro, green onion and basil. Serve immediately with naan or rice.

Gambas Al Ajillo

One of the key components of this dish is perfectly toasted bread to soak up the delicious sauce.

Carmen Troesser

This shrimp dish might be the simplest, most flavorful thing you make all summer. It can be made inside on the stovetop over medium-high heat, but grilling in a cast-iron skillet is ideal so you can toast slices of bread to soak up each and every drop of the delicious sauce.

4 to 6 servings

1 baguette

¼ cup plus 2 Tbsp. olive oil, divided

¼ cup butter

1 lb. (26 to 30) tail-on, small shrimp, peeled and deveined

½ cup fresh chopped garlic

10 cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

¼ cup lemon juice

1 tsp. red pepper flakes

2 Tbsp. fresh, chopped oregano, basil or marjoram

Kosher salt, to taste

• Prepare a gas or charcoal grill for high, direct heat.

• Cut the baguette in thirds and slice each third in half, lengthwise. Drizzle the bread with 2 tablespoons olive oil and set aside.

• Place a large cast-iron skillet over the hottest part of the grill and add the remaining ¼ cup olive oil and the butter. When the oil and butter are melted, add the shrimp, garlic and tomatoes, and saute 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly to keep the garlic from scorching.

• When the shrimp are almost done and look opaque, remove from heat and add the lemon juice and red pepper flakes. Toss well.

• Grill the bread cut side down 1 minute.

• Add the oregano and salt to the skillet and serve with the grilled bread.

Ceviche

This dish is “cooked” by the acid in citrus, so do not skimp on quality – tell the fishmonger you’re making ceviche, and get the freshest, prettiest fish you can, like grouper, halibut, snapper, sole, flounder or sea bass. Have fun with the recipe – try adding peppers, radish, green onion, jicama or beets.

4 appetizer servings

½ lb. fresh boneless, white-fleshed ocean fish with the bloodline removed, cut into ½- to ¾-inch cubes

2 to 3 Tbsp. orange juice

1 to 2 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. lime juice 1 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. kosher salt

½ tsp. agave

½ tsp. red pepper flakes

½ avocado, ½-inch diced

¼ cup fresh corn

3 Tbsp. finely diced red onion

2 sprigs cilantro or 3 basil leaves, torn

1 Tbsp. finely diced jalapeno Plantain or taro chips, for serving

• Place the diced fish in a large glass bowl and set aside.

• In another bowl, mix the orange and lime juice, cumin, salt, agave and red pepper flakes and pour over the fish, tossing to fully coat. Refrigerate and let marinate until the fish is completely opaque, 20 to 30 minutes (no longer than 1 hour).

• Drain the fish and toss with the avocado, corn, onion, cilantro and jalapeno. Serve immediately with the chips.

Trout en Papillote with Fennel

Cooking fish in parchment is super easy and reduces cleanup.

Carmen Troesser

If you can wrap a birthday present, you can cook fish in parchment. Don’t get hung up on making pretty packets, and if a stapler comes out, we won’t tell.

2 servings

2 ½-lb. deboned trout, butterflied

2 Tbsp. olive oil, divided

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

8 sprigs thyme, divided

2 sprigs rosemary, divided

2 tsp. butter, cubed

1½ cups very thinly sliced fennel, divided

½ cup very thinly sliced red onion, divided

8 thin slices Meyer lemon or 6 slices lemon and 2 slices orange

2 tsp. capers, for garnish

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

• Drizzle the inside of each trout with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, and place 4 sprigs thyme and 1 sprig rosemary in each. Dot 1 teaspoon butter in each, then close the trout.

• Toss the fennel and onion with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt and pepper.

• Cut 2 15-by-15-inch squares parchment paper. Place half the fennel and onion in the middle of each piece, and place 1 trout on top of each mound. Lay the lemons on top of the trout.

• Seal the packet by bringing together the edges of the parchment parallel to the length of the fish, and fold them down again and again until the fold rests against the fish. Take the open ends and twist or fold them under the packet.

• Place both packets on a baking sheet and bake 15 minutes. Place each packet on a serving plate, cut them open, sprinkle capers on top and serve.

Salmon Marbella

Adapted from “The Silver Palate Cookbook”

Salmon is easily accessible, and smart shoppers know to stock up on the frozen fish, since most you’ll find in St. Louis markets has been frozen and thawed anyway. Don’t spend a lot of time overthinking the ingredients; take a leap of faith, and you will be rewarded with a glorious, decadent dinner.

3 to 4 servings

¹∕ ³ cup chopped prunes

¹∕ ³ cup olive or neutral oil ¹

∕ ³ cup red wine vinegar

¼ cup chopped manzanilla olives

1 Tbsp. capers with liquid

1 Tbsp. dried oregano

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1 lb. boneless, skinless salmon fillet

½ cup dry white wine

¼ cup brown sugar

• In a large zip-top bag, mix together the prunes, olive oil, red wine vinegar, olives, capers, oregano, garlic powder and pepper. Add the salmon, seal and refrigerate 1 hour.

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Remove salmon from refrigerator and let sit 15 minutes. Coat a baking dish with cooking spray.

• Pour the contents of the bag into the baking dish. Add the wine to the dish and sprinkle the salmon with brown sugar. Bake 30 to 35 minutes and serve.