Josh Niland on Using Every Part of a Fish

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Many countries and cultures around the world are making a conscious effort to use the whole animal in the kitchen. Australian chef Josh Niland would like home cooks to see fish as more than a sum of their fillets. He explains how the privilege has led a majority of consumers to use boneless and skinless products, which make up about 50% of the animal. He suggests inquiring about ground tuna, mackerel or swordfish at the fish counter for lasagna and meatballs. In Niland’s new book, “Catch a fishHe teaches readers how to use different components of fish, from small anchovies to mighty tuna.

PISSALADIERE AND PICHADE
FOR 4 PEOPLE

I fell in love with these two tarts while working in a restaurant in Nice a few years ago. It was way too difficult to decide which one to include in this book, so I figured I would do both. Traditionally native to Genoa in Liguria, the pissaladière is made with caramelized onions, olives, salted anchovies and a focaccia-style bread, while the Pihade de Menton is dressed in the same way but the caramelized onion is replaced by a base of simmered tomatoes. Both are filled with umami and are universally loved.

I decided to use fresh sardines here instead of salted anchovies. I know! Not exactly traditional, but I find the crisp minerality and crisp flavors of the fresh sardines to balance the dish better. I also replaced the bread with sour cream dough, resulting in a rich, slightly soft center where the toppings sit, but also crisp, buttered edges. The pie shell can be made ahead, as can all the toppings, so break the recipe down into individual tasks during the week and share these pies with your loved ones on the weekends. Serve with a simple dandelion and pink apple salad, or bite them up for a glamorous couch option.

Ingredients

  • 1 quantity of Sour Cream Paste (see below)
  • 12 whole fresh sardines, shelled, threaded and without ribs
  • 24 Ligurian olives, pitted and halved
  • 60 ml (2 fl oz / 1⁄4 cup) extra virgin olive oil
  • sea ​​salt flakes, freshly ground black pepper and Espelette pepper
  • 2 lb 3 oz (1 kg) ripe tomatoes, washed and seeded
  • 8 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon Espelette pepper, or to taste
  • 60 ml (2 fl oz / 1⁄4 cup) garum or fish sauce
  • 600 g (1 lb 5 oz) white sugar
  • 200 ml (7 fl oz) red wine vinegar
  • 100 ml (31⁄2 fl oz) extra virgin olive oil 6 large brown onions, thinly sliced
  • 1 tablespoon of sea salt flakes
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 star anise
  • 2 sprigs of thyme
  • 1 sprig of rosemary
  • freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

-Divide the dough in half then, using a rolling pin, roll out each piece between two sheets of parchment paper in a circle about 5 mm (1⁄4 inch) thick.

-Place on baking sheets lined with parchment paper and refrigerate the dough in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour before baking. Preheat the oven to 170 ° C (340 ° F).

-Cover each sheet of dough with a thick baking sheet to prevent the dough from puffing up in spots, resulting in an uneven finish.

-Bake for 15 minutes or until evenly colored. Reserve in the fridge.

-To make the tomato jam, finely dice half the tomatoes, leaving the skin and seeds, and set aside for later. Place the remaining tomatoes, garlic, Espelette pepper and garum or fish sauce in a blender and puree. Transfer to a deep saucepan, add sugar and vinegar and whisk to combine. Slowly bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly, then reduce the heat to low and add the reserved diced tomato. Simmer gently for 30 to 40 minutes, skimming off the foam as it rises to the surface.

-Stir every 5 minutes to remove solids from the bottom and scrape the side frequently so the jam cooks evenly. (It is essential to be patient here; if the jam catches over high heat and caramelizes, the final color will be dull and quite tan rather than reaching its bright red potential.) To check if the jam is ready, place a small spoonful on a cold plate – it’s ready if it is gently laid down without any residual liquid escaping. If it is too firm, add a little water and remove from the heat.

-Pour the tomato jam into warmed and sterilized glass jars and let cool to room temperature. Store in the refrigerator for up to 4 weeks.

-For the caramelized onion, heat the olive oil in a large-bottomed pan over medium heat. Add the onion and salt and toss to combine and coat the onion. More than just a seasoning, the salt will suck moisture from the onion, which is essential here.

-Wrap the bay leaf, star anise, thyme and rosemary in a muslin bag and add them to the onion mixture. Reduce the heat to low, cover with a tight fitting lid and cook for 35 to 40 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, until the onion begins to brown. Remove cover and cook, stirring, an additional 5 to 10 minutes. The onion is ready when it is jammy and dark amber in color. Remove from heat and let cool, then store in a sterilized jar or airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.

-Preheat the oven to 190 ° C (375 ° F).

-To assemble the pissaladière, place your puff pastry on a baking sheet lined with baking paper. Distribute the chilled caramelized onion evenly over the surface, leaving a 2 cm (3⁄4 inch) border around the edge. Bake for 10 minutes or until the onion has toasted edges and adheres well to the dough.

-Meanwhile, using a sharp knife, cut each sardine in half from head to tail, forming a long, boneless strip. It is important to use a sharp knife to avoid damaging the fillets and to ensure that the beautiful silvery skin remains intact.

-While the onion tart is still hot out of the oven, arrange half of the sardines in a nice grid, as shown in the photo on the back. Dot olive halves in each lattice window.

– Generously pour extra virgin olive oil over the pie and season with black pepper and a little salt. Return to the oven for 2 minutes to reheat the sardines and olives. Please do not overcook at this point, otherwise the sardines will quickly turn from nice and oily to chalky and dry. Take out of the oven and serve immediately.

-To assemble the pichade, follow the same procedure as the pissaladière using the remaining sardines and olives, but replace the caramelized onion with the tomato jam and the black pepper with the Espelette pepper.

SOUR CREAM PASTRY
FOR 450 G (1 LB)

This dough can be made ahead and stored in the freezer. Depending on the recipe, you can either thaw it before use or cook it straight from the freezer.

Ingredients

  • 200 g (7 oz / 1 1/3 cups) plain flour (all purpose), frozen
  • 140 g (5 oz) butter, frozen and diced
  • 1 teaspoon of fine salt
  • 2 teaspoons of ice water
  • 100 g (3 1⁄2 oz) sour cream, chilled

Instructions

-Push the flour and butter in a food processor to create very fine crumbs. Pour onto a cold surface and make a well in the middle. Dissolve the salt in the water and add to the breadcrumbs, along with the sour cream, and gently push the dough together until the liquids are completely incorporated and the dough is smooth but has visible ripples of sour cream. It is very important not to overwork the dough at this stage.

– Divide and roll out the dough following the instructions for the recipe of your choice, then place in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour before baking.


SNAPPER BAKED IN SALTY PASTRY
FOR 4 PEOPLE

It’s the easiest way to cook a whole snapper with mind-blowing results. Once mastered, you can vary the technique with a myriad of flavors and species, even the dough (which is not edible here), but the most critical is the rest time after cooking. As you can imagine, there’s a lot of heat trapped inside, and letting that residual heat work its magic results in perfectly cooked fish that easily peel off the bone.

There is a big difference between overcooked and overcooked fish. When cooking on the bone, there is a soft place where the flesh decides to give up the bone and the natural gelatin and fat is still present. After this time, a fish will start to lose moisture, which will eventually give it its texture, flavor and appearance. You can always cook a fish a little more if needed, so always err on the side of cooking for a fish like snapper.


Australians love a good savory pie. Josh Niland creates his version of a fish pie using the whole animal. Photo by Rob Palmer.

Ingredients

  • 1 × 1 kg (2 lb 3 oz) whole snapper, shelled, gutted and boneless, spine intact
  • Savory dough
  • 600 g (1 lb 5 oz / 4 cups) plain flour (all purpose)
  • 150 g (5 1⁄2 oz) egg whites
  • 420 g (15 oz) fine salt
  • 300 ml (10 fl oz) water

Instructions

-To make the salt dough, place all the ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Mix on low speed for 5 minutes or until a firm and smooth dough forms, then turn to a lightly floured surface and knead for 1 minute into a ball. Wrap in cling film and let stand for 1 hour.

-Preheat the oven to 220 ° C (430 ° F) and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

-Unroll the dough, cut it in half and roll each piece into a square about 3 mm (1/8 inch) thick. Squares should exceed the width and height of the entire snapper. Carefully place a square of dough on the prepared baking sheet and position the fish in the center. Brush the edges of the pastry with a little water, then gently cover the fish with the second sheet of brick pastry, clamping the two sheets together with a fork to seal the edges.

-Cut off any excess dough and roll up the trimmings, shaping them as you wish for presentation. Place in the oven and cook for 25 minutes. To check if it’s ready, insert a probe thermometer through the batter in the thickest part of the fish. For best results, the temperature should be around 40 to 42 ° C (104 to 107 ° F) when removed from the oven.

-Rest the fish in its batter for about 10 minutes to reach a serving temperature of 48-50 ° C (118-122 ° F), then transfer to the center of the table, ready for theatrical release before serving.


Photo by Rob Palmer.


As an extension of his James Beard Award winning cookbook, Australian chef Josh Niland teaches home cooks how to get the most out of a variety of fish. His latest work is “Take One Fish”. Photo courtesy of Hardie Grant.

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