You Fishy Fish You! >000>

Fish. You either love it or you hate it. The texture at times can be overwhelming and the odor at times can do its job as well. Growing up I loved fish, but something happened recently where I began to dislike fish. I just stopped having my fishy urges. I still love my seafood, mainly shrimps and calamari, but I do not cook it at home since it’s not kosher and we like to keep a kosher kitchen for our family and friends. However, since we are on a diet I realized that eating chicken, lamb and red meat every day is not very healthy; I had to welcome fish back into my kitchen.

One of my favorite restaurants is Jade. It is an Asian fusion restaurant off Austin Street in Kew Gardens, Queens. It has the most amazing appetizers. One of my favorite dishes there is the Basil Jumbo Shrimp. It is a mix of spicy zestfulness, basil aroma and crunchy juicy peppers and onions. No one else does it like them. Spicy Basil sauce is a Thai specialty. But not every Thai restaurant knows how to make it happen just right. Jade does, and that’s why every occasion I get I go there and am proud to say I have converted many into Jade fanatics!

Due to my love for Jade, and my promise to eat more at home I went on a voyage to create the perfect Spicy Thai Basil sauce. I read over 20 recipes online. They all called for a few main ingredients: Basil (duh!), peanut oil, soy sauce and fish sauce. Many called for garlic, some just a few pieces and others an overwhelming amount. The beauty of creating your own recipe is you can add more of what you like and less of what you despise.

One thing I did not find is Spicy Thai Basil Fish. It was mainly chicken, and if you haven’t notice from my recent blog entries, we’ve been eating too much chicken. I’m not a fish know it all. I have no clue what one tastes like or how they are supposed to be cooked and so I experimented and it turned out amazing. I knew I needed a fish that had no small bones in it, so you could eat it straight without picking at it. I knew I wanted a mild tasting, less ocean-sensed soft fish. I went to the fish market down the block from me and had a talk with Julio. Julio told me that the fillet of Sole, which was the least expensive of the boneless fillets, had a mild taste and did its purpose. I listened to Julio and took two large fillets home. It cost me $4.51 and I got 2 long fillets which I cut in half and I can serve 4 with. That’s a cheap meal I must say! I feel like Rachel Ray and her $10.00 meal planner.

Today’s meal can be mildly spicy to extremely spicy, work it in your own discretion. If you are like David and love the spicy but your digestive system doesn’t agree with it- just add a little spice to it with some red pepper flakes. If you are like many of my other Israelites who love their spicy, throw in a few Jalapeños and see the fireworks! Enjoy this recipe. The first time I made it and I am in love! Keep in mind that this is a stir fry so you need to serve it as soon as it is ready because the vegetables will get soggy and it won’t be as crispy as it is intended to be.

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Spicy Thai Basil Fish with Peppers and Onions

Cooking Time: 30 Minutes

Prep Time: 15 Minutes

Serves: 4 People

Ingredients:

1 lb (about 4 palm sized pieces) of boneless fish fillet (flounder, tilapia, or Fillet of Sole)
12 pieces of garlic, finely chopped
1 red pepper, cut into 12
1 yellow pepper, cut into 12
1 orange or green pepper, cut into 12
10 small shallots cut in quarters
1 cup of basil not chopped, taken off the stems (use the flower buds as well)
¼ cup of mint leaves, roughly chopped
5 tablespoons of soy sauce
5 tablespoons of peanut oil
¼ cup of water
1 tablespoon of corn starch
1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes (mild spice) or 2-4 jalapeno peppers thinly sliced with seeds (very spicy)
1 teaspoon of white ground pepper

Directions:

Put about 3 tablespoons of peanut oil in a deep skillet and allow the oil to get very hot. Seer the fish on each side for about 5 minutes, until fully cooked. The fish should get slightly brown on each side. Remove the fish onto a plate and scrap the brown bits from the bottom of the pan.

Add 2 more tablespoons of peanut oil and allow it to get very hot. Put the onions, peppers, red pepper flakes (or jalapeno peppers) and garlic in the pan and allow it to stir fry for a few minutes until it becomes a bit tender (about 6 minutes). Add the soy sauce and mix will. Add the ¼ cup of water and allow it to simmer for 3 minutes. Add the tablespoon of corn starch and stir thoroughly. The sauce will thicken. Add the basil and mint leaves and the white ground pepper. Once the basil and mint have limped the sauce is ready. Return the fish to the skillet and allow the fish to warm up about 5 minutes. Do not mix the fish in. Just let the fish sit on top of the sauce.

To serve: Place the fish on the plate and then put two serving spoons of the pepper and basil mixture on top and add more sauce as needed.

Can be served with white rice on the bottom.

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