Fish dishes Jett Smith SOMEDAY IT would be fun to have a food an- thropologist answer my question: Have more people ir the world been kept alive on fish or on meat? I think the answer is fish. 1 hope you enjoy the follow- . ing recipes. HINT: For proper Chinese chowing (siir-fryiag), remember these simple ru les: 1. Always have everything totally prepared, chopped, mixed, and sliced, before you turn on the wok. 2. Heat the wok first and then add the oif and _ ingre- dients. “Hot wok, cold oil, foods won’t stick.” 3. Use fresh ingredients when possible. 4. Do not overcock the food. 5. Serve the dish the moment it is done, no matter what is — going cn at the table. An old Chinese proverb says, “A man should never wait for the dish. The dish should never wait for (Serves 4 as part of _a Citinese meal) I tasted this dish for the first time in Hong Kong. Thie utter simplicity and the refreshing . flavor of the celery make a blend that we seldom see in Chinese restaurants in this country. Y% pousd whitefish fillets, boneicss and sliced thin (cod, seu bass os Rounder wil work well) 4 cups peannit off for deep- frying 1 cup Chinese ur ordinary cei- ery, cut jaiienne, very fine, eaves and sll % cap fresh or canned chicken broth Pinch of ground white pepper Pinch of sugar 2 tablespoon cornstarch mixed wiih i tablespoon waier MARINADE 2 egg whites, beaten | 2 tablespoons cornsiarchk a3 THE FRUGAL GOURMET % i eeepooe salt , Carrol, finely sated oxiom, chopped . om “the. fish and mix the marinade. Mix it well. Soak the fish in the marinade for 20 minutes or longer in the ’ refrigerator. In the meantime, cut up and prepare ail other ingredients. Heat the peanut oil to be- tween 280°F and 300°F, no hotter. Deep-fry the drained fish just until it turns white — a couple of minutes. It will not brown. Heat a wok and add the ta- blespoon of fresh peanut oil, garlic, salt and ginger. Chow (stir-fry) for a moment over high heat and add the celery. Cook just until hot and add the chicken broth, pepper and sugar. Bring the sauce to a boil and thicken with the comstarch and water mixture. Add the drained fish fillets ‘ and = stir-fry just until hot. Gamish and serve. STEAMED FISH WITH BLACK BEANS (Serves 6 as part of a Chinese meal) I never tire of the flavor of fermented black beans, ‘‘dow see.”’ Black beans and garlic are just the thing for fish of any kind and I think you will be surprised at how easy this classic Chinese dish really is. 1 peand whitefish or cther fick iiBets, ur 1 poand of fish cat I tablespoon peanut oil 2 doves gariic, chopped very fine or crushed % icaspoon fresh grated ginger 1 tablespoon fermented black beans 2 greca onions, slivered Pinch of suger 1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine or dry sherry / 2 tablespoons light soy sauce Pinch of MSG (opsional) Place the fish in a steaming plate. Heat a wok and add the oil, garlic and ginger. Rinse the black beans in a bit of water and add to the wok. Chow for just a moment, then add the rest of sauce in- gredients and pour this sauce over the fish. ‘Place in a bamboo steamer and cook for about 15 minutes or until the fish flakes and is done to your taste. GREEK FISH CHOWDER The proper name for this Greek dish is ‘‘kakkavi,’’ 3 medium yellow onicns, peci- ed and chopped 2 cloves garlic, chopped fine 2 i-pound cans peeled tomatoes, coarsely chopped 4 ribs of celery, chopped 2 teaspoons salt 4 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 bay leal 4 cap dry red wine 4 cups water 3 pound whitefish, boneless filiets ¥%: pound enck of sny or ail of the follcwieg: Ctasas, rinsed Mussels, scrubbed clean und rinsed Crabs Shrimp Squid, cleaned and cut into ¥2-inckh circtes Heat a 6-quart heavy stockpot and add the oii, onion and garlic. Saute until they are clear, about $ minutes. Add the remaining ingre- dients, except ine seafood, and simmer, uncovered, until the sauce is rich and full-flavored, about a half hour. Add the, fish and the sheilfish in the order given, giving each variety a momeprt to cook. The clams will take longer than the squid. . Serve in bowls with french bread and a Greek salad. MALTO DEXTRIN, a component of corn syrup, helps replace the thickness and richness provided by fat in recipes while also ad- ding moisture. Eliminating fat with corn syrup IS [ff reaily possible to eliminate the fat in baked goods without sacrificing the flavor? Yes, say the baking experts at Best Foods Canada. in fact, muffins, cakes, loaves, quick breads and cookies made without butter or other fats are so good, you may want to try them even if you haven’t been put on a fat-reduced diet! The secret is to replace the fat with corn syrup, a product that’s been around for a long time and can be found in most Canadian kitchens. “Today, people are concerned about their health and want to reduce the amount of fat they eat in line with recommendations from health professicnals. We turned cur attention to fat-free baking because traditional baked goods tend to be high in both fat and calories,*’ Albrecht, director of Consumer Services at Best Foods Canada Inc. Fat butter, margarine, shortening, lard or oil — is nor- mally an essential ingredient in baking because it enriches flavor, provides tenderness, helps create volume and inhibits staling. Malto dextrin, a component of | cern syrup, helps replace the says Sandra thickness and richness provided by fat in recipes while also adding moisture. As an added benefit, fat-free recipes madz2 with corn syrup are also lower in calories. But replacing fat with corn syrup is more complicated than a simple one-tc-one substitution, since you’re usually replacing a solid with a liquid. Other ingre- dients in a recipe also need to be adjusted, balanced end in some cases eliminated. “Chocolate, nut, egg yolks, cheese and other jairy products all contain significant levels of fat,’’explains Albrecht. ‘“‘Our solu- tion was to use only ingredients with trace levels of fat. Cocoa was used in place of chocolate, egg yolks were eliminated, whole milk was replaced with skim milk, juice or water and high-fibre- ingre- dients such as oats, bran, dates and other fruit were used io add flavor and texture.”’ The criteria she and her staff of home economists set for these rec- ipes was that they had to contain less than one gram of fat per serv- ing and still taste great..In testing, they discovered that fat-free bak- ed products often have.a more in- tense flavor — more chocolatey or fruitier --. with a moister and coarser texture. See Fabulous page 36 Storing greens a process of temporary hibernation SUE WILSON ANNE GARDINER WE’RE ALL supposed to be paying attention to the way we treat our planet — what to buy, how we take care of what we already have, and how we dispose of what we no longer want. The concern for unnecessary waste was once again brought home as a head of shrivelled let- tuce was tossed aside. Not a big happening. But one that could have been avoided by under- standing why greens need proper storage. ; Each crisply curled texiuce leaf, every tumbling sivik of arugula, and alt the spoon-shapced leaves its a head of Romaine continue to live after harvesting. Oxygen and carbox dioxide are still exchanged, and moisture is given of. . These Processes: continue even though water is no longez replenished by the root systeii. And greens draw on their stored reserves for energy. Storing greens is really a process or temporary hibecnaticn. We minimize their energy and water losses by chilling the leaves, sa life processes continue, but much move slowly than normal. It's easy to store most vegetables, but greens have par- ticular needs because of their high water content. in fact, they might even be classed as the ‘‘givers” of the vegetablc world; if storage conditions are too dry for their liking, they donate some of tne wate: held in their leaf cells to the surrounding environment. As they give up their moisture, the crinkles in curly lettuce crum- ple as once-taut cells are no~- longer full. When wilted, leaves are hard to revive. Storing greens in the refrigerator, lightly packed in a bag, creates a mini-environment higher in moisture. In a cool, moist atmosphere greens stay fresh and crisp longez. If the storage bag is tightly sealed, the midribs and base of lettuce leaves may brown because too much carbon dioxide is te- tained if the transparent wrap is : impermeable. Make sure storage bags are Joesely closed or have soit Soles to allow the exchange of respira. tory gases. Some commercial! pro- duce wrappings and bags are semi-permeable, holding in neces- sary moisture, but at the same time allowing gases to move. A ditferent kind of drown often appears on the edges or crinkles of various greens. This is a slimy, wet brown, caused by excess moisture encouraging the growth of bacter’'a. Spoilage always begins in folds or creases which have been bruised or cut. Lightly wrapping greens in a cloth or paper towel keeps extra beads of water from pooling in the - creases, so the process of spoiling can’t begin as easily. Sefore using, dry washed greens lightly in a salad spinrer or towel. This heips an oil-based salad dressing coat the leaves more thoroughly. And generally a salad Stays crisper if it’s dressed just be- fore it’s serv .d. Respecting greens is a tiny step in addressing a huge problem of waste. But then, it’s all the little steps that add up to making a big difference.