For years I have observed a man wearing a huge sombrero fishing off the North Haven bridge. I have never seen him catch anything. Nonetheless, he is an inspiration to me: The sight of him often prompts me to drive more than five miles to my favorite fish store in Wainscott, where I can be absolutely certain of my catch though the price is higher than fishing off the bridge.
I grew up in a Southern coastal city where fish and shellfish were frequent fare, not only because they were cheap and plentiful but because we loved them. Until the last decade or so this taste wasn't shared by most Americans. They regarded eating fish as a grim duty. Now that its low-calorie content and the ability of fish oil (polyunsaturated fatty acids and all that) to help lower the blood count of "bad" cholesterol has been relentlessly broadcast, the popularity of fish has zoomed. And, inevitably of course, so have fish prices. (Last week I read that the value of diamonds has dropped precipitously — not one of my major worries — so maybe someday fish will once again be prole food or at least middle class.)
Aside from going fishing, another way to keep fish on the table is to shop for whatever is currently running or buy farmed fish such as catfish, blues, skate, and porgies. Whole fish are always cheaper than fillets but many people seem to have lost the ability to part a fish from its skeleton at the table.
Trout With Bacon and Vinegar Sauce
A sophisticated dinner version of an old-time fisherman's breakfast, fresh-caught trout and bacon, this may be made either with fresh water or sea trout or porgy. Serve it with plain boiled potatoes. Serves four.
2 small trout (about 14 ounces each)
Salt and pepper
8 sprigs fresh thyme
6 thin slices bacon
Oil
1 cup fish stock (see note)
1 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter (cut in 4 pieces)
Note: Knorr fish bouillon cubes are handy for small amounts.
Rinse and dry the fish, sprinkle the inside with salt and pepper, and put four sprigs of thyme on top of each fish. Wrap each in three slices of bacon. Preheat the broiler on high for five minutes. Oil a flameproof shallow dish or iron skillet (or if you have an oval fish skillet of steel, use that) and lay the fish in. Broil about five inches from a medium flame for five minutes, then turn the fish and broil another five minutes. Remove the bacon and thyme and fillet the fish. Arrange a fillet on each warmed plate and put them into a low oven.
Deglaze the pan with the fish stock and vinegar and reduce it to one-half cup over high heat. Whisk in the butter piece by piece and divide the sauce over the fillets.
Herbed Flounder in Lettuce Leaves
Flounder has never been my favorite fish, but it has the advantage here of being always among us. Stuffed with fresh spring herbs and packaged in pale green lettuce leaves, flounder takes on an interesting flavor and appearance. Serves four.
8 matching flounder fillets
Juice and zest of one lemon
Salt and cayenne (red pepper)
1 1/2 cups fresh white bread crumbs
1 Tbsp. minced parsley
1 Tbsp. minced chives
2 tsp. fresh, minced sage leaves
2 to 3 Tbsp. milk
2 Tbsp. olive or nut oil
4 very large iceberg lettuce leaves or 8 smaller ones
Dry the fillets and rub them with some of the lemon juice and a little salt and a very little cayenne. Set aside. Mix the breadcrumbs with the lemon zest, parsley, chives, sage, and enough milk to make the mixture stick together. Divide this into four parts and pat it evenly onto each of four fillets. Cover with the matching fillets and rub the tops with oil.
Blanch the lettuce leaves in a large pot of boiling salted water just long enough to wilt them and make them pliable. Remove to a colander and refresh under cold running water. Pat the leaves dry and lay them out on a countertop. Rub them with a little oil, then lay each pair of stuffed fillets on top and fold the lettuce leaves over them to make a neat package. Place these, folded side down, on an oiled baking dish and bake in a 350-degree oven for about 20 minutes. Lift the packages out with a long, slotted spatula onto heated plates and serve.
