Four Days of Fish

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fishing off Nine of Cups  

When David catches a fish, we're pretty picky about the ones we keep. If it's too large, we let it go. If it's too small, we let it go. Since we rarely use our freezer when we're underway, four days is about the maximum amount of time a fish can be kept in the fridge. If we have too much fish, we'll waste it and we hate that, so we let the big ones go. If the fish is too small, it's too much effort to clean it and clean up after for so little return on time investment, so we wish the little guys well and let them go. But, if the fish is the right size, about 5-6 lbs (2-3 kg) it's a keeper and depending on what's in the larder, we have four favorite ways to prepare it for four consecutive nights.

 

caught a fish

 

As soon as David cleans the fish, I rinse it and put it in Ziploc bags in the fridge. I get the sticky rice going and we have sushi for the first night. Day 2 is usually sesame-encrusted, seared filets. Day 3 is baked, stuffed fish. Day 4 can be chowder or fish cakes. There are variations on the theme, but we pretty much stick to this menu. There's no waste and we have four nights of fresh fish. Here's our recipe for Day 3 baked fish.

Day 3 Baked Fish a la Nine of Cups
Recipe Type: Main Dish
Author: Marcie Connelly Lynn
If you don't mind using the oven, this is a great tasting dish and baking offers a completely different approach to our usual fish preparation.
Ingredients
  • 6 slices of stale bread, crumbled
  • 1 clove garlic, minced fine
  • ½ medium onion, minced fine
  • ¼ tsp (.15g) sage
  • ½ tsp (.3g) basil
  • 1 tsp (.6g) Old Bay Seasoning
  • 2 tbsp (30g) butter/ margarine
  • ½ cup (120ml) white wine
  • ¼ cup (60ml) olive oil
  • Hot water as needed, about ½ (120ml) cup
  • l lb (.5 kg) of fresh fish fillets
  • 1 tsp (5ml) fresh lemon juice (or bottled)
  • Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Saute onion and garlic in butter until soft. Stir in sage and Old Bay. Add crumbled bread and enough hot water until the stuffing is a thick, moist consistency, tossing lightly with a fork. Grease or spray the bottom of a casserole dish. Lay the fillets on the bottom of the casserole and sprinkle with lemon juice. Divide up the stuffing and place on top of each fillet. Mix olive oil, basil and white wine and pour over stuffed fish. Bake in a 400ºF (200ºC) oven for 15 minutes. Serve with rice or a baked potato.
  2. Variation on the theme – Sprinkle grated cheese on the top or add pre-steamed veggies like cauliflower, broccoli or carrots to the casserole … or both.