Tag: appetizer
Herb Rubbed Smoked Mackerel
Herb Rubbed Smoked Mackerel
Mackerel happens to be my favorite fish. It is extremely strong in flavor; some may call it fishy. Mackerel is very oily, being high in omega-3 fatty acids. It is highly perishable and should be eaten with 2 days of being caught if buying fresh. You can find a large abundance of good quality frozen mackerel at just about every Asian market. The ones that I purchased came whole, frozen in a pack 3 for $1.99/lb. It was less than $6. That inexpensive. If you don’t know how to clean and fillet whole mackerel, I recommend watching YouTube videos. If you are grossed out, you can find boneless fillets for a few more dollars per lb. The fillets will only require 2 hours of brining time. The brine is just sea salt and a few bay leaves. Pat them dry once you’re finished brining. Let them dry out for another hour. They are then ready to smoke. If you want to add additional flavors to the mackerel, do so now. I seasoned mine with cracked black pepper and a mix of chopped fresh herbs.Since mackerel is very strong in flavor, it can take on stronger flavored woods when smoking. I did a 50/50 mix of pecan and cherrywood. Preheat your smoker to 250 degrees. Through in the mackerel. Once the wood chips start smoking, turn the heat down to 215 degrees. Smoke the mackerel for 1 hour. Let cool completely before serving. The smoked mackerel will be good in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Equipment
- Electric Smoker
Ingredients
- 6 mackerel fillets or 3 whole mackerel; cleaned and filleted
- 3 tbsp fresh sage chopped
- 3 tbsp fresh oregano chopped
- 3 tbsp fresh rosemary chopped
- cracked black pepper
Brine
- 4 cups water
- 1/4 cup sea salt
- 3 bay leaves
Wood Chips
- 1/2 pecan wood chips
- 1/2 cherrywood chips
Instructions
- Mix the brining ingredients together. Add the mackerel fillets and the brine to a gallon sized storage bag. Brine for 2 hours.
- Place the fillets on a rack. Pat dry with paper towels. Let dry out for an hour before smoking.
- Season the mackerel with cracked black pepper. Mix the chopped herbs together and rub each mackerel fillets with them.
- Preheat your smoker to 250 degrees. Throw the mackerel in the smoker. Once the wood chips start smoking, turn the temperature down to 215 degrees.
- Smoke the fillets for 1 hour.
- Let the mackerel completely cool before serving.
Octopus Ceviche
Octopus Ceviche
Recipe #666, on Halloween 2020. Wanna venture out to another type of ceviche that’s not fish or shrimp? Ceviche de pulpo, aka octopus, is the way to go. You can purchase all ready cooked octopus, or buy a whole raw one and cook it yourself like I did. The octopus takes about 2 minutes to cook in a pot of boiling water. Scoop the octopus out and place in ice water to stop the cooking process. It’s really that simple.At this point, cut the octopus into thin bite sized pieces. Mix with hot peppers, some red onions, and lime juice. Let that marinate for 2 hours. Marinate the remaining half of the red onions with salt and lime juice. Once the marinating process is over, mix the ceviche together with the lime-pickled red onions, cilantro, and olive oil. Serve the ceviche with plantain chips.
Servings: 2
Ingredients
- 12 oz octopus
- 1/2 medium red onion thinly sliced on a mandolin
- 1 serrano pepper thinly sliced on a mandolin
- 5 limes juiced
- 3 tbsp cilantro chopped
- 1 tsp olive oil
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Rub your octopus with salt. Wash and rinse the octopus in cold water.
- Bring a pot of water to a hard boil. Drop the octopus in. Boil for 2 minutes.
- Place the octopus in an ice bath to shock and stop the cooking process.
- Place the onions in a bowl. Season with salt. Cover with cold water and let sit for 10 minutes. Drain and rinse the salt off.
- Chop up the octopus in small bite sized pieces. Mix them together with the serrano peppers and half of the red onions. Juice 3 limes over the bowl. Season with salt. Place in the refrigerator and let marinate for 2 hours.
- Juice 2 limes over the remaining onions. Let marinate in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
- Mix together the lime pickled red onions with the rest of the ceviche. Mix in the cilantro and olive oil.
Karaage Chicken
Karaage Chicken
Karaage fried chicken is one of the most popular Japanese dishes inside, as well as outside, of Japan. Unlike the fried chicken you might be used to, karaage chicken is boneless and cut into bite sized pieces. What makes this chicken special is that it’s fried twice. This helps seal in the juices, keeping the chicken moist while keeping the outside nice and crispy.
Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast or thigh cut into 2” cubes
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp sake
- 1/2 tsp mirin
- 1 tbsp ginger grated
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
- Marinte the chicken in the soy sauce, sake, mirin, and ginger for 1 hour.
- Mix together the flour and cornstarch.
- Toss the chicken in the flour, making sure that it is evenly coated.
- Heat up 2” of cooking oil in a pot over medium high heat. Fry the chicken for 5 minutes until golden brown. You will have to cook the chicken in batches.
- Drain the chicken on paper towels.
- Turn up the heat on the oil a little bit. Fry the chicken for a second time for 2 more minutes. Drain the grease again.
