“Cooking with…” is a new series that will highlight the use of various local ingredients in dishes prepared in the home-kitchen. | Photos by Stacey Angel

By Brooke A. Brown

Just as there are times when absolutely nothing could possibly coerce you into the kitchen to prepare a meal for yourself, there are such occasions when all you really want is a home-cooked meal. The Lovely Miss S and I – residents of Charleston’s East End – witnessed this very occasion over the long Regatta weekend. The uncomfortable thought of navigating new traffic patterns and playing chicken with out-of-town drivers going the wrong way on one-way streets was our impetus. Being foodies to the core, our kitchen was well-stocked for just about anything save for that one ingredient we always indulge in on the weekends: fresh fish.

Luckily, the Regatta festivities did not interfere with this shopping excursion as we only needed to venture a couple of blocks to get to Joe’s Fish Market. Located at the corner of Brooks and Quarrier Streets, Joe’s is the fish-monger you always hear about on the cooking shows. Their fish is fresh, never frozen, and has little to no odor. Any whole fish I’ve ever seen there has crystal clear, bulging eyes. And if you have a question for them about their selections (When was the fish delivered? Where did it come from? Can I smell it?), they will happily and expertly provide an answer for you. In other words, they take great pride in what they do and it shows.

As for what’s in the case, well, that varies from day to day. Salmon, sea scallops and shrimp – both boiled and raw – are almost always on hand. Arctic char (which is farmed in Logan County), trout and tilapia are pretty common, as well. Then there’s the almost sashimi-quality yellowfin tuna (which is excellent if grilled and served rare), swordfish and halibut, the latter being the variety for which I was fishing. I was in luck that day and ordered two fillets, which they hand-cut and skinned, as well as two fillets of salmon… just for the halibut.

One of the wonderful things about Joe’s is that they also know how to cook. Ask them for suggestions on how to best prepare any of their offerings and they’ll quickly rattle off a simple recipe or two that best complements the selection at hand. In the case of the aforementioned halibut, Joe himself not only shared a recipe with me, but also a small cup of a cajun-style spice blend not unlike Emeril Lagasse’s Essence. BAM! With fish, recipe and spices in hand, I headed home to prepare that home-cooked meal.

First things first, I preheated the oven to 375 degrees. I took a fry pan (Joe recommended an iron skillet, but any heavy bottomed, oven-safe pan will work) and cranked the heat on the stovetop to a medium-high level. (If 10 is the highest setting on the dial, mine was somewhere around 7 1/2.) With the pan preheating on the stovetop (not recommended if you are using non-stick), I unwrapped the fish and prepared them for seasoning.

After a quick rinse and good paper toweling off, I liberally seasoned the fillets on both sides with the spice mixture. Since I knew this mixture already contained a fair amount of salt, I avoided adding any extra even though fish really likes salt. Returning to my pan, I added approximately one tablespoon of olive oil – just enough to coat the bottom and to keep the fish from sticking. I placed the fillets into the hot pan and set the timer for one minute. During that brief but important timeframe, I left the pan completely alone. This is the proper method for ensuring a nice sear. Following that minute, I flipped the fillets and seared them on the second side for an additional minute.

With the searing process complete, it was time to place the entire pan into the oven so that the fish could cook through. With halibut, that meant another five minutes or so until dinner was ready. One way to check if it’s done is by pressing the fish at its thickest part. If it gives easily, then it still needs more time. If it’s firm like an apple, it has cooked too long. The texture you’re looking for is that of a ripe avocado – slightly firm with just a bit of give.

I must say that this dish turned out quite nicely. The sear provided a crispy, spicy crust and kept the naturally mild fish moist and tender. Any fan of cajun-style cooking would thoroughly enjoy the smokey flavors of the seasonings. I served the fish with sides of skin-on mashed potatoes and green beans sautéed with onions. The star, however, was the halibut. Thanks, Joe!

IF YOU GO: Joe’s Fish Market, 1121 Quarrier Street, Charleston, W.Va. 304-342-7827

This entry was posted on Tuesday, September 4th, 2007 at 11:22 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.