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When my wife and I got together, she would tell me her fish stories. Her family did not grow up a fishing family, as a matter of fact, I think they did very little of it. However, they loved fish, and one story she has is that when she would travel to visit cousins, her parents would insist that she bring them smoked fish from Port Washington, Wisconsin. She would have to bring a carry on of smoked fish! I’ve tried that fish, and not only was it wonderful, it had a phenomenal smoke smell. A smoke that if brought on a plane would get some heads turning!

That wonderful smoked fish that my in-laws would travel close to a hour for no longer exists, and based on those stories, and the memories of how great that smoked fish was, I decided to provide my take on smoked fish for my wife. No travelling necessary. Furthermore, I ended up smoking more trout that weekend and freezing it for later use, it was just that good.

Let’s get started.

Ingredients: [Print this Recipe]

• 4 fresh trout, gutted, skin on
• 1 gallon cold water
• 2/3 cups of brown sugar
• 1 cup of kosher salt
• 1 tbsp black peppercorns
• 2 cloves of garlic, smashed
• 1 cup of cherry wood chips, soaked in water for 2 hours

Start by adding the water, brown sugar, salt, peppercorns, and garlic to a large enough container where you can fully submerge the trout. Stir the mixture to get all of the salt to dissolve.  This is your fish brine and will have an impact on the fish. It will add a bit of flavor, while at the same time keeping the fish moist throughout the smoking process. Once dissolved, add the trout, place a cover on the container and place in a refrigerator for 3 hours.

After 3 hours, remove the fish from the brine, and rinse the fish off under cold water. Pat the fish with some paper towel to remove some of the water.

Your next step is to get your smoker going. I use a drum smoker, and use charcoal as my base, and when the coals are heated, put the water pan in the middle layer, top rack, and lay on the fish. Cover the smoker, add the soaked wood chips on and around the heated charcoal, and cook on medium-low for about 3 hours.

Due to the fact that trout are fairly small is size, they do not take that long to cook. Keep an eye on the temperature, and your result should be a fish that is not dried out, but firm and ready to go. The meat should be opaque.

When the trout is cooked, remove it from the smoker, and let it come to room temperature.

Now, the possibilities are endless.  I enjoy how my wife and her family grew up eating smoked fish. Basically grab a fish, put it on your plate, add a bit of cooked rice as a side, and dig in. The smell is nothing but amazing and the texture and flavor of the fish is phenomenal.

Other ideas are to use some of the fish in salads, pastas, or sandwiches. However you use this smoked fish, I am certain you will enjoy!

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Now keep in mind I use the term po-boy for this recipe, and I will use it lightly. I say that only to the fact that this po-boy is not “dressed”, meaning, it is not slathered with mayonnaise and topped with tomatoes and thinly sliced lettuce.

As my wife was gone this past week, this was an opportunity for me to get my food on. As my kids were begging for me to make calamari, this was prime time to bring my clam chowder style sandwich into the spotlight, and wow, am I glad that I did.

Let’s get started.

(Makes One Sandwich)

Ingredients: [Print this Recipe]

• 1 1/2 lbs of clam strips, rinsed cleaned
• 1 cup of masa harina
• 1 cup of all purpose flour
• 1/2 tbsp salt
• 1 tsp cracked black pepper
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 cup of buttermilk
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/2 russet potato, skin on, cut into bite size cubes
• 1/2 onion, cut paper thin (mandoline works well)
• Tabasco Hot Sauce
• 1/2 loaf day old Jimmy John’s bread, or good submarine roll
• Bechamel Sauce (see below)
• 4 cups of canola oil
• More salt to taste

Ingredients for Bechamel Sauce:

• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 tbsp all purpose flour
• 1 cup of whole milk
• pinch of salt
• pinch of black pepper
• 1 bay leaf

To make the bechamel sauce, add the butter to a sauce pan and let it melt on medium heat. Once it starts to bubble, add in the flour, and begin to stir, incorporating the butter into the flour. It will form somewhat of a paste, but don’t worry. Your goal is to let the flour cook, stirring along the way, for about 3 minutes. Slowly add in the milk, and begin whisking, on medium heat, for about 5 minutes. Whisk the entire time. The flour will begin to thicken and make a nice cream sauce. Add in the salt, pepper, and bay leaf. Give a good stir, then remove from the heat.

To a medium pot, add in the canola oil, and bring it to a medium heat. Your goal is to get the oil to about 375 degrees.

To another pot add the cubed potatoes, and fill with just enough water to cover them. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and cook for about 8-10 minutes or until they are fork tender. Drain, and return the potatoes back to the pot.

During this time, prepare all of the ingredients as cooking the clams goes very fast, so you will want to be ready , keeping in mind that you will cook all of the clams in a few batches.

Let me pause here to give a good warning here. The goal is to make the sandwich. This is the ultimate goal. HOWEVER, when you remove the fried clams from the oil, and season with a bit of salt, YOU WILL TRY A FEW. Again, the goal is to make the sandwich. I will admit, that when I seasoned the first batch of clams and let them drain a bit on paper, and had that first bite, I was in heaven, and I began eating them like popcorn! So, if you can, stay focused!

To a bowl, add the buttermilk along with the egg, and give it a good mix.

To another bowl add the masa harina, flour, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper, giving that a good mix.

Add a handful of the clams to the buttermilk mixture, and while using your hands, make sure there are no clumps. Get the buttermilk spread evenly on the clams. Let them sit in there for a couple of minutes.

When your oil is ready, with a slotted spoon, remove the clams, letting the buttermilk drain back into the buttermilk bowl, then add them to the flour mixture. Using one of your hands, begin tossing the clam strips all around, making sure they do not clump up, and that all of the flour mixture is evenly distributed onto the clams. If you can, separate them, shaking off access flour, and place them on a tray or plate.

Add them to the hot oil, and begin frying. These will go extremely fast, about 1-2 minutes. Once golden brown, remove them with a large slotted spoon, or spider if you have one, letting the oil drain back into the pot, and add them to a wire strainer lined with paper. Season with salt.

Repeat until all of the clams are cooked.

Now let’s build that sandwich! You still have clams left right?

Slice your bread, lengthwise, but not all of the way through.

To the bottom, add the cubed potatoes. Drizzle with the Tabasco sauce, all along the potatoes. Top the potatoes with a good layer of the sliced onions. Top the onions with a heaping mound of the fried clams, then drizzle the top of the clams with the bechamel sauce.

PLEASE NOTE: If the bechamel sauce cooled up on you, simply bring it back to the stove on medium heat, add a bit more milk, water, or stock, and continue whisking until it is warmed through and easy to drizzle all over the clams.

Pinch both sides of the sandwich, open wide, and dig in. Not only is this sandwich super fun to eat, but it is everything you could think about when eating a clam chowder, but in sandwich form! You get the creamy potatoes on the base, the subtle hint of onion because they are paper thin, and the crunchy and awesome flavor from the clams. Not only that but you get the wonderful creamy bechamel sauce to boot!

But it was the fish fry. If you are from Wisconsin, you know exactly what I am referring to. If you are not from Wisconsin, well, you should visit, especially on a Friday night, and visit almost any restaurant for this, almost religious activity, known as the fish fry.

It is almost routine in our family that if I even pose the question on a Friday of ‘what do you want for dinner tonight’, the answer is, 90 percent of the time, a fish fry. We love it, and as I have been experimenting with beer batters over the last few years, I have also been tinkering with tempura batters.

A tempura batter is really simple to make and yields a light, crispy coating, which is perfect for small cod filets.

Let’s get started.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of all purpose flour
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 1/2 cups of very cold seltzer water
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup of additional all purpose flour
• Cod filets, cleaned and patted dry
• Canola Oil

Begin by mixing the salt, cornstarch, and one cup of flour in a mixing bowl.  Add in the very cold seltzer water and lightly mix. Do not overmix. If you are not going to use right away, place the bowl in a larger bowl, lined with ice, so that the batter remains very cold.

Heat your oil, enough oil to have the fish submerge, roughly three or more cups. Heat the oil to 350 degrees.

Take your cod filets, and cut into four inch lengths. They are easier to manage in the fryer, plus I think they are more fun to eat. Add the remaining flour to a plate.   Once the oil is heated, take a filet, place a filet onto the plate with flour, and lightly coat both sides. Toss in the bowl of cold batter, then carefully place them into the fryer. Cook until you have a nice, golden brown fish. Remove the cooked filets with a slotted spoon, and repeat until all of your fish is cooked.

To plate, add the cod to a serving dish and line with lemon wedges.

The result is a perfect, crunchy, but light cod filet that is super tender and flaky. A fish fry done right. You can also use this batter for any vegetable, shrimp, or heck, whatever your imagine gives you. Hope you enjoy.

I saw some nice, clean calamari at the store. If you have never had calamari, which is basically squid that is battered and fried, but let’s face it, some of us have had good calamari, and great calamari. Today, I am going to give you a recipe, that in my opinion, that is great calamari.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb clean squid, rings and tentacles
• 2 cups of butttermilk
• 1 cup of all purpose flour
• Your favorite marinara sauce, warmed
• 1 whole lemon, cut into wedges
• 3 cups of canola or vegetable oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cracked black pepper
• additional salt for taste

Start by adding your cleaned squid to a mixing bowl, and add in the buttermilk. Mix, and let it marinate in the milk for at least one hour, if not two.

During this time, place the flour into another bowl and add in one teaspoon of salt, and one teaspoon of black pepper. Place your oil into your frying pot.

When you are ready to fry, heat up the oil to 375 degrees. During this time, drain the squid.

Add about a cup of the squid into the flour, give it a nice toss. You want a light coating here, nothing heavy. Add the coated squid into the heated oil. Repeat this process.

The squid will only take about 1-2 minutes to cook. Trust me, it does not take long for this super easy recipe that is packed full of fun and flavor.

Cook until a light golden brown, and remove onto a strainer with a slotted spoon, or a cooking spider. Season with a bit of salt. Repeat with the fry process until all is cooked.

Serve with a bowl of nice marinara sauce, lemon wedges, and garnish with fresh herbs.

Things so simple can be made at home for that coastal experience we all look forward from time to time. Enjoy.

I have never been a real pasta fan, until the last five years or so. It is probably because until then, I did not understand what good pasta was. Those times have changed, and now some of my favorite pasta dishes are the simple ones. A few simple ingredients that just really take a pasta dish to the next level. This seafood pasta dish is one of those, and one I recently got to share with family and friends on vacation. I think they all agreed. It was great.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb penne pasta
• water, salted
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3 large shallots, minced
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 20 oz can of crushed tomatoes
• 1 lb of raw shrimp, 31-40s, cleaned and deveined
• 15 clams, or so
• 2 cups of good white wine
• Salt, to taste
• Black pepper, to taste
• 3/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
• Olive oil, for finish
• Rustic French or Italian bread, sliced and warmed (optional)

Begin by making the sauce for the pasta. Start by heating the two tablespoons of olive oil on medium-high heat in a large skillet. Toss in the shallots and garlic, and cook for a minute or so. Next add in your tomatoes, and a dash of salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to medium and continue to cook the tomatoes.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Generously salt the water, and begin cooking your pasta, just under the allotted time for al dente.

To the pan of cooked tomatoes, add in the wine and give a good stir. Bring to a simmer, then toss in the clams and cleaned shrimp. Cook just until the clams begin to open and the shrimp is nice and opaque.

Drain the pasta and add it to the sauce. Give a couple of good stirs, then toss in the parmesan cheese. Stir once again. Taste, and season with any salt and pepper before serving.

What you get right away from this seafood pasta is the great wine taste along with the flavors of the shellfish. Every bite is worth the next so be careful as this recipe is not only a bit elegant, but also very simple and comforting. Hope you enjoy.

In this case, salmon salad. I knew my wife loved simple Saturday lunches like chicken salad sandwiches, as well as the common tuna salad from time to time. It is not often that I make these types of salad sandwiches, if you will, but when you have leftovers like tuna, chicken, or heck, salmon, they do make for a quick and satisfying lunch. This salmon salad creation actually was super delicious, and wanted me to make another cedar smoked salmon the next day! It was just that good.

Lets get started on something on a salad that is really easy and more importantly, really delicious.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of boneless, cooked salmon
• 1 dill pickle, chopped
• 2 tbsp shallot, finely diced
• 1 small clove of garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup of mayonnaise
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh Italian leaf parsley, chopped
• 1/2 rib of celery, diced
• Toasted white bread or crackers

Take all of your ingredients and place them into a small mixing bowl. Make sure you incorporate all of the ingredients and that they lightly “stick” together from the mayonnaise. You do not want this salad to be thickened by mayonnaise, just a light mixture.

If you have molding rings, place a ring onto a serving plate, place some of the mixture into the ring to fill, and remove the ring. Serve with toasted white bread. Spread on the bread and dig in.

Simple and delicious. I hope you enjoy.

Shrimp and grits is considered “lowcountry” cooking, which is typically associated with South Carolina and the bordering states. Maybe that is why I have shrimp and grits on my mind, because we have been thinking about South Carolina for a few months now. That had to be it! Actually not, shrimp and grits has been rooted and well before the recent thoughts of South Carolina.

Grits is something that I have plenty of in my cabinet, however, I never really make them on a regular basis. So as my wife and sister-n-law went out shopping for the afternoon, I thought I would prepare a nice meal for everyone before they took off on the road and before we started the work week. You can tell why folks from the South love this dish. It is not only simple, and hearty, but it has some really great flavor. This dish would be great for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. It was also one of those dishes where everyone, and I mean everyone, went back for seconds.

Lets get started.

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium green bell pepper, diced
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 ribs of celery, diced
• 1/4 cup of shallots, diced
• 1/2 tbsp dried thyme
• 1 cup of stone-ground yellow grits
• 1 cup of water
• 1 cup of chicken stock
• 1 cup of heavy cream
• 1/2 cup of grated parmesan cheese
• 4 tbsp additional butter
• 1 lb of medium shrimp, peeled and deveined (about 30 shrimp)
• 1 cup of dry white wine
• 1 large tomato, diced
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 2 tbsp fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped
• 3 tbsp chipotle adobo sauce
• Salt and pepper to taste

Simple ingredients which pack some really great flavors and texture, plus it is really quick to make. With that said…

Begin my melting the butter and olive oil in a sauce pan.  Once melted, add in the garlic, shallot, and thyme. Let this cook until the garlic become fragrant, then toss in the water, broth, and cream. Stir well, and bring up to a low boil on medium-high heat.

Get a whisk and slowly begin adding in the grits, stirring the entire time. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to stir, cooking for about 10-15 minutes, then add in your parmesan cheese. Reduce the heat to low. Stir on occasion as you make your shrimp and sauce.

To a large skillet, add two more tablespoons of butter and let that melt on medium-high heat. Toss in your bell peppers, and celery and give that a toss, or stir. Cook for a few minutes then toss in the shrimp. Cook the shrimp until just about opaque, then remove from the skillet and set aside. Bring up the heat just a bit and toss in your white wine. Cook for about 5-8 minutes or until the wine reduces. Next toss in the tomatoes, parsley, lemon juice, and some salt and pepper. Give a good stir. Add in the remaining two tablespoons of butter, put the shrimp back in, and give a good stir.

Now you are ready to plate.

Give the grits another stir. Ladle in some of the grits into a serving bowl, then take the wine and tomato sauce mixture and add that to the top of the grits. Place a few shrimp in the bowl, then drizzle some of the chipotle adobo sauce around the perimeter of the grits.

Ok, so here is the deal. When everyone is around their bowl of shrimp and grits, you literally get those sound effects you are looking for when guests eat. There were the “oh”, “oh my”, “ummmmmmm”, and the occasional “wow”.

Creamy and cheesy grits that balanced out the perfect heat of the chipotle adobo sauce, and the texture of the celery and shrimp, along with the flavor of the wine sauce really made this lowcountry cuisine shine. Hope you enjoy.

But Friday’s, the question is always there. What should we have for dinner? We often debate whether or not to go out for a fish fry. The fish fry in Milwaukee, is a big deal, but I have been honest since I have started this site, in saying that I have not been impressed with many of the Milwaukee fish fry’s, so I have been making my own. Fish is a big deal on Friday in Milwaukee, especially during Lent, but instead of making my own fish fry as I typically do, and as all of the kids love it, I decided to come up with something different, and something we do not typically eat on Friday. Salmon, cooked on a cedar plank.

Our local supermarket has a pretty good selection of seafood, however one of my favorite seafood providers in the Milwaukee area is Empire Fish. Not having the time to drive to Empire Fish, I quickly decided use my local market and pick up a nice fillet of salmon, free of bones. I have also been wanting to use some cedar planks I bought off of Woot about six months ago, that I thought this would just be a perfect dish on a Friday night.

Let’s get started.

• 2 lbs of salmon, skin on, bones removed
• 2 cedar planks, or a large enough cedar plank for the length of the salmon
• water for the planks
• 1/2 tbsp salt
• 1/2 tbsp cracked black pepper
• 3 tbsp of dijon mustard
• 3 tbsp light brown sugar
• 1 tbsp honey
• New potatoes, cooked, and tossed with light olive oil, salt and pepper and dill (optional)
• Simple salad (optional)

Begin by submerging your cedar planks for about 2 hours in water. You should have enough water to completely cover the planks.

About 30 minutes before you are ready to cook the fish, light your grill and get it nice and hot.

Prepare your fish by generously seasoning the fish on both sides with salt and pepper. To the flesh side of the fish, rub in the dijon mustard. Sprinkle the brown sugar on top of the mustard, and then drizzle the honey over the flesh.

If you are using charcoals, push the heated coals to one side, and if you are using gas, lower one side of the grill’s burner. The goal is to cook on indirect heat for this recipe.

Add the salmon fillet to the plank(s). Place the planks onto the grill, cover, and let sit and cook for about 10 minutes. Check the planks and make sure they are not on fire. If this is your first time cooking with planks, just keep an eye on them. If they begin to light up, mist with some water, but do not be scared if the planks begin to get nice and dark. That is the goal. You want to infuse the cedar smoke into the salmon. Continue cooking the salmon fillet for another five minutes or so. Your total cook time is around 15 minutes, or if you have a meat thermometer, poke it and reach around 135-140 degrees in the thickest part of the salmon.

When you are ready to serve, lay something onto the bottom of your table and place the whole cedar plank and fish on top. This gives a really nice presentation. Cut into servings, and serve with some nice cooked potatoes, and a light salad.

A perfect surprise for my wife and a nice twist on our standard Friday night. Enjoy.

Helpful Resources:

• Purchase Cedar Planks (Amazon)
• Guide to Planking (Serious Eats)

I love curry paste, whether it be red or green, with the addition of coconut milk. It could be some of the best gravy when cooked, and poured over rice or noodles. To me, it screams flavor, but also comfort, and so with the little knowledge I had while looking at what these people were eating, I decided to come up with my own broth, creating a really killer laksa.

Let’s get started.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb of large shrimp, shells on
• 1/2 lb of white, flaky fish (catfish or cod)
• 7 cups of water
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tbsp tamarind concentrate
• 14 oz coconut milk
• 4 oz red curry paste
• fresh bean sprouts
• cilantro springs
• 2 oz bamboo shoots (optional)
• lime wedges
• Sambal chili paste
• Thai Bird’s eye chili (optional)
• Rice noodles, cooked per order

Begin by peeling and deveining your shrimp. Reserve the shrimp and the shells. Heat the oil on medium heat in a soup pot. Once heated, toss in the shells of the shrimp. The goal here is to create the base of your stock, and in our case, a seafood stock. Cook the shells for about 5 minutes, mixing along the way.

Add in your water and the salt, bring to a boil, cover, and reduce the heat to a medium-low, cooking for about one hour.

Now that you have your shrimp stock, remove all of the shells with a slotted spoon, making sure you get all of the shells out. Add in the cod or catfish, and let cook another 20 minutes or so. Using a couple of forks, begin to pull apart the fish in the broth, flaking it into very small pieces.

Let this continue to cook. During this time, take a small sauce pan out and place on medium heat. Add in the curry paste and cook for a few minutes, stirring to break up the paste. Add all of the paste into the stock, and give a good stir. Cover, and continue to cook, letting all of the curry flavor settle in, roughly 20 minutes or so.

Now that the laksa is almost complete, add in the coconut milk, bamboo shoots, and shrimp, giving a good stir.

Bring about 6 cups of water to a boil. Take your rice noodles, in my case, I like to use a banh pho noodle which is a Vietnamese flat noodle, used in soups such as Vietnamese pho. You can find these noodles in Asian markets, and they are now beginning to show up in local grocery stores in the ethnic aisle. Vermicelli is another nice option.

To a large bowl, add about a handful, if not more of the dried noodles. I like to break mine in half, being careful not to explode the noodles all over my kitchen. Add the boiling water, and with some tongs, stir around, cooking the noodles. These will only take a few minutes to cook, so keep an eye on them as they will get mushy if you do not remove them shortly after they cook in the water.

To your serving bowl, add the cooked rice noodles. Ladle in the delicious broth, making sure you get a few shrimp, bamboo shoots, and the cooked fish. Make sure the broth covers the noodles. Top with a generous amount fresh bean sprouts, cilantro sprigs, and serve alongside lemon wedges, sambal chili paste, and a Thai chili for additional heat.

This noodle soup, in my opinion, is the best for breakfast or brunch. A soup that really is good any time of the day, and a soup indeed deserves slurping, the smacking of lips, and the occasional sniffing from the heat of the chili paste.

Meatballs, believe it or not, are something entire family will not refuse to eat at the dinner table. Granted there are a couple at the table that refuse to have any sauce touching the meatball, but for the most part, they all love them. This was my opportunity to sneak some new flavors into the scene and see if they kids would bite on these delicious, and light, pork and shrimp meatballs.

Simple ingredients, and quick to make, these meatballs will sure please your guests at your next gathering.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb of shrimp, uncooked, shells removed
• 3/4 lb of ground pork
• 1 lime, zested
• 1 bunch of green onions, thinly diced
• 1 tsp cracked black pepper
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• Small bowl of water
• 1 cup of canola oil

Begin by adding the pork, shrimp, green onion, zest, garlic, and salt and pepper to a food processor. Turn on the food processor, mixing all of the ingredients, while breaking down your shrimp. Remove the blade.

To a small fry pan, add the oil and heat it on a medium to high heat, roughly four minutes or so.

Dampen your hands in the small bowl of water, then take some of the pork and shrimp mixture and begin rolling them into balls. You decide on the size of the meatball. I like mine around the size of a golf ball, maybe a bit smaller. Roll about 3 to 4 of them, then add them to the hot oil. Make sure you test the oil before you add the meatball. You can do this by adding a small pinch of the meat mixture if you want. You want the oil to sizzle.

These meatballs will cook pretty quickly, only a few minutes per side. Once they are cooked on one side, take a wooden or regular spoon, and carefully turn it over, cooking the other side. You will end up with a nice golden meatball. Remove the meatballs and place in a strainer, or on paper towel to let any access oil drain.

Repeat, until all of the meatballs are cooked.

You can serve these in several different ways. I served mine as a pork and shrimp meatball sub with a secret sauce that I will post later on. Other serving ideas would be to pop a toothpick in the middle of them, and serve with a simple soy sauce and grated ginger, or a simple chili sauce. However you serve them, you will love them. They are nice and fluffy when you bite into them, and have a really nice flavor. Enjoy.