Food Bytes A monthly Newsletter by Prudence Sloane

Pan Steamed Trout with Bacon, Tomatoes and Capers

Prudence Sloane

4 whole trout

4 slices thick cut smoked bacon, diced, and cooked

2 seeded quartered tomatoes

1 tablespoon capers

2 tablespoon parsley

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1/4 cup white wine

1/2 cup flour

Dredge the skin of the fish lightly in flour. Heat 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat in a heavy skillet. When hot add the fish and brown on both sides. If the trout is boned and butterflied, brown only skin side and do not flip. Add the tomatoes, capers, garlic, white wine and bacon bits. Cover and let steam for a couple of minutes or until the fish is opaque. An unboned fish is done when the back fin bone pulls out easily. Remove the fish to a warm platter. Add the parsley to the sauce and reduce if necessary or add additional liquid if more sauce is desired. Pour the sauce over the fish.

From the TV series “Let’s Eat! with Prudence Sloane”

June 2009

Photo by Bob Chaplin

Kitchen Tip - Defrost In A Snap

You know the scene - you get home, you’re hungry, you want something quick. But the chicken breasts or fish you’ve repackaged into serving portions is rock solid and you’ve no time to let it defrost in the refrigerator. And we all know not to let food defrost on the counter at room temperature. What do you do?

Place the wrapped frozen food in a zip lock bag and submerge in cold water. It takes about 15 minutes for a chicken breast or fish fillet to defrost. Better still you can buy bags of vacuum packed individually frozen chicken and fish fillets. Big Y Supermarket sells bags of individually wrapped fish fillets such as Tilapia. There’s no freezer burn like you can get when you wrap them at home and it’s cheaper than buying fresh sometimes. With these there’s no need to place them in a zip lock bag first - they’re air tight.

Restaurant Deal of the Month - Upscale Dining For Less

It’s still on and what a deal it is! Eight of the Max Restaurants are offering a 3 course prix fix meal for $24.95. And it doesn’t have to be on a week night. Six of us went to Max’s Oyster Bar in W. Hartford on a Saturday night. The prix fix menu was limited with 2 appetizer choices, 3-4 entrees and two desserts. It’s best to call ahead or go to their website to see what’s on the menu to avoid disappointment or you just might end up ordering from their regular menu which will defeat your original intent. We were in luck! One of the entrees was Connecticut shad and shad roe and for dessert, key lime pie! It was delicious! For a list of all their restaurants and $24.95 menus go to www.maxrestuarantgroup.com

Past issues

Great Tag Sale Kitchenware - What To Look For

My father always said to me “you never know what will come out of left field.” Although I always understood the meaning, not being a sports person, I didn’t know until recently it was a baseball term. It applies beautifully to tag sale shopping. And when it comes to kitchenware at tag sales, the best looking isn’t always the best.

Good quality chef’s knifes are made out of high carbon stainless steel and are expensive – up to $100 per chef’s knife. You’ll never find those at tag sales. But you might come across carbon steel knives. You can’t miss them. They are the ones that look like they’ve been buried for a year. The blade is rusty, blackened and most don’t have a tip. Carbon Steel is a very soft metal and sharpens easily, but they get dull quickly. The blade is brittle and the tip is easily broken off. Even without a tip and the blade whittled away they still make great knives. I know chefs who could easily afford the finest high carbon stainless steel knives, but prefer and jealously guard their old carbon steel knives. I have found these knives in the junk box at tag sales going for 10 cents apiece. Avoid at all costs stainless steel knives. These are recognized by a very shiny blade, are lightweight and have a beveled edge. The metal is tough – too tough to sharpen properly. They are a dime a dozen and are advertised on TV as whole sets for next to nothing.

Keep your eyes peeled for enameled coated cast iron pots also known as French ovens. The most popular brand is Le Creuset and no one is going to give up those readily. A 5 1/2 quart pot sells for around $200 and will outlast you – they have a 101 year warranty. However, I have found old cousins of Le Creuset that I’ve picked up for as little as $5 a pot. They look pretty much the same, very heavy with a tan finish inside and say “made in Belgium on the bottom.” The only good frying pan I’ve found at tag sales are made of cast iron. Remove any rust with steel wool. Rub with vegetable oil and heat. Repeat a couple of times. Never wash them with soap. Avoid at all costs aluminum pans - they have a short life span. You can recognize them by their light silver color and pitted interiors. They are also lightweight.

So next time you in the need for some inexpensive kitchenware don’t just drive by - stop! You just might hit the jackpot!

First Printed in the Norwich Bulletin, 2001