See Also: Cooking Club · Fish and Seafood · Main Dishes
Lamprey and Clams in Cream Curry Sauce
From Dorothy McNett's recipes at www.dorothymcnett.com. Well, we won't use lamprey (an eel like river fish that is carnivorous found in Spain and Portugal) but a firm red snapper or other whole fish, as desired. Curry may seem unexpected in Portugal, but this curious seasoning was brought back by Vasco de Gama from India in 1497 and is still used sparingly as a seasoning in cream sauces for hearty fish dishes. Never hot, just a small amount to be used as a seasoning.
1 whole fish, or fish fillets as desired (wild cod)
salt, pepper, herbs, paprika
fresh clams or mussels, 1-2 per person
1 cup broth or water or white wine
1/2 to 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4-1/2 teaspoon good quality curry powder
lemon, parsley, cilantro, pepper, etc.
Wash and pat the fish dry with paper towels. Season the fish as desired with salt, pepper, paprika, herbs. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place fish in single layer in baking pan. Calculate baking time, using 4-6 minutes per 1/2 inch thickness of the fish. While fish is baking, cook the clams. Heat the broth in a skillet or saucepan with a lid. When it is steaming hot, add the clams, cover, and cook about 1 minute, removing the clams as they pop open. In measuring cup, whisk the whipping cream until it is light and frothy, but not whipped. Whisk in the curry powder. Heat a heavy bottomed skillet, adding any fish juices from the baking pan that the fish was cooked in, and heat the cream just to warm . Pour sauce into serving platter, and arrange cooked fish over the sauce. Tuck the cooked clams in and around the fish. Garnish with lemon, cilantro, parsley, peppers, etc.
Recipe created 2006-01-26.
