Fish Tacos

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In California, fish tacos are a big thing. The interesting thing about them is that there are so many kinds of fish tacos out there. There is the traditional Mexican fish taco. There is the Baja, California fish taco. Hawaii's got one. And my personal favorite, Wahoo's Fish Tacos, which is a restaurant that combines Mexican, Brazilian and Asian flavors all into one. Whatever you do with it, the main ingredient is that you gotta have good fish. And you can let your imagination wonder. It doesn't matter where you live. You don't have to live by the ocean to enjoy fish tacos. It's one of those dishes that can be recreated in any setting, allowing for the use of fresh, local ingredients. Go ahead, make your own Texas fish taco. Or an Arizona fish taco.  A Montana fish taco! We're not sure what our version of it really is. The fish came from Nebraska, and so did the recipe to fry it.  But the salsa is purely Mexican. Whatever it is, it was GOOD! Again, a special thank you to Rick's Nebraskan cousins Jo Ann and Keith for sharing their bread crumb recipe with us. 

Servings: 4

Prep time: 1.5 - 2 hours

Cook time: 5 - 7 minutes

Ingredients:
Fish:

- buttermilk

- 8 fish filets (any white fleshed fish like crappie or white bass), skin removed

- 1/2 stack of Ritz Crackers, about 15 crackers

- equal amounts of Japanese Panko Bread Crumbs

- 1 3/4 tbs. blackened seasoning, or to taste 

- salt, to taste

- 1 egg, beaten 

Tomatillo Salsa Verde:

- 4 medium tomatillos, husked and rinsed

- 1 jalapeno pepper, stem removed

- 2 large garlic cloves, peeled

- 6 sprigs of fresh cilantro (thick bottom stems cut off), roughly chopped

- 1/4 small onion (yellow or white), finely chopped

- 1/4 cup water

- sea/Kosher salt, to taste

- corn tortillas (large or small)

- red salsa (bought or homemade)

- 2 ripe avocados, sliced

- lime wedges

- cabbage (red or green), thinly sliced

I. The Feesh

1. Soak fish filets in buttermilk. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours.

2. In a zip-lock bag, crush the Ritz Crackers with a rolling pin, into a fine powder.

 Like so.

3. Pour an equal amount of Japanese "Panko" Bread Crumbs to the zip lock bag, so you get a mixture that is 50% Ritz Cracker and 50% "Panko."

It doesn't matter which brand. "Panko" is sold almost every where now. 

4. Add blackened seasoning to the zip-lock bag. Shake well to mix all ingredients together.

This recipe is great because you can make the breadcrumb mixture in bulk to always have it on hand. Just store in the same zip-lock bag. 

5. Take fish filets out of the buttermilk and give them a quick rinse. Discard the buttermilk. Pat fish dry with paper towels. Lightly salt filets.

Prepare dredging station: Pour the breadcrumb mixture onto a shallow dish, beat one egg in a bowl. 

Dip fish filets in egg mixture, then coat well with the breadcrumb mixture.

Resist licking your fingers. 

6. On a dish, lay coated filets on a single layer. Place in the freezer for ten minutes. This will help the crumbs stick to the fish better. 

TIP: Since we were making fish tacos, we chose to keep the filets large. For crispier fish, you can cut the fish into smaller chunks and bread them that way. That's what Keith and Jo Ann did.

7. Heat 1/4 inch of oil in a large pan. Fry fish for 3-4 minutes each side, or until it turns golden brown. Flip over and fry the other side. 

Do not over crowd the pan. Cook in batches. Drain on a paper towel. Serve immediately.

Tip: Use a spatula. Large filets can easily fall apart.

II. The Salsa Verde

Tomatillos look like this. They're like little green tomatoes encased in a tissue-like husk. Just rip them off and rinse. 


Buy them at your local Mexican market. 

1. Place tomatillos, jalapeno and garlic in a rimmed baking pan. Roast them below a hot broiler until the tomatillos turn blotchy black.


Watch the garlic and jalapeno. They will brown faster than the tomatillos. 

Let the ingredients cool. 

2. In a blender, combine tomatillos (along with all its juices), garlic, jalapeno, cilantro and 1/4 cup of water. Blend until smooth. 

Scoop into a serving dish. Mix in chopped onion and salt, to taste. 

Microwave tortillas in a cloth hand towel for one minute to soften. 

Garnish fish tacos with cabbage, salsa verde, avocado slices and any other sauces you like. Serve with lime wedges on the side. 

Enjoy!

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Keith and Jo Ann's Krispy Cajun Fish Fry

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Alright, alright. We know this is the same recipe for the fish tacos. But this is how it was meant to be eaten, in its purest form, with a yummy side of mac and cheese and a salad. That's how we first had it at Jo Ann and Keith's in Nebraska, who are Rick's cousins and two of the best cooks you'll ever meet.  They were kind enough to give us this recipe and it is PURE GENIUS. It deserves its own blog post. Thanks Jo Ann and Keith for welcoming us into your beautiful home! And for keeping our bellies happy!

Servings: 4

Prep time: 1.5 - 2 hours

Cook time: 5 - 7 minutes

Ingredients:

- buttermilk

- 8 fish filets (any white fleshed fish like crappie or white bass), skin removed

- 1/2 stack of Ritz Crackers, about 15 crackers

- equal amounts of Japanese Panko Bread Crumbs

- 1 3/4 tbs. blackened seasoning, or to taste 

- salt, to taste

- 1 egg, beaten

1. Soak fish filets in buttermilk. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours.

2. In a zip-lock bag, crush the Ritz Crackers with a rolling pin, into a fine powder.

 Like so.

3. Pour an equal amount of Japanese "Panko" Bread Crumbs to the zip lock bag, so you get a mixture that is 50% Ritz Cracker and 50% "Panko."

It doesn't matter which brand. "Panko" is sold almost every where now. 

4. Add blackened seasoning to the zip-lock bag. Shake well to mix all ingredients together.

This recipe is great because you can make the breadcrumb mixture in bulk to always have it on hand. Just store in the same zip-lock bag. 

5. Take fish filets out of the buttermilk and give them a quick rinse. Discard the buttermilk. Pat fish dry with paper towels. Lightly salt filets (optional).

Prepare dredging station: Pour the breadcrumb mixture onto a shallow dish, beat one egg in a bowl. 

Dip fish filets in egg mixture, then coat well with the breadcrumb mixture.

Resist licking your fingers. 

6. On a dish, lay coated filets on a single layer. Place in the freezer for ten minutes. This will help the crumbs stick to the fish better. 

TIP: Since we were making fish tacos, we chose to keep the filets large. For crispier fish, you can cut the fish into smaller chunks and bread them that way. That's what Keith and Jo Ann did.

7. Heat 1/4 inch of oil in a large pan. Fry fish for 3-4 minutes each side, or until it turns golden brown. Flip over and fry the other side. 

Do not over crowd the pan. Cook in batches. Drain on a paper towel. Serve immediately.

Tip: Use a spatula. Large filets can easily fall apart.

Here is a nice picture of Jo Ann and Keith. 

Even in his 70s, Keith is still hunting ducks.

Jo Ann is an amazing painter of waterfowl and landscapes. She also puts up with her husband.

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Happy Thanksgiving!!

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Happy Thanksgiving from Food for Hunters!! We received this picture from Nebraska this morning, a Nutter Butter cupcake greeting from cousins Tyler and Chris Thody... and their dog Scruffy.

Have a wonderful day, everyone. Remember to give thanks to all the blessings in your life, and that includes HUNTING and good food!

Gobble Gobble!

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Hungarian Goulash

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Goulash is a soup or stew popular in Hungarian cuisine. It was traditionally prepared by Hungarian cattle herders and stock-men-- kinda like chili to our American cowboys. We chose to make a thick stew, to serve on a bed of egg noodles. After simmering chunks of venison in a stew of softened onions, tomato and Hungarian paprika, the meat just melted right in our mouths. It was also very easy to make. If your family likes noodles or spaghetti, this dish will be a big hit.

Note: Hungarian sweet paprika is not the same as regular paprika. You can order online or go to a specialty store like Williams-Sonoma.

Servings: 8

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 2 hours

Ingredients:

- 2 tbs. vegetable oil, divided

- 2 large onions, sliced

- 2 tbs. Hungarian sweet paprika (not regular paprika)

- 2 tsp. kosher salt

- 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

- 3 pounds venison stew meat, cut into small cubes

- 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste

- 1 1/2 cups water

- 1 clove garlic, minced

- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- egg noodles (follow directions on packaging)

1. Over medium heat, heat 1 tbs. vegetable oil in a large dutch oven or pot and cook onions until they soften. Stir frequently.


Remove onions and set aside.

2. In a medium size bowl, combine Hungarian paprika, black pepper and 2 tsp. kosher salt.

It is okay to use table salt, but we think that kosher salt or sea salt is better for cooking. If you're used to using table salt, we suggest that you slowly wean yourself away from it, simply because it just doesn't taste as good. Okay for sprinkling on french fries though.

3. Coat venison cubes in the spice mixture.

4. In the same pot, add the last 1 tbs. of vegetable oil. Cook venison until its brown on all sides.

5. Return the onions to the pot with the meat.

6. Then, add tomato paste, water, garlic and remaining teaspoon of kosher salt.

7. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until the venison is tender. Stir occasionally.

If you want the stew to be thicker, remove the lid and continue to cook over low heat to reduce the sauce. Stir occasionally. 

8. Serve with egg noodles, or whatever you want. We bet rice would be just as great.

I told him that he should be on The Price is Right.

"A neewww caaar!"










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Nebraska Bound

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We hope ya'll liked our Deer-ty Rice recipe! We are now on our way to the "Promise Land": Nebraska. We will be in deer camp with cousins Tyler and Pete for the week, but we will try to send you a post if we find civilization. To the rest of you out there hunting, whether you are in deer camp, out in a duck blind, or walking the upland fields, we wish you the best of luck on your harvest. May your dinner tables show the bounty of nature's gifts. Take care. Until we "cook" again... 

Deer-ty Rice

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Deer-ty Rice! Clever, huh? You know, like Dirty Rice, the Cajun dish. Except with deer. Hence, Deer-ty Rice! Rick thought of it. Ok. I'll stop.

Anyway, this rice turned out amazing. Heck, I'd say it's probably one of the best rice dishes I've ever had. Being Asian, I grew up eating a lot of rice. Tons of rice. So now, I don't really care for rice. But this Deer-ty Rice was a delight. Hearty and intensely flavorful, this would make a great meal by itself after a long, cold day of being out in the field.

Servings: 4-6

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

Ingredients: 

- 2 tbs. butter

- 1 lb. deer ring bologna/venison sausage, sliced

- 1 1/2 cups uncooked long grain rice

- 1 cup water

- 2 cups beef broth

- 3 ribs celery, chopped

- 2 shallots, finely chopped

- 1 tsp. dried marjoram

- 1 tsp. dried parsley

- seasoned pepper, to taste

- salt, to taste

1. Cut venison sausage into 1/4 inch pieces. Then cut those pieces in half.

2. Melt 2 tbs. of butter in a dutch oven over medium-low heat.

3. Add chopped celery and cook for 5-7 minutes. Do not let the celery burn, just sweat them. Lower the heat or cook with the lid on if it helps. 

Sprinkle a pinch of salt over the celery.

4. Add chopped shallots and cook for 1 minute. Stirring constantly.  Be careful not to burn shallots.

5. Add sausage pieces and cook for 2 minutes. Stir.

6. Add rice and cook for 2 minutes. Stirring constantly.

7. Add water and beef broth. Bring to a boil, and then lower heat down to a simmer. 

Cover and cook for 20 minutes, or until the rice is tender.

8. Add marjoram, parsley, seasoned pepper and salt, to taste. Fluff rice with a fork and enjoy! 

You'll love it. We promise!









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UCLA's "The Bruin Standard" Publishes Jen's Story on Hunting

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Hi there! Since hunting is so foreign around our parts, I decided to write about hunting this quarter. It was a good opportunity to educate students at UCLA what hunters and pro-hunting organizations really do for our wildlife. And... I must admit that I had a small hankering to cheese off some animal rights groups on campus.

Click on the images below to expand. Or, you can read the online version of my story here: http://tbs11-11.blogspot.com/2011/11/lessons-and-lunches-of-outdoorswoman.html

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