Flavoring Your Fish & Game – From The WildCheff
Another great newsletter from my friend Denny Corriveau – The WildCheff! The WildCheff is THE authority on wild game cooking, in my book. Visit his site, buy his spices and rubs, heed his counsel – you won’t go wrong. ~Desert Rat
When approaching fresh or dried spices it is important to take into consideration a few key components in order to bring the greatest success to your cooking endeavors. Like a restrictive diet, Lord knows that food can be without flavor and have no life when we don’t inflect some type of seasoning. The key is to accent and never drown out what you eat by masking it with things like bottled marinades and other things that are loaded with salt and other unhealthy ingredients. You ultimately want to taste the quality of your fish and game and it needs to be the star of your plate, otherwise why bother eating it, right??? If you want to just taste soy, why not just grab a shot glass and have at it. For those of you who are soy lovers out there, I do use a special Japanese soy in certain dishes, I just don’t believe in drowning any meat or fish to where all you taste is the soy.
As I teach in all my WildCheff Cooking Clinics, first and foremost you have to realize that every individual’s sensitivity for spice varies. Some like it hot and some don’t. Some like a lot of spice and some don’t. It is very parallel to the story of Goldilocks; you have to find that combination and amount that is just right for you . Additionally, you should take into consideration, if you have guests, what would matter to them.
Take garlic for example. You can have garlic as an accent or a primary part of your dish. You can cook it raw, which, depending on how fine you chop it will determine the strength of flavor. If you roast the garlic in the oven and then use it in flavoring a dish, it can add a delicious sweet garlicky background. I particularly enjoy this in things like an aioli sauce or even in making roasted garlic potato salad to go with my fish or game during the warmer months. Garlic can also be used in its dried form and can accent meat, veggies, soups and side dishes.
We all know that garlic is a great herb for our health and has been known to occasionally ward off things like vampires J Herbs like garlic can also have pros and cons. Depending on the individual, herbs like garlic can permeate through our pores, so eating it prior to a hunt may not be good or if you are looking for a kiss from your sweetheart you may want to hold off, but warding off mosquitoes may be a good thing if you are fishing.
Other thoughts include the fact that certain herb combinations can create flavor profiles that can truly help you to cook dynamic recipes that yield tastes and aromas that make fish and game memorable.
When you smell sage most of us associate it with Thanksgiving and rustic cooking styles. Spices like nutmeg can provide us with a hint of sweet and savory to certain recipes, while things like lemon zest or fresh basil can brighten a dish and bring a sense of freshness.
I’m sure that you have tasted the combination of onion and garlic on many occasions and it is amazing how well that flavor blend works well together for many game dishes; yet when you add another herb to that mixture like rosemary or thyme it takes that taste in a whole other direction by adding additional layers of essence. Fresh lemon, when combined with sea salt, and fresh ground pepper and herbs can really add a lot of character to your fish. Then of course you can flavor your main course of game or fish with a few herbs and then season your side dish or sauce that accompanies it with other spices and herbs that compliment the main course and bring the whole meal together.
Fresh dried herbs such as the WildCheff line of Spice Blends and Brines contain essential oils from the herbs that concentrate the flavor, which in turn will help you to accent and heighten the taste of your fish and game. Many of the spices that you purchase at the store tend to be somewhat outdated and have lost their luster due to having been warehoused and shelved for longer periods of time. Have you ever noticed when looking at them they often do not look fresh??? They also are in many cases, grown and treated with pesticides, and we all know what those due to our health. In addition, when you draw a comparison you will notice that 1/10th of an ounce will cost an average of $6.00 at your local market. The WildCheff Blends are all natural and organic ingredients and are a much higher value – costing an average of $7.99 for a 6 oz. jar (average of 13 tablespoons) vs. $6.00 for a couple of teaspoons of product that if often not very fresh. My blends are also hand-packed, ordered just in time to fill orders so they are fresh when you receive them. We also ship our orders within 24-48 hours of receiving your order so you receive your order quite often within just few days of when the order was placed. The Olive Garden liked them so much, they chose my Herbs de Provence to season two of their dishes nationally!!!
Do yourself, your fish and game, and your dinner guests a tremendous favor the next time you want to cook your favorite species. Take a moment and visit the WildCheff website www.wildcheff.com and purchase a few Blends that appeal to you. There are 28 currently to choose from. I developed them so you can create any style, and apply any technique of cooking fish and game that you desire. We always include free samples of new blends to try – when is the last time your local market did that for you??? As outdoors enthusiasts, we want the best gun, fishing pole or equipment to enjoy our love of the outdoors. Why not look at how we cook what we harvest the same way???! Purchasing quality blends will make a noticeable difference in the quality of your fish and game cooking!
No shopping for herb and spice ingredients that are hard to find, simply pick a blend for the type of cooking you want to do, lightly coat your fish or game with healthy olive oil and season it with your desired amount of WildCheff Spice Blends.
They can also be used to season your veggies, create great homemade marinades, and flavor your sauces and standard meats too!!!
Bon appetit
Denny
The WildCheff
