Seafood Zaya

sam's café morocco

©2023

AuthorDartagnan
DifficultyAdvanced

"middle eastern flavors and flair bring your seafood alive!

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Yields1 Serving
Prep Time30 minsCook Time30 minsTotal Time1 hr
 2 7 oz fillets, Mediterranean Sea Bass, Blue Fin Tuna, Mahi, Red Snapper, Atlantic Salmonas well as lamb, veal or chicken
 1 tsp SPG or Counter Seasoningsalt, pepper, garlic powder
 20 Champagne Tomatoes, sliced half longways
 2 spritzes Duck Fat or Olive Oil
 2 tbsp Unsalted Butter
 2 tbsp Shallots, dice smallcould do 1/4 cup
 2 tbsp Mediterranean Olive Oil(Altas)
 ½ cup Half Tomato, Half Chicken Stockheated to almost simmer
 2 tbsp Lemon Juice, fresh squeezed
 2 tbsp Capers, with 2 teaspoons liquid
 14 medium Asparagus Spears, trimmed, blanched, ice bath, drained
 2 tbsp Unsalted Butter, frozen
1

Blanch larger spears 2 minutes, smaller ones 1 minute. Rinse in cold water or ice bath. Set aside.
(blanching, simply put; is to drop in rapidly boiling water for a limited time, to quick cook something, then pull and run under cold water or in a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process.)

2

Heat broiler to high… One spritz of duck fat on aluminum foil quarter sheet pan. Place tomatoes cut side up. Couple of pinches of seasoning on top. Another spritz of duck fat on top. Let stand.

3

Season top of fish very lightly with SPG or counter seasoning. Then season well with Mideast Seasoning, pat in well.

4

Heat a tablespoon of olive oil and the 2 tablespoons of butter to medium high heat in medium skillet.

5

Place seafood flesh side down if skin-on. Depending on thickness, let sauté 2-3 minutes. If skinless, light dusting with seasoning, then flip. And let finish to medium if Salmon, to just cooked through if white fish. If this is a thin snapper, about a minute or so on each side. DON’T OVER COOK.

6

Remove to plate, remove all but about a tablespoon of fat from skillet, turn heat up. Add olive oil if needed. Heat and add shallots. Sauté 3 minutes until soft.

7

Add white wine. Let reduce by 2/3. Three to four minutes. Scrape up the pan if eaties are stuck.

8

While reducing, slide tomatoes in broiler and roast until the tops are slightly charred. Couple three minutes. Pull and set aside.

9

Add stock, let reduce by half. 3-4 minutes.

10

Add capers and lemon juice. Let reduce by 2/3.

11

Clearing center of pan, place tomatoes cut side down. Toss in asparagus around sides. Shake or stir to coat well.

12

Lower heat and drop on a tablespoon of frozen butter at a time, stirring constantly until incorporated. Then the other, until just slightly thick.

13

Moving everything to the sides, place seafood seasoned side down for a minute.

14

To plate, place seafood seasoned side up, arrange asparagus around seafood and top,with tomatoes, capers and sauce.

15

Serve with white basmati rice or...

Simple olive oil and butter Pearl cous cous if desired.

Ingredients

 2 7 oz fillets, Mediterranean Sea Bass, Blue Fin Tuna, Mahi, Red Snapper, Atlantic Salmonas well as lamb, veal or chicken
 1 tsp SPG or Counter Seasoningsalt, pepper, garlic powder
 20 Champagne Tomatoes, sliced half longways
 2 spritzes Duck Fat or Olive Oil
 2 tbsp Unsalted Butter
 2 tbsp Shallots, dice smallcould do 1/4 cup
 2 tbsp Mediterranean Olive Oil(Altas)
 ½ cup Half Tomato, Half Chicken Stockheated to almost simmer
 2 tbsp Lemon Juice, fresh squeezed
 2 tbsp Capers, with 2 teaspoons liquid
 14 medium Asparagus Spears, trimmed, blanched, ice bath, drained
 2 tbsp Unsalted Butter, frozen

Directions

1

Blanch larger spears 2 minutes, smaller ones 1 minute. Rinse in cold water or ice bath. Set aside.
(blanching, simply put; is to drop in rapidly boiling water for a limited time, to quick cook something, then pull and run under cold water or in a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process.)

2

Heat broiler to high… One spritz of duck fat on aluminum foil quarter sheet pan. Place tomatoes cut side up. Couple of pinches of seasoning on top. Another spritz of duck fat on top. Let stand.

3

Season top of fish very lightly with SPG or counter seasoning. Then season well with Mideast Seasoning, pat in well.

4

Heat a tablespoon of olive oil and the 2 tablespoons of butter to medium high heat in medium skillet.

5

Place seafood flesh side down if skin-on. Depending on thickness, let sauté 2-3 minutes. If skinless, light dusting with seasoning, then flip. And let finish to medium if Salmon, to just cooked through if white fish. If this is a thin snapper, about a minute or so on each side. DON’T OVER COOK.

6

Remove to plate, remove all but about a tablespoon of fat from skillet, turn heat up. Add olive oil if needed. Heat and add shallots. Sauté 3 minutes until soft.

7

Add white wine. Let reduce by 2/3. Three to four minutes. Scrape up the pan if eaties are stuck.

8

While reducing, slide tomatoes in broiler and roast until the tops are slightly charred. Couple three minutes. Pull and set aside.

9

Add stock, let reduce by half. 3-4 minutes.

10

Add capers and lemon juice. Let reduce by 2/3.

11

Clearing center of pan, place tomatoes cut side down. Toss in asparagus around sides. Shake or stir to coat well.

12

Lower heat and drop on a tablespoon of frozen butter at a time, stirring constantly until incorporated. Then the other, until just slightly thick.

13

Moving everything to the sides, place seafood seasoned side down for a minute.

14

To plate, place seafood seasoned side up, arrange asparagus around seafood and top,with tomatoes, capers and sauce.

15

Serve with white basmati rice or...

Simple olive oil and butter Pearl cous cous if desired.

Notes

Seafood Zaya