10/30/10 - Opah Opah

 Sauteed Opah with Lemon-Miso-Honey Sauce

Serves 2

2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Opah fillets (4-6 oz)
a pinch of sea salt and freshly ground pepper

1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp white miso paste
Juice of 1 medium lemon
1 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp cream (optional)
salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbsp chopped parsley

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Heat a medium saute pan over medium-high heat and add oil. Lightly salt and pepper fillets and cook over medium heat until done and fish flakes easily. (About 4 minutes per side depending on thickness). Meanwhile melt butter in a small sauce pan or skillet over medium-low heat. Add miso, lemon juice and honey and stir until blended, reduce heat to low and cook sauce for 5 minutes. Add pepper, cream if desired and chopped cilantro. Serve over fish, garnish with additional cilantro leaves and lemon wedges.

10/16/10 - Japanese Night!

fried shrimp roll,

California roll,

tuna and salmon sushi,

mushroom/broccoli/asparagus tempura,

tempura dipping sauce (tentsuyu)

Miso Soup

Servings:

2 cups

Ingredients:

2 cups dashi soup stock (or 1 c. water, 1 c. veg. broth)

2 tbsp miso paste

1 mushroom, thinly sliced

¼ cup cabbage or radish, thinly sliced

2 tbsp chopped green onion

Salt/pepper

Preparation:

Put stock in a pan and bring to a boil.

Scoop out some stock from the pan and dissolve miso in it. Gradually return the miso mixture in the soup.

Add vegetables. Salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for a few minutes on low heat.

A word about Sake:  We don't know as much about sake as we do other wines... only that we like it, especially with sushi.  Mitsuwa market in Los Angeles has a great selection of sake at reasonable prices.  We've tried several in the past and are just beginning to find a few favorites. We prefer to drink our sake heated.

10/10/10 - Chicken Piccata!

One issue we have with LA that we believe we have mentioned is the lack of good Italian food at a reasonable price. So, we have taught ourselves to make some of our basic favorites. Tonight we take on the chicken piccata. Our version is very close to a chicken francese

The Wine Kitty recommends the Zaca Mesa '07 Z Blanc to go with the chicken dish. While Zaca Mesa is mostly known for their delicious Syrahs, this is a buttery, oaky, golden white drinks like a high-end Napa chardonnay but is a blend of 74% Roussane, 22% Grenache & 4% Viognier. You can only get this wine at their winery or through their online store. It retails for about $32 ($29 if you are a member of ZM's wine club).

Chicken Piccata


2 large skinless boneless chicken breast halves
2 Tbsp butter, room temperature
1 tablespoon all purpose flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
¼ cup dry white wine
¼ cup chicken stock
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp drained capers
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
Salt/pepper

Place chicken between 2 large sheets of plastic wrap. Lightly pound chicken to 1/2-inch thickness. Salt and pepper chicken pieces. Coat each chicken piece in flour.

Heat 1 Tbsp oil and 1 Tbsp butter in a large skillet. Add chicken and cook until golden and cooked completely, about 3 minutes per side.

Transfer chicken to plate and keep warm.

Mix 1 Tbsp butter and 1 Tbps flour in small bowl until smooth. Bring wine, stock and lemon juice to boil in skillet over medium-high heat. Whisk in butter-flour mixture and stir for a minute until sauce thickens. Stir in capers and parsley. Season to taste. Pour sauce over chicken and serve or toss chicken in pan with sauce and serve.

We paired the piccata with our grilled romaine leaves. If you are carving some carbs, you can also whip up a side of spaghetti or penne and use the extra lemon butter sauce on the pasta.