July 28 - The Carefree Gourmet
Halibut Zukes
by Joyce McCombs

At first glance, halibut and zucchini don’t seem to have a lot in common. A halibut swims slowly and contentedly under water for years until you haul him into the boat. Zukes grow rapidly and voraciously under the midnight sun, gobbling up water and fertilizer at an alarming pace. But if you think about it, these two yummy items have many similarities. Besides being delicious, they often grow to mammoth proportions and can require some serious wrangling to get into the freezer. A big halibut can flop around on the deck of the boat until it’s finally considered caught, and I’ve had some serious tangles with monster zucchini that have made me want to fetch the shotgun and teach them a lesson before I was all through. Both ‘but and zukes taste fine deep fried in golden batter, and both freeze extremely well and both will use up every single zip top bag in the house when you’re processing them.

Both of these Alaskan favorites are featured this week, mainly because I needed to find some new recipes for the fish the Carefree Kids brought back from Valdez last year, and for the zukes that magically appeared on my kitchen counter last week, courtesy of my pal, Janine, that sneaky girl. I looked through the Carefree archives since I was moving things around this weekend, and I found some pretty good ideas. I know you’re busy, so I’ll keep the chatter to a minimum, and wish you a tasty supper!

Broiled Spiced Halibut
Low cal, low carb, low prep time, but big on taste.
Marinate 4 halibut steaks in this mixture for an hour:
1/2 cup soy sauce
4 or 5 tablespoons of sherry or white wine
1 large clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons honey
Turn the fish after 30 minutes so it marinates evenly, then remove the steaks and drain well. Place on a sprayed broiler pan or sheet of foil, making sure they are not touching each other. Broil about 10 minutes per inch of thickness or until the fish flakes easily.

Beer Batter Halibut
Classic, simple, delicious. Don’t use light beer – regular is best.
2 pounds halibut, cut into 1-inch thick chunks & dried on paper towels
1 cup flour
1 12 ounce bottle of beer
1 tablespoon paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Heat plenty of oil in a deep-fat fryer to 375. (Canola oil is great). Combine flour, beer, paprika and salt, mix well. Dip the fish into the beer batter and drop into hot oil, taking care not to crowd the pan. Cook until the batter is golden brown (just a couple of minutes). Remove the halibut from the hot oil and drain on paper towels. Serve immediately.

FRIED ZUCCHINI CAKES
I leave the skin on when I grate Zukes – it looks pretty and I’ve always believed that’s where the vitamins hide! If you have a cast iron skillet, now is the time to use it. These remind me of potato latkes and are good with sour cream.
1/3 cup Bisquick
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1/8 teaspoon each salt and pepper
2 eggs, slightly beaten
2 cups coarsely grated zucchini
Olive oil
Mix Bisquick, cheese, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Stir in eggs until mixture becomes moist. Fold in zucchini. Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Use approximately 2 tablespoons batter for each pancake. Fry 2 to 3 minutes each side until brown. Makes 8 to 10 pancakes.

DEEP FRIED HALIBUT
This is the recipe we use most often at McCombs Manor and it’s great for onion rings, too. Remember to cut the fish the same size, and keep the oil clean and hot for best results. And again don’t crowd that fryer – it makes the oil temp go down and fish will turn soggy.
Halibut fillets cut in 1” chunks
Krusteaz complete buttermilk pancake mix
Beer
Potato flakes (instant mashed potatoes)
Mix Krusteaz and beer together to make a thin batter. Add salt and pepper to taste, mix again and let it sit for ten minutes. Meanwhile put a few fish chunks at a time into a colander, sprinkle lightly with flour and shake off the excess. Set aside in a single layer to dry slightly. When oil is hot (375) dip halibut chunks in batter, then roll in potato flakes, coating very lightly. Deep fry until golden brown. Drain well before serving.

Favorite Zuke Bake
Last time I made this I was out of Ritz and used plain soda crackers. Wasn’t the same – it’s worth running to the neighbors to borrow the crackers if you have to!
6 zucchini, peeled and sliced
1 yellow onion, chopped
1/3 cup melted butter
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
2 eggs, beaten
Salt and pepper to taste
32 Ritz crackers, crushed
Preheat oven to 350 and spray or butter a 2-quart casserole dish.
Boil zucchini and onion in a large pot half full of water for 10 minutes; drain well. Add the butter, cheese, eggs, salt and pepper to pot and toss gently until squash is well coated. Transfer to prepared baking dish and sprinkle with cracker crumbs, dot with butter if desired. Bake for 1 hour until top is deep golden brown.

CURRY SAUCE
Try your halibut with this next time – it’s a nice change from tartar sauce and good with any seafood, especially shrimp, cold or hot.
1 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons curry powder
½ teaspoon onion salt
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Mix well and chill before serving.

Denali Halibut
From the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute. Sounds great, but I had to wonder how many halibut they actually catch at Denali?
1 tablespoon paprika
1 ½ teaspoon each dried oregano and dried thyme
1 teaspoon each onion powder and garlic powder
1 teaspoon each black pepper and salt
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 ½ tablespoons butter, melted
4 halibut steaks
Mix together all dry-seasoning ingredients. Place fish on spray-coated baking sheet or broiler pan. Brush fish with butter, then sprinkle with ½ teaspoon seasoning. Broil 10 minutes per inch of thickness, until fish flakes easily. Store remaining seasoning mixture in airtight container for future use.

Crock Pot Zucchini Soufflé
One of my favorite “set it and forget it” recipes. You can substitute sharp Cheddar cheese for the Parmesan if you like.
4 cups grated zucchini
1 ¾ cups Bisquick
3/4 cup Parmesan Cheese
1/4 cup olive oil
4 eggs, beaten
1 large onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
Spray crockpot with nonstick cooking spray. Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Pour into crockpot and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.

TUSCAN HALIBUT
We’re all supposed to eat more beans, and sometimes it’s hard to face them on their own. This tasty combination should do the trick. Look for prepared pesto in jars in the produce section by the minced garlic, or sometimes it’s with the canned tomatoes and pasta sauces.
4 sheets (12 x 18" each) heavy-duty aluminum foil
2 cans (15 oz. each) Great Northern or cannellini beans, rinsed & drained
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
4 tablespoons prepared pesto, divided
4 medium halibut steaks
4 teaspoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons. lemon pepper
4 lemon slices
Preheat oven to 450. Combine beans, tomatoes, and 2 tablespoons pesto; mix well. Divide pesto mixture evenly between foil sheets. Top with one halibut steak per sheet; drizzle each one with lemon juice. Sprinkle lemon pepper, then top with lemon slices. Seal packets and bake 16 to 20 minutes on a cookie sheet. Take care when opening packets, as steam will escape.

Halibut Veggie Bake
A cheesy version of fish in foil packets featuring our friend zucchini, too!
4 halibut fillets
4 sheets (12 x 18" each) heavy-duty aluminum foil
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Cayenne pepper
2 medium zucchini, sliced
½ medium red bell pepper, cut in strips
8 slices onion rings
Preheat oven to 450°F, spray foil with nonstick cooking spray. Place fillet on each sheet of foil. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and cayenne pepper. Top with vegetables. Seal packets and Bake 18 to 22 minutes on a cookie sheet. Pass extra Parmesan when serving.

Cheesy Zucchini Casserole
For once, no shredding the zukes!
4 slices bread, cubed
1/4 cup melted butter
2 cups cubed zucchini
1 large onion, chopped
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 egg, beaten
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
Preheat oven to 350 and spray a 9 x 13 baking dish. Place bread cubes in a medium bowl and toss with melted butter. Add the zucchini, onion, garlic salt and egg; mix well. Transfer the mixture to baking dish and top with the cheese.
Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes, then remove foil and bake for another 30 minutes. Let rest fifteen minutes before cutting into squares to serve.
Next time I’ll be sharing blueberry recipes, as I hear (and have tasted!) that the crop this year is outstanding. If you go out picking, don’t forget to tuck some berries away in your freezer so you can enter the Alaska State Blueberry Pie Championship at the Deltana Fair – it’s coming up soon on August 19 – 21. You need to win that beautiful engraved golden pie pan! It’s not too soon to start thinking about what culinary creations you’d like to enter in the Foods Division, either. Your columnist loves to interview Grand Champion winners – especially you younger chefs out there. Start reading through cookbooks now, and practice, practice, practice! JMc
  

Index to Carefree Gourmet Articles

Sourdough Sensations June 29, 2007

Kitty Treats June 29, 2007

Dog Treats April 20, 2007

Sandwich Plan March 23, 2007

Carefree Wacky Ingredients March 8, 2007

Homestead Hearth January 25, 2007

Carefree Cooking 101 January 11, 2007

Holiday Punch December 23, 2006

Holiday Treats December 12, 2006

Thanksgiving II November 20, 2006

Standby Favorites October 16, 2006

Cabbage October 11, 2006

Apples September 22, 2006

Kids Cook July 6, 2006

Wacky Tips June 8, 2006

Graduation May 11, 2006

African Cuisine April 13, 2006

A Bit of Irish March 23, 2006

Crazy for Carrots March 9, 2006

February Vacation February 23, 2006

Easy Budget January 12, 2006

Christmas Treats December 22, 2005

Sweet Surprises December 8, 2005

Turkey Times  November 22, 2005

Grand Champions - Part 2 - October 13, 2005

Janet Boyer September 22, 2005

Grand Champions September 5, 2005

Blueberries  August 12, 2005

Halibut and Zukes July 28, 2005

Orange Juice July 14, 2005

Happy Birthday June 30, 2005

Honey June 9, 2005

Picnic Dishes May 26, 2005

Celebration Salads May 12, 2005

Kraft Foods April 21, 2005

Shrimp April 7, 2005

Carry on Airline snacks March 25, 2005

Sandwiches March 10, 2005

Back from Vacation February 24, 2005

Super Bowl Snack Attack  January 14, 2005

Ginger Snaps December 29, 2004

Christmas Memories - December 12, 2004

Thanksgiving November 23, 2004

Glen and Meat  October 29, 2004

Blueberry Pie Champion  September 30, 2004

Fair Winners  September 2, 2004

Glen's Knives June 11, 2004

Aunt Aggie Tells All... May 13, 2004

Crazy About Catsup April 29, 2004

Carefree Clearance Special April 8, 2004

Seattle Adventure March 26, 2004

Vegas, part 2 March 12, 2004

Vegas Wind February 12, 2004

Casserole Bonanza January 11, 2004

No Fuss Dishes  December 19, 2003

Fake and Bake Christmas  December 11, 2003