Korean Spicy Tuna (Gochu Chamchi)

 

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Korean Spicy Tuna (Gochu Chamchi)
(Serves 3 to 4 people)

2 (150)gr can Korean Hot Pepper Tuna (Sajo or Dong Won brand)
1 large onion, chopped
3 to 4 Korean peppers, sliced
1 tsp minced bottled garlic
1  to 1.5 tbsp gochujang paste
1 tsp gochugaru powder, fine ground
2 green onions, sliced
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp sugar
Ground black pepper

Oil for cooking

In a medium pan, add 1 tbsp cooking oil over high heat. Add onions and garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the peppers and cook for a couple more minutes. Stir in the gochujang and gochugaru. Stir fry until the all vegetables are coated. Add tuna, sugar, and green onions. Season with black pepper. Stir and cook for a few more minutes then add sesame oil. Stir to combine then taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

Serve over rice with a crispy egg and shredded nori. Drizzle additional sesame oil, if desired.

Lots of room for mushrooms

I decided to try my hand again in making chicken with mushrooms. This time, instead of drumsticks, I went for some tasty chicken thighs and tweaked the recipe a little for a larger serving. I served this with parmesan garlic mashed potatoes and sautéed asparagus. Super happy with how this turned out and looking forward to adding this to the dinner rotation!

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Chicken with Mushroom Gravy

(Makes 6 servings)

6 skinless, boneless chicken thighs

1 lbs sliced baby portobello mushrooms

1/2 large onion, diced

1 tsp minced garlic

2 tbsp flour

1 tsp chicken better than bouillon 

1 cup water

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp everything seasoning 

2 tbsp chopped italian parsley.

Salt and pepper to taste

Olive oil

Season chicken with 1 tbsp olive oil, thyme, everything seasoning, salt, and pepper. Let sit for five minutes to marinate.

Heat a large skillet and add olive oil to the pan. Once hot, add the chicken and brown on both sides. Remove from pan and set aside. 

Add the onions, garlic, and half the mushrooms to the pan. Cook the mushrooms until most of the moisture is gone. Add the remaining mushrooms and season with salt and pepper.

Cook the mushrooms down again until they start to brown. Sprinkle the flour and cook for another two to three minutes.

Add the water and stir, making sure to get the sides. Add the bouillon and parsley and season as needed. If the sauce is too thick, add additional water.

Return the chicken to the pan and let cook for another 5 minutes until the the sauce has thickened. Turn the chicken in the sauce to coat before serving.

Dad's Crab Torta

 

One of my favorite breakfast foods is a Filipino fritter called tortang talons (eggplant fritter). It's typically eaten with rice and a side of tomatoes a dollop of sweet (or spicy) banana ketchup on the side.

When I visited the parents last time, we had some steamed Dungeness crab the night prior and had some leftover. To my delight, Dad turned the leftover crab into a wonderful breakfast treat! Here's the recipe for my Dad's crab torta!

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Crab Torta with Potatoes and Onions

(Makes 4 to 5 fritters)

2 cup chopped Dungeness crab

1 cup potato, diced

1 cup onion, diced

2 green onion, chopped

4 eggs

3 tbsp tapioca starch

3 tbsp water

Salt and pepper, to taste

Fry potato until slightly  softened. Add onion, season with salt & pepper until potato is browned. Remove from heat and mix with crab. Add eggs and mix. 

In a separate bowl, combine water and tapioca starch. Add 3 tbsp of the tapioca mixture to the batter and mix. Add more to taste, if needed. Discard any unused tapioca mixture. Season with additional  salt and pepper, as needed.

Heat pan with oil. Scoop mixture to make 5 inch omelets. Cook each side until golden brown or until inside is no longer runny. Serve with banana ketchup and rice. 

Soondae Bokkeum, a tasty korean dish!

I love Soondae.  Soondae is a Korean blood sausage that's composed of noodles, blood, and a bit of pork. The taste ranges from slightly metallic to a bold blood flavor. I like it in between. 

The first time I had it, it was stir-fried with cabbage, gochujang, and carrots (called Soondae Bokkeum) and served with a steaming bowl of rice and kimchee on the side at the Durebak Restaurant located in HMart. Let me tell you, it was super simple but oh, SO good at the same time!

Ever since, I've been trying to make my own version of the dish. Some recipes called for adding dangmyeon (sweet potato starch noodles) or ramen, and some added tteok (Korean rice cakes). Some added both! After some trial and error, I've finally come across a recipe from Future Dish that compares to the first time I had it, yay! I added a few more veggies to it, doubled the sauce, subbed some ingredients to what i had on hand. All in all, a good recipe if tried as is. 

Here's my slightly adapted version of the recipe, enjoy!

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Spicy Korean Soondae Bokkeum

(Slightly adapted from Future Dish)

(1) 500 gram package of Soondae

1 whole Onion, sliced

1/4 head of Green Cabbage, roughly chopped or julienned

1/2 a whole Carrot, sliced or julienned

1/2 Red bell pepper, sliced

Handful of snow peas, chopped

2 chives or green onion, chopped

6 to 8 Perilla Leaves, julienned

4 Tablespoons of Gochujang (pepper paste)

2 Tablespoons of Gochugaru (pepper flakes)

4 Tablespoons of Soy Sauce

1 Tablespoon of Sugar

2 Tablespoon of Rice Syrup or Honey

2 Tablespoon of Maesil (Korean plum extract) or Mirin

2 Tablespoon of Minced Garlic

2 Tablespoon of Sesame Oil, Perilla Oil, or combination of both

2 Tablespoon of Sesame Seeds

Few Shakes of Black Pepper

Few Shakes of Perilla Seeds Powder for garnish (optional)

Prep Soondae:

Bring a pot of water up to boil. Don't take the Soondae out the plastic package. Add it directly into the boiling water. Boil for 5 minutes. Then turn off the heat. Give it another 5 minutes to simply sit in the water and steam. 

Carefully take the Soondae out of the package. Let it cool down. Then use a knife and cut into small bite-sized pieces. Sample one - it's ok to eat by itself and a dab of salt. 

Make Sauce:

Take out a mixing bowl and thoroughly mix: Gochugaru (4T), Gochujang (2T), Soy Sauce (4T), Sugar (1T), Honey (2T), Maesil (2T), Minced Garlic (2T), Sesame Oil (2T), Sesame Seeds (2T), Black Pepper (few shakes). 

Make Soondae Bokkeum:

Place frying pan on a medium-high heat. Once its hot, place in some oil. Then add in the cabbage, onions, and carrots. Cook for a few minutes then add bell pepper and snow peas. Stir-fry until the cabbage and onions turn soft. It should take about 4-5 minutes. 

Once cabbage turns translucent and soft, add in the sundae. Then add in all of the spicy marinade sauce. And reduce your heat to a medium-low (!) Then stir-fry everything and get it nicely coated. If it's a little dry, add a few tablespoons of water if you want it a little saucey. After 1-2 minutes, turn off heat. Add on some of the sliced perilla leaves for color. You can also sprinkle-on some perilla seeds powder (if you have it). Give it one final stir and plate. 

Garnish with the rest of the sliced perilla leaves on top.

tamale all about it!

I love me some tamales! But the only thing is that I don't have the time (or rather kind of lazy) to make tamales on my own. Even though it's not authentic, I find that pot pies that mimic tamales are something that I can definitely do.

Since I like the ease of making casseroles, this tamale pie was something they've been wanting to make. I've been experimenting with different ingredients inside the pie and so far this is the most of that been happy with. It's got a lot of feeling and as much vegetables I can fit in. Add some extra toppings and this makes a great meal!

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Chicken Tamale Pie

(makes one large pot)

Filling:

4lbs skinless boneless chicken, cubed

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp bottled minced black garlic

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp Jen's everything seasoning

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp ancho chile powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp salt

2 bay leaves

1 large onion, diced

1 large poblano chile, diced

1 can black beans, drained & washed

1 can sweet corn, drained

1 medium zucchini, diced

1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro, divided

1 large can Las Palmas mild/medium enchilada sauce

1 tsp better than bouillon, chicken bouillon​

2 tbsp masa flour

Cornbread Topping:

Dry Ingredients

    2 cups  cornmeal

    1 cup all-purpose flour

    2 tsp baking powder

    1/2 tsp Himalayan pink salt

Wet Ingredients

    2 cups milk (room temperature)

    2 tsp organic apple cider vinegar

    5 tbsp salted butter (melted/liquid)

    1 small can chopped jalapenos, drained 

    1/4 cup canned corn

1/4 cup Mexican cheese blend

sour cream for serving

finely chopped red onion for serving

hot sauce for serving

Heat 6 quart dutch oven. Mix chicken, black garlic, and spices then add to hot pan to brown. Add onions and poblano and cook until onions are translucent. Add black, beans, corn, zucchini, and half of cilantro. Cook for 10 minutes then add enchilada sauce, bouillon, and masa flour. Cook mixture until thickened and reduced by 1/4. Remove from heat set aside.

Preheat oven to 350F degrees.

Combine together wet ingredients for cornbread in a small bowl until frothy.  In a separate bowl, mix dry ingredients together.  Combine wet ingredients with dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Top filling with cornbread mixture then with Mexican cheese blend. Bake in oven until cornbread is cooked through and filling is bubbly, about 30-35 minutes.

Serve with sour cream, finely chopped onions, olives, and hot sauce.

hello old friend: korean bbq sandwich

My poor food blog, how you've been neglected.
That's okay, sometimes life gets in the way and hobbies go to the wayside. However, one thing that I really can't stop doing is cooking. That, or make sandwiches.

Speaking of sandwiches, my favorite hot sandwich would have to be my Korean BBQ. A lot of trial and error went into them but now I have it exactly the way I want it. It's got lots of different textures, sweet, salty, and definitely tasty!

My favorite thing about it is getting to use my Mom's kimchee recipe. It's not traditional in any sense, but it's a mild kimchee without any fishiness...perfect for picky eaters who don't like that pungent taste. ^_^

---- o o o o ---- Bulgogi Beef Sandwich with Crispy Leeks and Mom's Kimchi
(adapted from Tasty)

For the Bulgogi:
3 tbsp bottled garlic
3 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
2 tbsp Healthy Boy Brand sweet black soy sauce
2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp honey
2 tbsp fresh squeezed juice from an Asian pear or sweet apple

1 tbsp Japanese mirin
1 tbsp sesame oil
5 to 6 green onions, finely chopped (including white part)
1 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp minced ginger
2 to 3 lbs extra thin carne picada or stir-fry beef

Mix marinade together until sugar and honey are dissolved/distributed. Add beef and marinate overnight or up to 2 days. Cook over medium high/high heat on an iron skillet. Serve immediately.

Mom's Kimchee:
4 cups Napa cabbage, chopped into 1-inch pieces

1 cup matchstick carrots 

1/4 cup sliced green onions, green parts only
1 to 1.5 tsp kosher salt
1/2 bottle Lee Kum Kee chili garlic sauce
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 cup matchstick carrots

Blanche cabbage and carrots in boiling water for 30 seconds. Drain well then toss with salt. Let stand in a strainer for 1.5 to 2 hours until excess liquid has drained. Transfer to a large bowl. Add remaining ingredients and toss, seasoning with additional salt as needed. Refrigerate, keeping up to 2 weeks.

Seasoned Japanese-Style Mayo:
1/2 cup Duke's mayonnaise
1 to 2 tbsp mirin
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

Whisk together and adjust proportions as needed, to taste.

Crispy Fried Leeks:
1 leek, thinly sliced to 2-inch slivers
vegetable oil

Heat enough oil to fry leeks. Fry until leeks are golden brown around the edges. Transfer to paper towels to drain excess oil.

Bulgogi Sandwiches:
bulgogi beef
kimchee
crispy leeks
shredded romaine lettuce
seasoned Japanese-style mayo
toasted French rolls

To assemble sandwiches, spread some Mayo on the rolls. Add a good portion of bulgogi on one side of the bun, shredded lettuce on the other. Drizzle with mayo, top with crispy leeks, then drizzle with mayo again to taste, then serve.

tagine, without the pot.

I love buying kitchen gadgets . . . especially if it's something that I'll particularly find useful. Sometimes, I buy them because they're cute or pretty. My latest splurge was at World Market where I got myself a nice-sized tagine!

I've been itching to use it and finally found a couple of recipes that I wanted to try. So, I got everything that I needed and started to cook. Unfortunately, I never used the tagine. Turns out, before you use a tagine, the bottom portion needs to soak overnight or else it'll crack. Not only that, but apparently I also needed a "heat diffuser" so that it'll protect the clay pot from excess heat. Who knew that clay pots were so finicky??

Luckily for me, I had a heavy-bottomed pot to use as an alternative.

Despite not using the tagine, this dish actually turned out pretty well! I used this and this as guides and went from there. And since I didn't have some of the ingredients listed, I made do with what I did have in my fridge/pantry: Moroccan oil-cured olives, saffron water, giant golden raisins, and plain lemons.

For the side, I decided to make some roasted beets. It's a little weird since I've never come across any Moroccan dishes that uses beets as a side dish, but it was either use them or let them go bad. Thankfully, they paired surprisingly well with the lemony tagine. I also served this with some saffron rice since the hubby isn't too keen on couscous.

So, what's the verdict? Two thumbs up from the hubby! Yay!

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Moroccan Chicken Tagine
(adapted from Simply Recipes and My.Recipes)

For the Chicken:
3 to 4 pcs bone-in chicken thighs
3 tbsp Moroccan spice
2 tbsp honey
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

For the Tagine:
1 large or 2 medium onion, chopped
1 to 2 cloves garlic, minced
3 to 4 carrots, chopped to 1-inch pieces
1/4 cup large golden raisins
1/4 cup pitted oil-cured olives
juice of 1 lemon
1/2 lemon rind, pulp removed and thinly sliced
1 tbsp saffron water (or a pinch of saffron)
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
salt and pepper, to taste
water, as needed
chopped parsley, for garnish

 
Marinate the chicken:
Combine chicken, spice, honey, garlic, and olive oil in a ziplock bag. Massage the marinade into the chicken to make sure it's evenly coated then marinate overnight (or up to 2 days) before making the tagine.

Make the tagine:
On cooking day, heat a heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat. Add the chicken, skin-side down, along with marinade liquid. Cook the chicken until lightly browned then turn over and repeat with the other side. Once the chicken is lightly browned on both sides, add the remainder of the ingredients except for broth.

Cook mixture for about ten minutes. Add broth, scraping the bottom of the pan, then cover with a tight-fitting lid. Cook for another 15 to 20 minutes, or until chicken is cooked and tender. If the dish is too dry, add water as needed and cook for a further few minutes. Season with salt and pepper, as needed, then serve garnished with parsley.

Makes 4 servings.

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Honey Roasted Beets
(makes 4 servings)

5 small red beets, quartered
5 small golden beets, quartered
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp honey
1 tsp fresh thyme
salt and pepper, to taste
2 tbsp white balsamic vinegar, flavored or plain
2 tbsp chopped parsley

 
Preheat oven to 375F degrees.

Whisk together olive oil, honey, and thyme. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Toss into beets then evenly spread onto a foil-lined baking sheet.

Roast for 30 to 40 minutes until tender. Remove from oven then add vinegar and parsley. Toss to coat, then transfer to a serving bowl. Drizzle pan juices over beets then serve.

curry in a hurry.

Whenever I go to the bookstore, I almost always hit up the bargain book section. Call me a cheapskate, but I love me a discount. Especially if it's a cookbook! Now, I know that most of the bargain cookbooks out there are crap, but I love finding one that has a variety of recipes, a nice layout, lots of pictures, and (most importantly) has actual GOOD tasting recipes.

Surprisingly, I found that in Food Lovers: Simply Chicken. The cookbook's divided in three sections with the main course sub-divided even further into types of preparation. The ingredient lists for the recipes were actually surprising; it can call for everyday pantry items to harder to find ethnic ingredients. Instructions are clear and straightforward with approximate cooking and prep times with a picture for every recipe in the the book (which I like, since I'm one of those people that need to see what it's supposed to look like in the end).

Another interesting thing about the book was the variety of recipes it had. It had everything from chicken noodle soup, to chicken korma, to pad thai, to paella. I love the global scope of the recipes and I feel like I can actually successfully make each and every one! For $5.00, this was a great deal!

So, If this was a chicken cookbook, why does it look like I have fish in my curry?? Well, because it is fish. :) A recipe has to be adaptable, in my opinion. Just because it's a chicken cookbook, doesn't mean I have to necessarily use it exclusively for that protein. So when I tested a couple of recipes in the book for different proteins, it passed with flying colors! One such recipe was a "Chicken Curry with Broccoli".

Now, I love me some curry, be it Indian, Thai, what have you. This book has several interesting curries that I'm dying to try out. For "Chicken Curry with Broccoli", I decided to experiment and make it into a fish curry instead (See?! I'm turning pescatarian, I tell you!).

This curry turned out amazing! Going by the ingredient list, I'm guessing this is supposed to be Thai-inspired. The shrimp paste and lime really worked together with the coconut milk to give you that tell-tale Asian flavor. The original recipe actually called for actual chili peppers, but since I didn't have any, crushed red pepper flakes from McCormick made a fine substitute.

And actual kaffir limes? Pfft! Bottled lime juice, my friend, and some regular limes did the trick. Also, since I'm Filipino, I used spicy bagoong for the shrimp paste. From start to finish, this took all of 30 minutes for lick-the-plate-clean goodness! Huzzah for a quick weeknight dinner!

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Fish and Vegetable Curry
(adapted from Food Lovers: Simply Chicken)

For the Curry Paste:
1/4 to 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp minced ginger
1 tbsp bottled lime juice
1 tsp spicy shrimp paste (spicy bagoong)

For the Curry:
4 to 5 (5.oz) skinless white fish fillets, about ⅓-inch thick (cod, flounder, catfish, etc . . .)
1 large red onion, sliced
2 scallions, chopped
2 bell peppers, sliced (orange, yellow, and/or red)
1 lbs. broccoli, cut to florets
2 tbsp vegetable oil
3/4 to 1 cup coconut milk
3/4 to 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 tbsp grated ginger
salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 a lime plus more for garnish

 
Make the paste:
Put all curry paste ingredients into a small bowl and mix well. Set aside

Make the curry:
In alarge pan, heat oil and saute the onion, broccoli, and bell peppers. Add the curry paste and the scallions, sauteing briefly. Add the coconut milk and chicken broth then simmer for 2 to 3 minutes.

Stir in the grated ginger then top with the fish fillets. Let cook, turning the fish once, for 8 to 10 minutes or until fish is done. To finish, squeeze 1/2 a lime over the curry then season with salt and pepper as needed.

Serve with rice and an additional wedge of lime for garnish. Makes about 4 servings.

Note: If the gravy is too thin, add a little cornstarch with water to achieve desired consistency.

patty, cake, or burger?

I've been slightly pescatarian lately. I don't know if it's because of laziness or if it's because I'm trying to eat healthier. All I know is that I've been eating a lot of fish as of late and I don't know when it's going to stop.

Take these tuna burgers, for example. I could very well have baked or pan-fried some chicken to put on my salad, but canned tuna seemed way easier and more interesting to make. I liked that I could put veggies in my protein and that it was going to take me 10 minutes to make. See what I mean? Lazy or healthy?

When I made these patties (or is it cakes? or is it burgers??), I was originally going to make an actual burger like the title suggested, but I didn't really have any bread in the house. So instead, these "burgers" turned into patties that topped some spinach and arugula. I added some tomatoes for sweetness and slivers of red onion for bite. To finish this off, I made a thin, spicy ramoulade that doubled as a topping for the patties and a dressing for the salad.

Would I make these patties again? Maybe. When I made them, I knew that they were going to be slightly dry (which they were). I think if I added more breadcrumbs so that it had a slightly more cakey consistency, they wouldn't be so bad. Despite that, the flavors were actually quite tasty so I might play around with the recipe and see if I can improve the texture. Until then . . .

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Tuna Burgers
(slightly adapted from Spright)

2 (5.oz) cans chunk light tuna, drained
2 eggs, beaten
2/3 large carrot, grated
1/2 green onion, sliced
1 tbsp nutritional yeast or parmesan cheese
1 tbsp Italian seasoning
1 tbsp dried parsley
1 pinch cayenne powder
2 pinches of salt
2 pinches of pepper
4 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp plain bread crumbs

 
Combine all ingredients except the olive oil in a medium bowl; mix with a fork or your hands until all ingredients are evenly distributed. Using your hands, take small handfuls of the mixture and form them into patties.

Pour the olive oil into a medium-sized pan and bring it to medium heat. Once the oil is hot, place the patties in the pan.

Cook each side of the patties for 4-5 minutes, turning them over carefully with a spatula or tongs. Place on a paper towel for a few minutes on each side to drain excess oil then serve.

ragoût de boeuf en croûte.

Despite the fancy title, all this is is steak and ale pie. Heck, it isn't even French. If anything, this probably resembles more the Brits than the French. And what's more British that meat pies?

Since I've been eating a lot of fish lately, I had a primal urging for some red meat. I considered making a steak of some sort, but unfortunately, all I had in the fridge were chicken, pork chops, and beef stew meat. Well, since I couldn't have a nice juicy steak, I'll take a stew instead. Heck, Since I was already making a stew, I might as well add a lid to it and make it a pie!

I took this recipe from my favorite pie book, Pies:Sweet and Savory by Caroline Bretherton. This makes a simple pie with simple flavors. While not fantastically great, it's a good base to add other umami flavors to really make this recipe pop.

For my dinner, I decided to make a fancy two-crust mini-pie for easier and more elegant serving. I served this with some baby potatoes and colorful carrots tossed in olive oil and my favorite seasoning blend: kosher salt, fresh ground pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and some sweet paprika. Oven-roasted at 375F degrees for 30 minutes, the vegetables were perfectly fork tender. Steamed peas added color the plate as well as rounded out this Brit-inspired meal.

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Beef and Ale Pie
(adapted from Pies:Sweet and Savory)

For the Filling:
3 tbsp all-purpose flour
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1.5 lbs beef stew meat, chopped into bite-sized pieces
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
4 oz. button mushrooms, halved
2/3 cup beef stock or broth
2/3 cup brown ale
1 bay leaf
2 tsp dried thyme
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp tomato paste

For the Dough:
18 tbsp frozen butter
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1/3 to 1/2 cup water
flour for dusting
1 large egg, lightly beaten, to glaze

 
Make the dough:
Coarsely grate frozen butter into a bowl. Sift over the flour and salt and rub together until well-combined and crumbly. Starting with 1/3 to 1/2 cup water, mix with a fork then with fingertips to form a rough dough. If it is too dry, add more water. Shape the dough into a ball, then place in a clean plastic bag to chill in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes.

Make the filling:
Season flour with salt and pepper to taste. Toss the beef in the flour, shaking off any excess. Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a large saucepan and brown beef over high heat in batches until browned on all sides. Transfer beef to a plate and set aside.

Reduce heat to medium and add remaining 1 tbsp oil to the pan and fry onions for 5 minutes. Add garlic and mushrooms and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until brown, stirring frequently.

Add stock, ale, bay leaf, thyme, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, and browned beef to the pan. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to low. Simmer gently for about 1 1/2 hours, or until meat becomes tender.

Make the pie:
Preheat the oven to 400F degrees.

Remove dough from refrigerator then roll out on a floured surface. Dough should be about two inches larger than the top circumference of a one quart pie dish. Using the dish as a guide, cut a circle one inch bigger than mouth of the pie dish then set aside for the moment. This is the top lid of the pie.

Discard the bay leaf from the filling then with a slotted spoon, transfer filling into the pie dish. Reserve 2/3 cup of the gravy then pour the rest over the meat mixture. Dampen the edge of the dish with a little water then use the scraps of dough to make a collar all the way around, pressing down firmly to adhere the dough onto the dish. Brush the dough collar with a little egg, then top with the dough lid. Using your finger and thumb, pinch and crimp the edges of the dough together to seal.

Decorate the top with any remaining dough as desired. Brush the top of the pie with the remaining beaten egg then cut 2 to 3 slits to allow for steam to escape. Bake for 30 minutes on a foil-lined baking sheet or until puffed up and golden brown. Serve hot with the reserved gravy.

blackened, not burned.

Holy. Crap. I think that this may be the BEST fish sandwich that I've ever made. Talk about crazy delicious, this was a spicy, tangy, savory explosion of flavor in my mouth and I am so sad that it's all gone. You should really make this . . . like, RIGHT. NOW.

I came across this fish sandwich when I was looking to try out the blackened seasoning I made. I recently went to Safe Harbor Seafood Market and Restaurant down in Jacksonville and had their famously fantastic blackened shrimp nachos. Wow, were those nachos super tasty! I was going to do a food hack of the nachos, but unfortunately I didn't have the right ingredients to remake it.

What I did have was some ciabatta bread and a few frozen flounder fillets. Sounds like blackened fish sandwiches to me. :)

When I was looking for the perfect sandwich recipe, I wanted mainly one thing: no mayo in the slaw. This recipe was perfect. I liked that it was colorful and the red cabbage slaw was vinaigrette based. Also, I was able to utilize two of the seasonings I had in my cupboard; the blackened seasoning I just made and adobo seasoning.

Speaking of adobo seasoning, I had made mine (a mixture of these two recipes) before trying the McCormick's version. I did NOT like McCormick's version at all. I think it was the taste . . . it seemed off and not at all what I was expecting it to be. Whenever I have Mexican adobo sauce, it's usually more red than yellow and the homemade mix came closer to what I was used to. I had to throw the bottle of McCormick's adobo seasoning away. :/

On a happier note, the seasoning mixes worked well in this particular recipe. I've switched out the seasoning that the fish originally had with equal parts blackened seasoning. For the chipotle mayo, I subbed out the canned chipotles with dried ground ones and the adobo sauce for the seasoning. I don't usually have canned chipotles in adobo sauce in the pantry and I've found that this makes an acceptable substitute. Everything else pretty much stayed the same.

I'm telling you . . . these are the best fish sandwich EVAR.

---- o o o o ---- 

Blackened Fish Sandwich with Red Cabbage Slaw and Chipotle Mayo
(barely adapted from Daydream Kitchen)

For the Slaw:
1 small garlic clove, finely chopped
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
1½ tbsp white balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 cup finely shredded red (or purple) cabbage
¼ cup thinly sliced, 1-inch strips of green bell pepper (“matchstick” sized)
¼ cup coarsely chopped cilantro
1 scallion, thinly sliced (white and green parts)

For the Chipotle Mayo:
2½ tbsp light mayonnaise
1/4 tsp dried chipotle pepper flakes
1/2 tsp adobo seasoning

For the Sandwich:
2¼ tsp blackened seasoning
1 tsp olive oil
2 5-oz skinless fish fillets, about ⅓-inch thick (cod, salmon, flounder, etc . . .)
2 crusty sandwich rolls, halved and lightly toasted

 
Make the slaw:
Combine the garlic, shallots, and vinegar in a small bowl. Whisk in the olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Combine the cabbage, bell pepper, cilantro, and scallion in a medium bowl. Add the dressing and toss well to combine. Taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper, as needed. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes to allow flavors to combine.

Make the mayo:
Combine the mayonnaise, chipotle pepper, and adobo sauce in a small bowl. Set aside. (Alternately, you can substitute sour cream or greek yogurt for a lighter dressing.)

Make the sandwich:
Rub the blackening seasoning all over the fish, coating both sides well and pressing to adhere. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. When the oil is hot, but not smoking, season the fillets with salt and add to the pan.

Sear until beginning to blacken on the bottom, about 3 minutes. (Reduce the heat to medium if the spices begin to burn.) Turn and sear the second side until blackened and the fish is just cooked through, about 2 minutes longer, depending on thickness.

To serve, spread the chipotle-mayo sauce on all 4 cut sides of the rolls and lay a filet on each bottom half. Mound the red cabbage slaw on top of the fish and cover with the top halves. Serve right away.

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Blackened Seasoning
(from Mom-Makes . . .)

2 1/4 tsp sweet paprika
2 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp dried thyme
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 to 1 tsp cayenne pepper

 
Combine the paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, black pepper, cayenne pepper, basil, and oregano in a food processor or spice grinder and pulse until finely ground and evenly mixed. Alternately, sift ingredients into a bowl and whisk until well combined. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place. Keeps up to 6 months.

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Adobo Seasoning
(adapted from Food. and Lemon Chiffon Cake)

1 tbsp lemon pepper seasoning
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 tbsp parsley flakes
1 tbsp achiote powder
1 1/4 tbsp kosher salt
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp sweet paprika
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp ancho chile powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder

 
Combine all ingredients in a food processor or spice grinder and pulse until finely ground and evenly mixed. Alternately, sift ingredients into a bowl and whisk until well combined. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place. Keeps up to 6 months.