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Mike Wolfberg's Recipe for Spiced Haddock (Massaledarh Haddock)

This is one of a dozen recipes developed by Mike for a Concord/Carlisle Massachusetts Newcomers Gourmet Group dinner which took place on 1-Mar-75.

(Approximate preparation time: 1 1/2 during 2 hours)

 

  1. Measure the sour cream, and set it aside so that it warms to room temperature for use in step 16.
  2. Scrape or slice away the brown skin of the ginger root and discard. Finely grate the ginger to yield 1/2 tsp., and put it into a large non-aluminum mixing bowl.
  3. Peel the onion and cut it in half lengthwise. Finely grate just a small part of the onion to yield 2 tsp. Add the grated onion to the bowl. Wrap the rest of the onion in plastic wrap to preserve its freshness, and retain it for use in step 11.
  4. Add to the bowl: ground coriander, ground hot red pepper, turmeric, sugar, and 1/2 tsp. of salt.
  5. Juice the lemon to yield just 3 TBL. of juice. Add the juice to the bowl slowly, and mix thoroughly.
  6. Cut the haddock into pieces which are at least about 2" square, and place them into the bowl. This yields about 25 pieces. Gently, but thoroughly, mix them to coat them evenly. Cover, and set aside to marinate at room temperature for 45 minutes. Gently toss them every 15 minutes.
  7. After the haddock pieces have marinated for at least 45 minutes, let them continue to marinate (after tossing them) while making further preparations until they are to be used in step 10.
  8. Carefully break open each cardamom pod and extract the black or brown seeds. Discard the pod and any connecting tissue. Place the seeds into a small plastic bag and crush them with a rolling pin or mallet. A mortar and pestle can instead be used for this crushing operation. Set the crushed seeds aside for use in step 14.
  9. Handle the chili with care - see the note Handling Chilies. Wash, deseed, and very thinly slice crosswise (each half of) the fresh green chili. Set the slices aside for use in step 14.
  10. Into another bowl, drain the marinade as thoroughly as possible from the haddock. Squeeze each piece with your hands, applying pressure evenly, and being careful not to mutilate it. Reserve the marinade for used in step 16 and haddock pieces for used in step 12.
  11. Thinly slice the remaining onion by first cutting away the stem area of each half with a V-notch, and then thinly slicing each half lengthwise with flat side down. Set the slices aside for used in step 14.
  12. In 10"-12" non-aluminum frying pan which can be covered, heat 3 TBL of the ghee over moderate heat until a drop water flicked into it sputters instantly. Add about half of the haddock pieces to lightly sauté the, in a single layer. Cook them for 2 minutes, carefully turn once and cook them for another 2 minutes. Carefully remove the pieces and any extra haddock scraps to a large plate. Cook the remainder of the pieces in the same manner and also remove them to the plate.
  13. If there is not enough liquid in the frying pan for frying the onion, add up to a TBL. more ghee.
  14. Add the crushed cardamom seeds to the frying pan and stir for 10 seconds. Add the sliced onion and sliced chili, and stir. Sprinkle with 1/4 tsp. salt, and fry for 2 minutes, stirring constantly - STAND BACK TO AVOID BREATHING THE HOT FUMES!
  15. Reduce the heat to low and add the marinade. Stirring occasionally, simmer for about 1 minute and remove from the heat.
  16. Stir the sour cream well, and then add it to the mixture in the frying pan. Thoroughly stir until smooth.
  17. Push most of the sauce to one side of the pan. Gently return all of the haddock (along with any accumulated liquid) to the pan, so that as much as possible is in one layer. Distribute the sauce so that it covers the pieces. Set the pan on low heat, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat. If it is several hours before the dinner, refrigerate the pan after it cools.
  18. Wash and pat dry the cilantro. Cut away any bad parts, Wrap it in paper toweling, put it in a plastic bag, and refrigerate.
  19. To serve in the host home: 20 minutes before serving, place the haddock in its covered frying pan on low heat, and let it simmer for 18 minutes. Carefully remove the haddock pieces to a warned serving platter and cover them with all the sauce. Garnish with the cilantro.

back to the top of this page This page, maintained by Mike Wolfberg, was last updated on November 03, 2018 .