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)
- 2/3 c sour cream - I prefer Breakstone's
- about 1/2 oz. fresh ginger root
- 1 large onion (5-6 oz.)
- 1/4 tsp. ground coriander
- 1/4 tsp. ground hot red pepper
- 1/8 tsp. turmeric
- 1/2 tsp. sugar
- 1/2 tsp. + 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1 lemon
- 1 1/2 lb. fresh filleted haddock
- 4 green or white cardamom pods
- 1 fresh hot green chili pepper, such as a jalapeno
- 3-4 TBL. ghee
- optionally for a garnish, a small sprig of cilantro
(coriander leaves)
- Measure the sour cream, and set it aside so that it
warms to room temperature for use in step 16.
- 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.
- 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.
- Add to the bowl: ground coriander, ground hot red
pepper, turmeric, sugar, and 1/2 tsp. of salt.
- Juice the lemon to yield just 3 TBL. of juice. Add the
juice to the bowl slowly, and mix thoroughly.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- If there is not enough liquid in the frying pan for
frying the onion, add up to a TBL. more ghee.
- 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!
- Reduce the heat to low and add the marinade. Stirring
occasionally, simmer for about 1 minute and remove from the heat.
- Stir the sour cream well, and then add it to the
mixture in the frying pan. Thoroughly stir until smooth.
- 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.
- Wash and pat dry the cilantro. Cut away any bad parts,
Wrap it in paper toweling, put it in a plastic bag, and refrigerate.
- 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.