Salt Baked White Bass

White Bass or Striped Bass, this method is great for very juicy and flavourful fish.

1 whole White Bass 1-3 lbs
2/3 kg Course Sea Salt
1/2 cup ground lemon grass

Preheat oven to 400˚F. Place some parchment paper on a baking sheet and lay the fish on top. In a large bowl, mix sea salt and lemon grass. Add a few teaspoons water to make a paste. Pack salt paste over fish and bake 20 - 30 minutes, depending on size and thickness of fish. When the salt has formed a hard baked clay texture, remove from oven and break open. Brush away any loose salt and serve immediately. The fish will have a very lemony ginger flavour and will not need any seasoning nor will it taste salty. Breaking the salt oven open at the table is very dramatic.

Options: You can use any of your favourite herbs in the salt blend such as rosemary, dill, oregano, basil, etc.

Enjoy!

Fresh White or Striped Bass is now available at Gimli Fish Market at 596 Dufferin Ave. and 625 Pembina Hwy. in Winnipeg

Acorn Squash Soup with Lemon Grass

1 Acorn Squash, seeded and baked
1 leek whites, sliced
1 inch fresh ginger, grated
1/4 cup lemon grass, chopped
3-4 cups broth
2 tbs olive oil
Salt and Pepper to taste

Sauté leeks in a soup pot until soft. Add ginger and lemon grass. On medium heat, mix in baked squash and add broth. Bring to a gentle boil. Remove from heat and let cool. Using an immersion blender or in a food processor, purée soup. Serve hot or cold. Garnish with creme fraiche.

This image has the soup garnished with Roasted Red Pepper Soup on the left and Roasted Garlic Ancho Chili Paste on the right.

Lemon grass is available in a variety of stores. Chopped and frozen lemon grass is available in the freezer section at Dino's Grocery Mart on Notre Dame.

One Bite Pickerel Cheeks on Potato Pancakes

Photo or video to come.

This party appetizer is simple once all the preparations are made. Pickerel Cheeks and Golden Caviar are available at Gimli Fish Market at 596 Dufferin Ave. and 625 Pembina Hwy. in Winnipeg.

Latkes (Potato Pancakes)

3 medium potatoes, peeled and shredded
1 onion, shredded
2 eggs
1/4 cup flour or maztah meal
salt and pepper
freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp paprika (optional)

Pickerel cheeks dredged in flour and vermouth or your favourite clear liquor.
Cremé Fraiche
Golden Caviar

Prepare latkes until golden brown and using cookie cutters, cut bite sized pieces from the pancake.
Sauté pickerel cheeks and deglaze with vermouth.

Top each latke bite with a pickerel cheek, cremé fraiche and golden caviar.

For my friends and family on the coasts and south of Winnipeg, try bits of sautéed Halibut cheeks, scallops and top with available caviar.

Enjoy!