As the long days of Winter become shorter and more manageable with hints of sunshine and brighter days to so come, I yearn for something lighter at my table and on my plate. It is still cool outside and the snow is threatening to fall but here in the Pacific Northwest, the promise of Spring begins to show with the happy abundance of fresh fish at my neighborhood seafood market. It is mostly coming from Alaska and Hawaii but some beautiful sturgeon has begun to appear from the Columbia Valley this week. It is Friday night, which, usually means steak night, but with a craving for the briny flavor of the sea (river, lake, pond…) I decide to swap out my fillet of tenderloin for an equally dense fillet of fresh sturgeon. Sturgeon is a very dense, mild fish that lends well to a hot flavorful bath. I don’t start in the kitchen with this thought but it occurs to me that I have at my disposal, a freshly made batch of basic tomato sauce, 6 plump, fresh BC Honey Mussels (that I couldn’t resist purchasing with the sturgeon) and a desire to cook with anchovies (prompted by a recent contest); the perfect storm!
If sturgeon is not available, you could substitute monkfish or cod. The end result evolved into, essentially, a thickened tomato bread soup with accessories. The flavor is briny and intoxicating, offset beautifully by the light, sweet flavor of the fish. Spooning the concoction over warm, crusty bread was a last minute decision that turned out to be a most satisfying addition. If you don’t have time or inclination to make the tomato sauce from scratch, there are a number of good-quality jarred sauces that I am sure would work too, but the end result will be different (perhaps better? Or worse…)
Sturgeon bathed in anchovy tomato sauce with Mediterranean friends
Serves 2-3
INGREDIENTS
1 TB olive oil
5 fresh anchovy fillets (it is essential to use good quality anchovies, packed in oil, not from a tin. I buy mine out of the refrigerated section rather than off the shelf).
2 cups homemade tomato sauce
1/4 head of cauliflower (you will only need 2-3 pieces per person but if you roast the whole head, you could use the remaining for a soup)
Olive oil for brushing
Fresh pepper
Olive oil for browning the fish
3/4 lbs Columbia River Sturgeon fillet, lightly seasoned with sea salt and pepper, skin and bloodline removed.
1/4 cup chopped cippolini onions or shallots
2 cloves chopped garlic
1 TB fresh, chopped rosemary
2 TB capers, rinsed (preferably salt-packed)
6 Castelvetrano olives, pitted, cut in half
2 medium sized tomatoes, cored and cut into 8 pieces
1/2 cup cooked, drained cannelini beans (optional)
1 cup white wine
6 live honey mussels (or the best available to you in your area)
2 qty. 1″ thick slices crusty bread (heated in the oven or grilled)
PREP
when trimmed, the sturgeon might look like this
In a small saucepan, heat 1 TB olive oil until very hot, but not smoking. Drop in the chopped anchovies, they will sizzle. Turn down the heat slightly and let them fry for a minute or two until fragrant.
Add the tomato sauce, cover and let simmer a few minutes more until the flavors have melded. Set aside.
Brush the cauliflower with olive oil, grind over fresh pepper and roast in a 400 degree oven until browned (20-30 minutes). Cut into florets, trimming away most of the stem, set aside.
COOK
In a heated skillet tipped with olive oil, brown the sturgeon on one side. When you are able to move it without sticking to the pan, flip it over, add the onion and garlic.
Turn the heat down a bit, stir the onion mix and add in the rosemary, capers, olives, fresh tomato and beans (if using). Toss gently to combine without disturbing the fish.
Pour in the white wine and bring to a simmer. Add the mussels; give the pan another shake.
Add the tomato sauce and roasted cauliflower. Quickly bring back to a simmer and transfer to the oven (which should still be heated to 400 degrees). If you haven’t already done so, put the bread in the oven to heat and toast slightly being careful not to burn.
If the mussels have already opened and the fish still feels dense to the touch, transfer the mussels to a plate and keep in a warming drawer or covered nearby. The fish might need 5 – 10 minutes in the oven to cook through and become tender.
When the fish is nearly ready, add the mussels back to the pan to heat through.
SERVE
Tear each slice of bread into large pieces and place in the bottom of 2 (or 3) deep, heated, individual serving bowls. Ladle some of the sauce over the bread then, using kitchen tongs, place a piece of fish and three mussels on top with a few pieces of cauliflower alongside.
What a glorious combination. I agree with you: I always want to eat lighter, healthier things as Spring approaches… This looks great.
Thanks, a glorious combination indeed. Spring is coming ’round the corner; I just feel it. Yet here I look to blustery rain out the window today; I would have preferred snow. Not sure if I should hunker in with a good slow cooked pot of ribs or pick up some more friends of the sea (river, lake, pond…). Always good to hear from you.
What a beautiful dish. Bookmarking to try very soon. I’m glad spring is heading your way – we are still in the throes of winter. But surely not for much longer….?!
Thank you, it is so easy and fun to prepare; would love to hear your feedback if you try making sometime. No doubt we will have a rainy spring but for that, more flowers will bloom.
Thank you. It would be nice if Spring were here for real but it is nice to have something to look forward to, don’t you think? Cooking usually helps so maybe you should make yourself a big pot of soup while you wait out the weather.
A lovely recipe! Of course, sturgeon would be impossible to find here in NM but I love the anchovy tomato sauce idea (kind of like sofrito which I do have in the freezer). Plan to try it soon with cod or tilapia. Also, the roasted cauliflower will be a treat. Spring has arrived here and the apricot tree is in full bloom!
Oh? Crumpets and apricot jam I suppose? Lucky you! I think cod would be great. Chicken breasts could work too.
Never had sturgeon, but may well make it with cod. Perfect for a non meat eating Lent.
Wow, not eating meat for you must be difficult! Cod would surely work. Good luck.
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I eat too much meat. After giving up beer and cigarettes I’ve rather allowed myself to indulge. It’s time to rein things in. Is sturgeon easy to come by where you are? I have half an idea that in England (like swans) sturgeon is the property of the Queen.
I have been eating a lot of meat myself so am looking to get back on the seafood this year. Sturgeon is caught out of the Columbia River nearby but is typically only found on restaurant menus and in good seafood markets (not mainstream grocery stores). I just looked up that sturgeon are royal fish in UK, owned by the Queen; I didn’t realize.
Stacy, where did you buy those B.C. Honey Mussels ?
I got them at Gemini Seafood Market in Issaquah, WA. They thought they wouldn’t be able to get them for this long but they kept finding a way to bring them in. I think they are the most delicious!
To maintain quality we only harvest when mussels are at their best, fall/winter, unlike industrial farms that harvest 52 weeks a year and develop the poor reputation for mussels requiring that you tap them etc. We are an artisan farm, hand harvesting and visually inspecting each mussel various times through the harvest. If you have Facebook access look for our account “B.C. Honey Mussels” and view the incredible pristine location and our hand/artisan methods of farming mussels. Dale
P.S. We will be stopping before they spawn in the next few weeks, if you want to let Jim know.
Ironically, I just came home from Gemini and read your message. I had asked where their supplier was and got an earful of accolades about your operation. It was inspiring to hear. I almost walked away with more but ended up over indulging on the first of springer king salmon, scallops and ahi tuna instead. I will be heading back for my last opportunity of the season though and will give Jim the heads up if he is in.
I visited your Facebook page and was quite impressed. I would love to visit your operation sometime if I make it out that way.