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FOOD FOR THOUGHT |
The e-mail traffic for the week has been heavy with requests. Hope some of you can help these readers.
First, though, I asked about salt butterfish last week and Carol Vitale e-mailed these simple directions, culled from a Web site that referenced Elizabeth Ahn Toupin's "Hawaii Cookbook and Backyard Luau" (1967): Rub 2 pounds butterfish (also called black cod or sablefish) fillets with 1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt or Hawaiian salt; let stand for a half-hour. Use in homemade laulau.
Here's a recipe from the award-winning cookbook "Hot Sour Salty Sweet: A Culinary Journey Through Southeast Asia," by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid. You can increase the quantity of this recipe as desired, and omit the bell pepper if you prefer just the carrot-and-daikon mixture.
VIETNAMESE PICKLED VEGETABLES
1 carrot
1 daikon radish (a piece about the same size as carrot)
Fine sea salt
1 red bell pepper
1/4 cup rice vinegar
Water
1 tablespoon sugar
Peel carrot and daikon and cut into julienne strips. Place carrot and daikon in a strainer in sink or over a bowl. Sprinkle liberally with sea salt. Allow to drain for 20-30 minutes.
Cut the bell pepper into the same cut.
Heat the vinegar with about 1/2 cup water and the sugar until sugar is dissolved. Allow to cool.
Rinse salted vegetables, which will be slightly wilted and limp, in cold running water. Dry with paper towels. Combine carrots, daikon and red bell pepper with dressing and place in airtight storage container just large enough to fit. Add just enough water, if needed, so the vegetables are submerged. Allow to marinate, refrigerated, at least 1 hour before serving. But they're best the next day.
Makes 4 servings.
