Cocoa and Lavender: Catch of the Day

When you travel to exotic locales, do you find yourself buying intriguing local produce at the farmers market? Perhaps you even do that at your local market.

When we first moved to the Southwest, that is what I did. Whether at the farmers market, or in the grocery store, if I saw something distinctively Southwestern, or unusual, weird, or completely unfamiliar, I bought it.

I remember the first time I bought tomatillos. I had heard of them, but had never seen them. I loved their brittle paper jackets and bought eight of them with absolutely no idea what to do with them.

They came home to our kitchen, and then sat there doing nothing. I guess the allure gave way to uncertainty.

Mark kept pushing me to do something with the tomatillos so they didn't go to waste. I suggested that he find a recipe and I would cook it. And that he did.

He found a Rick Bayless recipe for fish with tomatillo salsa. Bayless' recipe was a contemporary take on a traditional Mexican recipe, and my version takes it a few steps further from the traditional.

It has ended up being one of our favorites, and each time we make it (like last night) we ask ourselves, "Why don't we make this more often?"

It is basically a Mexican fish and chips, but it is so much more than that. The chips are not French-fried potatoes; they are the crust of the fish. The tomatillo sauce is just perfect with the buttery-flavored fish with its crunchy coat.

And, yes, it is fried. I don't like to fry indoors, especially when it is fish. In a small house, all you can smell for days is the fish and then, for days after, the oil. Instead, I use the side burner on my outdoor gas grill to fry the fish, and the covered grill, set to low, to keep the fish warm and crispy as I cook it in batches.

This does mean that I have to disappear from the dinner table for a few minutes to do the final cooking, but Markipedia keeps the troops entertained until I am able to enter with the platter of golden-fried fish on a bed of tomatillo salsa. I don't recall anyone complaining that I was gone too long! They were too busy cleaning their plates.

South-of-the-Border Fish & Chips

6 six-ounce pieces grouper filet (or other firm, white fish)

3 tablespoons water

8 ounces white or yellow tortilla chips

8-10 large tomatillos, about 1 1/2 pounds

1 large, or two small, jalapeño chiles

1 large white onion, diced

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 cups chicken stock

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus additional for garnish

canola oil, for frying

1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and diced (optional)

1/2 orange bell pepper, seeded and diced (optional)

Make sure your grouper is cut into equal-sized pieces. You want it to be about 1 1/4-inches thick. Place the flour in a shallow bowl, and stir in 1/2 teaspoon salt. Place the eggs in another shallow bowl, and whisk them together with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 3 tablespoons water. Using the bag in which the chips came, crush them until they are about 1/4-inch in size, although some largest pieces are nice, too. Spread these crumbled chips on a large plate.

Dip the grouper pieces into the flour and coat all sides. Then dip it into the egg mixture, and follow that by pressing the fish into the chips on all sides. Place each piece on a foil-lined baking sheet. (This can be done ahead and refrigerated for up to 2 hours.)

Meanwhile, peel and discard the papery tomatillo husks, rinse them, and place them on a foil-lined baking sheet. Add the jalapeño pepper(s) and place under the broiler - as close as possible - for 8-10 minutes, until they begin to char. Turn the vegetables, and char the bottoms for another 6-8 minutes. Place the charred vegetables, and any accumulated juices, in a blender and purée till smooth. A few chunky bits won't hurt.

In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil and sauté the onion over medium heat until it is golden, stirring often. Increase heat to medium-high and, when sizzling, add the tomatillo purée. Cook for about 5 minutes until the color is darker, and the mixture has thickened.

Add the chicken stock and cilantro, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a brisk simmer and let cook for 30-40 minutes until thickened, but not pasty. Set aside and keep warm. (The salsa can be made a day in advance, refrigerated, and then reheated at serving time.)

Heat the oil in a large skilled over medium-high heat. Place a baking sheet, lined with foil, in the oven and set to 300°F. (I set my gas grill on low, and set the lined baking sheet directly on the grill with the lid closed.) To test if the oil is ready, take a small piece of the fish crust and drop it in the oil. If it sizzles, you are ready.

Place half the grouper pieces in the oil and fry for 2 minutes per side. Remove them from the oil and place them on the prepared baking sheet. Fry the remaining pieces, also for 2 minutes per side, and then place them on the baking sheet with the other pieces. Leave them to keep warm until you are ready to plate.

To serve, divide the sauce among six plates, and place a piece of fish on the sauce (or two pieces, if you made them smaller like I did). Top with chopped cilantro or a sprinkle of diced bell pepper for color.

Serves 6.