Toasted Cumin Sauce For Fish Recipes

CUMIN-ROASTED SALMON WITH CILANTRO SAUCE

Steps:

• Make the sauce: Combine cilantro, chives, garlic, vinegar and olive oil in a medium bowl. (Alternatively, pulse the ingredients in a food processor until you've reached the desired consistency.) Season with salt and pepper, and set aside.
• Roast the salmon: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Combine cumin, paprika and olive oil in a small bowl, and season with salt and pepper.
• Season salmon with salt and pepper and place in a baking dish or on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle salmon with spiced olive oil mixture, transfer to the oven, and roast until fish is opaque and just cooked through, 15 to 18 minutes.
• Remove salmon from oven and spoon cilantro sauce over the top. Serve with lemon wedges on the side.

CUMIN-SEARED HALIBUT WITH SWEET CORN SAUCE

Steps:

• For the sweet corn sauce: In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, add the canola oil, onions, garlic, thyme, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Sweat on medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the onions are softened, 7 to 10 minutes. Add the wine, if using, and cook until it evaporates, about 5 minutes.
• Add the corn kernels, reserved cobs and stock. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to medium and cook for about 10 minutes.
• For the halibut: Meanwhile, in a large plastic bag, combine 5 teaspoons of the canola oil, the cumin, lemon zest and juice, salt and pepper with the halibut fillets and allow to marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
• Discard the corn cobs, thyme and bay leaf from the sauce. Carefully pour the mixture into a blender and puree on high speed for 4 to 5 minutes. The natural starches will activate and thicken the sauce. Pour the sauce through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean saucepan. Simmer over low heat until it reduces by half, about 15 minutes.
• To finish the halibut, in a medium sauté pan, heat the butter and remaining 3 teaspoons canola oil over high heat until the butter melts and the oil is hot (a little smoke indicates it's ready). Place the halibut fillets in the pan skin-side up and cook until a nice crust forms on the bottoms, about 4 minutes. Carefully flip the fillets and cook 3 minutes more. Lower the heat and continue to cook until the internal temperature registers 140 degrees F, about 4 minutes. Let rest, covered with foil, for a few minutes. Serve topped with the sweet corn sauce.

SEA BASS WITH ONION AND CUMIN SAUCE

Steps:

• Place fish in glass baking dish. Pour lemon juice over. Season with salt and pepper. Chill while preparing sauce.
• Blanch tomatoes in pot of boiling water for 20 seconds. Drain. Peel tomatoes. Cut tomatoes in half; squeeze out seeds. Chop tomatoes; set aside.
• Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add onions, cover and cook until soft and golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Add garlic and sauté 30 seconds. Mix in cumin, then tomatoes. Simmer sauce 5 minutes. Add fish with lemon juice and simmer until fish is just cooked through, about 10 minutes.
• Using slotted spatula, transfer fish to platter. Boil sauce in skillet until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon sauce over fish.