Tuna-Stuffed Shells

I was trying to think of something different to make for my Monday evening tasting group and saw a mention in a restaurant review: tuna meatballs. That didn't ring my chimes but I thought about stuffed shells. How about tuna-stuffed shells?

The first try was a bit ordinary but I liked the idea. I spiffed up the filling flavors with some good smoky bacon and sundried tomatoes and changed the sauce from a marinara type to a sharp asiago cheese sauce. Voilà!

I baked the shells in individual gratin dishes, but you could just as easily do this in one large baking dish.

This makes 18 shells. I put three in each casserole, but we had started the meal with soup, and everyone agreed that with a salad, two would be enough for most people. One was enough for me.

The stuffed shells, without the sauce, could be make ahead and frozen on a baking sheet. Placed in freezer bags, you would have the makings for a quick meal on short notice.

This exact same recipe would be wonderful with either crab meat (use the lump, not the more expensive jumbo lump) or cooked salmon.


CONCHIGLIE AL TONNO

18 large pasta shells

For the filling:
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup onion, chopped
2 strips good smoky bacon, cut into 1/4" strips
2 7-ounce cans tuna in olive oil, lightly drained
1 cup fresh bread crumbs from firm white or baguette bread
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup sundried tomato, diced (See notes)
2 tablespoons parsley, minced

For the sauce:
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup white wine
2 cups half-and-half (See notes)
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (or 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg)
12 ounces sharp asiago cheese or imported fontina, grated
2 tablespoons flour

To finish:
2 tablespoons sundried tomato, diced
2 tablespoons fresh basil leaves, slivered

In a medium skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the garlic, onion and bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is tender and the bacon is cooked (the bacon will not be crisp or browned). Let cool completely.

Place the bread crumbs in a food processor. Add the tuna and the onion mixture. Pulse several times to just combine. Scrape into a mixing bowl and stir in the egg, sundried tomato and parsley.

Make the sauce: In a medium saucepan, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and cook over low heat for about three minutes. Whisk in the chicken stock and wine. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until reduced by about a third. Add the half-and-half. In a large bowl, toss the grated cheese with the flour to cover. Add to the sauce and heat, stirring constantly until the cheese is melted. Do not let the sauce boil.

Cook the shells according to package directions, using the lowest cooking time given. Drain and carefully spread on paper towels. Fill each one with a heaping tablespoon of the filling.

When ready to serve, preheat the oven to 350 F. Place the shells into well-buttered individual oven-proof dishes, or one shallow baking dish, with the seam side up. They should fit snugly. Pour the sauce over the top, being sure to cover all the edges of the shells. Bake until the sauce is bubbly and the top is just starting to brown, about 20 minutes. Sprinkle with the sundried tomato and basil garnish and serve. Serves 6 to 8.


NOTES: (1) I used sundried tomatoes packed in olive oil. If you use the dehydrated kind, soak them in hot water for an hour or so before using. (2) You could substitute whole milk for the half-and-half but the sauce might curdle a bit in the cooking. That won't hurt it at all.

Easy Tasty Salmon

We are getting down to the wire on moving to our new house. I've been sorting through all kinds of interesting "stuff." It’s amazing how much you can accumulate when you’ve been in a house for 25 years and have lots of spare closet and attic space.

So I’ve been working on dinners that don’t make a mess, or at least not much of one. Today’s recipe was serendipity: salmon filets that looked good at the market, with no real recipe in mind. To me, salmon and asparagus together seem to make a very spring-ish combination, so I picked up a bundle. Adding steamed and buttered new potatoes enhances the seasonal feel to the meal.

I cooked the salmon "en papillote," a French technique. I used the traditional parchment paper for the packets, but you can quite nicely use foil, sealed well around the edges.
Add a salad of your choosing and you have a great dinner....and all you have to wash are the dishes.

SALMON AND ASPARAGUS EN PAPILLOTE

2 6- to 8-ounce salmon filets, skin on
1/3 cup thick creamy Caesar dressing
8 stalks asparagus
A few sprigs fresh thyme (see note)
2 slices of lemon
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut two 12" square pieces of foil. Spray the dull side with cooking spray, or brush with oil. To one side of the center, put one filet on each, skin side down. Brush the tops with half the Caesar dressing. Trim the asparagus spears to about the same length as the salmon filets and arrange four on top of each. Brush with remaining dressing, top with lemon and thyme sprigs and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Fold the foil over and crimp the edges to seal all the way around. Place on a baking sheet. At this point you can put into the fridge for a few hours if you like. Take them out about 20 minutes before cooking.

Bake for 20 minutes. You can cut the packages open and move the salmon to a plate if you like, but I really like the burst of aromatic steam when you leave it in the packet to open at the table. Use a spatula to transfer to the plate. Serves two but can easily be multiplied to serve as many as you like.

A really good fish dish!

It started with leftover corn on the cob. We'd been part of a pot-luck cook-out and I'd made it the way I always do nowadays. I mixed the juice and finely grated zest of a lime into a stick of room temperature butter, slathered it on the shucked corn and wrapped it in foil. It takes about 20 minutes to cook on a hot grill, turning often, or in a 400-degree oven, on a baking sheet. Try it, and you'll never boil corn on the cob again.

I had four ears left over. I was going to my friends' house, Laretha and Bryce Randolph, to cook together and thought I'd like to try a version of a dish I'd read about in a restaurant trade magazine. At the farmers' market I picked up some lady peas and red bell peppers and we were set to go.
I used a spice rub Laretha had made for the fish, and a succotash to go under it. A bacon sauce on top made it what all at the table pronounced one of the best dishes we'd ever cooked together.

I know it looks long, but trust me, it's well worth it. I used golden tilefish, similar in taste and texture to the sadly overfished and expensive Chilean sea bass, but halibut or grouper would work well. You can made the rub any time, and you'll probably find lots of other things to use it on. You can make the succotash and bacon sauce earlier in the day and reheat at serving time. Then all you would have to do is sear the fish and you're good to go.

FISH WITH SUCCOTASH AND BACON SAUCE

For the rub:
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp Spanish smoked paprika
3/4 tsp ground coriander
3/4 tsp Kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

For the sauce:
4 ounces good smoked bacon, 1/4" strips
1 cup onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp unsulphured molasses
1 cup dry white wine
3/4 cup chicken stock

For the succotash:
3/4 lb lady peas or lima beans
1 slice bacon, minced
2 tbsp butter
2 red bell peppers, diced
1 cup onion, chopped
1/2 cup carrot, diced
1 or 2 jalapeño peppers, minced (see note)
4 cups corn cut off the cob, cooked or fresh
2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves, or 2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 cup heavy cream

To finish:
2 lbs firm-fleshed fish filet, cut into 6 servings
2 tbsp vegetable oil

Combine all the ingredients for the rub. Keep in an airtight jar at room temperature.

In a skillet, cook the bacon for the sauce until lightly browned. Remove with a slotted spoon and reserve. In the remaining fat, cook the onion and garlic until tender. Add the molasses and cook, stirring for a couple of minutes. Add the wine and cook until almost evaporated. Add the chicken stock and simmer briefly. Add the bacon and set aside.

Cook the lady peas with the minced bacon in water to barely cover, for about 20 minutes or until just tender. In a skillet over medium heat cook the bell pepper, onion and carrot until tender. Add the corn and stir to combine. Add the lady peas with their cooking liquid and the thyme. Simmer until the liquid is reduced slightly. Add the cream and simmer briefly. Taste and season with salt and pepper as desired.

Sprinkle the rub over the fish. In a heavy skillet over medium-high heat, heat the oil and cook the fish until well-browned and just barely done.
Serve the fish on a bed of succotash. Drizzle the sauce with the bacon over the top and serve immediately. Serves six.

NOTE: One jalapeño pepper with the seeds removed will give a nice zing. Leaving the seeds in makes the dish hotter. Use your own taste in hotness as a guide.