Ever heard of Dogfish, and not the beer from Delaware (although yummy in its own rite)?  Me either, so I turned to my friends at Hooked Seafood in Latham, NY for help. Luke seared up a sample for me to taste and I loved it so I thought I would give it a go.

Luke explained that Dogfish is in the shark family and mostly exported to the United Kingdom for use in their famous Fish ‘n Chips. I Googled Dogfish and found an interesting article from NPR online, The Salt, What’s on Your Plate. The article was penned by Allison Aubrey on January 7, 2017 entitled Would You Eat This Fish? A Shark Called Dogfish Makes A Tasty Taco  This story was reported as part of a collaboration with the PBS NewsHour- Heard on Weekend Edition Saturday.  It is a very interesting read and I think you will enjoy it.

Now on to the recipe: Seared Dogfish with Cauliflower “Rice” Vegetable Medley

• Heat your grill to about 350-400 degrees for grilling the corn.
• Prepare your cast iron pan as customary for searing the fish.

What you need for the fish:

• 1 pound of Dogfish
• Olive Oil
• Salt & Pepper

What to do:

About an hour before you are ready to cook the fish, place the fish in a Ziploc bag and toss with olive oil and Salt & Pepper.  Place in the fridge.

What you need for the veggies:

• Cauliflower “Rice” -This is a medley so you can add or delete any veggie you wish. I start with a base of Cauliflower “Rice”. You can use a food processor and rice a good-sized head of cauliflower, or if you are pooped, like I am sometimes, you can buy it already riced in the veggie department.  Of course, frozen works well too.
• 2-3 ears of corn, shucked. Place the corn in a Ziploc bag and toss with olive oil, Salt & Pepper and my favorite spice: ariosto Aglio e Peperoncino.  Grill to nicely charred and you begin to hear the pop-pop. Cut the corn from the cob and set aside.
• Butternut squash- diced into good sized chunks. Boil just enough to soft but not mashable. Set aside.
• Zucchini- leave the skin on and dice into good sized chunks. You can cook/blanch them but I like them a little firmer.
• Butter- a pat or two. You can use olive oil or Truffle Oil as well.

OPTION:  one avocado, peeled and sliced or sour cream/Greek yogurt.

What to do for the veggies:

Now take the cauliflower rice and microwave in a microwave safe bowl for about 7 to 8 minutes. Check it, it should be soft-ish. Let it cool to the touch. Take the cauliflower rice and place in cheesecloth or a kitchen towel and wring it out to squeeze as much moisture as you can. You may get up to one cup of water. Don’t kill it! Chip is so heavy handed he almost made a pulp out of it!

Place the cauliflower rice in a pan and add the butter or oil of your choice and toss. Cook for a few minutes and then add the remaining veggies as prepared per the instructions above.  Taste it.  You may need some additional spice or salt & pepper, your call. Continue to cook and turn down to simmer.

What to do for the fish:

Get that skillet nice and hot.  Sear the fish evenly. It is a thin fish so it will cook quickly.  I would say 3-4 minutes tops, maybe, on each side depending on the thickness.

OK MARRY THEM!

Plate the Cauliflower “Rice” Vegetable Medley in the center of the plate creating a bed.

Now top with the grilled Dogfish.  If you wish, top with the sliced avocado and/or sour cream/Greek Yogurt.

Depending on your spice/heat level, serve with a Riesling or Gewürztraminer.  A Dogfish Head Ale would be great too!