08/29/14 recipe -Taste USA

Fresh Tomato Sauce

How to make Fresh Tomato Sauce recipe - This sauce is also delicious with poached chicken breasts.

Makes 4 cups.

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 garlic clove
1 large Bermuda onion, chopped
1/2 large green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 small carrot, chopped
1 quart chopped fresh tomatoes
1 large bay leaf
4 sprigs green celery tops
1 small thyme sprig or 1 teaspoon dried leaf thyme
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Method:
In a large saucepan, heat oil. Add garlic, onion, green pepper and carrot.

Saute 4 minutes, stirring constantly, until onion begins to brown lightly. Add tomatoes, bay leaf, celery, thyme, salt and black pepper.

Simmer slowly 40 minutes. Puree in a blender or food processor fitted with the steel blade.

Codfish Balls with Fresh Tomato Sauce

How to make Codfish Balls with Fresh Tomato Sauce recipe - Codfish is one of the oldest of American foods. The Pilgrim Fathers practically lived on it. Each year as cold weather approached, they put away stores of meaty cod, carefully preserved with salt.

Makes 4 servings.

Ingredients:
Fresh-Tomato Sauce, opposite
1/2 pound shredded salt codfish
1 whole egg
1 egg yolk
2 cups mashed potatoes
1-1/2 tablespoons whipping cream
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon finely chopped chives
1 teaspoon grated onion
1/8 teaspoon each dried leaf thyme, ground nutmeg and red
(cayenne) pepper
Hot fat
Broiled bacon slices

Method:
Prepare Fresh-Tomato Sauce; set aside. Soak and drain codfish according to package directions. In a large bowl, beat egg and egg yolk until foamy.

Add fish and mashed potatoes, blending thoroughly.

Add cream, parsley, chives, onion, thyme, nutmeg and red pepper. In a deep heavy skillet, heat fat to 360F (180C) or until a 1-inch cube of bread turns golden brown in 60 seconds.

Drop codfish mixture by tablespoons into hot fat. Fry until brown, turning once. Drain well. Serve with broiled bacon slices and Fresh-Tomato Sauce.

Boston Scrod

How to make Boston Scrod recipe - Newcomers to the Boston area wonder what kind of fish this is. Scrod is the baby haddock or cod which weighs 2-1/2 pounds or less. Originally, the definition applied to any young fish that was prepared for "planking," that is, broiling on a wooden plank.

Ingredients:
1 (2-1/2-pound) baby haddock or cod
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
About 1/4 cup melted butter or vegetable oil
1/2 to 1 cup fresh bread crumbs
Additional melted butter
Fresh lemon juice

Method:
Preheat broiler. Set the rack at highest level under broiler.

Clean fish, removing head, tail and backbone and leaving all skin intact so entire fish can be opened up flat.

Rinse fish in cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Dip in about 1/4 cup melted butter or oil. Roll in fresh bread crumbs. Place on broiler rack or plank, flesh-side up; slip under broiler.

Broil 4 to 5 minutes or until fish is about half-cooked. Turn over and broil, skin-side up, until skin is lightly browned.

Turn again so flesh side is up and drizzle with additional melted butter; sprinkle with lemon juice.

Serve immediately. Makes 3 to 4 servings.