Don’t let the name of the dish scare you. I didn’t know what a Sheepshead fish was just a couple of months ago. Since some of my friends here in Florida are fish experts and are so nice and provide me with both knowledge and delicious fishes, I also get the opportunity to cook with new fish sorts I didn’t know existed. With that said, the recipes are still Scandinavian, just with local ingredients. I would do the same dish in Sweden, just with maybe a cod fish instead. Sheepshead is a local game fish, but you may substitute it with any firm white fish. This is actually one of my new favorite fishes. It taste delicious and the texture is just perfect. I would describe the taste like a bit sweet, shellfish flavor and with a firm, moist flesh. You should definitely try it if you haven’t already.
The preparation is easy. Just pan fry the fish with butter, garlic, some fresh herbs and salt and black pepper. That’s it! I made a tomato, pepper, broccoli and bean salad, marinated with a lot of olive oil and lemon juice, and served it with Feta cheese crumbs.
Ingredients (4 pers.):
- 1.6 lb Sheephead fish
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1-2 fresh herb sticks (thyme or rosemary)
- 1 garlic clove
- pinch salt and fresh black pepper
- 2 broccoli with stems
- 12 oz haricots verts
- 1-2 red peppers
- 3 tomatoes
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 lemon (juice)
- pinch of salt and fresh black pepper
- 1 pack Feta cheese
Start preparing the salad. Wash and cut the vegetables (broccoli (don’t forget the stems), haricots verts, red peppers and tomatoes) in similar size pieces. Heat a skillet with olive oil and add the vegetables. Let them fry on medium heat until they start to get color. Add the lemon juice, salt and black pepper and keep them on low heat until the fish is ready.
Make sure the fish is clean and all bones are removed. Cut the fish in portion sized pieces. Heat a skillet, add the butter and let it melt and start to change color. Add the herbs and the garlic clove cut in half. This will give taste to the fish from the pan. Now add the fish fillets, not all at once. There need to still be space in the pan for the heat to stay hot. Fry on medium heat for approximately 2-3 minutes before turning around. The fish should get a nice fried surface on one side before turning.
Place the lukewarm salad on a plate. Place one fish fillet on top of the salad and sprinkle Feta cheese crumbs over the dish. Finish with some drops olive oil, salt and black pepper. Top the dish with some fresh herbs.
Smaklig måltid!
P.s. Have you seen the teeth on a Sheepshead fish? Ahh scary! They look like small human teeth.
My plate is from Danish “Broste Copenhagen”.
Scandinavian Simple Eating 