Poached Bass

Okay. I've been reminded by at least six people in the last four days that I have not been sending any recipes out, so now I have one, kitchen-tested that is pretty good. It does require fresh fish, preferably freshwater. I used large mouth Bass, caught Saturday, but Orange Roughy or Tilapia would also work pretty well. One filet is about enough for a meal, so govern your portions accordingly. (Or stuff yourselves with more, do whatever feels right - its fish, how bad could it be?)

Sprinkle the filets on both sides with salt, pepper, paprika and whatever else strikes your fancy. I used a Miami seafood seasoning that includes onion powder, paprika, garlic powder and clove. Then set it aside. (I like to say that. All the recipe books do. I don't really set it aside, it just sits there on the counter, but now I am messing with something else - usually brown liquor on ice. Maybe that's what "set it aside" means . . . . . .)

Melt half a stick of butter in a skillet (oh come on . . . .you won't eat all of it, and besides you're not going to live forever anyway) then toss in 1/3 cup of finely chopped onion (I use a slam chopper - yes, they really work - no tears, no mess, no more cut off finger tips) Stir this around occasionally on medium heat till the onion is cooked soft. HHmmmmmm, doesn't all that butter look sinful? Now slowly stir in two tablespoons of flour (or dump it all in at one time and fight all the lumps - your choice). Keep stirring until it is smooth and golden brown. Now add and stir in two cups of beer. Nothing too hoppy, or too sweet, it will fight with the seasonings and make you sorry later. I used Moosehead (two cups is not two bottles, but a small part of a second is needed. Now drink the rest of the second bottle in four sustained gulps - I did it in two, but I've had practice. . . . .Ranger Rick can do it in one. and doesn't even burp . . . if he was smarter, he could have been a Marine . . . . . ) HHmmmmm, isn't cooking fun?

When this mixture starts to bubble, add a tablespoon of brown sugar and a double dash of powdered clove (okay, once and for all, what you can pinch between your thumb and forefinger is 1/3 of a dash . . . and no, I don't know where that came from, its probably Egyptian or Mayan, or something) Now lay the filets in the mixture, and spoon some of it gently over the top. Cover this and let it cook slowly for about 15 minutes. While that is happening you can make a side dish like rice, or polenta. My cousin, Malcom from the UK (okay, he is actually married to my cousin, Trisha, but what the hell, he's a really cool guy so I'm claiming him as a cousin), has a killer polenta recipe and is joining the recipe exchange, so if we ask him nicely, he may share it. Or the lovely Wolanda may have a suggestion from down in "Nawlins" to heat things up a little too. ( Everybody e-mail Wolanda and whine until she gives us a recipe for something good to eat.)

I served it with rice and mixed veggies. Do whatever. Its one of those recipes that makes people you love, like you a lot.

There, now go cook something . . . . . . . .