The bounty of the sea in summer

Summer is the time to be a little more carefree, to keep things light and easy in the kitchen. It’s also good to relax and take the time to sit on the beach or to go fishing.

If it’s the latter, bring home the cleaned catch and refrigerate it. Then, unless it’s a flat fish, right before cooking, brush olive oil over the fish and squeeze fresh lemon juice inside it and either grill or sauté until the skin is crisp on both sides and the flesh flakes to the point of a knife.

Sprinkle with a finishing salt and black pepper for the freshest and the best of the season. Or check with your local fishmonger for the freshest catch of the day.

This week’s fillet of flounder recipe allows the fresh and delicate flavor of either flounder or lemon sole (flat fish) to shine through. Adding the vegetables to the same skillet after cooking the fish coordinates the dish and eliminates another pan to wash after dinner tonight. Add roasted red potatoes or your favorite rice pilaf to complete the menu.

Why not add Asian-seasoned tuna burgers with wasabi mayonnaise to your repertoire of cookout recipes? If fresh pea sprouts are unavailable, use organic herb mix or mizuma leaves. Bon appetit!

Fillet of Flounder 
with Garden Vegetables

(Serves 4)

Four 5- to 6-ounce fillets of flounder (or lemon sole)

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Olive oil for sautéing

2 teaspoons or more unsalted butter

4 to 5 pinches of finishing salt (Malden or Alaea volcanic finishing salt, available at www.atthemeadow.com)

1 medium Vidalia onion, chopped

Few sprigs fresh lemon thyme, leaves removed

Small handful of flat leaf parsley leaves, chopped

5 sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil, slivered

1½ cups cooked fava or lima beans, or edamame (or 10-oz. package defrosted)

1½ cups cooked petit pois (or 10-oz. package defrosted)

2 fresh lemons cut into wedges

To prepare:

Remove the spiny column that runs down the center of each fillet and discard.

Rinse and pat dry with paper towels. Season to taste with pepper.

Coat with oil the bottom of a non-stick skillet over high heat, add butter and heat until the foam subsides. Slip the fish into the pan skin side down; do not crowd.

Sear about 2 minutes, until brown on the edges, then turn and continue cooking until the flesh flakes, about 2 minutes longer.

Transfer to warm platter, sprinkle with finishing salt and keep warm. The cooking time will depend on the thickness of the fillets.

In the same skillet over high heat, add a little oil or butter if necessary and then add the onions and herbs and sauté until soft and translucent, about 4 minutes.

Add tomatoes, fava beans and peas and sauté until heated through, about 4 minutes. Taste and correct the seasonings. Mound the vegetables in the center of the platter around the fish, garnish with lemon wedges and serve at once.

Tuna Burger 
with Wasabi Mayo 
and Greens

(Serves 6)

For wasabi mayo:

1/2 cup good quality mayonnaise

About 1/3 cup minced red onion

About 1 tablespoon minced chives

1/2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated

1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 teaspoon soy sauce or more to taste

Few drops of toasted sesame oil

1 teaspoon wasabi paste or powder or more to taste

For tuna burger:

12 ounces fresh tuna, skin and bones discarded, and cut into 1/4-inch dice

1 clove garlic, mined

1/2 medium red onion, minced

2 tablespoons chopped pickled ginger (sushi)

1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

2 tablespoons soy sauce

Grated zest of one lemon

Sea salt to taste, freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 egg white, lightly beaten

1 head red leaf lettuce, washed, spun dry, and torn into bite-size pieces

About 2 ounces pea sprouts, washed and spun dry

6 large rice cakes (or whole grain burger rolls)

To prepare:

In a bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, onion, chives, ginger, lemon juice, soy sauce, sesame oil, and wasabi until blended. Taste and correct the flavors. Store in the refrigerator for up to three or four days.

Working with two large chef knives on a very clean cutting board, mound the cubes of tuna, garlic, onion and ginger and roughly chop together to blend. Transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the sesame oil, soy sauce, lemon zest, salt, pepper, and egg white. Then use a fork to stir the seasonings into the tuna.

Remove about 1 tablespoon of the mixture and sauté in a hot skillet to check the seasonings, or taste it raw.

Then use your hands to form six patties, firmly pressing the fish together. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to grill.

To cook:

Heat the coals until they are moderately hot. Generously oil the grate or grilling basket with vegetable oil. Grill the burgers until they are brown and have grill marks on both sides, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Do not over cook; they should still be pink in the middle, or according to personal preference.

To serve, set a rice cake on a warm dinner plate and place the burger on top.

Mound the greens on the side and add a few sprouts on top of the burger. Then drizzle wasabi mayonnaise over the whole affair and serve at once.

Serve sugar snap peas and brown rice to complete the menu.