Cooking Class At The North Carolina Aquarium.

I'm very excited since the cooking class series at the North Carolina Aquarium in Manteo started yesterday. Mr. Hawthorne and I attended the classes last year, along with Glowria and Xmaskatie, and we've all been looking forward to this year's series.

So Xmaskatie is driving all of us down to Manteo and I look out my window and see this jet trail. What? Did the pilot change his mind? Did he want a better look at something? Inquiring minds want to know.

Upon entering the aquarium, we were greeted by a giant inflatable crab and rays hanging from the ceiling.

Of course, Glowria and I used the crab as a wonderful photo op. Other people in the lobby were staring at us (Imagine that.) but Glowria and I have no shame whatsoever and she knows she's going to be on my blog and people from all over the world, and you know who you are, will be seeing her.

Rosie, Xmaskatie, and Glowria enjoying the company of the giant crab.

Glowria and Xmaskatie kissing a frog. Alas, the only prince in our midst was Mr. Hawthorne.

I was extremely excited since I was offered the opportunity to clean one of the tanks. Now, on to the cooking class.

Today's chef was Sean Taylor of Sean's Restaurant and Bar in Edenton, North Carolina. And today's class was about the basics- how to clean and butcher a whole fish and how to cook it and utilize all the parts and get your money's worth.

The first thing you do is cut off the head. Make a curved cut behind the fin and use the head for your fish stock.

Trust me. None of this fish went to waste. Chef Taylor scraped what meat he could out of the head and saved that to go into his risotto. Here's the fish stock in the front. It has leeks, onions, lemons, carrots, fennel, coriander seeds, and ginger. And of course fish parts. Unlike a chicken or beef stock, a fish stock has a short cooking time - only about 25-30 minutes. And it's important to never let your stock boil. Simmer only, else the essential oils in the fish come out and turn the stock cloudy.

Using the spine as a guide, Sean cut down along it and removed it from the fish. He then scraped the meat of the spine on both sides, chopped it, and tossed the meat into the stock.

Next, he cleaned up the fillets by trimming off the belly fat and sinews ...

... and next by shaving down the rib bones.

Next, he pulled out each rib bone.

On this particular fillet, he showed how to remove the skin. Holding the end with a towel, he simply shaved down against the skin. Any meat still sticking to the skin he scraped off with a spoon and saved for the risotto.

For the dish he was preparing, roasted fish, the chef already had his skins-on fillets ready.

He placed lemon slices, rosemary, and sliced leeks on top of the fillet, seasoned with salt, and covered with the other fillet, placing tail to head and head to tail to get even cooking.

He then placed the fish on a bed of rosemary, trussed the fillets, and sprinkled olive oil and squeezed blood oranges over top. The fish was then placed in a 400 degree convection oven for about 45 minutes, although he recommended cooking it in a 275 degree oven for 1 1/2 hours. The hotter oven forces the essential oils and omega 3 fatty acids out. The slower oven results in a healthier and more succulent fish. (Thankfully, we didn't have to wait 1 1/2 hours for the meal.) While the fish was cooking, he prepared the risotto.

First, he put a good amount of extra virgin olive oil in a pan, heated it up, and added a bay leaf to brown and flavor the oil. Chopped onions went in next and he said to immediately add salt - not for the flavor, but because the salt helps to soften and break down the veggies and it helps to release liquids. Next, the rice was added along with some more olive oil and he constantly stirred it to toast the rice. You do not want the rice to brown. After about 10 minutes, he added white wine to the rice, letting the rice absorb the flavor of the wine and letting the alcohol cook off. Finally, he started gradually adding in batches his warm fish stock, never letting the liquid level get above the rice. If the stock is too hot, the rice absorbs it too quickly and won't release the starches properly. You want a light simmer, never a boil. At the end, he added in diced butternut squash and raw shrimp, and cooked until shrimp was just done.

In another pan, he poached the fish fillet in fish stock, shallots, and blood orange, with just enough stock to cover. The skin is on these fillets, on the bottom of the pan, since it protects the fish and keeps the fish from falling apart. If you're not eating the poached fish immediately, he recommended refrigerating it in its liquid to keep it from drying out.

And here's the roasted fish. Now, have you noticed I haven't told you what type of fish this is? Do you know what type of fish this is? It's farm-raised salmon from Nova Scotia. I have tried to like salmon, really I have. Back in September, someone gave us some salmon and I tried Salmon Two Ways. Later, I tried Salmon Dish #3. I'm trying my damnedest to mask the salmon taste anyway I can. Finally, Mr. Hawthorne got it right when he made fried salmon cakes. But then, frying makes everything better. I didn't know this first class was going to be about salmon until we got there, but had I known, I still would have come, just to try salmon a different way and maybe have that epiphany I have had with bleu cheese and cilantro. I'm always open to trying anything.

This is the before picture of my plate. Here's the baked salmon and risotto with blood orange juice squeezed on top. I think the dish could have benefited from a bit of greenery. Maybe some parsley?

And here's the after picture of my dish.

I do NOT like salmon. I didn't even care for the risotto. Maybe if he'd put a stick or two of butter in it. I was almost embarrassed, since everyone else was apparently a member of the Clean-Plate-Club. And everyone was extolling the virtues of the salmon. Well, Mr. Hawthorne wasn't and neither was Xmaskatie. But at least their plates had the food moved around so it looked like they ate some. I covered my plate with a napkin because the next thing I knew, the chef was coming around with a plate of the poached salmon for everybody to take a bite of. I told him I'd share Mr. Hawthorne's piece. I took a bite of the poached salmon and my goodness it was worse than the the roasted salmon. I am not a salmon person. Thank goodness I ate before we came. On the way home, Xmaskatie informed me she'd decided to stay with us for the night instead of staying with Glowria as she had planned. Glowria loves salmon and was getting seconds and thirds. And Poor Hungry Xmaskatie figured she wouldn't be getting any dinner at Glowria's whereas the Hawthornes would be dining. Now, I have signed Mr. Hawthorne and myself up for the entire seafood cooking class series. Then I looked down at the handout from Chef Taylor. He's coming back for a second class in March and he will be preparing Stuffed Squid Sicilian Style. If you remember, Mr. Hawthorne is NOT a fan of squid. He didn't like it that time and he didn't like it then either. And he wouldn't eat Redneck Calamari either just because of the way it looks. No way. No how. You couldn't pay him to go. So, we're going to take a pass on that class. Now you get to take a look at the aquarium critters.

Turtles.

And frolicking otters.