I just added a gem to my cookbook library by Stacy Lyn Harris, Harvest. Chef Stacy Lyn is a fellow Alabamian and a bestselling author of three books, founder of the popular Game and Garden blog, and co-host of The Sporting Chef on The Sportsman’s Channel. Her simple approach to sourcing and preparing tasty meals makes life easier for those who prefer fresh food every day.
As her family grew, she said she left her career as a lawyer to raise seven children, a garden full of vegetables and a few happy chickens and bees. Throughout her homesteading journey she has shared her knowledge on wild game, sustainability, cooking and gardening in three cookbooks: Tracking the Outdoors In (2011), Wild Game: Food for Your Family (2012), Recipes & Tips for Sustainable Living (2013), and her DVD Gourmet Venison: Tasty Field to Table Recipes (2013). Her recipes have been featured in Southern Living, Glamour and Healthy Living.
And here is one for fish. Stacy Lyn calls for scamp, a member of the grouper family, however, since we’re all about crappie, substitute slabs as I have done here.
6-8 slab crappie fillets
2 cups Vidalia onions, chopped
1/2 cup fresh cilantro
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup lime juice, plus wedges of lime for garnish
12 small flour tortillas
Lime mayonnaise*
3 avocados, sliced
Pica de Gallo (page 220 in Harvest)
In a medium bowl, mix onions, cilantro, garlic, oregano, salt, oil and lime juice. Pour half the mixture into a 9×11 casserole. Place fish fillets on top of mixture. Pour the remaining marinade over fish. Cover and chill for 1 hour. Heat griddle on grill to almost smoking. Place fillets on hot grill for 2-3 minutes. Turn and cook for another 2-3 minutes or until fish is opaque. Remove from heat and set aside. Grill tortillas for about 10 seconds per side. Coarsely chop fish and place on tortilla. Drizzle lime mayonnaise* on top of fish and place avocado and Pica de Gallo on top. Serve with lime wedges.
*Lime Mayonnaise shortcut for this column: Mix mayonnaise with lime juice. For the full zesty recipe see page 278 in Harvest.
Pica de Gallo
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
4 plum tomatoes, cored and chopped
1/2 red onion, minced
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
1 tablespoon lime juice
Mix ingredients in medium bowl with salt and pepper to taste and set aside
Tip: You’ve seen the TV ad for copper mats to put on your grill. I bought a couple as an experiment. I was very pleased report performed as advertized on my gas grill and it can be used over charcoal. Nothings fell through the cranks and it cleaned easily. Two mats for $10 at a box store will make grilling fish trouble-free.
