Fish Without a Doubt: The Cook's Essential Companion [Hardcover]

Rick Moonen (Author), Roy Finamore (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 29, 2008

Comprehensive. Friendly. Indispensable. With more than 250 simple and delicious recipes.

No doubt about it, fish is a cook’s dream. Fast. Low in fat, versatile, and healthful, it’s even brain food. No other fish cookbook contains such a comprehensive selection of approachable, contemporary recipes. It’s written by a pair of experts: a nationally known three-star seafood chef whose true passion is teaching home cooks, and an award-winning writer and sought-after food authority. Arranged for the cook’s complete convenience, Fish without a Doubt encompasses chapters on all the techniques of fish cookery—from poaching to grilling to sautéing—as well as on all the most popular seafood dishes—from appetizers, to soups and salads, to burgers and pasta.

The recipes range from updated versions of classics (Trout Almondine, Linguine with Clams, Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes) to the latest favorites (Steamed Black Bass with Sizzling Ginger,Tuna Burgers with Cucumber Relish, Thai-Style Mussels). It includes slews of quickies for weeknight specials (Broiled Fillets with Butter and Herbs) and centerpieces for splashier occasions (A Big Poached Char). Featuring only seafood that is not overfished, Fish without a Doubt provides the latest information for the eco-conscious cook about our last wild frontier.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

*Starred Review* Moonen and Finamore’s encyclopedic volume appears at just the right moment. Nutritional awareness has given fish cooking even more prominence within the culinary arts, and efficient transportation now brings fresh fish into the nation’s interior. With this book to guide both neophyte and expert, no one need any longer fear to cook any of the deep’s denizens. In instructive photographs, Moonen and Finamore show how to clean, bone, and portion both finfish and shellfish. Recipes are organized by cooking method—broiling, poaching, roasting, grilling, steaming, frying—providing the creative cook some latitude in determining what to do with the fish at hand. Succeeding chapters cover such fish basics as chowders, fish cakes, and salads. A final section offers unique takes on side dishes such as coleslaw. Both the book’s organization and its comprehensive coverage make this a necessary addition to any cookbook collection. --Mark Knoblauch

Review

Moonen is a fish guy, having served as chef-owner of two seafood temples in New York City. In this new book, he shares his expertise—from how to shop for fish to how to clean it and how to cook it. The cleaning, scaling and filleting pages are particularly good, with clear instructions and excellent photos that leave little room for doubt. Moonen, with coauthor Finamore (Tasty), covers everything from American classics like Manhattan Clam Chowder to modern dishes such as Creamy Fennel Soup with Salmon and Citrus Ragu. What separates this book from others is its focus on sustainability. Moonen is a founding member of Seafood Choices Alliance and an early advocate for chefs making responsible choices when it comes to seafood. The first chapter contains a list of each fish in the book, the best way to cook it and the state of its population. There are no endangered fish on the list (or in the book), because, as Moonen explains in his introduction, “I'm holding off for the time when I can feel confident that these populations are strong again.” For a chef whose current venture is a 16,000-square-foot restaurant in Las Vegas, this kind of restraint might seem surprising, but given the dramatic collapse of seafood populations, Moonen is a welcome and essential voice in the home chef's kitchen. (May 21) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Publishers Weekly, Starred

" A great cookbook inspires you to cook. That's the premise behind our new cookbook club. . . In Fish Without a Doubt, chef Rick Moonen, of Rick Moonen's RM Seafood in Las Vegas, and coauthor Roy Finamore have drafted a blueprint for minimizing handwringing in the store and kitchen and maximizing pleasure at the table. . . Moonen takes the fear out of serving fish whenever the mood strikes — which, with this book in hand, may be a lot more often." Gourmet

“Fish Without a Doubt is a godsend.” (T. Susan Chang, NPR)

“Without a doubt, a great fish book!” (Daniel Boulud)

“Classic, modern, authoritative, and approachable, this book is a must for any fish lover.” ( Jacques Pépin) “Rick Moonen provides a ‘how-to’ guide that helps readers eat well, while taking better care of themselves and the oceans.” (Rebecca Goldburg, Ph.D., senior scientist, Environmental Defense)

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 448 pages
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; None edition (April 29, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 061853119X
• ISBN-13: 978-0618531196
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 8.2 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #132,598 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #37 in Books > Cookbooks, Food & Wine > Cooking by Ingredient > Meat, Poultry & Seafood > Seafood

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

40 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thank you "Gourmet" for this recommendation, May 24, 2008

By 

B. J. Lewis (Highlands Ranch, CO) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Fish Without a Doubt: The Cook's Essential Companion (Hardcover)

Do I need another cookbook? Well, I guess I did, if my first experience with this one is a foretaste (!) of what I can expect. I'm writing this after just finishing one of the best dinners I've ever experienced. I made the Sauteed Char with Hoisin Glaze and Wasabi Butter Sauce (p.238), although I used salmon. And, instead of bok choy or wilted cabbage, I made the Asian slaw (p.453). While the list of sauces seem intimidating, they are all quite easy and can be done well in advance of the final preparation of the fish -- and they add, oh, so much. If nothing else, the Hoisin Glaze is a revelation of how much a truly simple sauce can elevate a boring piece of sauteed salmon into something delectable. Thank you, chefs Moonen and Finamore. There are a couple of purring adults right now in Highlands Ranch, Colorado.

36 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The fish cook's bible, June 17, 2008

By 

Julie Neal (Sanibel Island, Fla.) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Fish Without a Doubt: The Cook's Essential Companion (Hardcover)

This hefty book has all you need to know to cook fish and shellfish. The recipes are clear and descriptive. I like that the authors help you "see" with their words, as in this advice from Oyster Stew: "Cook just until the edges of the oysters curl; they'll look like ruffled petticoats."

As a relatively inexperienced fish cook, I appreciated the section up front called Preparing Fish and Shellfish for Cooking and Serving. It's a step-by-step guide, fully illustrated with black and white photos, showing how to clean and filet a round fish, shell and devein shrimp, prep scallops, clean squid, shuck clams and oysters and prepare lobster.

The cookbook missed the fifth star because of the lack of nutritional information for each recipe, and for too few photos. The 41 color images included are luscious.

Under the dust jacket is a cover that has the same art except for the reviews on the back cover.

Some other good new cookbooks: Hungry Girl, Deceptively Delicious and The Most Decadent Diet Ever!.

Here's the chapter list:

INTRODUCTION
1. Fish and Health
2. Sustainable Seafood

THE BASICS
3. Is It Cooked?
4. The Fish Cook's Kitchen
5. Preparing Fish and Shellfish for Cooking and Serving
6. Shopping for Fish
7. Storing Fish and Shellfish
8. Notes on the Fish in This Book

LET'S COOK
9. Poaching
10. Steaming and Boiling
11. Broiling
12. Grilling -- Stovetop and Outdoor -- and Smoking
13. Baking and Roasting
14. Searing and Sautéing
15. Frying
16. Shellfish Appetizers and First Courses
17. Chowders, Soups and Stews
18. Salads, Ceviches and Gravlax
19. Fish Cakes and Burgers
20. Pasta and Rice
21. Salsas and Relishes
22. Sauces, Vinaigrettes and Spice Mixes
23. Essential Sides

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars WOW! Yum, June 18, 2008

By 

kznadalin "Karen" (Highland, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fish Without a Doubt: The Cook's Essential Companion (Hardcover)

Everything I've tried from this book so far has been unbelievably delicious. The citrus roasted lobster and citrus lobster salad are a home run. I wasn't too sure about the marinade ingredients (combining citrus juices with fish sauce and mint leaves?) but I recalled that the kitchen testers from Gourmet Mag. said everything was amazing, so I gave it a try and I'm glad I did.

As far as the indexing to recipes on others pages mentioned by a previous reviewer, I wasn't crazy about that, either. However, the end result more than compensates. Regarding the quantities, my husband came up with a perfect solution for the marinade: He decided to use the citrus marinade and make roasted shrimp, but he also chose to cook the marinade and then save it in the fridge. Then we decided to experiment and try some tilapia in the cooked marinade, grilling it afterward. It was the best tilapia I've ever had. I'm very glad to have this cookbook. Be aware that some of the recipes do make a lot of food, so you may want to try a half recipe or something, especially if you're cooking for two.