Pollock

Pollock (Pollachius pollachius) fish is about one meter long, can weigh up to ten kilograms, and is very similar to cod. It is native to the Gulf of Vizcaya, and the northern and eastern parts of the Atlantic Ocean.

Its white meat is rich in iodine, and has a rich calcium and protein content. It’s perfect for low-calorie diets since its lipid content doesn’t pass even one percent.

Its similarity to cod (Gadus Morhua) makes it very easy to find in local stores in similar sizes, shapes, and packaging, but it is less expensive.

Ways of preparation and cooking are exactly the same between cod and Pollock, but the meat of the Pollock is slightly less juicy.

In comparison, Pollock has fewer calories, less fat, more sodium, less calcium, good protein content and vitamin B3 (important for growth and nerve health in DNA, tissue restoration, etc) is similar, while cod has a much lower cholesterol content.

Keeping this information in mind, we can say that Pollock is a quality fish, of relatively low cost, light and adaptable to any cooking style. Steamed with vegetables, stewed with shellfish ragut, with ajoarriero sauce, in green salsa, with tomato, or simply battered.

Puff pastry empanadas we’ll leave for the next post. We’ll make a puff pastry from scratch that won’t give us any trouble to make over and over again.  Today we’ll focus on the empanadas made out of bread dough, much more versatile, easy, low-cost (depending on the filling), and hardy.

We know that empanadas are a sort of fast- food, but let’s pinpoint the meaning and origin of this healthy and delicious way to eat anywhere in the world.  They are perfect for any occasion or time, and servable cold or hot, formally or informally…and with the right technique and materials, they’re always a healthy solution.

An empanada is puff pastry dough, shortbread pastry, or bread dough stuffed with a salty or sweet filling. Meat, fish, fruit, vegetables, this is where empanadas really create a culinary world of their own. There are variations in almost every kitchen and every Hispanic country or country with Latin origin, like the Greek pita or the Italian panzerotti.

Here I’ll orient the post towards the when and why. The how is important, but at its core it’s just following a recipe that allows for little variation and is very simple. Let’s focus on the ‘when’ of the empanada. When do we prepare an empanada? And, why do we prepare an empanada?

If we use our imagination and make a few preparations we can serve empanadas at any occasion. The results will be surprising, and your guests may remember them, and the occasion, for life.  Why serve empanadas even when the situation doesn’t call for it? Because that’s the best way to surprise. If you do it well, success is guaranteed at any occasion.

We’re going to combine different fillings with different dough. Which we use will depend largely on the number of guests and the ingredients we have at the momento

Empanada de bacalao encebollado con frutos secos con masa de pipas

Empanada de atún con masa de pimentón

Empanada de lagarto ibérico con frutos secos con masa de jamón.

Empanada ratatoille con masa de albahaca

Empanada de mejillones con masa de albahaca

Empanada de bacalao con higos

Flauta de bacalao dorado

Empanadillas de cabello de ángel y crema

All cuts should be clean and just that, cuts. Crushing the food will extract the juice and change the texture and overall appearance of the dish.

For this reason it is imperative to have the proper equipment: table, knife, and good light. Each type of ingredient has a knife specifically designed for the perfect cut.

Another thing to keep in mind is technique. This requires a good instructor and lots of practice.

First let’s focus on cutting styles for vegetables (potatoes, etc.). In many cases these cuts are also useful for other types of ingredients.

Allumette: This julienne-style cut creates very thin strip slices. Perfect for Golden Cod or garnishes, etc.

Chips: Finely cut slices.

Souflé: Although more popular in the past, it’s still wonderful to see this garnish, usually with roasted dishes. Cube the peeled potatoes, sweat or poach on low heat and later finish in hot oil at about 180 C.

Tourné: More than a cut, this gives shape to the vegetable.

Batonnet: A meticulous cut that creates sticks of uniform size.

Baton: A rougher and thicker cut than the Batonnet.

Spanish Cut: Thick potato slices, roughly 1 cm in width.

Cubed: This cut is used in potato dishes accompanied by a sauce: mayonnaise, garlic mayonnaise, brava sauce, etc.

Pont-neuf: The thickest and most common Spanish cut. Ideal for garnishes, in long, rectangular sticks.

Ruffle/Waffle: It is important to have a good grater available. This combines two cuts, after each turning the potato 90 degrees, after each forming a ruffle.

Noisette: Balls made with the help of a special spoon called a “baller” (also called a “melon-baller”). Very useful for potatoes and some fruits, like melon.

Wedge: A crude cut usually ending in the breaking of the potatoes during cooking, ideal for soups and stews.

Baker’s Cut: Thick slices intended for slow cooking or baked recipes.

Vichy: The ideal cut for longer vegetables like carrots, creating thicker and round slices.

Other popular cutting styles in the kitchen include:

Mirepoix: An irregular cut that doesn’t go for appearance, used in sauces, soups, etc.

Julienne: Creates long, very fine slices.

Brunoise: A fine dice-cut, small and uniform cubes, intended for stir-fry, soups, and garnishes.

Concasé: The same cut as the Brunoise, but specifically for peeled tomatoes.

Jardiniere: Cut into thicker strips or sticks.

Macedoine: This is a diced cube, larger than the Brunoise cut.

Chop: A finer and more irregular cut than the Brunoise. Usually intended for herbs.