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Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Wine Poached Swai Fillets with Pasta

Tonight we decided to take Swai Fillets to a more sophisticated level.  If you are not familiar with Swai, it is a type of catfish with a mild flavor and is a great bargain at just $3 - $4 per pound.

To start this dish, we quickly seared the fish for just a few minutes in olive oil, butter and garlic, then finished the cooking process by poaching the fish in white wine with a little lemon juice.  Poaching is a great way to infuse lots of flavor into the fish.

I removed the fish from the pan long enough for the sauce to reduce, then added a few spoons of cream cheese to create a slightly thickened garlic, wine and cream sauce.  Yum!  I added the pasta to the sauce then added the fish back to the pot, just long enough to bring the temperature back up.  The pasta will also help thicken the sauce and all of those flavors with blend together.

The fish was light and flaky, and you could taste the distinctive flavors of the wine, lemon and even the thyme. Adding a sprinkle of Parmesan-Romano cheese added a finishing touch of flavor to this dish.  Even better, start to finish, the dish was ready to serve in about 30 minutes.  Enjoy!!

2 TB  Olive Oil
2 TB  Butter
1 TB  Minced Garlic
1 tsp  Dried Thyme
1 8-oz Bottle Clam Juice
3/4 cup  White Wine
1 tsp  Salt
1/2 tsp  Ground Black Pepper
1 lb  Dry Penne Rigate Pasta **
4 -5  Swai Fish Fillets, cut into 3-inch pieces
2 - 3 TB  Cream Cheese
Grated Parmesan-Romano Cheese for Garnish

In a large pot, add 2 quarts of water and add 2 teaspoons of salt to the water.  Bring water to a boil and cook pasta just until al dente.

In a large skillet, heat olive oil, butter and garlic, stirring until the garlic begins to brown slightly.  Add the fish to the skillet and quickly sear one side of the fish until the edges are opaque.

Add the thyme, clam juice, white wine, salt and pepper and bring mixture to a low boil, gently stirring the fish, then turn the fillets over.

Cook the fish 2 minutes longer, then use a slotted spoon to remove the fish to a platter.  Cover and keep warm.

Turn the heat to medium-high and bring sauce to a boil, continuing to boil until the sauce is reduced by half.  Add cream cheese 1 tablespoon at a time, until the sauce has thickened slightly.  Add the pasta to the skillet, stir to combine and allow the cream cheese to fully melt.

Add the fish back to the skillet and stir gently, spooning the sauce over the fish.  Cook over low heat 3-4 minutes, just until the fish is heated through and serve with a sprinkle of Parmesan-Romano cheese. Serves 6.

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