Like Butter...

Buttermilk!

Have you used Buttermilk to cook?  Traditionally – you may know Buttermilk to be a comforting ingredient in some of our country’s most famous and infamous calorific foods.  But please – some good old Southern skillet-fried chicken, indulging pancakes dripping with maple syrup, or a flaky, buttery biscuit…who can resist that?  Consequently, who can resist associating buttermilk with decadent chow?  

What the heck is BUTTERMILK anyway?!?...buttermilk isn’t quite the dangerous temptress as you may perceive.  In fact,  there is NOT a lick, stick or nick of butter in any buttermilk.  

One cup of Organic Valley Cultured Lowfat Buttermilk has just 2.5 grams of fat and low cholesterol – virtually the same calorie and fat content as regular 1% milk.

But it’s thickness and tang can make it a great way to add flavor and combine other dry ingredients – like breadcrumbs and herbs – to chicken, pork or fish cutlets.  Seafood can be very intimidating to some folks.  Personally – it took me a long time to embrace aquatic cuisine.  I think for many kids – it’s quite normal to be fish averse.  

1950's Lent: Fiery Pits of Hell

Even more so with an Irish Catholic mother who grew up during the days when you could not eat meat at all during Lent or risk burning forever in a fiery pit of Hell for licking a piece of bacon.  I’m sure that had quite a psychological impact on her.  Needless to say – we didn’t see much seafood unless it was the Filet O’ or Whaler variety. 

But my tastes have evolved as have my willingness to be more adventurous with seafood.  I still do not lean towards the real oily, strong fish like trout or catfish.  But a nice mild flounder or tilapia is just what the old arteries need to mix up the menu.  You can give frozen fish a shot but be careful not to buy some over-seasoned or over-breaded fish stick fish.  Been there.  Soggy city.  It will put you off for seafood for awhile and you will probably pay a good dime for it.  Take a trip to Whole Paycheck aka Whole Foods.  Flounder or tilapia is usually $9.99 a pound.  You could easily feed a family of four on a pound of flounder.  Whole Foods has some pretty strict requirements about where they catch their fish, how it's transported and what it's been fed.  It won't be bleached, caught with a dolphin baby or two, or fed hog shit. Plus the folks behind the counter have actually been trained.  Pick up some other ingredients while you are there...and make this:

Flounder with a Red Dress On 

Toss some panko bread crumbs in bowl.  Then - mix in some cayenne pepper (a few shakes) and some fresh ground pepper.

Pour about a cup of buttermilk into another bowl. Add a bunch of mad dashes of Frank's Red Hot or your favorite hot sauce.  Go heavy.  No one's looking.

Take out the 2 to 4 flounder filets that you bought that day and rinse them off. Swaddle them in some dry paper towels and pat them dry.

Heat some extra virgin olive oil up in a cast iron skillet or sauté pan.  Get it shimmering.  Turn the oven on 350.  

Take your flounder filets and drown them in the buttermilk/hot sauce.  Really dunk 'em like they murdered your best friend.  

Shake 'em off.  And dredge them through the crumb mixture. 

Gently lay the filets down into the skillet or pan.  Sauté for about two minutes.  Gently flip over the filets. Turn off the stove and toss the skillet or oven safe pan into the oven for about 12 minutes.  

While you are waiting - I suggest a little green salad.  Arugula, spinach, field green mixture.  Take a lemon or two limes.  Cut the lemon in half.  Cut open both limes.  Squeeze half a lemon or one lime on the greens.  Toss with a bit of olive oil.  Crack some fresh pepper, some salt.  Done.

When the time is right, pull you pan from the oven and lay down just over one side of the greens.  Squeeze the other half of lemon or the lime over the flounder.  If you are feeling a little wild...toss a few more shakes of fire (Frank's Red Hot) on them, break some bread and then go to town.  

Now if you are seasick...you can substitute a thin chicken filet or a thin pork chop for the flounder.  Regardless of your protein - it's an easy, good meal.