Eat Like Ralph --
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Recipe #1: Walleye Oscar 

This is a dish based on how I learned to make Veal Oscar -- one of my favorites -- the recipe for which I acquired from Joseph while working in Marina Del Rey, California.  Fresh fish is always available (even here in the heart of the Midwest) and is certainly cheaper than the veal one would normally use.  I used walleye because I had some, but tilapia or any other mild white fish works quite well.

shopping list:

• 1 6-oz fish fillet per person (at ~ $6.99/pound or $0.44/oz that's ~ $2.62 per person)
• 1 oz crab (I spent ~ $6 for some snow crab legs, giving me enough for four portions or $1.50 per person)
• 6 spears asparagus (I paid $3.99/pound and got 16 spears; it worked out to $0.71 per person)
• 1 pkg. Béarnaise sauce (~ $2 and I used 1/2 pkg; that's ~ $0.50 per person)
• 1 Box Mushroom Risotto (~ $3 or $0.75 per person & 1/2 the Risotto remained)
• Garden Salad with spinach and greens from our garden (Salad is optional, I estimate the cost at ~ $0.50 per person)
• Sautéed Onions and Peppers (Also optional and also from the garden; perhaps another $0.50 per person)
• Fresh parsley for garnish (Also from the garden - cost is next to nothing)

Approximate total cost of the meal (including optional items): ~ $7.00 per person

I know that this sounds like it is one of the more expensive meals to prepare and eat at home.  BUT, this same dish, if ordered in a restaurant, would be found on the menu for at least $24 and likely more when the "options" are included. Besides, I only use it for a special occasion.  The prep is really easy:

Pre-cook asparagus until tender.  Remove from heat, drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking so that bright green color remains; set aside.  Prepare the Béarnaise sauce and Risotto according to directions on packages.   Sauté the peppers and onions in butter until limp but still colorful; season lightly with marjoram, salt and pepper.  Meanwhile, soak the fish briefly in an egg wash, then bread the fillets in a flour/bread crumb mix.  Sauté on high heat in a bit of olive oil and butter till nicely browned on both sides (do not over-cook!).    Place fish on pre-heated plate; arrange crab and asparagus spears; drizzle on the hot Béarnaise sauce.  Finish plate with Risotto and pepper/onion mix.  You can easily add a glass of chilled Trellis Chardonnay (Trader Joe's: $4.99 per bottle), thus adding another $1 or so to the cost of the meal.  Even if you make this special-occasion dinner for a family of four, it still comes in at under $30.  Skip the crab meat (save yourself six bucks) and suddenly the meal is way affordable but still very tasty!  Make certain to look for bargains on sauces, rice additions and sales on fish at the local market to reduce costs further.  Bon Appetite!

 
Ralph Pancetta
reviews@ralphpancetta.com