There are those occasions where you have to do with what’s in the fridge. So it happened that I had some leftover sour cream, and needed to utilize it before the thing expired. Same  for some fish fillets that we had purchased.

Now, the most common and quickest way to combine these ingredients, is to bake the fillets topped with sour cream. But I decided to try something different. Rather than having to use the oven, since it is summer, I decided on steaming the fish. And then serve it with the sour cream packed with fresh herbs. Summertime is when fresh herbs abound in the market. This made it a no-brainer  The herbs I used were scallions, chives, dill, parsley and basil. But you can use whatever fresh herbs are available in your grocer. By the way, if you don’t have or don’t like sour cream, then mayonnaise, that old reliable, can be substituted. If you’re health conscious, you can use yogurt (plain not flavored).

The fish can be served hot or, as I prefer, room temperature. I turn off the heat and let the fillets stand  in the cooking broth while preparing the sour cream with herbs. Then I drain the fish and serve it lukewarm. It goes better with the summer weather. And it goes without saying, any firm-fleshed white fillets go with this dish. I used haddock fillets; but turbot, cod, pollack, tilapia, bass, snapper, or even sole can be used.

FISH FILLETS WITH SOUR CREAM AND HERBS

Ingredients:

For Fish Fillets:

2 pounds skinless, boneless fish fillets
8 whole black peppercorns
1 bay leaf
1 small onion, peeled and cut into thin rings
¼ cup white vinegar
½ teaspoon dried thyme
6 sprigs fresh parsley

For Sour Cream with Herbs:

1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon mustard (preferably imported)
Juice of half a lemon
2 tablespoons finely chopped scallions
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil

Instructions:

  1. Place fillets in a layer in a skillet or pan. Add water to cover, peppercorns, bay leaf, onion, vinegar, thyme and parsley. Cover, bring to  a boil, and let simmer 5 minutes.
  2.  Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine all the ingredients for the herb sour cream. Blend well with a fork or hand beater.
  3.  Drain fish, place in a serving dish and serve with the herb sour cream.
    Yield: 4 servings.