COD FILETS WITH MUSTARD-TARRAGON CRUST

Posted in Seafood by sallybr

My favorite fish is Chilean Sea Bass, but it’s not at all easy to find. If you are fortunate enough to live in a place that carries this delicacy, use it in this recipe. If you face the same fishy situation we do (sorry, could not resist the pun) cod, or any firm-fleshed white fish will work well here. Including the prep work, this delicious main dish will be ready in 20 minutes tops. My kind of weeknight meal. And, since we are on the subject, here is a link to an article listing the 5 seafood items you should never eat, that I first saw over at Chucrute com Salsicha (thanks, Fer!). Keep that in mind when you go shopping.

COD FILETS WITH MUSTARD-TARRAGON CRUMB CRUST
(from Cooking New American, Martha Holmberg)

1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs
2 Tbs chopped fresh tarragon
2 tsp grated lemon zest
1 Tbs melted butter
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 cod fillets (about 1 inch thick)
1 tsp Dijon mustard

Heat the oven to 450°F.

Mix the crumbs, tarragon, lemon zest, melted butter, and a little salt and pepper in a small bowl.

Spread each fillet with 1/4 teaspoon mustard and season with salt and pepper. Carefully pat the crumb topping over the surface of each fillet, pressing lightly so it sticks.

Brush a little oil onto a small baking sheet or shallow baking pan and set the fillets on the oiled spot (or cover the pan with parchment paper). Bake the fish in the hot oven until the topping is golden brown and crisp and the fish is tender (10 to 15 minutes). If the topping seems to be getting too dark before the fish is cooked, turn the heat down to 375°F.

Serve immediately, and… ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: For this recipe, you must use fresh tarragon, the dried version would not deliver the same flavor. We were amazed to find out that our tarragon plant had survived our absence during the last year in Los Angeles, when it was completely ignored outside, enduring a very harsh winter. Maybe it is added proof of our lousy gardening skills: the less we mess with a plant, the better it thrives. Something to consider for next year…

This recipe is a keeper. Other herbs and spices can take it in slightly different directions, so have fun with it, using panko crumbs and melted butter as your white canvas. I imagine olive oil would work just as well, and intend to use it next time in place of butter. The fish is protected by the crumbs from the high heat in the oven, ending up moist and tender. The crumb crust is so delicious I had to resist peeling it off the second piece, leaving the fish naked for my lunch next day. 😉

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6Oct2011

THIRD TIME IS A CHARM

Posted in Seafood by sallybr

I’ve made this recipe three times in the past 9 months, with the firm intention of blogging about it. The photos never did it justice, and even though I’m still not satisfied with the way the pictures turned out, I must go ahead with the post: this recipe is too good to keep secret! 😉

Cooking scallops can be intimidating, they are expensive and easy to mess up. A few seconds longer in the pan, and their delicate texture is ruined. Dorie Greenspan, in her book “Around my French Table,” offers a great take on scallops, with a sauce that was born to embrace them.

SCALLOPS IN ORANGE-CARAMEL SAUCE
(from Dorie Greenspan)

2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/3 cup orange juice
1 lb sea scallops
2 teaspoons olive oil
salt and freshly ground white pepper
1 tablespoon cold butter, cut into 3 pieces

First, make the sauce. Mix the orange juice and white wine in a small bowl and reserve. Sprinkle the sugar into a small saucepan (see my comments on the type of pan I like to use for this). Place the pan over medium-high heat and warm the sugar until it starts to melt and color. As soon as you see the caramel in the pan turning brown, begin to gently swirl the pan. About 3 minutes into the cooking time, when the sugar is deep caramel in color, stand back and add the orange/wine mixture. It will bubble and spatter, just keep stirring with a wooden spoon, and boil until the sauce is reduced by half — you should have about 1/3 cup. Pull the pan from the heat and set it aside. If not using the sauce immediately, you can keep it for a couple of days in the fridge.

Pat the scallops dry between two paper towels. Put the saucepan with the caramel sauce over very low heat so that it can warm while you cook the scallops.

Put a heavy-bottomed skillet over high heat. When the pan is hot, pour in 1 tsp olive oil and swirl to coat the bottom. Add the scallops, season them with salt and pepper, add a little more oil if needed, and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes, or until the scallops are firm on the outside and just barely opaque in the center. Transfer the scallops to a serving platter.

Check that the caramel sauce is hot, remove the pan from the heat and toss in the butter, bit by bit, swirling the pan until the butter is melted and the sauce is glistening. Season the sauce with salt and pepper, then drizzle some over the scallops, serving additional sauce at the table.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

To make the sauce, my favorite pan is this cute little red skillet from Bialetti. I bought it when we were in Los Angeles because our electric cooking stovetop was so tiny, I had no pan that would fit nicely on it. Since the pan is white, it’s very easy to see the caramel color, no need to guess or transfer a small amount to a white plate.

I strongly advise you to make a double batch of the sauce, I never seem to have enough, it’s so delicious! It would go well on shrimp, and even chicken breasts or pork tenderloin. Slightly sweet, slightly sour, feels complex even though it is made with only a few ingredients.

These scallops are elegant enough to serve for company, although depending on the number of guests I would offer it as a small first course. Everything happens pretty quickly with this recipe, I don’t quite picture myself handling too many for a main dish for more than 2 couples. I know my limitations! 😉

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24Sep2011

OVEN-BROILED SALMON OVER SAUCY SPINACH

Posted in Seafood by sallybr

A lightning-fast dinner to prepare, your best friend on a busy weeknight! At first, I wanted to call it “Healthy Salmon Dinner” or something along those lines, but I am a bit tired of the constant labeling of recipes as “healthy” or “good for you.” Anything can be good for you if approached the right way. A slice of apple pie? No problem. A slice of apple pie with two scoops of vanilla ice cream drenched in caramel sauce, after a dinner of fried chicken with biscuits and gravy? Well, not your best option, but if you do it only once in a blue moon, even that is not a crime! Eat sensibly and enjoy your food… 😉

For this dish, I combined two different recipes, one from Fine Cooking, another from Food and Wine. As you may have noticed, I cook often from both publications, love them! Joining salmon, spinach, kalamatas, and raisins might seem like a stretch, but we were both swooning over our plates. Since a little starch never hurt anyone, I made some orzo perfumed with lemon zest as a side dish. Awesome dinner!

FIVE-SPICE GLAZED SALMON WITH WILTED SPINACH
(adapted from Fine Cooking & Food and Wine magazines)

4 salmon filets, skin on
1/4 cup honey
4 tsp soy sauce
1 + 1/2 tsp Chinese five spice powder
3 bunches of spinach (16 to 18 oz)
1 shallot, diced
1/3 cup Kalamata olives, halved or diced
1/4 cup golden raisins
squeeze of lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

Combine the honey, soy, and five-spice powder in a small bowl, mixing it all well. Put the pieces of salmon, skin side down, on a plate or baking dish just large enough to hold them side by side. Pour the honey mixture over the salmon, flip them over, so that the skin is now up. Let them sit in this honey glaze for 15 minutes as you prepare the rest of the ingredients. Meanwhile, turn your oven broiler on.

Place a colander over a bowl or plate near your stove top. Pour a little water on a large non-stick skillet set on medium-high heat. When the water is very hot, add half of the spinach leaves, and move them around quickly using tongs until they start to wilt. Transfer them to the colander, and wilt the rest of the spinach leaves the same way. Add them to the colander, and wipe the skillet dry.

Start broiling the salmon. Place the pieces skin side down on a baking dish lined with foil and slightly coated with a spray of olive oil to prevent sticking. Brush the top of the salmon with a little of the honey glaze, saving the rest in a small bowl. Total broiling time will be 5 to 6 minutes, depending on how thick your filets are, and how you like them cooked.

Heat 2 Tbs olive oil in the skillet, when the oil is very hot add the shallots and cook for a couple of minutes. Add the kalamata olives, the raisins, stir them all together for a minute or so. Add the spinach, toss around to warm up, squeeze a little lemon juice all over, and season with salt and pepper. Remove the spinach mixture to a serving platter, add another squeeze of lemon juice to the honey glaze in the small bowl, add to the skillet over medium heat, until it bubbles and heats through. Place the broiled salmon over the bed of spinach, drizzle with the honey marinade, and serve.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: You know those bags of baby spinach that sell in the grocery store for 4 bucks (or more), and you must cook at least two bags to feed you and your partner? You don’t need those. 😉 Recently, a remark by Rachael Ray in one of her shows perked my interest. She said that those humble looking spinach bundles, tied together with a nasty metal string, will work nicely in many preparations.

I got three of those – each for $1.30 – and was very pleased by how they wilted but kept some structure and a more intense taste than their organic baby cousins. Simply use a large knife and cut them above the string very close to the leaves, to get rid of all the stem part (compost those, if you can). Drop the leaves in a large bowl (or sink) full of water, swirl them around a few times, and dry in a salad spinner. They are ready to use.

The salmon – my first time oven-broiling it, by the way – cooked to perfection, the honey in the marinade giving it that irresistible copper tone, and the spinach combined with the olives and raisins, raised the bar of this meal quite a bit. If you are watching your carbs intake, you can always omit the orzo.

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31Jul2011

SALMON TACOS

Posted in Seafood by sallybr

I’ve always twisted my nose at seafood tacos, considering them an abnormality of the gastronomic world. But, life has its own way of teaching important lessons and during our stay in Los Angeles, we sampled some fish tacos that made me reconsider my opinions. What can I say? I loved them, as well as the particularly incredible array of tasty salsas that place has to offer.

Since we came back, I wanted to make some type of fish tacos at home, and this recipe that I adapted from Food and Wine magazine was a perfect starting point.
CHIPOTLE-RUBBED SALMON TACOS
(adapted from Food and Wine)

2 tablespoons yogurt
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons chipotle chile powder
2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest
2 teaspoons sugar
1 pound skinless wild Alaskan salmon fillet, cut into 4 pieces
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
8 corn tortillas
Salt
1 Hass avocado, mashed with a squeeze of lime juice
salt and pepper
1 cup finelly shredded cabbage

for salsa:
1 Granny Smith apple, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1/2 English cucumber, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 ripe tomato, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1/2 small red bell pepper, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1/2 small red onion, finely diced (optional)
1 + 1/2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 + ½ teaspoons sugar
salt to taste

Prepare the salsa by mixing in a bowl the apple, cucumber, tomato, bell pepper, and onion (if using). Add the vinegar and sugar, season with salt, and reserve. It can be prepared hours in advance to intensify the flavors.

In a small bowl, mix the yogurt with the lime juice, season with salt and pepper and reserve. In another small bowl, combine the chipotle powder with the orange zest and sugar. Rub each piece of salmon with 1 teaspoon of the olive oil and then with the chipotle–orange zest mixture. Let stand for 5 minutes.

Heat the tortillas either in a low oven, wrapped in foil, or on top of a flame (my method of choice), until they are softened and heated through.

Meanwhile, heat a grill pan. Season the salmon with salt and grill over high heat until nicely browned and just cooked through, about 3 minutes per side.
Gently break each piece of salmon in half. Spread the mashed avocado on the warm tortillas and top with the salmon, Apple-Cucumber Salsa and the cabbage. Drizzle each taco with the lime yogurt and serve right away.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: This simple recipe is like a symphony of flavors – the salsa has it all: spicy, hot, sweet, the green apple is the key ingredient. As to the cabbage, I’ve got a tip for you. If you love it in its raw state but the crunch factor seems a bit excessive, put the shredded/julienned cabbage in a small bowl, add very hot or boiling water to cover, count to 5 seconds and quickly drain it, rinsing it with plenty of cold water. This simple step softens it just enough, but won’t cook it. Perfect texture to top your tacos.

This type of meal is a favorite of ours: all the ingredients spread on the kitchen island, and we can enjoy them whichever way we like, very relaxed, very Summerish!
I sometimes go for a tortilla-less version, lighter but just as flavorful….

….but it’s nice to go for the full treatment with a bit of rice to round the meal

Whatever your preference, this meal is a winner! If you are not sold on the idea of a fish taco, please, try this one, you will be very pleasantly surprised.

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21May2011

SLOW-BAKED SALMON

Posted in Seafood by sallybr

Let’s suppose that you find the flavor of salmon a bit strong, as I used to feel about anchovies and related items of a fishy persuasion. This recipe might just change your mind and begin a new gastronomic love affair. With salmon, slow-baking until the meat is barely cooked gives the fish an almost mousse-like consistency, and flavor as mild as “salmon-ly” possible. Plus, the lemon zest and thyme seasoning add a delicious counterpoint! From the latest issue of Bon Appetit, this one goes into my favorites folder.

SLOW-BAKED SALMON WITH LEMON AND THYME
(adapted from Bon Appetit, May 2011)

1 + 1/2 Tbs olive oil, divided
4 salmon filets or 1 large piece, skin on
2 Tbs fresh thyme leaves, chopped
zest of 1 large lemon + juice
salt and pepper

Heat the oven to 275 F. Line a baking dish with aluminum foil, coat it lightly with 1/2 Tbs of olive oil, and place the salmon filet over it, skin side down.

In a small bowl, mix the remaining tablespoon of olive oil with the thyme and lemon zest. Rub this mixture all over the salmon, season with salt and pepper and squeeze a little lemon juice over it. Let it rest for 10-15 minutes, then place it in the oven for 18-20 minutes, until the fish is just cooked.

Serve with lemon wedges, and…

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: We eat salmon on a weekly basis, but almost always grilled. Phil, the expert, makes it exactly the way I love, with the center still moist, never over-cooked. The high heat of the grill, however, doesn’t mellow the salmon character at all, quite the contrary. We both love it, but it’s nice to have a change of pace.

This method can be adapted to all sorts of seasonings. In fact, when we move back home next month I’ll grab my Jacques Pepin‘s “Fast Food My Way“, and re-visit one of my favorite recipes in that book, a salmon filet cooked at an even lower temperature, for about 40 minutes. If I remember correctly, he coats the filet with breadcrumbs and ground hazelnuts. It is outstanding, like so many of Pepin’s recipes.

Stay tuned! 😉

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