A cooking triumph

 

salmon en croute

Since I recently confessed to one or more cooking failures, I want to share a triumph with you this week. It involves one of my favorite foods and a culinary technique that has intrigued but intimidated me for a while. Last weekend, I made salmon en croute. I’ve always wanted to try Beef Wellington, but I think that was more fascination with technique. I like salmon better than beef. For some time now I’ve collected recipes for salmon in a crust, ranging from complicated to the writer who said she just winged it and used common sense. I aimed for somewhere in the middle

I always have puff pastry sheets in the freezer, probably in the hope I’ll make spanakopita, so that was no problem. Next came a layer of sauteed mushrooms, with onion and garlic. Then the salmon: Colin and I recently split a case of canned line-caught, wild King salmon direct from Alaska. I’ve been buying tuna by the case from a small, independent fishing couple in Oregon for years. Their salmon supply dried up—if I understand it correctly, the situation is due to corporate control of fishing grounds and the fact that most salmon nowadays is farm raised.

One caution I’ve read too often from fishmongers is that farmed fish, salmon but more especially tilapia, can easily be contaminated. My tuna lady recommended a company called Alaska Gold. It’s expensive, but Colin and I thought it was worth it. So, after the long story, here’s the short version: I substituted canned salmon for the fresh filet the recipe called for. I don’t think it would be as good with commercial brands. The salmon I used is cooked once rather than the usual twice, with no additives or preservatives except salt.

Back to the salmon en croute: after the salmon came a layer of spinach. The recipe did not call for goat cheese, but I had some spreadable, and I spooned dollops on top of the spinach. Then came the top layer of pastry and an egg wash. It looked lovely and tasted wonderful. Here’s what I did.

For the mushroom layer:

1 Tbsp. olive oil

½ medium onion, chopped

1 cup fresh mushrooms, chopped

1 tsp. minced garlic.

Sauté onion until translucent; add mushrooms and garlic and cook, stirring, until the mushrooms are soft. Season with salt and pepper and reserve in a small bowl.

For the spinach layer:

Sauté garlic quickly, being sure not to let it burn; Add spinach by handfuls, as it cooks down, and stir until all is wilted. Season with salt and pepper.

Assembly:

2 sheets puff pastry

Salmon

Goat cheese

1 egg

           Coat a work surface with flour and lay out one sheet of pastry. Spread mushroom mixture over it, stopping ½ inch from the edges all the way around.

Center salmon on mushroom mixture. I halved the recipe and used one 7 oz. can salmon in chunks. These directions are for the full recipe, and you’d need two cans or one 14 oz filet (skinned) or two 7 oz. filets might actually work better. Evenly distribute spinach over the salmon and then top with dollops or slices of goat cheese. Place remaining sheet of pastry over and press to seal the edges.

Brush the top pastry with beaten egg and transfer the whole thing to a baking sheet. This is easier said than done. I’d advise two big spatulas and, if possible, an extra set of hands. Bake at 350^o until crust is golden brown. Let it cool slightly before cutting.

You can serve this with a dill sauce of lemon, mayonnaise, and a touch of mustard, but I thought it was just fine without the sauce. Should serve four nicely. Half the recipe served two generously with a slice left for lunch the next day. It is, however, not nearly as good the next day. The pastry gets a bit tough.

Putting salmon on the menu

 

Teriyaki salmon with the mashed potatoes
Jordan made out of sympathy for my root canal

When I was feeding four teen-agers, I never cooked fish. It was an inheritance from my mother, who loved fish and seafood but thought they were what you ate in restaurants. An excellent cook, she had no confidence in her ability to cook fish. From what I remember about one or two meals of poached halibut, she was right. She would drag Dad into seafood restaurants, particularly in Boston, where she was ecstatic and he, a stubborn Anglophile, ordered roast beef.

Over the years I have gradually introduced fish to the family menu. When Jordan and I lived alone, we ate salmon frequently. When Christian came along, he made it plain he did not eat salmon—until the night we fixed something else for him while we dined on salmon in anchovy butter sauce (a New York Times recipe). He asked for one bite, and he was hooked. At first my efforts with cod were meh, but now we’ve all discovered we love cod filets with a buttery crumb topping (another NYT recipe). Jacob likes the cod but still doesn’t want the salmon.

I try to watch for Verlasso salmon on sale at Central Market. It is raised in deep water cages off the coast of Chile. Jordan and I plan menus so that when salmon is on sale, we fix it the same day we bring it home. So when she announced we needed a Central Market run Tuesday, I suggested salmon for dinner.

I have lots of salmon recipes, many untried like the one with a brown sugar/cayenne glaze that I think sounds good, but some suggest has too much sugar. We particularly like chimichurri (see the March 10 Gourmet on a Hot Plate blog), a green herbal sauce I make that is similar to chimichurri but just enough different, and that anchovy butter. But I knew I had a dental procedure Tuesday and wasn’t sure how I’d feel about cooking, so I wanted something quick and easy. It was too cold to ask Christian to grill it. So I went online. Here’s what I did:

Teriyaki salmon in the oven

1.5 lb. filet of salmon

2 Tbsp. soy sauce

1 tsp. cornstarch

2 Tbsp. dry white wine

1 Tbsp. honey

1 tsp. fresh garlic—or press a big clove

1 tsp. minced fresh garlic

The usual guide for buying salmon is a 6 oz. filet per person. I buy more than that because it makes such a good lunch the next day. I’m only cooking this for three, so a pound and a half is generous. Tuesday night’s fish was one, long beautiful filet. I wish I’d taken a picture before it was cooked.

The directions said to make the sauce while the salmon is in the oven, but in my tiny kitchen I can’t use the toaster oven and hot plate at the same time—it trips the circuit breaker. So I made the sauce first: simply blend the cornstarch into the soy and then add everything else. Cook over low heat until it thickens, which happens pretty fast.

Pre-heat the oven to 425^o, salt and pepper the fish, and bake for 12-15 minutes. I’ve learned my new Breville Pro toaster oven cooks on the hot side, so I cut it back to 420^o degrees and about 13 minutes. Absolutely perfect.

When we retrieved the sauce from the hot plate, it had really thickened—jelly-like. Jordan spread it on the fish with a table knifw, and as I expected the heat from the fish softened it enough to spread. Another time, I’ll give the sauce a minute of low heat after the fish comes out of the oven.

We garnished it with sesame seeds and chopped green onion. The latter added just the right tiny amount of crunch. It was delicious! And lunch the next day was equally good. I’ll repeat this one. And I kind of hope Jacob doesn’t change his mind—I’d miss those lunches.

 

All thing salmon

I goofed. Yesterday was supposed to be my cooking blog day, and I wrote a regular, every-day Judy’s Stew post. Mostly because I keep getting the days of the week mixed up and am chronically a day ahead of myself. So yesterday was Friday to me, and I have no idea what I did with Thursday. So please pretend today is Thursday, and let’s eat some smoked salmon. In case you haven’t noticed, I love all things salmon. Today smoked salmon is on my mind—and my taste buds. In case you haven’t noticed, I love all things salmon. Today smoked salmon is on my mind—and my taste buds.

Hot smoked

A word about smoked salmon: because I love lox, I ordered smoked salmon on my first trip to Oregon. What I got was totally different than what I expected. It was hot smoked salmon, which means it had been brined and then cooked in a smoker, probably over wood coals. It has the texture of broiled salmon but a distinctive flavor according to the brine used to prepare it.

Cold smoked salmon, however, is really raw fish. It is smoked by brining it. The texture is quite different from hot smoked salmon. I prefer cold smoked, and that’s what I used in the following recipes.

Not too many years ago, cold smoked salmon (or lox, which is salt cured) was a treat to be gotten only at the deli. Now it comes in four-ounce packages in many groceries. A butcher behind the deli counter at Central Market once told me that the packaged smoked salmon was fresher than the so-called fresh in his display counter.

Cold smoked

Last week I had a delightful visit from an old friend. We decided to eat lunch in the cottage because it would mean more visiting time. Besides, she always liked my cooking. So I prowled around and tried to decide what to serve her—something simple and easy but distinctive. No tuna or chicken salad stuffed in an avocado. I made a salmon-and-potato-salad platter, and it got raves.

Smoked salmon and potato salad platter

1 lb. new potatoes, cooked and peeled (this might be one of those rare cases where canned sliced white potatoes work best).

Salt and pepper

Juice and zest of one lemon

A splash of white wine vinegar

Olive oil

Capers, rinsed and drained

2 tsp. horseradish

¾ cup creme fraiche (substitute sour cream if you must or make your own crème fraiche: see note in Condiments section)

2 Tbsp. red onion or two scallions, chopped fine

¾ lb. smoked salmon, separated into bite size pieces

1ripe avocado, sliced

Boil potatoes until just cooked; peel and dress while still warm (if using canned, perhaps heat in microwave or toaster oven just a bit—warm potatoes absorb dressing better).

Mix all of lemon zest and half the juice, vinegar, and olive oil (remember the 3:1 proportion of oil to acid) and whisk to mix. Pour over warm potatoes.

Separately mix horseradish into crème fraiche.  Stir in remaining lemon juice. Salt and pepper to taste.

Lay out salmon pieces on plater. Spoon any dressing left over. Artfully add potatoes, mounding them in the center of the platter. Randomly arrange avocado slices.Drizzle crème fraiche dressing over all and sprinkle with chopped dill and whatever form of onion you choose. Nice served with baguette slices and a glass of white wine.

Another easy but showy dish is smoked salmon pizza. Years ago there was a restaurant that served individual pizzas, using tortillas as the crust. The topping was spinach, with tomatoes, onions, and, I think, cheese. Delicious and an idea to remember. But when I was trying to copy a picture of a smoked salmon pizza from a magazine, I remembered the tortilla trick. Great way to serve two.

Smoked salmon pizza

Two flour tortillas, lightly toasted

3 Tbsp. crěme fraiche or sour cream

3 Tbsp. chopped chives or the green parts of 2 scallions

4 oz. sliced smoked salmon

2 heaping Tbsp. black caviar

Mix the 2 Tbsp. chives and crěme fraiche and spread generously over tortillas. Top with salmon and spoon one Tbsp. caviar into the middle of each salmon tortilla. I used black caviar for color contrast, but you could use golden. I’d advise against red. A tiny jar of caviar really isn’t that expensive. Garnish with remaining chives and serve immediately.

I’m not through with salmon yet. Coming another week: salmon burgers vs. salmon croquettes.

A cooking weekend--with a recipe

Sometimes I think I could be a hermit, stay home all day to write and cook. Trouble is, of course, I'd have to have people to eat my cooking. But this weekend, I cooked to my heart's content. Last night for dinner, I had salmon marinated in maple syrup, mustard and  bit of salt. You're supposed to grill it on a cedar plan, and I'm sure that would be better but just for me I did it on the Jenn-Air grill. And got it just right--barely cooked in the middle. Got the recipe on a recent Mystery Lovers Blog so you can easily look it up.
I roasted asparagus just to have it--darn! Overdid it again, and this time I really tried to watch. I boiled corn, though Jacob has decided he doesn't like corn. Let's see--that adds to a list of recent dislikes that now includes blueberries and blackberries, which he used to love.
Today I made green pea hummus for dinner tonight. Basically a mix of store-bought plain hummus, a pkg. of frozen baby peas, olive oil, lime juice,, bay leaves, salt and cayenne. Next time I'd perk it up with a little more lime juice and a pinch more cayenne--I'm always cautious when using that. I got it from our local newspaper and no source was quote, but I bet you could find something similar on Google. It was tonight's appetizer for my gluten- and dairy-free friends, along with gluten-free rice crackers. It would be good with veggies, too.
Tonight I fixed an old-stand-by. Years ago a friend gave me a cookbook, A Jug of Wine, by Morrison Wood. Mr. Wood subsequently published another cookbook, though I forget the title and don't own it. But from friend Sally's copy I got the recipe for Wine Casserole. When I made it, it came out so much like Sloppy Joe that's what we called it. You can either eat it on a bun or out of a bowl. It was a staple on our table--cheap for a single mom to feed four kids, and they loved it.
Megan wrote me some time ago for the recipe (before my cookbook came out) and she made it. Brandon, her husband, said, "It's good, but it's not Sloppy Joe." Megan wrote caustically to say apparently she was the only child raised to think wine was an essential ingredient of Sloppy Joe. Here's the recipe (and it doesn't hurt if you change it a bit, leave something out, etc.)

Judy’s sloppy Joe

1 lb. ground beef

1 15-oz. can of beans (any kind you want), rinsed and drained
½ c. chopped onion
½ c. diced celery
2 Tbsp. bacon drippings (If you can bring yourself to use it in this health-conscious age, use vegetable oil, but the bacon flavor really makes a difference.)
1½ c. ketchup
1½ Tbsp. Worcestershire
Dash of Tabasco
1 tsp. salt
⅛ tsp. pepper
¼ tsp. oregano
¼ c. dry red wine
1 Tbsp. A-1 sauce

Cook onion in bacon drippings. Add beef and brown. Add remaining ingredients and simmer 20 to 30 minutes.

Again, a perfect dish for my gluten-free friends, and Elizabeth loves it. For four of us plus Jacob I made a double batch because leftovers are so good.

And for dessert? Old-fashioned root-beer floats (some made with dairy-free ice cream)

A meal to recall childhood.

As usual, in spite of good intentions, Ii forgot to take pictures. Sloppy Joy really isn't very photogenic anyway.