I’m From Chicago…

I didn’t move to California to let a little weather intimidate me; yea it’s wet, damp and dark so what I’m grilling! Growing up in Chicago we would grill in any kind of weather including snow and sub zero; I had to remember my roots. So I decided to grill the chicken that I seasoned up earlier today to save myself (or my kitchen hand) the job of cleaning the roasting pan afterwards; what a good idea. The chicken was moist and juicy with a little taste of summer; oh the good life!

Feeling Fishy

It has been a rainy dark and dreary couple of weeks here in San Francisco; leaving me feeling rather fishy! Last Thursday I had a meeting on the peninsula so I stopped at Cooks and picked up a nice red snapper. Because it is dark, wet and dreary I wanted to prepare something that was warm and comforting, something that would warm the cockles of my heart. I prepared a very simple fish stew that I have prepare time and again sautéing garlic, onions, celery and green peppers in olive oil. Adding to the sauté one can crushed tomatoes and a cup of sweet vermouth; when this mixture is fully heated I add the skinned and boned snapper to the pan, put the lid on and cook for 5 minutes before turning the fire off. After simmering in the steamed tomato broth I uncover and serve over rice or pasta; this is a tried and true recipe that never has fail me!
Between last Thursday and last night I have prepared steak with chanterelle mushroom sauce and a roasted chicken so now it’s time for fish again. Don’t’ get me wrong, I love fish but it can get boring if it is not that way I like it which is usually in a raw or semi raw variety. Just recently an old friend said “you don’t eat much fish do you? I never see you order fish when we are out”; well she is right and wrong. I probably eat as much if not more fish than the average person but I don’t order fish when I am dinning out from anywhere. You got to really know how to handle fish before I order it out on a menu; there is nothing worse than over cooked fish or over cooked fished hiding under some sort of sauce!
My husband loves salmon, I like it too and it is really good for you. Salmon is rather pedestrian and can be really boring. I picked up some salmon from my fish monger bound and determined to find an interesting preparation, I did a little research and decided on a Panko-Crusted Salmon for dinner and man oh man did I make the right decision!
This recipe was wonderful; the fish was so moist, interesting, and complex. I served the fish with roasted green beans with pancetta and roasted sweet potato wedges drizzled with a little orange olive oil and salt. Try this recipe; it’s so easy and oh so good!
Panko-crusted Salmon
Panko is a Japanese type of bread crumb that is especially light and crunchy, popular these days with chefs because it doesn't get soggy. What I love about this way of preparing salmon is that the panko topping seems to hold in the salmon's moisture while roasting, so the salmon doesn't get dried out at all. The salmon is perfectly moist, flakey, and seasoned.
Panko-crusted Salmon Recipe
Ingredients
4 teaspoons olive oil
4 pieces thickly cut, boneless salmon (each 6 oz)
Salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbsp honey mustard or sweet-hot mustard
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
2/3 cup panko bread crumbs
2 Tbsp chopped Italian parsley
1 minced garlic clove
1/2 teaspoon Hungarian sweet paprika
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (convection or regular). Set the salmon on a foil-lined baking sheet skin side down. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
2. In a small bowl, combine the honey mustard and 1 teaspoon of the thyme. In another small bowl, mix the panko with the remaining 1 teaspoon of thyme, 4 teaspoons of olive oil, parsley, and paprika. Add salt and pepper (a light sprinkle).
3. Using a small spoon, spread the mustard mixture on the salmon; top with the bread crumb mixture.
4. Roast the salmon for 12-14 minutes (10 minutes was good for me, I like my salmon a little rare in the center) or until it is almost completely firm to the touch and flakes when poked with a fork. Serve at once; Serves 4.
Use your judgment, creativity and taste when preparing this dish and know your oven. The recipe calls for a 400 F oven; my oven does not run as hot so when something calls for 400 degrees I use 425.
Happy Cooking!

New Years Eve Gravlax

For the past ten years we have rung in the New Year with close friends in different locations from coast to coast. Our friends live in Chicago and for the past 3 or 4 years they have sought warm climates to escape Chicago’s brutal winter, this year it is Palm Springs.

My husband and I decided to break out of our mold and drive to Palm Springs rather than hop on a flight like we would normally do; we are not road warriors. So December 31, New Years Eve early in the morning we packed up the car and took to the road. Our hostess loves salmon so I decided I would try my hand at making Gravlax to bring along as a hostess gift and for New Years Eve treat.

Gravlax is basically cured salmon; there is nothing better than a thin slice of bread or a nice cracker spread with a little cream cheese topped with a thin slice of salmon and a glass of champagne. Most people whether they know it or not have had Gravlax. I made the Gravlax and it was simply fantastic! The recipe is below; because I am unable to follow a recipe to the letter I added the zest of an orange and it really added to the flavor.

Gravlax
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
1 (3- to 4-pound) salmon, weighed after cleaning and beheading, skin on
3 Tablespoons salt
2 Tablespoons sugar (I used brown sugar)
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 good-size bunch dill, roughly chopped, stems and all
1 Tablespoon spirits: brandy, gin, aquavit, lemon vodka, etc. (I used gin because we didn’t have any vodka, next time I will use vodka because it is more likely that we will have vodka in the house.)

Preparation:
Fillet the salmon or have the fishmonger fillet it for you; the fish need not be scaled.

Lay both halves, skin side down, on a plate. Sprinkle with the salt, sugar, and pepper, spread the dill over them, and splash on the spirits. Sandwich the fillets together, tail to tail, then wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Cover the sandwich with another plate and something that weighs about a pound -- an unopened can of coffee or beans, for example (I used a cast iron pot). Refrigerate.

Open the package every 12 to 24 hours and baste, inside and out, with the accumulated juices. On the second or third day, when the flesh has lost its translucence, slice thinly as you would smoke salmon -- on the bias and without the skin -- and serve with rye bread or pumpernickel, and lemon wedges.

For many years I have wanted to make Gravlax and I finally did before the end of the year and the decade. What a wonderful way to end 2009 and to welcome 2010.

Wishing you all good health, good eats and a prosperous New Year!