Posts from the ‘cooking’ Category
in the Pacific Northwest, wild salmon are king (i.e., red chinook or coho or keta or sockeye, to name a few of the species found here). really, salmon are an incredible and tenacious breed. many species spawn in fresh water and grow and thrive at sea, returning home (often to their birthplaces) to rivers and streams to repeat the cycle. to wrinkle my nose at these amazing creatures and their significance to Native American cultures would be sacrilege.
but the truth is that i’ve never been much of a fish eater. i do eat shellfish. like the fried clams my dad and i would religiously grab at coastal New England shacks. or nice plate of scallops. or a petite Maine lobster on a special occasion. beyond that, my seafood intake has been intentionally limited by personal preference. when i moved to Washington state, i didn’t expect my habits to evolve. until the day i went out to lunch with a few new friends, who were (and, of course, enthusiastically remain) native Washingtonians.
i’m usually not one to succumb to peer pressure, but my interest was piqued as these friends touted the salmons’ nutritional value and amazing flavor. i gulped, does it taste fishy? no, not at all!, they proclaimed. while somewhat dubious, i went to the grocery store and purchased some of the season’s first run of Copper River salmon. how was i supposed to cook it?
my mother suggested the broiler. tried that, hated it. i asked another seafood-loving Washingtonian for suggestions: smoke it. this approach actually fit beautifully into my long-term outdoor cooking strategy. after doing some research, i purchased a Traeger pellet grill. with a simple brine of water, brown sugar and Morton’s ice cream salt, the salmon sits in a ziplock bag in the fridge overnight. then, i smoke it with alderwood or maple pellets for about eight hours at 180F. ta-da. probably as close to my salmon true north as i’m going to get. (note: i’ve read some nutritional value is lost in the smoking process, and i’m very conservative with the salt.)
with any leftovers, i make this salmon cake recipe. i’m certain there are many other wonderful ways to make salmon. if you have any recommendations or recipes, i’m game.
Salmon Cakes
a variation based on a crab cake recipe from epicurious.com
INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup minced green onions
2 large egg yolks
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
4 teaspoons minced fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon peel
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound cooked salmon, broken into small pieces
2 cups panko or other breadcrumbs (i use an herb-seasoned blend)
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons (or more) grapeseed oil
DIRECTIONS
- line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- whisk first 8 ingredients in a medium-size bowl.
- mix in salmon and 1 cup panko (i add a little at a time to ensure the mixture is not too dry).
- let the mixture stand for 10 minutes.
- spread remaining panko on a rimmed baking sheet.
- form mixture into patties 2 inches in diameter, using a scant 1/4 cup for each.
- press both sides of the patties into the panko, then transfer them to the parchment-covered baking sheet.
- cover and chill in fridge for at least an hour or up to a day.
- melt the butter over medium heat in a large frying pan, then add the grapeseed oil.
- place the salmon patties in the pan and cook on each side until golden (around 5 – 6 minutes total); add more butter and oil as needed.
tangy from the lemon and bursting with flavor, this cakes are perfect for a light meal, served with an herb salad that’s splashed with vinaigrette. for more hearty fare, i add a side of cheesy mashed potatoes.
friends have expressed absolute delight about the advent of fall. in Colorado, i hiked on paths, where the sun shone brightly on golden aspen leaves, quaking in a light wind. in Washington, i paddled on glassy Baker Lake, where the reflection of the majestic peak mirrors its distant counterpart. ordinarily, it’s my favorite season. but this year, i’m simply not ready for summer to end. clinging to the vestiges of heirloom tomatoes and sweet corn, i’m going down kicking and screaming. that firmly stated, last weekend i acquiesced to my mother’s request to make something with northwest-grown butternut squash. and since the nearly two-pound fruit had tumbled out of the fridge and hit her squarely on the foot, i felt obligated to make something of substance. hence, my reluctant foray into fall.
regardless of the time of year—or state of mind—this butternut squash recipe is phenomenal. i serve it with a small spinach salad, splashed with vinaigrette. i’d encourage you to explore the original recipe to determine your own butternut squash true north. you can find mine here. the preparation is a bit of a process, so consider setting aside enough time to devote to it. the result is entirely worth the effort!
Butternut Squash Lasagna
a variation based on a recipe from Giada De Laurentiis/Food Network
INGREDIENTS
1 (1 1/2- to 2-pound) butternut squash, seeded
sunflower oil
salt and pepper
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup unbleached organic flour
3 1/2 cups whole milk
dash of nutmeg
some chopped fresh thyme or fresh sage leaves
6 lasagna noodles
2 1/2 cups shredded whole-milk mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated Parrano (or Parmesan) cheese
DIRECTIONS
- preheat oven to 350F.
- cut squash lengthwise and remove seeds.
- brush surface of each half with sunflower oil.
- cover cookie sheet with non-stick foil, and place squash on the cookie sheet pulp side down.
- bake for about 1 hour, 10 minutes or until the squash is soft.
- after the squash has cooled, remove pulp and transfer into a food processor.
- puree the squash, adding salt and pepper to taste. set aside.
- boil some water, and cook/drain lasagna noodles.
- at the same time, melt the butter in a medium-size saucepan over medium heat.
- add the flour and whisk for 1 minute.
- gradually whisk in the milk.
- whisking frequently, bring the mixture (aka bechamel sauce) to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to medium heat and let the sauce thicken. keep whisking!
- whisk in the nutmeg and chopped, fresh thyme or sage.
- add salt and pepper to taste.
- lightly butter a 13 x 9 x 2 glass baking dish.
- prepare your assembly line of ingredients: sauce, lasagna, pureed squash, grated mozzarella, Parrano.
- spread 1/2 of the bechamel sauce on the bottom of the baking dish.
- arrange three of the lasagna noodles on top of the sauce.
- smear 1/2 of the squash over the noodles.
- sprinkle 1/2 of the mozzarella over the squash.
- sprinkle 1/4 cup Parrano over the mozzarella.
- repeat the process with the remaining ingredients.
- tightly cover the baking dish with foil and bake your lasagna for 45 minutes.
- carefully remove the foil and pop back in the oven for another 15 minutes, or until the top is golden.
- let stand for 15 minutes before serving.
in late August, i made my biweekly run to the closest organic grocery store. as i emerged from the car, an aroma from my too-distant past wafted through the air. unmistakable. unforgettable. totally unbelievable. the fragrance of roasting green chiles. i looked around to get my bearings. i was still in the state of Washington, right? yeah, i definitely wasn’t lost. but i was immediately transported to a long-ago summer road trip to New Mexico.
a quest for Hatch green chiles—and some much-needed time off—prompted my partner and i to plan the getaway when the crop was in season. in my cherished VW Eurovan MV (i’ve had a lifelong love affair with VWs, but this one spent more time in the shop than any VW mechanic), we hopped on I-25 and traveled south from Colorado to Taos, then on to Santa Fe. we passed by miles of scruffy brush and stretches of pinon pines—all covered by bright blue, cloudless sky.
rotating between sleeping in the bus with the top popped and treating ourselves to a B&B, we’d frequent some of our favorite comfort-food eateries: Zia Diner for the hot roast turkey plate with cornbread stuffing and cranberry sauce. or meatloaf with green chiles and toasted pine nuts, followed by a slice of homemade pie. 66 Diner for green chile cheeseburgers and banana shakes.
our schedules didn’t allow us to travel all the way to Hatch to pick up our Big Jims, a green chile that delivers a delightful medium heat. locals directed us down to south Albuquerque, where we picked up two bushels of freshly roasted green chiles and loaded them into the back of the bus. in the same split second, we stopped and looked at each other: how would we keep the chiles from spoiling before we got home?
clearly, it would take some time for the chiles to cool from the roasting process. so, just before we went bed, we purchased the biggest bags of ice we could find, wrapped them in towels and tucked the chiles in tightly next to them. the chilled chiles made it through the night (whew), and we happily returned to Colorado with our prize. one of the best parts? the chile scent lingered in the van for weeks. sigh.
while some people clean chiles before freezing, i don’t. experience has taught that scraping chiles is one of those laborious tasks i prefer to deal with one small bag at a time. the Big Jims were separated into portions, popped into freezer bags and tossed in our extra freezer, so i could spend the next year making dainty batches of green chile at whim. over the years, we took quite a few jaunts to New Mexico. and though i’ll always be a northern girl, i left a piece of my heart south of Raton Pass.
startled back into reality by grocery store traffic, i went directly to the area where boxes marked Hatch green chiles were piled high. the roasters took my order for half a bushel, which i merrily picked up after my shopping.
here, i’ve shared my basic recipe: spicy and rich. it can be varied by using different kinds of tomatoes (my friend David likes romas, blanched and peeled), or adding ingredients like finely chopped garlic and tomatillos. whatever your approach, it’s hard to go wrong with a batch of Hatch green chiles. if you can’t find Hatch chiles, you can substitute Anaheims—but, in my humble opinion, it won’t be quite as sublime.
scout’s Green Chile
INGREDIENTS
3/4 pound pork shoulder blade steak (or small pork butt roast)
2 – 3 tablespoons flour
cayenne
salt and pepper
12 Hatch Big Jim green chiles, roasted, peeled and cleaned
12 cherry tomatoes, halfed
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
DIRECTIONS
- heat medium skillet on medium-high heat.
- pat dry pork, and dredge in a mix of flour, salt, pepper and a tiny bit of cayenne.
- sear the meat on all sides until a brown crust forms; remove from pan and place in a crock pot.
- cut cleaned green chiles into strips and add to crock pot with halfed cherry tomatoes.
- cover the pork, green chiles and tomatoes with chicken stock and water.
- add some salt and pepper.
- place the lid on the crock pot and cook on low about 18 hours, or until the pork is tender and falls apart.
- melt the butter in a small saucepan, and add the flour to create a roux.
- with the green chile mixture on the stovetop over medium heat, add the roux, stirring constantly until thickened.
enjoy the green chile in a bowl, topped with grated cheddar, a little chopped cilantro and a dollop of sour cream. or over your burrito of choice. i also serve it over omelets. truth be told, i eat it on top of just about anything.
littlebirdbaking.com 