Ina Garten's Salmon with Panko Crust

We love salmon at our house and I prepare it frequently.  We like it baked, broiled, in salmon cakes, and poached.

This recipe from Ina Garten was a hit tonight.  You can find her recipe by clicking on the link.   I really didn't follow it because it's so easy I thought I didn't have to pay close attention.

I zested a Meyer lemon (because that's the variety I had on hand), chopped some Italian flat leaf parsley, and tossed them together with Panko bread crumbs.  I just guessed on the proportions.

I salt and peppered my salmon fillets, brushed a thin layer of Dijon mustard over the fish and patted the crumb mixture on top of the mustard.

Sear the bottom of the fillets (skin side down) for 3 minutes in a pan on the stove top and then put the fillets in a 425 F. degree oven for another 3-5 minutes to finish cooking.  I would have liked the bread crumbs to brown a bit more. When I was posting the recipe here I realized that I forgot to add the olive oil to the crumb mixture.  No wonder it didn't brown much. I guess I really should have payed closer attention to the recipe  :)

The fillets were moist and delicious and the topping golden brown and crispy anyway.  No tartar sauce was needed and the mustard added just the right flavor...not "too mustary" at all.  I must admit I was a bit afraid the mustard would overpower the fish.

This recipe was easy and quick.  I served a red, white, and black quinoa mixture alongside the fish.  It was just as delicious as the salmon.

I'll be posting on the quinoa side dish next.  You'll want to try it I promise.

Father's Day

Some of my children with their custom made glasses for Father's day.  I thought they were pretty funny.

We ate grilled salmon, garlic butter and 2-cheese smashed roasted potatoes, green beans with bacon and garden onions, and roasted brussells sprouts (dad's favorite).  It was a great day for eating out on the terrace.

My Father is a fisherman and often gifts us with beautiful fresh fish, which he has cleaned, filleted and skinned.  These were beautiful freshwater lake trout and lake Bass.

They are delicate fish and thus require a delicate cooking method.

My favorite way to prepare these fish in the hot summer months is to grill them outside.  There is no smell leftover in the kitchen and no mess to clean up afterward.   This is really more of a baking method than a grilling method.  I still get a crunchy, buttery crust without frying and without extra calories.

Technique:

First prepare the foil.  I use two layers of aluminum foil and fold the corners up to make a disposable pan.  You could use a real pan a very long time to warm the pan, so I find the foil works best.  Spray the foil with misted oil or any kitchen spray.

• Wash the fish and pat them dry.  
• Place one large egg in a small bowl and whisk it well. 
• Place some white flour in a bowl. 
•  Very lightly season some Pahnko (Japanese shredded) bread crumbs with just salt and pepper. That's all I add because I don't want to overpower the flavor of the delicate fish.
• Dip the fish in the white flour and shake off the excess. 
• Dip the floured fillets into the egg wash, again shaking off excess. 
• Lay them in the bread crumbs and coat well.  Shake off the excess crumbs.
• Lay the fillets on the prepared foil.  Place a few pea-sized pieces of unsalted butter on top of the fillets to help brown and crisp the crust.  Then  place the foil/pan on your grill. 

Cook for about 3 minutes on medium heat or until the fish is just cooked through. 
• The time will definitely vary depending on the thickness of your fish.  Don't over cook them.

I like to serve the fillets with scallion brown butter. It imparts a nut-like flavor.

• Melt a few tablespoons of unsalted butter in a small skillet.  Add some chopped scallions, onion, or shallots.  Cook until the scallions are browned and the butter is browned but not burned.  I like my butter dark, just before the burn point.  The darker the butter the more flavor.  Watch the butter carefully!  Now is not the time to answer the phone.

Drizzle the browned onion butter over the fillets just before serving.  This butter is not burned even though it looks very dark.  You can cook the butter less if you like.  Serve with lemon wedges.

This cooking technique works well for any variety of fish fillet.  Just vary the cooking time depending upon the thickness of your fish.

Herb Aioli

We love salmon at our house and we eat it every few weeks or so, especially in the summer because it's so easy to do on the outside grill and it is terrific cold..  B. is the grill master and I prepare the sides. Usually we eat it plain, sans tartar sauce with an extra squeeze of lemon because it's healthier. 

I purchased fresh salmon the other day.  Si posted this the same day, and I thought...aha!, I have ingredients to whip up my own version of her aioli.  It's not often I have sour cream in the refrigerator but I had some leftover from another recipe so I made up a very small batch of my herb aioli.
As you can see, the aioli came off the spoon quicker than I expected.  But B. didn't complain about the mishap and gladly ate it on the salmon that he cooked perfectly.

I grow many fresh herbs varieties.  Dill or chopped parsley would be wonderful here, and cilantro would be perfect for Latin food.  I love tarragon but be warned... a little goes a long way. It's a strong flavor, a bit licorice-like. And of course I had to add basil.  You could also use plain Greek yogurt for the sour cream (as Si did) and I love lemon so I used quite a bit of juice and zest in my aioli and I like to add a splash of vinegar as well.  Aioli is easy to change up.  Make your own using whatever herbs you like or have on hand. 

It's also great on sandwiches, on a veggie tray, and as a side to chicken.

Herb Aioli

½ cup of good quality Mayonnaise

¼ cup of sour cream

Zest of 1 lemon

½ lemon, juiced

1 clove of garlic, minced

½ teaspoon of white wine vinegar

5 basil leaves, chopped

½ teaspoon of chopped fresh tarragon

½ teaspoon of chopped fresh Italian parsley

Pinch of kosher salt, to taste

Fresh ground pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients well. Refrigerate mixture for at least one hour before serving.

Serve with fish, chicken, veggies, and use as a sandwich spread.

Makes 3/4 cup of sauce.

*Combine different quantities of fresh herbs to change up the flavors.

Cilantro, dill, Italian parsley, or any other fresh herb will work well. Add what your family likes.

Salmon with Orange-Ginger Sauce

Asian Salmon...the perfect meal for a early spring supper.  Add some blanched snow peas and a yellow tomato quinoa salad and supper's on the table.

Salmon with Ginger-Orange Sauce

4 salmon or halibut fillets

¼ cup of fresh orange juice

2 teaspoons minced flat leaf parsley or cilantro

1 teaspooon minced fresh ginger root
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon of soy sauce
1 teaspoon of sesame oil
¼ teaspoon of red pepper flakes


Whisk all ingredients together in a bowl. Put in a sauce pan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the sauce reduces slightly. Set aside.


Grill the fillets to desired doneness. Pour the sauce over the top and serve.



Salmon Rub

This delicious Salmon Rub was a hit at my house.  It includes a tiny bit of sugar, hence the crispy caramel crust on the fish.  It was not burned at all.  This rub imparts enough flavor that you don't need any sauce; just a squeeze of lemon.  Best of all,  I had all of the spices in the spice cabinet.  

Try this for a quick dinner.

*Note:  The recipe says it makes enough for two Salmon Fillets.  You will have a lot left over and could use this on poultry or pork as well.


Salmon Rub
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon pepper
½ tablespoon cumin
½ tablespoon paprika
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon dry mustard
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
2 salmon fillets

Combine the first 8 ingredients.
Coat both sides of salmon with the rub.
Heat a small amount of oil in saute pan over med high heat and cook salmon on one side for 2 minutes. Lower heat and turn salmon. Cook for an additional 6-8 minutes until the salmon is cooked.

Summer Salmon

I love light, fresh meals that don't weigh me down in the summer.  With 100 degree weather (102 forecast for the 4th of July) here, it's time to cook outside and make it lighter fare while we're at it.

This wild sockeye salmon is just the ticket.  Put the skin side down and sprinkle salt and freshly ground pepper over top.  Make a neat little hand-made foil tray for the grill, set the salmon skin side down in it and the salmon is ready to go.  Don't cover the fish with more foil.  Put the grill lid down and cook it until it's just cooked and moist.

Meanwhile, melt a little bit of butter in a skillet.  Sautee a few chopped scallions until translucent.  Add a handful each of halved grape tomatoes and chunked English cucumber pieces.  Just heat through about 1 minute.  You want the tomatoes and cucumbers just warm but still crunchy.  I like my veggies big but you could chop them finer for a more formal presentation.

Serve the vegetables over the salmon and squeeze a bit of fresh lemon over if desired.

Light, delicious, and healthy; but we like it because it tastes so good and fresh. 

Junk Market finds, popovers, and trout

Spring City is having it's annual Heritage Day this Saturday.  Last Saturday, Bruce and I helped clean the Old School to ready it for the festivities.  We were assigned to sort out the left-over rummage sale items from a previous sale that were in storage on the second floor.  We threw out the things we didn't think were sale-able and kept the ones that might sell on Saturday.  I found some great things at great prices.  I bought a silver plate napkin stand for 25 cents and this popover pan for 1 dollar.  I used the pan today to make popovers to eat with Sunday dinner.