poached salmon and noodle salad bowl

If you're a fish lover like me, you always make sure you have a stash of tinned sardines and mackerel in the pantry, and at least one of those packages (found at Target, of all places) of frozen salmon.  If you have leftover baked salmon, all the better. 

And so it was today, waking up with my fish craving.  I'm catching up to the bowl craze because it's so much fun to assemble from leftovers: the fettuccine was from two nights ago, the salad dressing mixed up for today's lunch (I thought I was having a romaine salad so I made it up last night).

Poached salmon and noodle salad

The dressing:

2 tablespoons mild olive oil

kosher salt

freshly ground pepper

1 medium garlic, peeled and pressed

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon dijon mustard

1 tablespoon minced Italian parsley

1 teaspoon capers

scant teaspoon dry tarragon

Fresh dill if you have it (I didn't)

Mix together and set aside.

I-2 cup leftover noodles or fettuccine

1 cup or more flaked leftover salmon, or thawed and poached or cooked in a skillet 

2 cups chopped romaine lettuce

Drizzle the salmon, greens, and noodles with the dressing and toss before serving.

No politics today, just a reminder to Keep Calm and Carry On.

poached haddock with dill, lemon, and tomatoes (as the frazzle builds)

Oh, such a beautiful day here!  Light pitter patter of rain this morning, sunny and blue sky as I load the car for one of two dump runs, THEN maybe a walk.

Getting distracted while cleaning and packing, completely forgot lunch, so here I was twenty minutes ago, gobbling up this fresh haddock.  A half a pound, and methinks I should've bought more.  Not proud that I was standing up surveying the boxes and rooms while I was eating:)  I couldn't remember which child liked the rabbits (with bells on) so I'm packing one for each of them.

This is part of the "Minneapolis pile"  Ironically, that 2005 Real Simple is all about conquering the clutter.  I despair that will not happen for another month.  



Poached Haddock with dill, lemon, and tomatoes


1/2 pound piece of fresh haddock


Place the haddock in a small stainless steel skillet or saucepan, and add water to just about halfway up the fish.
Bring to a high simmer/low boil and cook for five minutes on one side, then gently flip the fish with a spatula and cook the other side another 5 minutes.  
Gently poke the fish with a fork, making sure it is completely cooked, then remove to a plate.

Toss out the water from cooking the fish, and quickly melt 1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter, then pour over the fish.
Add:
juice from half a fresh lemon
kosher salt
fresh dill sprigs
a tablespoon of sliced scallions
2 handfuls tiny tomatoes, halved

And serve to your appreciative audience of one.  This makes one serving.

Happy, happy June!

juicy turkey burgers with salmoriglio sauce

I have had this scrap of paper taped to the side of the fridge for at least a year.  I think I was in a doctor's office when it caught my eye in one of the magazines in the waiting room.  You'd be proud of me - I did NOT slide the magazine into my bag, but I neglected to write down where it was from.  This recipe seems to come close when I googled it today.  It's really a sauce for fish, but as I was cooking up fresh ground turkey burgers this morning, it flashed into my sleepy morning brain that a sauce of fresh parsley, a little garlic, lemon zest and juice, and oregano just might be the perfect topping for those somewhat bland but juicy burgers.  And oh, so it was.

I usually would stir everything together in a big bowl, as I do for turkey meatballs, but this time I spooned the pan juices over the burgers, then added a teaspoon of the salmoriglio sauce on top.  It is a very bright but pungent sauce, so a teaspoon seemed just right.  I can see this sauce in so many other dishes besides fish and turkey:  pasta for sure, whether hot or cold pasta salads or sides.  It's perfect with avocado, ramping up the buttery avocado with a little excitement.  How about stuffed broiled mushrooms?  Absolutely.  And a spoonful stirred in to any number of soups would had a zing.   I know the name is somewhat of a mouthful, but I haven't found any Italian to English translation, so we're stuck with it.


Salmoriglio Sauce

1 fat clove of garlic, peeled
about 1 cup roughly chopped Italian parsley, not packed down

2 heaping teaspoons grated lemon zest
a few pinches of kosher salt
freshly cracked pepper
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon dried oregano ( I had no fresh)
3 tablespoons good olive oil

Place the garlic and parsley in a food processor and whizz until fairly fine.
Stop the processor and add in the lemon zest, lemon juice, salt and pepper, and oregano .  Process briefly and scrape into a bowl, then drizzle on the olive oil and stir.

Taste test to see if it needs more salt, then use sparingly in desired dishes - a little goes a long way.  If you plan to use this on fish or meats, chicken or turkey, just use your clean fingers to coat before baking.


Spring is coming here in New Hampshire- I planted my Italian parsley seedlings yesterday!

Poached salmon with an herby Bercy sauce

Spring is here!  Most of the snow has melted, except for random patches here and there, the brook is racing (but not flooding), and the daffodils are showing buds.

And there was salmon at our local market.  I suddenly thought of a sauce I used to make when I worked in a restaurant long ago, which then became modified over the years:  rice vinegar instead of wine, since I rarely have wine around,  tarragon (no, you don't have to use it if you loathe it), and a creamy shallot and butter sauce to spoon over the poached salmon.  So it's not officially a Bercy sauce, but close enough to be cousins.

And how good?  The salmon was gone in a flash, the new potatoes and wilted spinach took perhaps ten minutes more .

Bercy sauce:

1/4 cup finely chopped shallots
1/2 cup rice vinegar or a mild dill or tarragon vinegar
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon dried tarragon
2 tablespoons roughly chopped Italian parsley
2 pinches kosher salt - about 1/4 teaspoon

Simmer the shallots, lemon juice,  and herbs in the vinegar until the liquid is reduced by half.

Stir in:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
Keep stirring over moderate heat until the sauce is creamy and somewhat thick.
Remove from heat.

Poached salmon:

A ten inch stainless steel skillet and lid
1-2 pounds of salmon , mine were medium thickness, with the skin on

Place the salmon in the skillet and pour in enough water to come halfway up the sides of the salmon.

Place on moderate heat until water starts simmering, turn down heat and cover .
Poach for about ten minutes, remove from heat.

Use a spatula to remove individual servings to plates, then top with the sauce and serve. 

My dearest grandchildren are settling in to their new home in Minneapolis,  and there's a great silence and void around here - though yesterday I was able to Skype them , thanks to my computer-literate daughter.  What fun!    I even got a little tour of Izzie, Frankie and Noah's room, and watched them bounce on the beds.

Happy Spring!

warm fish chowder on an icy day

It has snowed and rained, then snowed again briefly, then the temperature dropped to frigid, leaving driveways shiny, slick and terrifying. Yesterday I passed three driveways with cars slid sideways, plunged into rock hard drifts. I am grateful my driveway is level, but getting up the hill into town can be a little hair-raising if you meet another car.

I did try to take my usual walk in the morning, but after punching my boots hard into the crackling ice, I gave up after thirty feet. And went home and made chowder.

This is such a comforting soup: tender flakes of cod ( or pollock, if you can find it), chunks of celery and half moons of potato, a few scallions, lots of home dried dill, fresh parsley, a tablespoon of melting sweet butter, and just before serving, a spoonful of cream is stirred into each bowl, making for one gentle, homestyle chowder. Add a slice of warm sourdough bread, and tuck in.

This makes two generous bowls of soup.

Place in a stainless steel or enamel skillet:

1/2 pound very fresh cod or pollock

pinch of salt

1/2 t. dried dill

1 T. unsalted butter

2 potatoes, (I used russets), peeled, halved and in 1/4" slices

water to almost cover the fish and potatoes.

Bring to a simmer and cook for five minutes.

Add:

1/2 cup sliced celery ( a few leaves are good, too)

2 T. fresh parsley, chopped

2 scallions, trimmed and sliced

1/4 t. kosher salt

freshly ground pepper

two drops hot sauce

Continue to cook for 15 minutes, then turn off the heat and cover the pan for another 15 minutes.

Gently remove the fish, dividing between the bowls.

Add another 1/4 t. dried dill and salt and pepper to the broth and vegetables in the skillet, then divide the potatoes, broth and celery mixture between the bowls, adding 1 or 2 tablespoons heavy cream to each bowl, and stirring carefully.

Serve with warm bread.

Serve at once.

Enjoy!

fresh cod baked with tarragon, basil, white wine and rosemary

I couldn't believe my luck today when I came across just-came-in, super fresh cod in the seafood department at Shaw's. On a Monday? At a supermarket? Yes, yes, yes, to all. While I usually poach most fishes, I had just rediscovered an old seafood cookbook called "Simply Seafood", now out of print, sadly, but some second hand copies are wandering the Internet, with an interesting recipe for cod.

The recipe called for baking a thick slab of cod with lots of herbs, a little wine, butter, and mushrooms. How could I resist? When it was done cooking, I ate it in all of five minutes, such a treat. But I was left with quite a lot of juices and melted butter, so I'm thinking I could halve the butter, and probably the mushrooms, since they didn't seem to add much to the final dish. A quick squirt of fresh lemon juice over the fish did it for me - delicious!

To make:

1 pound of super fresh cod

2 T. melted butter

1 clove garlic, peeled and minced

2 T. white wine or herb vinegar

1/4 t. basil ( dried is fine)

1/2 t. fresh rosemary

1/4 t. dried tarragon

salt and pepper to your taste

4 or 5 very thinly sliced lemon slices

2 sliced mushrooms

2 T. sliced green onions (scallions)

1-2 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice

I made this in a toaster oven, as it was such a small amount of fish, though you can just as well bake it in an oven.

Preheat oven to 375F.

Place fish on an ovenproof platter or dish. Melt the butter in a small pan, add the wine or vinegar, garlic, rosemary, tarragon, and basil, plus a little salt and pepper, and pour the sauce over the fish.

Bake uncovered for around 15 minutes, pull out, and cover with the mushrooms, scallions, and lemon slices.

Squeeze the lemon juice over the fish and return to oven, cooking for another 10 minutes.

Remove from oven and serve piping hot, along with some warm sourdough bread and a nice green salad.

Such a perfect dinner when it's 5 degrees outside, and ice and snow underfoot!

Enjoy!

You might also like my fish chowder, made with cod or pollock.

fresh corncob and codfish chowder with dill and sriracha

I hope you're having a beautiful day, wherever you are! Today was sunny and hot, but mornings are still lovely and cool - a perfect blend of weather.

I had been hoping to add some tiny yellow zucchini to this chowder, but my midnight thief struck again, neatly removing the 3 little zukes - and four raspberries I'd been hoping to have on my French toast this morning. I'm guessing a chipmunk, as I see them popping in and out of several holes in both the back and front yards.

The chowder I ended up making has the most delicious rounds of corn-on-the-cob that are wonderful to nibble on - and a special favorite of children. The fish is very fresh, and very mild, and I've skipped the cream you often see in chowders in New England. If you find very fresh fish but don't plan to use it right away, you can double wrap it in plastic and freeze it, and proceed as usual with the poaching even while it's still frozen another day. I had wanted to use fennel seeds in this, but they were nowhere to be found, so I opted for dill, oregano, and thyme - and a spark of hot sauce!

This makes four servings.

1 lb. fresh or frozen cod

3 ears fresh corn, shucked and cut into rounds

1 small onion, peeled and sliced

3 medium white potatoes ( or you can use tiny whole ones) halved, then sliced

(I used California Longs)

1 T. fresh dill, de-stemmed

1 T. fresh oregano, rosemary, or thyme or tarragon

1 cup chicken or vegetable stock

1/2 cup diced red pepper

kosher salt

dash of hot sauce ( I used Sriracha)

1 T. olive oil or unsalted butter

Place the fish in a non-aluminum skillet, then add water to about halfway up the fish . Bring to a simmer, add a little salt, and cover. Keep checking the fish until it separates into large flakes, then remove from heat and uncover. Set aside.

Place the sliced potatoes and onion, and the dill or rosemary or oregano in a saucepan, and add water until it just covers the vegetables. Bring to a simmer and cook til just tender.

Add the cup of chicken or vegetable stock to the potato mixture, then strain the fish stock into the soup pot as well.

Add the rounds of corn, the olive oil or butter, more salt and the hot sauce, and the red pepper and cook for just a few minutes. Turn the heat off and gently lower the fish into the pot, breaking it up gently with a fork. Taste for seasoning, and add more fresh dill before serving.

Ladle into bowls and serve.

Enjoy !

ceviche with fennel and creme fraiche, and a discovery

Do you ever get excited about trying a new recipe? Who is the muse that seizes one in a haze of
joyful discovery as you taste and chop , add pinches of this, and teaspoons of that?

While visiting my French friend Mme. B, I was instantly fascinated when I saw a bowl sitting on her counter. It smelled delicious, it tasted fresh and summery. I asked what it was. Although she called it fish in lemon juice with creme fraiche, I recognized ceviche. I couldn't wait to try my own version of it, thinking instantly of pairing it with fresh fennel.

I bought the haddock ( alas, no pollock), went home, and marinated it in lemon juice for six hours. I drained it, and added the chopped fennel, and some herbs and spices, and the creme fraiche. Then I tasted it.

It tasted bland, though fresh, and it looked like potato salad. I hated it. I kicked myself for wasting the fish on it. Only later did I realize that creamed anything isn't something I usually prepare, or eat. Perhaps if I'd skipped the creme fraiche and made a melange of hot peppers and fresh vegetables to go with the fish, it would have suited me better.

However, for those who might like to try it, here is the recipe:

Ceviche

1/2 pound of haddock or whitefish, cut into small pieces

juice of 3 lemons

Marinate fish for at least six hours, in the fridge, in the lemon juice.

Drain well.

Add:

1 cup chopped fennel bulb and a few fronds

1 T. minced fresh dill

1/2 cup diced , peeled cucumber

a few drops of Green Tabasco

2 T. chopped red onion

1 cup creme fraiche (recipe here)

salt and fresh pepper to taste

You can also add sliced grape tomatoes, shredded carrots, garlic, and scallions or chives. I didn't get that far.

Mix together well, and serve chilled, along with a green salad and French bread.

And now I know this about myself ; that I love perfect fish chowder, and poached, thick, chunks of pollock or haddock. Not fried, not mayo'd, just fresh scent of the sea. (You can find the chowder recipe here)

salade nicoise with smoked salmon for a hot day

Suddenly, our weather has gone from the 40's to the 80's - and I couldn't be happier! After sweeping the terrace and potting up the geraniums and a few herbs, I decided to celebrate summer with a Salade Nicoise - but made with smoked salmon instead of the usual tuna.

Salade Nicoise is such fun to compose - you basically check your vegetable drawer and go from there. I like a mixture of spears ( the potatoes and sugar snaps) and rounds ( the zucchini, a few olives, grape tomatoes) and the oval of the hard boiled egg. I also charred a few scallions, which sadly went limp and not crispy, but not a huge problem. You can obviously make this in any amount - this recipe was for two.

First, I made the lemon-herb dressing:

2 T. olive oil

1 t. herb vinegar

1 t. lemon juice, fresh

pinch dill ( I only had dried)

salt and freshly cracked pepper

one basil leaf, chiffonade ( sliced thinly)

1 red skinned potato, cut in wedges and parboiled til just barely tender.

1 hard boiled egg, peeled and halved

a handful of sugar snap peas, just barely cooked and popped into cold water and drained

a few grape tomatoes

one zucchini, sliced thickly, parboiled and drained

a few pitted olives

a few trimmed scallions ( green onions)

2 wedges lemon

several pieces of smoked salmon, rolled loosely

Place the potato wedges, the scallions, and the zucchini in a heat proof pan . Brush with a little dressing and place under broiler , cooking til they are just charring or browning.

Arrange either a large platter or individual bowls or plates with your salade makings, drizzle with dressing, and serve.

Dessert was just as easy - fresh strawberries drizzled with honey and sprinkled with mint!

Ah, summer.

Enjoy your day!

Featured on Photograzing!

poached fish with roasted vegetables and spinach-dill sauce

I made this wonderful meal for dinner last night - gently poached pollock with a colorful jumble of roasted vegetables and topped with a vaguely Portuguese sauce. Good, healthy, delicious - my kind of dinner!

To make:

baby carrots, cut in two

sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks

an onion, peeled and cut into thick slivers

a few scallions, cut into 3 " pieces

red-skinned potatoes, cut into chunks

1 cup grape tomatoes, or more, whole

If you have butternut squash or brussels sprouts, those would be terrific, too. I did not.

Set oven to 400F.

Drizzle olive oil in a large roasting pan. ( You don't want them swimming in oil, so be frugal)

Add the vegetables and stir until coated with olive oil.

Roast until vegetables are tender, stirring gently every once in a while. It should take about 40 minutes, depending on amount.

Remove from oven and turn off heat.

The fish:

I used pollock, which is slightly darker than cod or haddock. The amount you need will depend on how many servings you're planning. Each plate should have a few hefty chunks of fish.

1 lb. or so of thick white fish ( cod, pollock, haddock)

2 slices lemon

a few slices of onion

fresh dill

salt and pepper

In stainless steel skillet, add water to about an inch . Add the lemon slices and onion. Place the fish on top, and sprinkle with dill and salt and pepper.

Bring the poaching water up to a simmer, and simmer 10 minutes, or until fish is cooked through. Remove fish to a plate.

The spinach-dill sauce:

In a blender, add a handful of clean, washed spinach, stems and all

( I microwaved for a minute to sort-of blanch it)

1 T. fresh dill, or 1 t. dried dill

1 t. red wine vinegar

a drizzle of olive oil

1 T. water from the fish poaching

Blend until it forms a thick paste.

To assemble:

Add several spoonfuls of roasted vegetables to each plate.

Divide the fish among plates, so each person has a few thick pieces.

Add a scoop of sauce to the top.

Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve.

And that's it! Enjoy!

Featured on TasteSpotting!

ode to the Atlantic pollock & perfect fish chowder

I spied some very fresh pollock at Shaw's supermarket yesterday, so I snapped it up for my favorite fish chowder. The woman behind the counter was shaking her head, "I don't know why people don't buy this more - instead it's always haddock, haddock, haddock."

Pollock is my favorite fish - it's meaty and holds up well in chowders and poaching, which is my preferred method of cooking fish. As a child, we ate a lot of pollock - it was then considered a "trash" fish, so the fishermen and their families took it home to eat. Cod ( which the pollock is related to) and haddock were the fish that sold. Unfortunately, I just discovered Fishwatch ( http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/fishwatch/) is announcing later this year that it is on the not sustainable list, so I'm not sure what I'll do. For now, I'll enjoy my fresh chowder, and hope for the future of this beautiful fish.

You will need:

1 pound very fresh pollock

1 onion, sliced

2 stalks celery, washed and choppled

2 leek whites, sliced

5 small red-skinned potatoes, chuncked or large dice

2 bay leaves

water or clam juice for stock

1/2 t, tarragon or fennel seed

(You could probably slice up some fennel bulb, but I've never tried it)

3 T. unsalted butter

salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste

2 T. fresh dill, chopped

In a skillet, place onions, leeks, potatoes, bay leaves, celery, and the tarragon or fennel seed. Cover with water or clam juice - not too much, just enough to cover the vegetables.

Simmer until vegetables are tender, then take the fish and gently place in the simmering broth and vegetables.

Simmer until the fish "flakes" - when prodded with a fork, it will break into fat, juicy chunks. You shouldn't need more than ten minutes, usually, for the fish to cook.

Gently break up the fish, and swirl in the butter and dill. Taste for seasoning.

Serves at least 4.

perfect fish chowder - the recipe

Someone asked me to post the recipe for this lovely, scent-of-the-sea chowder, so here it is. Only make this when you have a good source for very fresh fish. I use fresh cod or pollock, because it makes such fat "flakes" of meaty fish when you poach it.

1 pound very fresh cod or pollock

1 onion, rough dice

2 stalks celery, washed and roughly chopped

2 leek whites, diced ( optional)

4 red skinned potatoes, medium dice

2 bay leaves

clam juice - this is optional for the stock. I can't eat clams, so I don't use it.

pinch tarragon or fennel seed

3 T. unsalted butter

salt and pepper

2 T. fresh dill, chopped

In skillet or pot, place onions, leeks, potatoes, bay leaves, celery and the tarragon or fennel seed. Cover with water ( and clam juice, if you're using it)- not too much, but just enough to cover the vegetables. Simmer until just soft.

Take the fish and gently place in the simmering broth and vegetables. Simmer until the fish "flakes" when you prod it with a fork - no more than 10 minutes, usually.

Break up fish with fork, then swirl in the dill and butter.

Delicious!

scent of the sea : perfect fish chowder

I grew up just steps from the bay on Cape Cod - and so this dinner feels comforting and filled with the scent of the sea....................