Strawberries and Salmon - who knew?

Confession time again - I am a true Pacific Northwest girl, and can eat lovely pink salmon prepared in just about any way that you can figure out how to serve it; grilled, smoked, barbecued, baked, fresh poke - you name it, I will eat it.  (my kids and Tom too!)

My belief is that salmon is just one of nature's perfect foods. (as long as you get all of the bones out - thank goodness for Tom!)

This salmon dinner idea all started with my birthday trip up to Napa and Dry Creek last weekend. I begged Tom to stop at Jacuzzi Winery at the edge of Sonoma to do a little olive oil tasting and balsamic vinegar sampling. If you are any kind of "foodie" - this is a must gourmet stop on a trip to wine country.

And look - they were having a sale! Perfect time to stock up on goodies.  A new bottle of their special Master Blend olive oil, maybe a little bottle of the Arbequina Olive Oil, a new jar of Herbs de Provence and of course, the strawberry balsamic vinegar.

( I may have a problem...)

The Salmon part of this feast is super super simple:

Shopping List
1. Really good filet of salmon. Avoid farmed if you can. (1/2 lb. per person)
2. Good Extra Virgin Olive Oil

3. Kosher Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper

4. A dash of Herbs de Provence

Use your handy dandy "bone" tweezers to remove all of the stray bones. (or ask your husband.... lol) Spread olive oil on salmon, and season with salt, pepper and spices.

Grill salmon pink flesh side down for approximately 3 minutes, then flip over on skin side, grill for 7 minutes. Look for fat to start showing on surface of fish, indicating that it is done.  DO not overcook!

Strawberry Balsamic Sauce

Shopping List:

1. 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
2. Fresh sprigs of rosemary, chopped for 1 Tablespoon. Dried rosemary will work, but be careful, because sometimes the dried version is like floating pine needles in your sauce!
3. 1 Large Shallot finely minced (1/4 - 1/3 cup)
4. 1/3 cup chicken broth
5. 1/3 cup strawberry preserves
6. 3 Tablespoons strawberry balsamic vinegar.  Note: I used strawberry vinegar, but you plain balsamic vinegar is fine also.
7. 3/4 cup sliced fresh strawberries. I also add blackberries when I can find them later in the summer.
8. 2-3 Tablespoons cold unsalted butter to whisk in the sauce at the end. This final step makes all the difference, trust me.

Heat pan on medium with olive oil, add shallots to skillet and cook for 1-2 minutes until starting to caramelize.  Mix  broth, strawberry preserves, vinegar and rosemary together in a separate bowl and then add to cooking shallots.  Simmer 3-4 minutes until beginning to thicken, then add in the fresh strawberries.  Simmer a few more minutes until thick, then whisk in the cold butter, 1 Tablespoon at a time, until your sauce becomes a nice consistency.

Serve on a bed of baby greens with roasted cauliflower. Fabulous and healthy!

And the wine?  We highly recommend a lovely Pinot Noir. We are a little picky about our Pinot, (there are a lot of bad Pinots to be found) Luckily we found a great choice at Stuhlmuller Vineyards last weekend, curated from their vines on the Russian River Valley.  Served in our Cast of Crab Wine Glasses

I promise you, this simple sauce works magic on salmon!

Grilled King Salmon via a Boat, a Whale and a Walrus

The A Boat, A Whale & A Walrus cookbook (story book really) from Renee Erickson, Seattle restaurateur, and now cookbook author, was one of the best Christmas presents I received this year. My daughter, Allison, surprised me in Seattle at Christmas; I didn't think she could leave NYC, and was totally bummed out.  Between Allison, Alex and Tom they all hid the secret.  She was the best present, but the cookbook she brought me was a nice surprise too!

So of course, I needed an occasion to try something delish and fabulous out on my friends! Caution: There might have been more than a little bit of wine involved...

Absolutely scrumptious salmon recipe with a few little tricky things to keep in mind:

1. A food processor makes a world of difference in creating the Tarator

2. There are a lot of steps, but this is a fairly easy recipe without a lot of unusual ingredients.

3.. Start with really fresh salmon

4. Serve Wine

5. Invite friends to share!

Grilled King Salmon with Walnut Tarator and Cherry Tomato Salad
Salmon:
1 (3 1/2 -4 pound) salmon fillet
1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Kosher Salt for seasoning
Finishing oil for drizzling
Flaky Sea Salt (or Mediterranean Sea Salt) also for finishing

Walnut Tarator:
2 cups whole walnuts, toasted (ask me and I can tell you how-super easy!)
1 cup, 1-inch artisanal bread chunks
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 smashed glove garlic
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 cup of water
1 cup extra virgin olive oil

Cherry Tomato Salad:
2 pints cherry tomatoes (I like the little heirloom variety also!)
1 pound English cucumbers (avoiding excessive seeds)
1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh dill
Julienned peel and juice of 1 large lemon
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Sea Salt for finishing

Grill the Salmon: 
Preheat charcoal or gas grill for cooking over medium heat around 375 degrees F. Brush the salmon with olive oil and season to taste with kosher salt.  Grill the salmon without turning until just cooked through at the ends. With the grill lid closed, should take about 30 minutes - all depends on size of fish and how thick the center is.   Super super simple.

*we used Suzanne's Jenn-Aire grill in her beach house kitchen- way too cold to be outside!

While the salmon is grilling, make the walnut tarator:
Place toasted walnuts, bread cubes, lemon juice, garlic and kosher salt in your food processor or heavy duty blender (trust me, the food processor is easier!)  Pour the water over the bread mixture, pulse a few times to blend then turn on high speed until smooth, adding the olive oil steadily as you blend together.

Grab your favorite serving platter and spread the tarator out in a "puddle" evenly on the platter and set aside.

Make the Salad:
Combine all of the ingredients, give it a few swirls to mix together well and then season to taste with kosher salt, or if you prefer a flaky sea salt.

When the salmon is done, simply place serving sized pieces onto of the walnut tarator and spoon the tomato salad on top.  Finish with a drizzle of olive oil and a shower of sea salt.

Trust me, there won't be one bit left....

 

Like I said, there might have been wine and lots of laughter involved....

You can buy the fabulous A Boat, A Whale and A Walrus at LibertyBayBooks.com - it's on my page of favorites on their website: Caron's Beach Reads 

P.S.  A few ideas for a fun serving platter!

Blue Fish Oval Platter

The Coquille Platter

Not exactly a salmon - but I just love this happy fish platter!

Hogfish Platter

Salmon Spring Fresh Risotto

Confession time.  I have never, ever even attempted any kind of risotto, but when I saw this recipe in the "Coastal Kitchen" section of Coastal Living Magazine, I thought I would give it a try. Especially since it appeared to have some short-cuts.  (which I desperately need during the week!)

Ready in 30 minutes – I promise!  Julia Rutland’s recipe makes 4 servings, but is easily adaptable it for 2.   

(adapted from Coastal Living Magazine – recipe by Julia Rutland; April 2013)

Shopping List:

4 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil divided

2 shallots, finely chopped

1 cup Arborio rice

4 cups chicken broth

4 salmon fillets

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. freshly ground pepper

½ pound fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces

1 ½ cups of sugar snap peas

1 cup sliced mushrooms

½ cup grated Gruyere Cheese (Julia used Fontina, but I substituted Gruyere)

½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 lemon for garnish

1. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a 4-quart saucepan over medium heat.  Add shallots and rice; cook for 2 minutes.  Stir in chicken broth, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. In a separate skillet, heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet.  Sprinkle salmon with salt and pepper; sear 3-5 minutes on each side or until desired doneness.  Super simple, and this way of cooking doesn’t clutter up the salmon with extra seasonings to cover up the taste.
3.  Transfer to a plate and keep warm.
4. Stir in asparagus, sugar snaps and mushrooms during the last 10 minutes of cooking time.  Stir in cheese until all melty and gooey – adjust seasonings if needed. 
5. Dish onto plates and top with seared salmon.  Serve immediately with a dash of lemon zest or lemon slices.  Tom is a big lemon-lover on his salmon, so I served ours with lemon slices! 

New! Cast of Crabs Wine Glasses

Tom recommends serving with a crisp-cold Sauvignon Blanc... in a pretty glass of course!