Smoked Salmon

John was in town, we invited Robert and Darryl to join us for dinner. We decided to make Smoked Salmon. We purchased the fish from McCall’s Meat and Fish. The fish was truly exceptions. We started with a new salad for us: Mimosa Salad with Cooked and Raw Asparagus from Nature by Alain Ducasse. This is a very good salad. I would definitely do it again. Yea another new Asparagus recipe!

We started with our favorite Salmon recipe for the Egg: Honey-Cured, Smoked Salmon from Cooking with Fire and Smoke by Phillip Stephen Schulz. This creates a very moist smoky flavored fish. We love it! You can get the recipe from our blog of: Jan. 15, 2009. We served it with Black Rice from a recipe in the Sunday Suppers at Lucques by Suzanne Goin. Click the date to get the recipe.

For dessert we had an Apple Pie from McCalls and a Lemon Cake from Robert and Darryl. It was a delicious meal!

Mimosa Salad with Cooked and Raw Asparagus
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Nature

Alain Ducasse

Serves 4

Prepare the asparagus and eggs

Peel and wash 2 bundles of green asparagus. Cut the tips into 4-inch lengths. Remove the hard white base and keep the rest.

Set 4 of the tips aside. Plunge all the others in salted boiling water and cook for about 5 minutes (depending on the size). In the meantime, fill a large bowl with water and icbes

Lift out the asparagus spears with a slotted spoon and cool them in the ice water. Then drain on a dish covered with a dish towel.

Hard boil 2 eggs (10 minutes) in the boiling water used for the asparagus. Cool and shell them.

Cut the 4 reserved asparagus tips into fine shavings with a mandoline and place on a small plate.

Make the sauce

Wash and cut up the leaves of 1 sprig of tarragon, 2 sprigs of parsley, and 2 sprigs chervil.

Cut the reserved asparagus stalks into small cubes. Place in a bowl and add, mixing well each time, 4 tablespoons of sherry vinegar, 1/2 cup Greek-style yogurt, 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard, 3 tablespoons of olive oil, and the chopped herbs.

Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

To finish your dish

Lay the cooked asparagus tips in a serving dish and coat with the sauce.

Grate the hard-boiled eggs on top with a cheese grater. Top with the shaved raw asparagus and serve.

Black Rice
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Sunday Suppers at Lucques
Suzanne Goin

2         tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1         cup diced onion

2         teaspoons thyme leaves

1         bay leaf

1         chile de arbol

2         cups black rice

½         cup white wine

2         tablespoons unsalted butter

6         ounces mizuna or baby spinach

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat a large saucepan over medium heat for i minute. Swirl in the olive oil and add the onion, thyme, bay leaf, chile, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring often, 3 to 4 minutes, until the onion is translucent. Add the rice, stirring to coat it in the oil and toast it slightly. Add the white wine, and reduce by half. Add 10 cups water and 2 teaspoons salt and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to low, and simmer about 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the rice is tender but slightly al dente. When the rice is almost done, stir continuously until all the liq­uid has evaporated. Discard the chile and bay leaf. Season with a few grindings of black pepper. Stir in the butter and taste for seasoning. Quickly stir in the mizuna, until just wilted.