Steamed Salmon and Potatoes

We made this very simple recipe for Oven-Steamed Salmon from the New York Times. The key was having excellent Wild Salmon, which we purchased from McCall's Meat and Fish. We steamed Little Potatoes to go with the salmon. We made a Sauce Gribiche to top the salmon. You can get the recipe for Sauce Gribiche from our blog of: June 4, 2016. Click the date to get the recipe.

Oven-Steamed Salmon

New York Times

This simple way to roast salmon brings spectacular results with hardly any worry on the cook's part. The Mediterranean cookbook author Paula Wolfert learned it from the French chef Michel Bras, and it rises and falls on the thinness of the sheet pan. A pan of water delivers enough moisture to steam the fish briefly at a low temperature, producing a final product that is soft and deliciously juicy. It adapts easily to almost any salmon fillet. Emily Kaiser Thelin, who includes it in her biography of Ms. Wolfert, "Unforgettable," says a center-cut of wild-caught Alaska king works best and suggests pairing it with a salad or cracked green olive relish.

Ingredients

8      ounces cracked green olives, pitted, rinsed and coarsely chopped

2      tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

¾     cup walnuts, finely chopped by hand

2      green onions, white and light green parts, minced

¼     cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

⅛     teaspoon mild red pepper flakes, preferably Aleppo or Marash, or more to taste

2      teaspoons pomegranate concentrate or molasses

1      tablespoon fresh lemon juice

 Flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

½     cup fresh or thawed frozen pomegranate seeds

Preparation

1.   Position an oven rack in the lower third of the oven and a second rack in the upper third. Heat the oven to between 225 and 275 degrees. Grease a thin sheet pan with olive oil.

2.   Carefully place a frying pan of just-boiled water on the lower oven rack. Arrange the salmon on the prepared sheet pan, season generously with salt and pepper, and place on the upper oven rack. Bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 110 degrees for rare, 115 degrees for medium-rare, or 125 degrees for medium. This should take 10 to 12 minutes for 5-ounce fillets or 20 to 25 minutes for a 2 1/2-pound fillet. (The color of the salmon will not turn dull, and the texture will be very juicy.)

3.   Transfer the salmon to a platter or one or more individual plates and season with more salt and pepper, if desired. Sprinkle with chives, if using, and serve.

Copper River Salmon and Morells

Copper River Salmon is the best. It is extremely moist and tender. It is only available in the market for a very limited time. We buy ours at McCall’s Meat and Fish, and Nate only sells it for a short period, providing us with only the best.

We found this recipe in for Oven-Steamed Salmon with Chive Oil in Paula Wolfert’s World of Food cookbook. This is actually quite easy to make an is a delicious dish. I highly recommend that you try this. Nothing is complicated, it is just essential flavors at their peak.

When we were recently in San Francisco we ate twice at Cotogna in San Francisco. It is a wonderful restaurant adjacent to Quince and owned by them. It has a slightly more rustic feel with its wood burning oven. We sat at the bar in front of the oven and watched the chefs. One of the dishes that they made was a Baked Ricotta with Fava Beans and Onions. We asked them how to make it, and it was very easy. They make their own ricotta, we skipped that step and bought the cheese at The Cheese Store of Silverlake. We then whipped some Crema Fresca into it to make it creamier. Because morels were in the market we substituted morels for the Favas. We baked it for a few minutes and it turned into a custard like consistency. We then topped the ricotta with the Sauted Morel Mushrooms and Onions. It was delicious and easy.

Oven-Steamed Salmon with Chive Oil

Paula Wolfert’s World of Food

CHIVE OIL

2 1/2 tablespoons snipped chives

Pinch of salt

¼ cup French peanut oil or high-quality salad oil

1/2 small, firm, unblemished cauliflower, broken into 12 flowerets

1/2 pound turnip greens, collards, or mustard greens, washed and stemmed

1 1/4 pound, center-cut fresh salmon fillet, cut crosswise into four l-inch-thick portions, about 5 ounces each, preferably Atlantic or King salmon

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt

1 teaspoon snipped chives

1.             Make the chive oil by combining the chives, salt, and the oil in a blender jar and whirling until the mixture is smooth. Pour it into a clean jar, cover tightly, and refrigerate. It keeps up to two weeks. Return the oil to room temperature belore using.

2.             Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the cauliflower and cook it until just tender, about 5 minutes. Remove it from the water, using a slotted spoon, and transfer it to a side dish. Add the greens to the boiling water and blanch for 2 minutes; drain and refresh under cold water. Cook the greens, covered, in a small saucepan with ¼ cup of lightly salted boiling water until they are almost tender, about 10 minutes (less for young leaves). Add the greens to the cauliflower, cover with plastic film, and set aside. (Up to this point the recipe can be prepared in advance.)

3.             Position one rack in the lower third of the oven and a second rack in the upper third. Preheat the oven to 225° F. Carefully place a skillet of boiling water on the lower oven shelf. Arrange the salmon pieces on a metal baking sheet, and place on the upper rack. Bake for 10 minutes. Turn the salmon over and cook 1 minute longer. (Note that the color of the salmon will not turn dull and the texture will be very juicy.) Sprinkle it with salt and pepper to taste.

4.             Meanwhile, in a large skillet, melt the butter over medium high heat, add the cauliflower and greens, and saute them, tossing, until hot. Correct the seasoning and arrange the vegetables in clumps on a large serving platter. Add 3 tablespoons of water to the skillet and boil quickly to combine it with the buttery juices. Pour them over the vegetables and drizzle about 2 tablespoons of the chive oil over the juices that fall onto the platter. Place the warm salmon in -the center, over the juices, and sprinkle with a mixture of coarse sea salt and chopped fresh chives.

Chicken Braised with Apricots and Harissa

At this stage in our lives, some dishes aren't worth the effort. This is a good recipe, but Chicken Braised with Apricots and Harissa requires a lot of work! You will get all of the tastes of Morocco but it would be easier to find a Moroccan restaurant if you crave the dish! However, it is doable, we just won't make it again.

Chicken Braised with Apricots and Harissa

MAKES 8 THIGHS

 

REQUIRES OVERNIGHT MARINATING

FOR THE TEBIL

 

2       tablespoons ground coriander

1¼    teaspoons turmeric

½      teaspoon caraway seeds, ground

¼      teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

 

I thought I knew my harissa after nearly two decades of making it from scratch. Then I tasted a spoonful of rich, wine-dark paste from an unmarked jar that arrived on my doorstep from brothers Mansour and Karim Arem. They were on the verge of launching Zwita, a company focused on celebrating their Tunisian heritage. Whereas Western cooks and food writers are somewhat familiar with many of the food traditions of nearby Morocco, we've largely neglected to learn anything about Tunisia or its culinary history. And judging by the Arem brothers' harissa, that's entirely to our detriment.

 

Made with mild, sun-dried chiles, the traditional Tunisian pepper paste is layered with garlic, caraway, and coriander.

Multidimensional in flavor and distinctly thick, this harissa will be a revelation to anyone who has only encountered it squeezed from a tube (or any other version similarly doctored up with tomato products, hydrated chile powder, or fresh peppers).

Once I tasted their harissa, I began to incorporate it into my everyday cooking, stirring it into Garlic and Herb Labne (page 48) and drizzling it over roasted vegetables. But one of my favorite ways to use it is as a rub or marinade for chicken.

When I asked Mansour what other spices I should add to this braise he told me about tebil (pronounced tah-bill), a Tunisian coriander-based spice blend that varies from family to family. In some households, it consists entirely of coriander!

He also said that cumin is used sparingly in Tunisia, and always added at the end of cooking to keep it from overwhelming the dish. With Mansour's guidance, I tinkered with the spices to develop my own tebil for this dish.

 

Every time l've made this for friends, there hasn't been a morsel left. Since I use mild harissa, even the most spice-averse kids lap up every sip of braising juice and eat every bite of chicken off the bone. It's a winner, if there ever was one. highly recommend serving this chicken with steamed couscous because it absorbs the braising juices on your plate as you eat-ensuring that you'll get to enjoy every last drop.

 

FOR THE CHICKEN

 

8       bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 3 pounds)

Kosher salt

2       tablespoons mild harissa paste

3       tablespoons Cardamom

Ghee (page 61), Ghee (page 62), or extra-virgin olive oil

1       yellow onion, thinly sliced

2       carrots, peeled and roll-cut (see page 32) into ¾-inch pieces 8       garlic cloves, peeled and left whole

1       cup crushed tomatoes (canned or fresh)

1       cup Chicken Stock (page 314) or water

2       bay leaves

Small handful of cilantro stems (reserve leaves for serving)

1       cup dried apricots, halved

1       teaspoon ground cumin

 

FOR SERVING

Cilantro leaves and tender stems

Steamed couscous, pearl couscous, or rice

Garlic and Herb

Labne

Green Sauce

 

To make the tebil, in a small bowl, stir together the coriander, turmeric, caraway, and pepper.

The day before you plan to cook, season the chicken generously on both sides with kosher salt. In a medium bowl, mash together the harissa paste and about half of the tebil.

Add the chicken and use your hands to evenly coat it all with the spiced harissa paste. Cover and refrigerate overnight, then bring to room temperature before cooking.

Adjust an oven rack to the center position and preheat to 375°F

Set a large nonreactive skillet over medium-high heat and add the cardamom ghee. When the fat shimmers, add the onion, carrots, and garlic. Season lightly with salt and sprinkle in the remaining tebil, then reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are tender, translucent, and just beginning to take on color, about 12 minutes.

Add the tomatoes and chicken stock and stir to deglaze, then let the mixture return to a boil.

Transfer the vegetable and tomato mixture into a g × 13-inch baking dish and layer in the bay leaves and cilantro stems.

Arrange the chicken thighs, skin-side down, atop the bed of aromatics, then nestle the apricots around the chicken. The braising liquid should come about halfway up the sides of the chicken, so if you're at all short, add a splash of water or stock to make up the difference. Lay a piece of parchment atop the chicken, then seal the pan tightly with aluminum foil.

Transfer to the oven and cook until the chicken is completely tender and shows no resistance when pierced with a sharp knife, about 1½ hours.

When the chicken is completely tender, adjust the oven rack to the highest position and increase the oven temperature to 425°F. Remove the foil and parchment from the pan and flipt he chicken thighs over so that they sit skin-side up. Sprinkle the cumin into the braising liquid as you flip the thighs.

Return the baking dish to the oven and cook the chicken until the liquid is nicely reduced and the skins are crisp and golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes longer.

To serve, use tongs to gently arrange the chicken in a rimmed serving dish or shallow bowl. Discard the bay leaves and cilantro stems. Taste and adjust the seasoning of the braising juices with salt as needed, then spoon the apricots and braising juices over the chicken. Garnish with cilantro and serve with steamed couscous, garlic and herb labne, and green sauce.

Refrigerate leftover meat, apricots, and braising juices together in a covered container for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 3 months. Bring to a boil before serving.

 

VARIATION

 

To make a Lamb Tagine, substitute 4 pounds boneless lamb shoulder, cut into 3-inch pieces and salted in advance, for the chicken. Before cooking the aromatics, melt 3 tablespoons of Ghee (page 62) or oil in the Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the lamb on all sides, about 4 minutes per side, then set the meat aside. Discard the used fat and continue the recipe as written, Cooking the aromatics in fresh ghee. Note that the lamb may take up to 30

Soy-Butter Basted Scallops With Wilted Greens and Sesame

Soy-Butter Basted Scallops With Wilted Greens and Sesame is one of those recipes that are so easy to make and always excellent. A riff on Asian ingredients makes for a great meal. We served it over Rice. I am always amazed of the variety of recipes made featuring Scallops. They  work so well with so many sauces and accompaniments. I don't think you will ever find this exact recipe in an Asian Restaurant, but it seems like you should be able to find it! I can't say for certain but I don't remember Asian recipes using Butter!

 

Soy-Butter Basted Scallops With Wilted Greens and Sesame

New York Times

 

This simple dish was inspired by a recipe for steamed scallop and butter rice found in “Donabe: Classic and Modern Japanese Clay Pot Cooking” (Ten Speed, 2015) by Naoko Takei Moore and Kyle Connaughton. Here, sweet sea scallops are seared in a hot pan and basted with melted butter and soy sauce to finish cooking. Tender greens are sautéed in garlic oil, then the scallops are placed on top and everything is drizzled with the remaining soy-butter and a bit of sesame oil. Finish the dish with a good squeeze of lime, thinly sliced scallions and a smattering of sesame seeds. It’s wonderful served over steamed white rice, so be sure to get that on the stove before you begin cooking the scallops, as the rest of the meal comes together in no time at all.

 

INGREDIENTS

Yield: 4 servings

 

1       pound large sea scallops, patted dry

Kosher salt and black pepper

3       tablespoons grapeseed or canola oil, plus more as needed

2       tablespoons unsalted butter

2       tablespoons soy sauce

3       garlic cloves, thinly sliced

½      teaspoon red-pepper flakes (optional)

1½    pounds baby spinach or other tender greens

1       teaspoon toasted sesame oil

Lime wedges, for serving

2       tablespoons thinly sliced scallion greens

Sesame seeds, for garnish (optional)

Steamed rice, for serving

 

PREPARATION

1.    Heat the oven to 200 degrees. Season the scallops well with salt and pepper. Heat a 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high. Add 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil and, when it shimmers, add the scallops. Cook undisturbed for 2 to 3 minutes, until they begin to brown and form a crust on the bottom.

2.    Flip the scallops, add the butter and soy sauce to the pan and use a spoon to repeatedly drizzle the sauce over the tops of the scallops to finish cooking, 1 to 2 minutes more.

3.    Set the scallops on an oven-safe plate and pour the butter mixture on top. Place the plate in the oven to keep the scallops warm while you finish the rest of the dish.

4.    Add the remaining 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil to the skillet and heat over medium. Add the garlic and red-pepper flakes, if using, and cook until the garlic is pale golden, about 2 minutes, adding a teaspoon or so more of grapeseed oil if needed. Return the heat to medium-high and add the spinach, in batches, if needed, and season with salt. Toss until the spinach wilts, adding a few teaspoons of water to help it along, if needed, and scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Turn off the heat.

5.    Add the scallops back to the pan and pour any residual butter-sauce over top. Drizzle the dish with sesame oil and a good squeeze of lime. Top with scallions and sesame seeds, if using, and serve with rice.

Soy-Butter Basted Scallops With Wilted Greens and Sesame

I really liked Soy-Butter Basted Scallops With Wilted Greens and Sesame. Scallops are always good, and this dish has a kick to it. We will make it again. I highly recommend it. It isn't hard to make and will become a favorite of yours if you like Scalllops!
 

Soy-Butter Basted Scallops With Wilted Greens and Sesame

New York Times

 

This simple dish was inspired by a recipe for steamed scallop and butter rice found in “Donabe: Classic and Modern Japanese Clay Pot Cooking” (Ten Speed, 2015) by Naoko Takei Moore and Kyle Connaughton. Here, sweet sea scallops are seared in a hot pan and basted with melted butter and soy sauce to finish cooking. Tender greens are sautéed in garlic oil, then the scallops are placed on top and everything is drizzled with the remaining soy-butter and a bit of sesame oil. Finish the dish with a good squeeze of lime, thinly sliced scallions and a smattering of sesame seeds. It’s wonderful served over steamed white rice, so be sure to get that on the stove before you begin cooking the scallops, as the rest of the meal comes together in no time at all.

 

INGREDIENTS

Yield: 4 servings

 

1       pound large sea scallops, patted dry

Kosher salt and black pepper

3       tablespoons grapeseed or canola oil, plus more as needed

2       tablespoons unsalted butter

2       tablespoons soy sauce

3       garlic cloves, thinly sliced

½      teaspoon red-pepper flakes (optional)

1½    pounds baby spinach or other tender greens

1       teaspoon toasted sesame oil

Lime wedges, for serving

2       tablespoons thinly sliced scallion greens

Sesame seeds, for garnish (optional)

Steamed rice, for serving

 

PREPARATION

1.    Heat the oven to 200 degrees. Season the scallops well with salt and pepper. Heat a 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high. Add 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil and, when it shimmers, add the scallops. Cook undisturbed for 2 to 3 minutes, until they begin to brown and form a crust on the bottom.

2.    Flip the scallops, add the butter and soy sauce to the pan and use a spoon to repeatedly drizzle the sauce over the tops of the scallops to finish cooking, 1 to 2 minutes more.

3.    Set the scallops on an oven-safe plate and pour the butter mixture on top. Place the plate in the oven to keep the scallops warm while you finish the rest of the dish.

4.    Add the remaining 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil to the skillet and heat over medium. Add the garlic and red-pepper flakes, if using, and cook until the garlic is pale golden, about 2 minutes, adding a teaspoon or so more of grapeseed oil if needed. Return the heat to medium-high and add the spinach, in batches, if needed, and season with salt. Toss until the spinach wilts, adding a few teaspoons of water to help it along, if needed, and scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Turn off the heat.

5.    Add the scallops back to the pan and pour any residual butter-sauce over top. Drizzle the dish with sesame oil and a good squeeze of lime. Top with scallions and sesame seeds, if using, and serve with rice.