Country Chef Reader

Grilled Soy-Sesame Salmon

My dad, R. D. Belles, was bitten by the salmon bug when he was a young man in his early 30s. We’d know he was experiencing a flare-up of what we called “Salmon Fever” when his sleeping and eating patterns took a sudden turn.

Normally, Dad moaned at the buzz of an alarm clock and slept in until noon whenever he got the chance, and routinely he began every day with the hardiest of breakfasts. But when he pointed the truck and boat trailer toward his favorite fishing haunts out on the tip of the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State, R.D.’s usual sleeping and eating patterns became drastically altered.

During such flareups he’d spring out of bed at 3:30 AM. “No time for breakfast. I have to get out there and wake up those Kings!” he’d whisper slipping out of the cabin like a cat on a late-night prowl.

Well after dark we’d see the running lights of his boat, Bob-Bet, bumping against the dock. R.D.’s broad smile glinting through the darkness told us his catch for the day was abundant. With stubble sprouting from his chin, he’d flop into a chair at the kitchen table and say, “I’m as hungry as a bear coming out of hibernation!” He’d plan the next day’s outing over a platter full of pan-fried red potatoes and his catch of “shaker fish."

Dad took fishing far more serious than anyone else in the family. Once, while fishing with him, I became severely seasick and begged to go back to shore. Foreboding walls of water rocked the twenty six-foot craft back and forth among the powerful waves. Bob-Bet lifted WAY UP and then plunged WAY DOWN, between the rollers. R.D. patiently puffed on his pipe and said, “Oh, you’ll be okay, you’ve just had too much motion today.” Sundown was the only good excuse for Dad to return to shore.

Once, I asked Dad if he’d bring back a dogfish (which is a small shark) for me to fry up for dinner. I’d heard dogfish had a unique texture partnered with a surprisingly non-fishy flavor. He hit the ceiling. “I won’t have the damn stink'n things in my boat. You can’t kill em’- even with a club! If you can’t kill em’ then ya can’t eat em’!” He blasted at me.

My Uncle Ken, also curious about the feasibility of dogfish & chips for dinner, brought me a large, fresh dogfish the next time he went fishing with Dad. Dad was furious with his older brother and acted like he was a traitor to the Salmon Fishing Hall of Fame.

I barbecued a small Coho salmon for Dad and deep-fried the dogfish for my adventurous guests. Dad showed up for dinner, but it was the first vegetarian meal that I’d ever known him to eat. He never ate fish at my house again! By the way, the dogfish was delicious!

~~~~~~~~~

In September and October my thoughts turn to my father who probably fished every salmon bed that exists in Pacific Northwest waters. His passion to catch the mighty fish made it possible for salmon to be served frequently in our home. My mother prepared it many, many different ways, and through the years I've gathered some of my own renditions of how to cook the pink-fleshed fish that "puts up one hell of a fight before he lands in the boat." Today I'm sharing three recipes for cooking salmon that you'll be glad "landed" on your dinner table. Enjoy!

Grilled Soy-Sesame Salmon

6 6-ounce salmon fillets, with or without skin

Marinade

1/4 cup brown sugar or honey

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

2 teaspoons dried parsley

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Whisk together brown sugar, olive oil, soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic powder, parsley, basil, thyme, lemon and pepper. Pour marinade into large zip-lock bag. Add salmon fillets; squeeze air out of bag and seal. Gently squeeze bag so marinade is surrounding fillets. Refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour.

Preheat either an outdoor drill or an indoor grated griddle to medium-high heat. Lightly oil grate with a brush or paper towel. Remove salmon from the marinade; shake off excess marinade and discard any excess marinade. Grill salmon until browned and fish easily flakes, about 5 to 7 minutes on each side. Serve with jasmine rice. Yield: 6 servings

Halibut with Spicy Picante Sauce

2 pounds cod fillets, rinsed and patted dry with paper towels

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

Picante Sauce

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium onion, coarsely chopped or sliced thin

1 clove garlic, minced

1 8-ounce can tomato sauce

1 small can mild or medium enchilada sauce

1 bay leaf, broken in half once

2 tablespoons jalapeno pepper, finely chopped

10 pimento -stuffed green olives, sliced

2 tablespoons capers, cut into halves

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

Sprinkle fillets with lime juice; cover and set aside. Combine olive oil, onion and garlic in a 6-cup glass measuring cup. Cover measuring cup and microwave on High for 4 minutes. Add tomato sauce, enchilada sauce, bay leaf, jalapeno peppers, olives, capers and oregano to onion garlic mixture. Cover and microwave on High for 4 minutes.

Place fish in a greased 10"X12" glass baking dish; pour picante sauce over fish. Cover and microwave on High for 6 minutes (less or more depending on thickness of fillets), rotating dish once or twice during cooking time. Cook until fish flakes easily with a fork. Remove the bay leaf. Serve with white rice. Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Bobbi’s Salmon & Green Bean Salad

8 to 10 ounces canned, baked or poached salmon, chilled, boned and flaked

3 ti 4 cups fresh green beans, snapped into 2” pieces, steamed to almost done, cooled

1 small Vidalia or Walla Walla sweet onion, separated into rings

1 ½ cups iceberg lettuce, shredded (optional)

1 medium tomato (sliced) or cherry tomatoes (optional)

Dressing

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 teaspoons lemon juice, fresh squeezed

2 teaspoons water

4 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped

½ to 1 teaspoon sea salt

Cracked pepper to taste

1 or 2 cloves garlic, minced

Toss salmon, beans and onion together in a large bowl. Measure vinegar, oil, lemon juice, water, basil, salt, pepper, and garlic into shaker container. Shake well. Pour dressing over salmon mixture and toss. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours before serving.

Serve on bed of shredded lettuce. Garnish with tomatoes. Yield: 3 to 4 as main dish salad or 8 to 9 as a side salad

This recipe comes from the kitchen of Bobbi Powell, Kent, Washington.

~~~~~~~~~~

Labels: green bean salmon salad, picante salmon, salmon, salmon fishing, soy-sesame salmon

Happy New Year!

Excerpt from Pork Chops & Applesauce:
A Collection of Recipes and Reflections

Crab meat is Costly, yet an Oh-So worth it Treat

“I’d never bought a live crab before.” Kathy told me. “The crabber instructed me on how to cook them and I felt especially adventurous that day. So, I bought 4 of the bug-eyed, pre-historic looking creatures at an unbelievable low price of $1 each. It sounded easy enough, just drop the crab into a pot of rapidly boiling water and simmer it until its shell turns red.”

“Have you ever had to chase a crab around your kitchen? Or worse yet, have you ever been chased around your own kitchen by a crab?” She asked. “Well, I discovered the hard way that a crab needs to be dropped into the boiling water on its back. When I dropped the first crab into the pot face down, it quickly climbed back up the side of the pot, landed on the floor and, clacking its pincers, chased me screaming across the kitchen to the safety of a nearby bedroom.” Kathy howled with laughter as she remembered the incident.

“When I finally got the nerve to leave the bedroom, I chased him around the kitchen, grabbed the partially scalded cantankerous crab and quickly dropped him into the pot…on his back. Victory was mine!” She gallantly announced. “Without doubt, it was well worth the skirmish to get fresh crab meat and at such a reasonable price,” she added. “However, I think that kind of market low price is gone forever!”

Inexpensive crab meat is a price of the past. No matter how you weigh the critter - crab is gonna cost you. But for crab meat lovers the following Crab Meat Pasta-Shell Soup is Oh-So worth it!

Crab Meat Pasta-Shell Soup
1/4 cup onion, chopped
1/4 cup green bell pepper, chopped
1/4 cup celery, diced
1-2 tablespoons margarine or butter
3 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 cup ripe tomato, peeled and crushed
1/4 cup tiny pasta shells
1 tablespoon parsley, snipped
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
6-8 ounces fresh crab meat or 2-6 ounce cans crab meat, drained
with cartilage and shells removed

In a large saucepan, saute onion, green bell pepper and celery in margarine until tender but not brown. Add broth, tomatoes, tiny pasta shells, parsley, salt and pepper; bring to boiling. Cover and reduce heat; simmer for 30 minutes. Add crab meat and simmer 5 minutes longer. Serve immediately. Yield: 6-8 servings

This recipe originates from the kitchen of Cheryl Burke, Kent, Washington. Cheryl shared this crab soup recipe with me many years ago when she and her husband, Dan, hosted their annual Kent Fire Fighters’ Christmas dinner. Since then I’ve been making it every holiday season for either Christmas Eve or New Year’s Eve dinner. It makes a satisfying and delectable main dish when accompanied with a dinner salad, fresh sourdough bread and chilled white wine. Crab Meat Pasta-Shell Soup gets a double thumbs-up from me as it’s incredibly simple to prepare, yet it tastes gourmet!

More recipes and stories for warming up during chilly winter weather can be found in my book, Pork Chops & Applesauce; Pacific Beach Clam Chowder and
Southwest Meets Northwest White Chili along with their accompanying sure-cure stories for warming you from the inside out.

~~~~~~~~~~

Smoked Salmon Chowder is a warming comfort food that is satisfying on chilly days, yet promises summer with sprigs of dill weed and parsley. Creamy sour cream thickens the broth and compliments the smoked fish, creating a lunch or dinner that’s sure to please all seafaring seafood enthusiasts.

Smoked Salmon Chowder
2 cups smoked salmon, cut into chunks, (alder smoked is my favorite)
OR 2 cups baked or canned salmon plus ⅛ – ¼ teaspoon liquid smoke
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup onions, chopped
½ cup celery, sliced
1 cup green pepper, chopped (optional)
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups chicken broth
½ - ¾ cup sour cream or cream cheese
1 tablespoon fresh or dried dill weed
2-3 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
Freshly ground black pepper and salt to taste

Melt butter in medium saucepan; saute onion, celery, and green pepper. Stir in flour, slowly add broth and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until chowder reaches boiling point. Add sour cream, dill weed, black pepper and smoked salmon; heat 4-5 minutes, stirring constantly (do not boil). Garnish with parsley just before serving, season with salt at the table. Yield: 4-6 servings

~~~~~~~~~~

Of all sound of all bells... most solemn and touching is the peal which rings out the Old Year. ~Charles Lamb

Happy New Year!
C. Briggs

Receive the Country Chef Reader by sending your request to
books@porkchopsandapplesauce.net
Your contact information is kept strictly confidential and we don't share, sell or trade your information with anyone for any reason.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Labels: crab, crab shell soup, crab soup, crabmeat, crabmeat soup, new year, salmon, salmon chowder, seafood, smoked salmon, smoked salmon chowder