eG Cook-Off #82: Salmon

[heidih]

@David Ross  Good combo on the salmon and  japchae. I prefer the noodles room temp or barely warm - brings flavors out for me. The vendors I frequent do not always use red bell pepper and DO always use wood ear mushrooms. To me the distinctive flavor of toasted sesame oil is key as well. 

Edited May 25, 2019 by heidih (log)

[David Ross]

9 minutes ago, heidih said:

@David Ross  Good combo on the salmon and  japchae. I prefer the noodles room temp or barely warm - brings flavors out for me. The vendors I frequent do not always use red bell pepper and DO always use wood ear mushrooms. To me the distinctive flavor of toasted sesame oil is key as well. 

 

Thanks for the tips.  I tried the salad cold but preferred it when I tried it room temperature.  I love wood ear mushrooms so I'll try those next time.  

[David Ross]

What are your thoughts on wrapping salmon in foil on the bbq?  I grew up in Salem in the Willamette Valley or Oregon, about 90 minutes from the coast.  Every summer we would have fresh salmon and Father would grill it on the bbq.  We bought whole sides of salmon and he'd season it, add some lemon slices, (similar to the photo), then wrap the whole thing in foil.  It was a pretty popular technique back in the 60's and 70's, but even back then I thought it seemed odd.  The salmon was delicious and moist, but to me it's just basically steamed in foil.  I happen to prefer salmon openly grilled so that the skin gets charred yet the meat stays moist.  Some people use the foil as a support for the salmon so it doesn't stick to the grill but they don't wrap it tight, let the smoke permeate the salmon.  I use a non-stick fish grate so the salmon is exposed to the fire and smoke.  What do you do when grilling salmon?

[BeeZee]

My husband is the Griller in Chief, but he's not patient or particularly skilled. So I put the seasoned salmon on a piece of foil (skin down) just as a barrier between fish and grate. Makes it easy to remove the skin, since it will want to stick to the foil after cooking.

[Toliver]

1 hour ago, David Ross said:

What are your thoughts on wrapping salmon in foil on the bbq?  I grew up in Salem in the Willamette Valley or Oregon, about 90 minutes from the coast.  Every summer we would have fresh salmon and Father would grill it on the bbq.  We bought whole sides of salmon and he'd season it, add some lemon slices, (similar to the photo), then wrap the whole thing in foil.  It was a pretty popular technique back in the 60's and 70's, but even back then I thought it seemed odd.  The salmon was delicious and moist, but to me it's just basically steamed in foil.  I happen to prefer salmon openly grilled so that the skin gets charred yet the meat stays moist.  Some people use the foil as a support for the salmon so it doesn't stick to the grill but they don't wrap it tight, let the smoke permeate the salmon.  I use a non-stick fish grate so the salmon is exposed to the fire and smoke.  What do you do when grilling salmon?

David, I agree completely with you. Why use a grill if you're going to wrap the item to be grilled completely in foil?

I think the point of using the grill is to add an extra layer of goodness (smoke, char, whatever) to what you're cooking. Otherwise, go use your kitchen oven for the foil packet.

[David Ross]

True.  My Mother was a typical 1950's housewife and there was a big push by Reynolds Aluminum to advertise the convenience of "grilling" with foods in packets in the early suburb days.  She and Father also put packets of potatoes and vegetables wrapped in foil on the bbq.  Delicious, but basically vegetables steamed in foil.  Thankfully grilling tech is offering us so many more tools today to grill salmon, vegetables, anything, that results in good grilling flavor.

[heidih]

Afgreed on the foil as defeating the uniqueness of grilling.  For really beautiful deep red wild salmon: salt only, medium grill, skinside down to crisp up. I grill the lemon (usually halves) alongside to squeeze on at the table. 

[chileheadmike]

I've "rediscovered" putting potatoes and veggies in foil and then onto the grill. I use a Weber kettle with hardwood lump charcoal and usually a chunk or two of hickory, pecan, cherry.. etc. I add the foil packets along with whatever I'm grilling, say salmon to keep on topic. I don't notice the smokey flavor the night of, but it's very noticeable when I heat up the leftovers in a hot skillet the next morning for breakfast. So, foil may not be all that much of a barrier after all.  

[David Ross]

Well, I'm glad I looked in my eGullet archives and found some salmon dishes I forgot about.  This was a post from March 2010:

 

"Last night I did the cover recipe from the April 2010 issue of Bon Appetit--Salmon with Sweet Chili Glaze with Sugar Snap Peas and Greens.

The recipe calls for using pea tendrils for the greens but we don't have a market where I can find them so I substituted watercress. I included the stems of the watercress for texture and added some oyster mushrooms to the mix."

 

https://forums.egullet.org/topic/143505-dinner-2010/?do=findComment&comment=1736543

[gfweb]

One from the archives...old school poached salmon with cherry tomatoes, onions, fennel and carrot shavings in a sauce made of the  reduced poaching liquid and mounted with butter., and butter braised bok choy. 

 

[David Ross]

18 hours ago, gfweb said:

One from the archives...old school poached salmon with cherry tomatoes, onions, fennel and carrot shavings in a sauce made of the  reduced poaching liquid and mounted with butter., and butter braised bok choy. 

 

I love poached salmon.  This is a delicious dish.

[Margaret Pilgrim]

On 5/31/2019 at 9:44 AM, David Ross said:

 

This is essentially the treatment I gave our family party salmon, albeit we baked the sealed foil packet on a cookie sheet in the oven.    Cooked just through, plattered with watercress and served with aioli.     Nothing left at end of day.  

[heidih]

A word from my local salmon vendor  https://www.bristolfarms.com/blog/2019/05/copper-river-salmon-is-here-bristolfarms/

[David Ross]

16 hours ago, heidih said:

A word from my local salmon vendor  https://www.bristolfarms.com/blog/2019/05/copper-river-salmon-is-here-bristolfarms/

That's actually a good price and at this point in the season a few weeks in what we are paying around Seattle and Spokane.  Side note, I remember they took us to shop for ingredients at Bristol Farms back in 2001 when I was competing on MasterChef USA and we were filming in Los Angeles.

[Smithy]

Salmon and pecans have an affinity for each other. Somewhere in my files I have a recipe for pecan-crusted salmon with sorrel sauce. I no longer have sorrel, but I decided to try fennel (from the farmers' market) and lovage (from the garden) in a butter sauce. The pecans were toasted, then chopped, then pressed onto the salmon with the help of melted butter. The salmon was baked, skin side down, until it was done. A drizzle of lemon balanced and brightened everything.

 

 

Crunchy, toasted pecans, meltingly tender salmon, and a summery vegetable with just a hint of that anisey flavor - what's not to love? 

[David Ross]

Delicious and you reminded me I need to plant lovage in the garden.

[gfweb]

33 minutes ago, VerleneRosen said:

Looks great! My main impression is wish to it this great piece! What are the vegetables near? Only tomatoes and onion? Because I see marrow. Or is it illusion?

 

 

I used shaved carrot, cherry tomato,  sliced onions and fennel...sauteed till cooked ...then added enough water to just barely cover...placed salmon on top of veg and simmered.  The veg to the right is bok choy, halved and sauteed in butter till darkened and soft.

Edited June 26, 2019 by gfweb (log)

[David Ross]

For years I've been doing a salmon dish from Larry Forgione's American Place cookbook.  The recipe, "Grilled Salmon with Pumpkin Seed Vinaigrette and Briased Kale" is classic American in style.  What first intrigued me was the vinaigrette using toasted pepitas, (which I had never heard of up to that point), pumpkin puree and tomato.  The pepitas add a toasted, herbal and sort of woodsy flavor to the vinaigrette.  It pairs really well with salmon, keeping it moist and flavorful.  The vinagrette also works with poultry and wild game.  The salmon can be grilled, on the stovetop or on your bbq, broiled or using a Pacific Northwest technique.  I use cedar or alder planks to give the salmon a hint of smoke.  The planks work in either the oven or the outdoor grill.

 

I used to serve this only in the Fall, apparently I thought at the time pumpkin dishes were only served late Fall through the holiday season.  But this is, of course, a dish to serve year round.

 

 

Vinaigrette-

1 cup green pumpkin seeds (pepitas, found at DeLeon foods or bulk food section at market)

½ cup canned pumpkin puree

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp. turmeric

1 Roma tomato, seeded and cut into small dice

½ cup apple cider vinegar

¾ cup olive oil

Salt and fresh ground black pepper

 

Salmon-

4, 6-80oz. salmon filets

2 tsp. mustard powder

Salt and fresh ground black pepper

2 tbsp. butter

2 tbsp. olive oil

2 tbsp. butter

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 head of Swiss chard, (or Kale or Mustard Greens), chopped

 

1). Make the vinaigrette.  Heat the oven to 350.  Spread the green pumpkin seeds on a baking sheet lined with foil.  Toast in the oven just until the pumpkin seeds start to brown.  Remove from the oven and let cool.

 

Heat a skillet over medium heat and add ½ cup of the toasted pumpkin seeds.  (Reserve the other ½ cup of pumpkin seeds as a garnish).  Add the pumpkin puree, garlic, turmeric, tomato and apple cider vinegar.  Stir the mixture and then turn the heat down to low while the salmon cooks.  Just before service, bring the heat back to medium and stir in the olive oil.

 

2). To make the salmon, heat the oven to 400.  Sprinkle the salmon filets with the mustard powder and season with salt and pepper.  Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and add the 2 tbsp. of butter and olive oil.  Add the salmon filets and cook on each side, about 3-4 minutes to sear in the juices.  Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast the salmon for another 4-5 minutes or until the salmon is firm to the touch and done.

 

3). While the salmon roasts, make the greens.  Heat the remaining 2 tbsp. of butter and olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the Swiss chard and stir-fry until the greens are wilted.  Add a few tablespoons of water if need be to quicken the cooking.

 

4). To serve, place some of the greens in the center of a plate.  Top the greens with one of the salmon filets, then drizzle the pumpkin seed vinaigrette over the salmon and around the plate.  Garnish the salmon with more of the toasted pumpkin seeds.

[Paul Bacino]

@DavidRoss--  Nice..  gonna try this