salmon – Page 3 – TasteFood

Appetizers, Curing, Denmark, Fish and Shellfish, holiday

Gravlax and Christmas

December 26, 2009July 31, 2014by Lynda Balslev4 Comments

The Danish Christmas season would not be complete without many Christmas Lunches. Christmas Lunch is the ubiquitous term for a multi-coursed feast punctuated by multiple toasts with schnaps, beer and wine. The season for these festive lunches spans the weeks of advent to several days following Christmas day. “Lunch” is actually a misnomer, since these smorgasbords can take place either during the day or evening.

A traditional Danish Christmas Lunch begins with a fish course, followed by meat, cheese and dessert. To me, the fish course sums up the beauty of nordic cuisine: Fresh, minimalist and refined. Herring, fjord shrimp and salmon are served open-faced on various breads (smørrebrød) with garnishes. There are many herring preparations: marinated with dill, folded in curried cream, spiced with wine and cloves. Every family has their own recipe which they think is best. Fjord shrimp are another Nordic delicacy: tiny shrimp the size of a fingernail, painstakingly peeled and artfully arranged in a towering piles on soft white french bread, and crowned with a dollop of creme fraiche and a squeeze of lemon.

My favorite fish is gravlax. It’s preparation and presentation are the essence of Nordic cuisine in simplicity and taste.Salmon is cured over days until it is meltingly soft with a clean taste of the sea. It’s edges are flecked with pepper and dill and tinged with salt, adding a restrained flavor that doesn’t overpower the fish.

Every Christmas I make my own Gravlax which we enjoy on Christmas day or New Years Eve. It’s very easy to prepare. Pay attention to the quality of the fish: It must be very fresh with a good consistency, not too mushy and preferably an Atlantic fish, such as Loch Duart Salmon. To serve, fold a slice of Gravlax on toasted brioche bread. Squeeze a few drops of fresh lemon juice and smear a spoonful of Honey Dill Mustard on the fish. Garnish with a dill sprigs.

Gravlax

Gravlax (gravlaks in Danish and Norwegian or gravad lax in Swedish) literally means salmon in a grave or hole. During the middle ages fisherman would salt salmon and let it ferment by burying it in a hole above high-tide line. Nowadays (unelss you wish to connect with your inner-viking) it’s not necessary to bury salmon in sand, but, rather in salt and sugar and let it sit in the refrigerator. The salmon will cure over several days, during which the salt and sugar will turn into liquid, creating a brine.

Serves a party

One side of salmon, about 3 lbs. (1.5 kg.), with skin, pin bones removed
1 tablespoon white peppercorns
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
10 oz. (350 g.) sea salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 cup fresh dill sprigs
1/4 cup Akavit or vodka

Finely grind peppercorns with a mortar and pestle. Mix pepper, salt, and sugars together in a medium bowl. Rub fish all over with salt mixture. Line a long baking pan or dish with plastic wrap. Place half the dill sprigs over plastic wrap. Arrange salmon, skin-side down on dill. Sprinkle Akavit over salmon. Top with remaining dill. Cover with additional plastic wrap, sealing the fish. Place a heavy pan or tray on fish. Weigh down pan with cans or bottles. Refrigerate for 3 days.

To serve, remove fish from refrigerate. Remove plastic wrap. Pour off collected juices and wipe off excess brine and dill. Slice diagonally from one corner of the salmon towards the center of the fillet. Serve with french bread or toasted brioche. Garnish with fresh dill sprigs and honey dill mustard.

Honey Dill Mustard

1/4 cup honey mustard
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
1/2 cup grapeseed oil
1/4 cup chopped dill sprigs
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt

Whisk mustard and vinegar together in a small bowl. Slowly whisk in oil to emulsify. Stir in dill, pepper and salt.

Appetizers, Barbeque, Fish and Shellfish, Greece, Grilling

Easy Entertaining: Grilled Salmon and Halibut Skewers

April 17, 2009July 28, 2014by Lynda Balslev3 Comments

It’s mid-April, Easter vacation, and when it rains it pours – luckily and figuratively – in the houseguest department. Who needs to go away during a school vacation, when you live in the San Francisco Bay area? There is no shortage of beaches and nature to explore, food and wine to taste, museums and city to walk, and it can’t get any better than with the streak of brilliant weather we have had this week. Besides, if we don’t go away, then those who do go away, come to us.

We are reaching the end of a week of playing tourist in our own backyard, hiking Pacific coastal trails, tasting Napa wine, window shopping in Union Square, and having our senses titillated in Chinatown. My brother and his family have come and gone and return again this evening after visiting Yosemite National Park for a 3 day excursion. While they were gone, the kids have had friends sleep over, and a good friend from our Geneva days came round for a dinner – she was in town for business and we had the chance to catch up after 10 years over good wine and food. Next week when we are back to our usual routine I will rest.

As you might imagine, the kitchen chez nous has been busy and continually re-stocked. And for last night’s dinner I prepared these lovely fish kabobs for easy, elegant entertaining.

Grilled Salmon and Halibut Skewers
Serves 6

For the marinade:
1/4 cup (60 ml.) extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup (60 ml.) freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 medium yellow onion, grated, with juices
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt

3 lbs. salmon fillet and halibut filet (thick pieces), cut in 1″ chunks
1 large red onion, cut in 1″ pieces
1 large red pepper, cut in 1″ pieces
1 large yellow pepper, cut in 1″ pieces

Italian flat leaf parsley for garnish

Soak 12 wooden skewers in hot water 30 minutes before using.

In a large bowl combine marinade ingredients. Whisk together. Add fish to marinade and toss gently to coat. Refrigerate at least one hour and up to 4 hours.
Preheat grill or oven grill.
Remove skewers from water. Thread 4-5 pieces of fish on each skewer, alternating with pepper and onion pieces. Grill, turning, until fish is brown and just cooked through, 6-8 minutes.
Arrange on a platter, salt and pepper to taste, and garnish with parsley sprigs.

Appetizers, Fish and Shellfish, Main Course

Sunday Night Salmon Cakes

November 7, 2008January 21, 2019by Lynda Balslev2 Comments

It’s not a good sign, when it’s barely mid-November and I already want a time-out. I don’t know about you but it feels as though seasonal festivities are already in full swing. It could be that in addition to Halloween and the upcoming family holidays, every other friend and family member of mine happens to have a birthday in October or November. After all the celebrating, and the ghoulishly sweet orientation of Halloween-past, I find myself craving savory, comfort food. Now, to some, a fish cake may not be the first food choice to leap to mind that fits the bill, but, to me, a salty, smoky, crispy and moreish fish cake is the perfect RX to balance out too many late evenings and too many sweets.

In my eternal search for the perfect fish cake, I found that the best way to get the results I craved was to create my own recipe which had all of the right elements. This ideal cake is packed with fish and has little filler; it’s toothsome in texture and not too mushy; it’s salty and piquant without too much sweetness; it’s bursting with fresh herbs and studded with bits of chile. Tried-and-true, these are now a household staple, especially on a Sunday night.

Smoked Salmon Fish Cakes

Makes approx. 16 – 2″ diameter cakes

1 1/2 lb. salmon filets, skinned, pin bones removed
1/4 lb. smoked salmon
1 3/4 cup Panko bread crumbs
One small onion grated with juices, about 1/4 cup
2 scallions, ends trimmed, minced
2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (coriander)
2 tablespoons Greek-style whole milk yogurt
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon Tabasco, to taste
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Combine salmon filets and smoked salmon in bowl of food processor. Pulse to chop without over processing. The consistency should be finely chopped without becoming mushy.
Transfer salmon to a large bowl. Add 1/4 cup Panko breadcrumbs, onion with juices, scallions, parsley and cilantro. Mix with a fork to combine. Add yogurt, lemon juice, tabasco, pepper. Stir to combine.

Pour remaining 1 1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs in a shallow bowl. Using a soup spoon scoop out a generous amount of salmon mixture. Carefully form it into a plump 2″ patty with your hands. Roll cake in Panko to cover. Place on platter. Repeat with remaining salmon. Add more Panko to bowl if necessary. (Patties can be formed up to 3 hours before cooking. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate.)

Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in skillet. Add fish cakes in one layer. Fry over medium-high heat until browned, turning once, about 3 minutes per side. Use a spatter guard to prevent oil from spattering. Transfer cakes to a plate lined with paper towel to drain. Repeat with remaining salmon mixture.
Transfer cakes to pre-warmed serving platter. Garnish with lemon wedges and parsley leaves.