httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCZ6cZ2eG2s
I love seafood! Of course, now you know I grew up on the “Rock” (most scenes shown are from there), you’d probably think that we ate seafood a lot, but that would be far from the truth!! I remember when my Aunt and Uncle from New Brunswick would come to visit during the summer and then my Dad and my Uncle would head off to Harry’s Harbour to pick up some lobsters and mussels. Oh, and occasionally COD TONGUES (yes, I did try them once and thought they were good, but I was a silly kid, lol). It was quite the feast, to say the least!!!
Then, my Grandfather took up salmon fishing as a hobby. When I got older, he and I used to wake up at 4:00 am (okay, so what kid do you know who likes to get up at that ungodly hour [Evil editor’s remark: I did, when my Daddy drove us up to Muskoka every summer in the middle of the night]) and we would head off to Big Falls to cast away and try to catch a salmon (though I never did). He, on the other hand, was quite the fisherman and would catch his quota during the summer. Of course, living next to his house meant that we got the fish anyway (yay!) or he froze it for later consumption. My Mom is a fantastic cook and she would bbq the salmon (stuffed) to perfection. [Note to self: I’ll have to get the recipe from her sometime.] The skin would fall right off, it was very easy to de-bone, plus the stuffing she used was yummy. [Helenka’s plaintive note: Oh, Brian. ::sighs with longing:: You just made me remember our bbqs at Hanlan’s Point where, after we’d finished making our meal, we’d bbq extra food (such as my salmon steaks) to take home and store in the freezer; so, in the middle of the winter, I could remove a portion and be reminded instantly of the incredible tastes of summer.]
Enough memories for now. Back to the show. [Helenka rolls her eyes … finally.] I was quite eager – you can now understand why – to try this salmon recipe though, as usual, I did deviate from the instructions because I did not buy salmon with the skin on. I think it turned out great just the same, but you do have to take extra care and adjust the cooking time.
We had asparagus again, and I used real, freshly grated Parmesan. It’s definitely worth buying a hunk of this cheese and grating it yourself. That ol’ powdered stuff is crap and I threw all mine out after this episode. Here’s a handy tip: remember to put the block of cheese in the freezer, so it will last longer. I find it easier to grate, too, from the frozen state. [Helenka thanks Brian for the tip, because my Parmigiano-Reggiano ends up going mouldy in the fridge when I don’t use it quickly enough. And that’s a lot of money to throw away these days.]
This episode is also when we started drinking on camera (or I should say when “I” started drinking…. I’m implying nothing, of course <evil grin>). [Helenka yells, “Arrgghh. It’s just water, people. Otherwise, I would fall off my perch – and there is no way that is ever going to happen on camera.”] It was a very nice meal to top off with a fine glass of wine, if I do say so myself.
Sit back, relax and …
Enjoy!
B&H =:)
Please note: We try and review the recipes in the cookbook; however, in an effort to respect copyright, we are not able to reproduce the actual printed recipes here. If you do have the book, please follow along with us!
Review: Honey Mustard Soy Glazed, Pan-Seared Salmon And Baked Parmesan Asparagus
Notes from the Chef’s Sidekick (Helenka)
Dinner was … dinner was … I can’t even begin to describe how amazing this dinner was, based on the recipes found on Pages 232 and 301 of The Book. First of all, Brian inadvertently made this dinner even lower in fat by buying skinless salmon. That posed a bit of a challenge, as the salmon was supposed to be seared for up to 5 minutes, skin-side down. So we took an educated guess in reducing the time – and it worked out perfectly. The salmon came out of the oven perfectly cooked. Am I overusing the words “perfect” or “perfectly”? No, definitely not, and I’m going to continue writing them. Also, even though Brian had already made the asparagus once before (on a cookie sheet), this time it, too, was perfect. Why? Because he’d incorporated the olive oil and parmesan cheese within a sided dish, so that the ingredients didn’t just lie on top of the asparagus, but interacted with the stalks, the bubbling sauce infusing them with flavour.
Plating was fun, as he placed the salmon on top of salad greens, then added a bunch of crisp and crunchy asparagus, before drizzling the salmon with more of that exquisite honey-mustard-soy glaze. I believe I’ve mentioned this before, but it could bear repeating. A salad dressing doesn’t have to be a conventional one. We found the glaze tasted amazing over salad greens. And one didn’t need to drench the greens because the flavour was intense and distinct.
I had suggested that Brian NOT use any salt or pepper during the cooking process. This may be the easiest way to cut down on excess sodium content during cooking. First of all, much of the salt may be wasted and, secondly, salt can toughen many foods. So why take that chance? After the dishes came out of the oven, I’d already decided on the Salish alder smoked salt for the salmon (because we DO know it tastes amazing on, and is recommended for, salmon). The second salt was the Fleur de Sel sprinkled very carefully over the asparagus (as the crystals were on the large side).
This week, Brian’s special treat was a titch of Cabernet Sauvignon poured into crystal goblets. And, yes, red wine with fish. But salmon with a highly flavoured sauce isn’t exactly oh-so-delicate sole or most other whitefish. It’s robust. Anyway, we liked the pairing. Because we like to mix things up … if you hadn’t figured that out for yourselves yet!
Variations
Actually, this is not a variation of the main course which I will continue to call perfect, both in content and execution, but a memory of something that Brian and I made on my balcony bbq perhaps 15 years ago … all from the use of mustard. We had sliced yams very thinly and marinated them in garlic olive oil. And, then, we brushed them with maple syrup and mustard (a single flavour each side, IIRC) before putting them on the bbq. The combo of a crispy outer layer that was obviously garlicky, the sweetness and texture of the cooked yam inside, along with the sweet and savoury sensations, created an incredible explosion of flavours that complemented each other.
The verdict, if you haven’t guessed it already, is perfect.
