Poached Salmon

One of my favorite fish is salmon. I love the texture, meatiness and versatile way it carries flavors. My friend Yumi received a poacher over the holidays and took the opportunity to use it for this poached fish recipe. It was delicious!

Poached Fish (Salmon)
from Cooking Enthusiast

Poaching is a gentle cooking method, perfect for seafood, as it gives fish lots of moisture without masking its delicate flavor. Using a fish poacher makes poaching easier, as the rack allows you to pull the fish out of the hot liquid in one beautiful piece, while the poacher’s shape allows you to use a minimum of liquid.

Making the court bouillon:

The traditional poaching liquid for fish, court bouillon is a broth made from simmering aromatic vegetables and herbs in water or stock, with the addition of lemon juice, vinegar or white wine.

1 onion, peeled and chopped
2 carrots, peeled and sliced 1/2″ thick
1 stalk celery, sliced 1/2″ thick
4 sprigs parsley
3 sprigs thyme
1 bay leaf
2 T coarse salt
10 whole peppercorns
1 cup white wine or 1/2 cup white wine vinegar or 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 quarts water, vegetable or chicken stock (unsalted or low sodium)

Place all ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer uncovered 30 minutes. Strain and cool. Refrigerate up to 3 days. Can be frozen up to 3 months.

Poaching the fish:

Use any firm-fleshed fish. Wipe the poacher rack with a little cooking oil to prevent the fish from sticking. Clean the fish. Leave head and tail on if desired. (See How to Clean and Fillet a Fish for more information on this step.)

Place the fish on the rack and set the rack in the bottom of the poacher. Ladle enough cooled court bouillon over fish to completely cover. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook the fish gently until done, 8 to 12 minutes. Check for doneness by making a small knife cut in the middle of the fish, parallel to the backbone. The flesh should pull away from the bone and no longer be translucent. When done, remove fish from poacher, allowing liquid to drain off. Remove the skin by cutting through it at the base of the head and peel down to the tail. Turn fish onto a serving platter and peel the skin off that side. Fish is now ready to serve. Horseradish Relish makes a wonderful compliment.

Creamy Pasta with Salmon, Asparagus & Dill

Last year I scored the book, The Perfect Recipe for Losing Weight & Eating Great, by Pam Anderson. I’ve used it as inspiration here and there but never really made an actual recipe from it. My Chef Spotlight Dinner served as the perfect time to use a recipe from it since we were highlighting health conscious chefs! For my dinner I prepared Pam’s Creamy Pasta with Salmon, Asparagus & Dill.

Creamy Pasta with Salmon, Asparagus & Dill
recipe from Pam Anderson: The Perfect Recipe, page 208

Salt
1 pound dried pasta
3 cups asparagus, tough ends snapped, spears cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup 2-percent evaporated milk
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, preferably Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus extra for sprinkling
12 ounces cooked salmon, cut into 2-inch chunks
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
Ground black pepper

Bring 2 quarts water and 1 tablespoon salt to a boil in a large soup kettle. Add pasta and, using the time given on the package as a guide, cook, partially covered and stirring frequently to prevent sticking, until just tender. Add asparagus during the last 5 minutes of cooking.

Meanwhile, microwave broth, milk and garlic in a 1-quart Pyrex measuring cup or small microwave-safe bowl until steamy-hot, 3 to 4 minutes; let stand for a couple of minutes.

Place butter in a Dutch oven or large saucepan over low heat. When butter melts, whisk in flour, then hot milk mixture all at once, whisking constantly until sauce thickens, 1 to 2 minutes.

Stir in parmesan, salmon, lemon zest and dill. Add salt and black pepper to taste and simmer to blend flavors, about 5 minutes.

Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup pasta cooking liquid. Return pasta to pot.

Pour cream sauce over pasta, adding enough reserved cooking liquid to moisten. Toss and serve immediately with a light sprinkling of parmesan.

Grilled Lemon & Dill Salmon

One of my favorite fish is salmon because of the hearty texture and flavor. It’s also a great fish that takes on both sweet and savory flavors really well. I prepared this dish for our Christmas Eve dinner and served it over a bed of fresh spinach with sliced almonds, crumbled goat cheese and a raspberry pomegranate vinaigrette. I loved this light salmon dish because it allowed me to use some of the fresh dill, thyme and parsley I have growing in my Aerogarden too!

Grilled Lemon & Herb Salmon
original Joelen recipe

2 salmon fillets
1/2 tablespoon lemon zest
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoob chopped fresh dill
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
salt & pepper to taste

Season salmon with salt & pepper.
In a baking dish, combine zest, juice, and herbs to create a marinade.
Place salmon in marinade for 20 minutes.
Heat grill pan and lightly coat with cooking spray.
When grill is hot, add salmon and cook until firm to touch.

Steamed Lime & Cilantro Tilapia w/Dark Soy Sauce

One of my favorite fish dishes is from my Tita Cora. Tita Cora (aka ‘Auntie’ Cora, my husband’s first Aunt) usually makes a steamed fish often for the holidays or just get togethers throughout the year. She uses various kinds of fish, but the flavors of lime, cilantro and ginger are always the same. Tita Cora is an amazing cook, as she should be since she had her own Filipino restaurant for many years.

This recipe is one inspired by my Tita Cora. I had some whole tilapia that have been scaled and gutted ready to use… so preparing similarly as Tita Cora was the first thing that came to mind. I don’t know how often you cook or prepare whole fish as some folks don’t feel comfortable with dishes that stare back at you. But having grown up around dishes that stare back at me, this is pretty normal to me and takes me back to my ethnic cooking roots.

Steamed Lime & Cilantro Tilapia w/Dark Soy Sauce
original Joelen recipe, inspired by Tita Cora

1/2 cube shrimp broth cube
1 thumb fresh ginger, sliced
2-3 cups water
1-2 small whole tilapia fish, gutted & scaled
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro
1 lime, sliced
salt & pepper to taste
1/4 cup dark soy sauce
1/4 cup canola oil

– In a large bottom dutch oven or wok, add water, shrimp broth cube and sliced ginger.
– Place bamboo steamer on top of wok or metal collapsable steamer in your dutch oven.
– Season tilapia with salt & pepper on both sides. Place in steamer.
– Top tilapia with fresh cilantro.
– Place lime slices over the cilantro.
– Cover and let fish steam until done; 15 to 20 minutes. Remove and place on serving platter.
– While fish is on serving platter, in a small sauce pan, heat oil and soy sauce. Let it come to a boil to thicken and set aside.
– Pour mixture over fish and serve hot with rice.

Steamed Lime & Cilantro Tilapia w/Dark Soy Sauce

One of my favorite fish dishes is from my Tita Cora. Tita Cora (aka ‘Auntie’ Cora, my husband’s first Aunt) usually makes a steamed fish often for the holidays or just get togethers throughout the year. She uses various kinds of fish, but the flavors of lime, cilantro and ginger are always the same. Tita Cora is an amazing cook, as she should be since she had her own Filipino restaurant for many years.

This recipe is one inspired by my Tita Cora. I had some whole tilapia that have been scaled and gutted ready to use… so preparing similarly as Tita Cora was the first thing that came to mind. I don’t know how often you cook or prepare whole fish as some folks don’t feel comfortable with dishes that stare back at you. But having grown up around dishes that stare back at me, this is pretty normal to me and takes me back to my ethnic cooking roots.

Steamed Lime & Cilantro Tilapia w/Dark Soy Sauce
original Joelen recipe, inspired by Tita Cora

1/2 cube shrimp broth cube
1 thumb fresh ginger, sliced
2-3 cups water
1-2 small whole tilapia fish, gutted & scaled
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro
1 lime, sliced
salt & pepper to taste
1/4 cup dark soy sauce
1/4 cup canola oil

– In a large bottom dutch oven or wok, add water, shrimp broth cube and sliced ginger.
– Place bamboo steamer on top of wok or metal collapsable steamer in your dutch oven.
– Season tilapia with salt & pepper on both sides. Place in steamer.
– Top tilapia with fresh cilantro.
– Place lime slices over the cilantro.
– Cover and let fish steam until done; 15 to 20 minutes. Remove and place on serving platter.
– While fish is on serving platter, in a small sauce pan, heat oil and soy sauce. Let it come to a boil to thicken and set aside.
– Pour mixture over fish and serve hot with rice.

Citrus Flounder

I made the following recipe for our annual Holiday Party where our menu highlighted Floribbean cuisine. Aside from shrimp, I wanted to include fish on my menu. There is an abundance of seafood in Florida and the Caribbean so I chose on flounder. This is a flounder recipe where I used some citrus basil seasoning I had on hand… and to also capture how Florida is the citrus state.

Citrus Flounder
original Joelen recipe

2 lbs Flounder fillets
1 lemon, sliced
citrus basil seasoning
2 tablespoons olive oil
flour for dredging
egg wash
panko breadcrumbs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a baking dish, place flour for dredging.
In another baking dish, place eggwash
In a third baking dish, place panko breadcrumbs.
Season flounder with citrus basil seasoning.
Dredge seasoned flounder in flour, then eggwash and finally in breadcrumbs to coat.
Place breaded flounder in single layer of a baking sheet.
Sprinkle with citrus seasoning blend and salt & pepper to taste.
Drizzle the top of the breaded fish with olive oil.
Bake in preheated oven for 12-15 minutes until done.

Serve with lemon wedges and tropical salsa or finely diced fresh tropical fruits (pineapple, papaya, mangoes, etc).

Carribbean Marinated Ahi Tuna Steaks

In my quest to make Carribbean inspired dishes, I came across this recipe of marinated ahi tuna. To add a twist of the tropics, I made a few substitutions… and it was delicious! Oh, and if you have any Florida and/or Carribbean inspired dishes you’ve made recently or in the past, I hope you consider submitting it to my Floribbean Holiday Party. The deadline is this weekend!

Carribbean Marinade Ahi Tuna Steaks
original Joelen recipe
inspired by this recipe from AllRecipes.com

1/4 cup pineapple juice
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon lime juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 teaspoon ground crushed red pepper chili flakes
4 (4 ounce) tuna steaks

In a large non-reactive dish, mix together the pineapple juice, soy sauce, olive oil, lime juice, parsley, garlic, cilantro, and crushed red pepper chili flakes. Place the tuna steaks in the marinade and turn to coat.

Cover, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat grill or grill pan for high heat.

Lightly oil grill grate. Cook the tuna steaks for 5 to 6 minutes, then turn and baste with the marinade. Cook for an additional 5 minutes, or to desired doneness. Discard any remaining marinade.

I served this with lime scented couscous & grill roasted sugar snap peas & grape tomatoes.

Sauteed Herbed Salmon w/Creamy Leeks & Bacon

I have our second bedroom dedicated to my cook’s library where I store all my cookbooks. It’s such a great place because all of my the cooking & baking resources are at my fingertips. Sometimes surfing the web for recipes can be a bit mundane and I find pleasure in flipping through actual books. Tonight I decided to prepare a recipe from Rachel Ray’s Express Meals cookbook. I’m not much of a Rachel Ray fan but I do love her creativeness in some of the dishes she has.

** I’ve also chosen to submit this recipe to the Bookmarked Recipes blogging event, hosted by Ruth’s Kitchen Experiments every Monday. **

Super Herbed Sauteed Salmon with Creamy Leeks & Bacon

(a mouthful of the actual title in the book)
recipe is found on page 96 of Rachel Ray’s Express Meals cookbook
(written as found in the book)

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
6 bacon slices, coarsely chopped
3 large leeks, superdark green parts & roots discarded
2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme (eyeball it)
1 large pinch of red pepper flakes
salt & black pepper
3/4 cup white wine
1 1/2 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup half & half or heavy cream
4 6oz portions salmon fillet, skin removed
1/2 cup fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped
3 sprigs fresh dill, chopped
zest of 1 lemon
crusty bread to pass at the table

Preheat a large skillet over medium heat with 1 tablespoon of the EVOO once around the pan. Add the chopped bacon and cook, stirring, about 2 to 3 minutes. While the bacon is getting crisp, get the leeks ready.

To clean the leeks, cut each in half lengthwise, then thinly slice each half into half moons. Fill a large bowl with cold water, transfer the sliced leeks to the water and swoosh the leeks around in the water, and then let them sit without messing with them for a minute. Using your hands, skin the leeks from the water without disturbing the grunge that has settled to the bottom. Drain the leeks thoroughly, feeling them for grit. If you feel some, repeat the cleaning profess with a clean bowl of water. Don’t forget to thoroughly wipe off your cutting board after chopping the leeks, otherwise the next thing you chop on the board will have sand and grit in it.

Once the bacon is crisp, remove it from the skillet to a paper-towel-lined plate and reserve. Don’t wipe the skill out; there is lots of bacon flavor in there. Return the skillet to the stovetop over medium heat and add the leeks, half teh garlic, the thyme, red pepper flakes, salt & pepper and cook, stirring occassionally for 3 minutes. Add the white wine and cook for 1 minute, then add the chicken stock and half and half or heavy cream. Bring the mixture to a simmer, then turn down the heat to medium low. Simmer the mixture for about 10 to 12 minutes, until tender and creamy.

While the leeks are cooking, start the salmon. Season the salmon on all sides with some salt & pepper. On a plate, combine the parsley, dill, the remaining garlic, and the lemon zest. Preheat a medium or large nonstick skillet over medium heat with the remaining 2 tablespoons of EVOO. Once the oil is hot, add the salmon fillets herb side down. Cook the salmon about 2 to 3 minutes on the herb side, then turn the heat up to medium high, flip the salmon, and continue to sook for 4 to 5 minutes, or until cooked through.

Add the reserved crispy bacon to the leeks and stir to continue. Divide the leeks among 4 serving plates. Top each pile of leeks with a portion of the salmon. Cut the lemon into wedges and squeeze the juice over the fish. Service with some crusty bread on the side.

I served this with some goat cheese herbed mashed potatoes…

Goat Cheese Herbed Mashed Potatoes
original Joelen recipe

2 large yukon gold potatoes
2 oz. goat cheese
1/2 tablespoon fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped
1 sprig fresh dill, chopped
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated lemon rind
1/4 cup heavy cream or half & half, heated until warm

In a saucepan, add potatoes and cover with water. Boil potatoes until tender.
While potatoes are boiling, combine the goat cheese, parsley, dill and lemon rind in a bowl.
Mix everything in the bowl until fully combined.
Drain potatoes when tender and place back in sauce pan.
Add the goat cheese mixture and warmed cream/half & half to the potatoes.
Mash and stir until combined and slightly chunky.
You can add salt & pepper to taste, but I found it to be fine just from the saltiness of the goat cheese.