Cook top Smoked Salmon and Salmon Chowder

I’m off to the beach to dig some some razor clams.  My family has a small cottage in Copalis Beach and this weekend is the first tide of the clam season.    Oyster stew is already on the menu and I can’t wait to see what else...  But before I go I promised I’d tell you how to smoke salmon on your cook top.

Yes, you can smoke salmon even if you don’t have a smoker.  This summer I was at EVOO Cooking School in Cannon Beach Oregon enjoying a wonderful smoked salmon chowder.  The smoked salmon was so perfectly cooked and seasoned, I knew it had to be smoked in house so I asked to see his smoker set up.  Chef Bob swept his hands across his cook top and there it was…the method by which all of us can smoke our own salmon.

  

Here’s how he does it:

Chef Bob suggesting using a roasting pan with a lid but any high sided pan will do. 

Line the bottom of the pan with smoker chips.  Place your brined, glazed-over salmon on a wire cooling rack on top of the chips.  Cover. 

if you don’t have a pan lid, you can use foil as long as it does not touch the fish; the smoke needs to be able to circulate. If using foil, press tightly around the edges of the pan leaving a small opening in one corner so you can tell when the chips begin to smoke.

Set heat to high and watch carefully.  When you see smoke, reduce heat to low and count to ten.  Turn heat off and count to ten again.  Take pan outdoors and remove lid to release smoke.  Yep, that’s it…twenty seconds.

Place salmon; still on wire rack, on a cookie sheet in the refrigerator for two hours.  Do not cover.  This allows the flavor to develop and any bitterness from the smoke to dissipate.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cook salmon for 10-15 minutes until the inside registers 145 degrees.  (Don't take it out at 140 intending for the temp to rise on the counter as you would with meat).

By the way, Chef Bob does all the catering for Northwest Women’s Surf Camps.  A little extra planning and you can learn to surf and have a cooking lesson too.   My Food Friday mates and I are planning a road trip to Cannon Beach to do exactly that in the spring (right, H?).  Want to come along?

Here’s Bob’s recipe for Smoked Salmon Chowder.  I had this last summer and just writing about it makes my mouth water.  Really, how could he go wrong?  He’s put all of my favorite things; butter, cream and smoked salmon together for a luscious chowder that was as perfect on a sunny day in July as it will be on a stormy afternoon in October.   The coriander delivers a pleasant but surprising tap on the taste buds and sets this soup apart from all others.

 

Smoked Salmon Chowder

4 ounces butter (one stick)

6 ounces onions, fine mince

3 ounces celery, fine mince

3 ounces carrot, fine mince

6 ounces potatoes, small dice

1 ounce ver jus*

1 ½ cups half and half cream

1 cup heavy cream

8 ounces smoked salmon, flaked

to taste: sea salt, ground pepper and coriander

3 tablespoons chives, minced

Place butter in a large sauté pan and cook until melted and frothy; add onions, celery, carrots; cook until translucent; add potatoes and ver jus; cook for 5 minutes, stirring well, being careful not to break up vegetables; add both creams and bring to a simmer; cook for 15 minutes on moderate heat, being careful not to boil; adjust seasonings; fold in salmon and cook for 5 minutes; finish with chives and serve.

*For substitution ideas check out Chowhound

Smoked Salmon

 

About a month ago a reader requested I post a blog about smoking salmon.  I’ve been wanting to smoke salmon for a while but I got into my head that I had to catch the salmon first.  It just seemed more authentic that way.

I’ve caught salmon before but always with my dad and once by accident on Ellos.  To brush up my skills I attended a fishing clinic at Cabellas where I purchased the right hooks, lines and sinkers (er… downrigger balls) to assure my success.  I learned how to brine herring (something I hope to never have to do in real life), I won (by being the highest bidder but don’t tell my husband he thinks I actually won it) a tackle box filled with gear at my kid’s school auction.  My dad bought me a book and taught me how to tie hooks and set up leaders.  I bought a boat (okay that part’s not really true, we already owned the boat.)

My dad, the guy who can coax fish into the boat like the pied piper, and proof that I caught a fish, once.

 

And then I went fishing.  It was a beautiful sunny morning when we left Port Madison but the further we moved out of the bay the foggier it became.  We fished for about twenty minutes before fog obscured the shore, our signal that we needed to turn back.  In that twenty minutes I lost the downrigger ball ($30!) and the Ferry Wenatchee rammed the dock at Bainbridge (just so you know…it was REALLY foggy).

Next trip; the weather looked dicey but we headed out anyway.  Within minutes the rain was sleeting sideways and we’d zipped ourselves into the cockpit.  I got one bite and by the time I lost the fish I was soaked to the skin.  We turned back…

Next trip; E and J bickered the whole time we navigated Port Madison.  By the time we got to Fay Bainbridge, the bickering had turned to blows and tears…we turned back.

On Sunday my neighbor gave me some salmon, bless his heart.  I still intend to catch the big one, but for now, I’ll just figure out how to smoke them.

This is my dad’s recipe, one he’s used for thirty years.  He coached me through the whole process from brining to preparing the chips to smoking and I’m pretty impressed with the result.  Moist, silky, vibrant orange flesh with a solid flake and great balance of smoke, salt and seasoning.  Delicious.

I used a smoker but Chef Bob at EVOO cooking school in Cannon Beach, Oregon smokes his right on his cook top and in tomorrow’s blog I’ll tell you how.

 

Smoked Salmon

1 quart water, distilled or bottled without chlorine or let sit overnight so the chlorine dissipates

½ cup non-iodized salt

½ cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon garlic flakes

2-3 pounds of salmon, filleted with pin bones removed.

Wood chips for smoking

Prepare brine by mixing all ingredients together until salt and sugar are dissolved. Brine overnight (8-10 hours) for thicker pieces like those at the head of the fish and four hours for smaller pieces like the tail section.

Remove from brine and run under cold water to wash. Let sit, skin side down until the fish glazes over (30 minutes to 2 hours). Prepare smoker racks with Pam spray or brush with oil. Place pieces, skin side down with the larger pieces closer to heat.

Smoke for four hours at low heat (120-150 degrees). You’ll use a pan of chips an hour so prepare four pans of chips.

Rotate after 2 hours. Fish may not be cooked through but can be finished in the oven at 200 degrees for about an hour. Check smaller pieces early.

Let cool in pan to prevent sticking and retain moisture.

 

The sticky matte finish is glazing; this fillet is ready for the smoker

 

 

Slow cooked at low temperature 

Elwha River Bridge Walk and Wine Weekend

Midway along the Olympic Peninsula, just west of Port Angeles the newly constructed Elwha bridge and river walk opened last weekend.  On the last glorious day of our Indian summer we peered down into the clear water from the bridge and watched salmon make their final journey upriver.

The bridge is part of the Olympic Discovery Trail that will one day span the Olympic Peninsula from the Pacific Ocean at Lapush to historic Port Townsend.  For pictures of the bridge’s construction and a scenic bonus, click here.

Now this may be a little known fact…but who knew that Port Angeles hosted some really great wineries? 

If you make the trip to see the bridge you may want to stop for some refreshment along the way. I’ve visited Olympic Cellars many times and can guarantee a warm welcome and friendly tasting room.  On my last visit I bought a rhinestone studded t-shirt from their great, girly boutique.  (Perhaps one should not drink and shop at the same time?)   You’ll find the century old barn that houses the winery on your left just east of Port Angeles.   We missed Camaraderie Cellars on this visit but enjoyed basking by the outdoor fire with a big hearty Malbec on our last visit.  I’ve heard great things about Harbinger Winery and its on the top of our list for the upcoming Passport Wine Tour November 14th and 15th and you’ll pass right by it on your way to the bridge.

If you go:  It takes about an hour and a half to get to Port Angeles and the leaf peeping is lovely. This is an easy day trip but if you want to stay over both Port Angeles and Sequim have a wide variety of B&B’s and hotels.   Olympic Cellars is open daily from 11-5; Harbinger Winery is open daily from 11-6 pm and Sunday from 11-5 pm.  You’ll need to make a reservation to visit Camaraderie.

To get to the bridge travel from Port Angeles on highway 101 west.  Take a right on Laird Road go about 1/2 mile and take a left on Elwha River Road.  Turn left onto Crown Z Water Road for parking.

Zucchini Chocolate Chip Muffins

Okay.  The glamour just never ends.  I am officially a soccer mom.  Today it’s our turn to bring a snack and these were J’s request.  Would write more about how fabulously moist and flavorful these are but must go find missing soccer shoe.  Enjoy.

 

Zucchini Chocolate Chip Muffins

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 egg, lightly beaten

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup milk

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cup shredded zucchini

3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. In another bowl, combine the eggs, oil, milk, lemon juice and vanilla; mix well. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in zucchini, chocolate chips. Fill greased mini-muffin pans with one tablespoon of mix.  Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes or until done.

Makes 48 mini-muffins. 

BBA Challenge #5 Brioche

These are amazingly, deliriously, fabulous.  Three minutes before the first batch emerged from the oven, the house was suffused with irresistible smells…my mouth actually watered and it was all I could do not to snatch them right off the baking sheet.

  

I lasted the three minutes until the timer went off but then all bets were off.  I thought the half pound of butter that went into this dough was sinfully decadent but somehow I got seduced but the thought of butter melting into a piping hot brioche and popped open a fresh jar of strawberry balsamic jam:

 

Better than any brioche I have ever eaten… in a bakery… in France…anywhere.  Really.  Truly .  Rich, buttery, flaky and light.  The recipe made 16 brioches a tête (that’s French for mini-brioches) and I’m just not sure that’s going to be enough.  I’ve already given away half of them ‘cause I’m so darn proud and such a show off.

It’s night and the kids are in bed.  I’m tempted to make another batch so I can have warm brioche in the morning.  Hold on there… Reality check.  I’ll have to get up at 4:30 to give them time to rise before breakfast…but still…

All right.  This is the fifth bread in the BBA Challenge.  We’re using Peter Reinhardt's wonderful book The Bread Baker's Apprentice: Mastering the Art of Extraordinary Bread as a text.  If you want the recipe you’ve got to buy the book.  If you’ve got the book and want some cliffs notes, read on:

 

First I made a sponge and let it sit for 45 minutes.  When it was ready, it looked like this:

I added five lightly beaten eggs and whirled them round in my Kitchen Aid until they blended:

Then I added the flour.  Usually my mixer starts to whine about now but this is a sticky and light dough and my KA handled it easily.

After adding butter the dough takes on a silky texture. 

The dough is so full of eggs and butter it has to be quite cold to form.  Refrigerate for four hours before shaping your brioche.

These brioche pans are so pretty I just had to add a gratuitous picture.  Mostly I was glad to find them after storing them for two years in anticipation of making brioche someday. The small print says MADE IN FRANCE which helps me pretend I’m Julia Child.

I recommend shaping the dough into balls then refrigerate again before the final forming.  Peter Reinhardt has a great picture tutorial in his book on shaping.  I used method number two to get this signature form.

Let rise for an hour and a half then brush with egg wash.  My dough had trouble keeping a perky ball on top.  I tried three different methods but the result was the same each time.  Still, it’s so pretty I could kiss it!

 

Smoked Salmon Cornmeal Blini with Homemade Crème Fraiche

My daughter’s preschool just had the annual back to school parent social that we call Autumn Gathering.  For the past few years I’ve helped create the dinner menu and then a team of talented cooks from the parent community prepare and present the food.  The salmon blini were just a small part of the wonderful dinner.

Autumn Gathering 2009

 

Homemade Crème Fraiche

The key to this luscious appetizer is the crème fraiche.  I make mine at home by mixing 1 cup of heavy cream with 1 cup of sour cream.  Cover and let sit overnight or until thick, then refrigerate.  The longer it sits in the fridge the more flavorful it becomes.  For this recipe I used tangy Mexican style sour cream, a new product from Darigold.

Makes 2 cups.

Cornmeal Pancakes

You can use either Kathy Casey’s Cornmeal bites recipe or spend fifty cents on a box of Jiffy corn muffin mix and follow the directions for corn pancakes on the side of the box adding a tablespoon of chopped chives. You can make the pancakes in advance just make sure they’re cool before you store them in an airtight container.  Separating the layers with wax paper is a good idea.

Makes 25 blini

Smoked Salmon Cornmeal Blini

makes 25 pieces

1/2 pound smoked salmon, broken into bite sized pieces

25 capers

Fresh dill

1/2 cup crème fraiche

25 half dollar sized pancakes

Assemble on the serving tray:  Place a dollop of crème fraiche on the pancake, center a piece of smoked salmon then garnish with a caper and a dill sprig.  Serve immediately.

Cupcake Play Date

 

Looking for a fun way to forge a friendship?  J started a new school this year and has made a lovely new friend who shares her fondness for ballet and pretty things.  We moms connected over conversation about cake decorating and thus a cupcake play date was made.

The girls practiced on plastic and once they felt confident we brought out the cupcakes:

 

Check out Perfecting the Cupcake from Food and Wine Magazine for two foolproof cupcake recipes and three creative frostings.  Their chocolate cupcake recipe makes a great tasting cupcake with a beautiful dome every time:

 

 

Chocolate Cupcakes

From Food and Wine Magazine

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup water

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch process)

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 large egg

1/4 cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350°. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper or foil liners.

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter with the vegetable oil and water over low heat.

In a large bowl, sift the flour with the sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Add the melted butter mixture and beat with a handheld mixer at low speed until smooth. Add the egg and beat until incorporated, then add the buttermilk and vanilla and beat until smooth, scraping the bottom and side of the bowl. Pour the batter into the lined muffin tins, filling them about three-fourths full.

Bake the cupcakes in the center of the oven for about 25 minutes, until springy and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cupcakes cool slightly, then transfer them to a rack to cool completely. Frost and top the cupcakes as desired.

Make Ahead:  The unfrosted cupcakes can be wrapped in plastic and stored at room temperature for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 1 month.

 

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1/2 cup shortening

3-4 cups powdered sugar depending on how stiff you want the frosting.

1 tablespoon heavy cream or milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

pinch of salt

Mix butter and shortening until blended. Add one cup powdered sugar and blend.  Add the cream and vanilla until blended.  Add powdered sugar one cup at a time until you reach the desired stiffness.  Add more cream if you need to thin. 

note:  shortening helps the frosting keep its shape.  If you want to use all butter please do…and invite me over to share your fabulous cupcakes.