Need Salmon cooking advice

Hi All,

A customer gave me about five pounds of fresh, flash
frozen ocean caught Salmon from his fishing trip
to Alaska.

I only have a frying pan available (no smokers,
ovens, bar-b-ques, etc.).

I have butter, olive oil, thyme, rosemary, basel,
oregano, parsley, salt and pepper and a few other
spices.

What next?

Many thanks,
-T

On Mar 28, 11:19Â*pm, Todd wrote:
Hi All,

A customer gave me about five pounds of fresh, flash
frozen ocean caught Salmon from his fishing trip
to Alaska.

I only have a frying pan available (no smokers,
ovens, bar-b-ques, etc.).

I have butter, olive oil, thyme, rosemary, basel,
oregano, parsley, salt and pepper and a few other
spices.

If the parsley and basil are dried, throw them out. Get fresh.
Oregano, rosemary and thyme can be used dry.

What next?

Get garlic. Fresh, whole, garlic.

and onions (any kind, but shallots and leaks are favorites around
here), and potatoes, and pasta, and brown rice, and wild rice and
mustard greens, and collards, and chard, and kale, and tomatoes, and
cauliflower, and artichokes, and avocados, and dried cherries, and
dried cranberries, and fresh blackberries, and mulberries, and
currants, chick peas, black-eyed peas, pea pods, bulghur, yoghurt,
romaine hearts, celery leaves (fresh, not dried), coconut milk, garam
masala, cucumbers, feta, cheddar (three years or older), manchego,
ginger (fresh!) ermenthaler, brie, parmesan, havarti, assorted olives,
plums, hoysin, Nước mắm, red balsamic vinegar, white balsamic vinegar,
chardonnay, port, sherry, a gallon or so of something red from Gallo,
bacon, a good loaf of bread.....and beer.

Cut salmon into approximately one inch thick steaks or fillets. Mixed
equal quantities of melted butter and olive oil.....enough to coat the
fish liberally. Coat the fish liberally. Salt and pepper to taste.
Rub in a bit of finely minced garlic....or ginger.....or both. Heat
the pan.....very hot! Throw the fish in the pan. Cook about two
minutes, Turn it over and repeat. Check for donenes. Serve with
good bread and cheap wine or beer.

Bon apetit!

Many thanks,
-T

You're welcome.

g.

On Mar 29, 8:11Â*pm, Giles wrote:
On Mar 28, 11:19Â*pm, Todd wrote:

Hi All,

A customer gave me about five pounds of fresh, flash
frozen ocean caught Salmon from his fishing trip
to Alaska.

I only have a frying pan available (no smokers,
ovens, bar-b-ques, etc.).

I have butter, olive oil, thyme, rosemary, basel,
oregano, parsley, salt and pepper and a few other
spices.

If the parsley and basil are dried, throw them out. Â*Get fresh.
Oregano, rosemary and thyme can be used dry.

What next?

Get garlic. Â*Fresh, whole, garlic.

and onions (any kind, but shallots and leaks are favorites around
here), and potatoes, and pasta, and brown rice, and wild rice and
mustard greens, and collards, and chard, and kale, and tomatoes, and
cauliflower, and artichokes, and avocados, and dried cherries, and
dried cranberries, and fresh blackberries, and mulberries, and
currants, chick peas, black-eyed peas, pea pods, bulghur, yoghurt,
romaine hearts, celery leaves (fresh, not dried), coconut milk, garam
masala, cucumbers, feta, cheddar (three years or older), manchego,
ginger (fresh!) ermenthaler, brie, parmesan, havarti, assorted olives,
plums, hoysin, Nước mắm, red balsamic vinegar, white balsamic vinegar,
chardonnay, port, sherry, a gallon or so of something red from Gallo,
bacon, a good loaf of bread.....and beer.

Cut salmon into approximately one inch thick steaks or fillets. Â*Mixed
equal quantities of melted butter and olive oil.....enough to coat the
fish liberally. Â*Coat the fish liberally. Â*Salt and pepper to taste.
Rub in a bit of finely minced garlic....or ginger.....or both. Â*Heat
the pan.....very hot! Â*Throw the fish in the pan. Â*Cook about two
minutes, Â*Turn it over and repeat. Â*Check for donenes. Â*Serve with
good bread and cheap wine or beer.

Bon apetit!

Many thanks,
-T

You're welcome.

g.

p.s. lemons......don't forget lemons.

g.

On 03/29/2010 06:30 PM, Giles wrote:

Cut salmon into approximately one inch thick steaks or fillets. Mixed
equal quantities of melted butter and olive oil.....enough to coat the
fish liberally. Coat the fish liberally. Salt and pepper to taste.
Rub in a bit of finely minced garlic....or ginger.....or both. Heat
the pan.....very hot! Throw the fish in the pan. Cook about two
minutes, Turn it over and repeat. Check for donenes. Serve with
good bread and cheap wine or beer.

Bon apetit!
p.s. lemons......don't forget lemons.

At what point do I add the lemon? To the butter
and olive oil before I add the fish?

Would sour dough bread conflict?

What vegetable would you recommend as a side?

Thank you!

-T

p.s. Last year my customer gave me Elk steaks.
I was somewhat reluctant as I can not abide
venison (bambi). Yuk! But, I got to tell you,
Elk tasted like gourmet (lean) beef. I loved it.

On Mar 29, 8:39*pm, Todd wrote:
On 03/29/2010 06:30 PM, Giles wrote:

Cut salmon into approximately one inch thick steaks or fillets. *Mixed
equal quantities of melted butter and olive oil.....enough to coat the
fish liberally. *Coat the fish liberally. *Salt and pepper to taste.
Rub in a bit of finely minced garlic....or ginger.....or both. *Heat
the pan.....very hot! *Throw the fish in the pan. *Cook about two
minutes, *Turn it over and repeat. *Check for donenes. *Serve with
good bread and cheap wine or beer.

Bon apetit!

* p.s. *lemons......don't forget lemons.

At what point do I add the lemon? *To the butter
and olive oil before I add the fish?

Doesn't matter.

Would sour dough bread conflict?

No.

What vegetable would you recommend as a side?

Whatever is available, fresh, and cheap.

Thank you!

-T

You're welcome.

p.s. Last year my customer gave me Elk steaks.
I was somewhat reluctant as I can not abide
venison (bambi). *Yuk!

I'm going to guess that you've never had venison properly prepared.
Not that you would necessarily like it anyway, but experience suggests
that most people never prepare it properly.

But, I got to tell you,
Elk tasted like gourmet (lean) beef. *I loved it.

If elk tasted like beef, you got cheated. Elk shouldn't taste like
beef.....or what's the point?

Elk should taste like elk, which is to say it should be much better
than any piece of beef ever aspired to.

g.

On 03/29/2010 06:56 PM, Giles wrote:

But, I got to tell you,
Elk tasted like gourmet (lean) beef. I loved it.

If elk tasted like beef, you got cheated. Elk shouldn't taste like
beef.....or what's the point?

Elk should taste like elk, which is to say it should be much better
than any piece of beef ever aspired to.

That is why I called it "gourmet (lean) beef". I was
trying to equate it to something similar. It certainly
did not taste like chicken! (Or stinky, gamey venison.)
And, I loved it.

Thank you for all the suggestions/recommendation.
Very much appreciated.

-T

"Giles" wrote in message
...
On Mar 28, 11:19 pm, Todd wrote:
Hi All,



^If the parsley and basil are dried, throw them out. Get fresh.
^Oregano, rosemary and thyme can be used dry.


Sometimes I can't get fresh parsley or basil....rehydrating for an hour or
so before using helps immensley.

John

On 03/30/2010 06:37 AM, John B wrote:
wrote in message
...
On Mar 28, 11:19 pm, wrote:
Hi All,



^If the parsley and basil are dried, throw them out. Get fresh.
^Oregano, rosemary and thyme can be used dry.


Sometimes I can't get fresh parsley or basil....rehydrating for an hour or
so before using helps immensley.

John

Great tip. Thank you.

Would you use either on Salmon?

-T

On 3/28/2010 9:19 PM, Todd wrote:
Hi All,

A customer gave me about five pounds of fresh, flash
frozen ocean caught Salmon from his fishing trip
to Alaska.

I only have a frying pan available (no smokers,
ovens, bar-b-ques, etc.).

I have butter, olive oil, thyme, rosemary, basel,
oregano, parsley, salt and pepper and a few other
spices.

What next?

Many thanks,
-T

Family recipe for frying fresh fish (of almost any kind)

Filet (if it's too small to filet, throw it back) being sure to get all
the skin and/or any pieces of skin off the meat.

Cooking fish with the skin on makes for strong/odd tasting fish. It
ranks right up there with cooking Dungeness crab whole, rather than
cleaning them first. Why would you do that?

Anyway.

If your fillets are thicker than 1/2 inch, slice down to 1/2 inch or
less. Thicker pieces get more 'interesting' to cook without the result
being overdone outsides and underdone centers. Fish is not beef and does
not fair well at the table when rare in the center. At least at our house.

Cut length/width to suite, I usually shoot for around 3x4 to 3x5 as that
is a nice 'finger food' size. :-)

Just prior to cooking soak fish pieces for 10/15 minutes in large GLASS
bowl of mild lemon water (quart of water, juice of half a lemon). Metal
bowels will change the flavor. Plastic is probably alright, don't know,
I've always used glass.

While fish is soaking, crush crackers (to powder fineness, use a rolling
pin) for coating. I like a 50/50 mix of saltines and Ritz, myself. The
crackers will have enough salt, but I usually add some pepper to the
resulting 'flour'. (Lemon Pepper is good if you have it) I've been known
to use just plain flour too. It is fine, just not the way I like to do
it. (no pigheadedness here)

Mix (with whisk) 1 to N eggs in bowl for coating fish prior to rolling
in coating mixture. You want a totally homogenized egg mix here.

Start preheating skillet with a decent oil, about 1/8 to 1/4 inch
covering bottom of pan. I tend towards peanut oil as it stands high heat
well and I also like the flavor, but that's me. You want the skillet
fairly hot, not stir-fry hot, but hot enough to seal and cook the fish
quickly, I suppose around 375 degrees F.

Drain and dry the fish. The fish has to be dry for the egg to stick to it.

Dip/role fish pieces in egg mix, roll/cover in crackers, set on plate
until you have a skillet full. Quickly load the heated skillet with the
prepared fish. You want all pieces to be as close to the same cooking
time frame as possible.


Cooking time will vary, but if you keep the pieces 1/2 inch or less,
when the cracker/egg coating is golden brown (2-3 minutes a side), the
fish should be done on that side. If the fish is too greasy, you are not
cooking hot enough.

If it's blackened, well, you can figure that one out. :-)

Put cooked fish on paper towel lined plate, serve with lemon slices on
the side, tartar sauce, salad/whatever and a cold beer.

Life is good.

\s

--
"If wishes were fishes, we wouldn't have a hatchery program" J. Crew

On 03/30/2010 11:24 AM, Steve M wrote:
On 3/28/2010 9:19 PM, Todd wrote:
Hi All,

A customer gave me about five pounds of fresh, flash
frozen ocean caught Salmon from his fishing trip
to Alaska.

I only have a frying pan available (no smokers,
ovens, bar-b-ques, etc.).

I have butter, olive oil, thyme, rosemary, basel,
oregano, parsley, salt and pepper and a few other
spices.

What next?

Many thanks,
-T

Family recipe for frying fresh fish (of almost any kind)

Filet (if it's too small to filet, throw it back) being sure to get all
the skin and/or any pieces of skin off the meat.

Cooking fish with the skin on makes for strong/odd tasting fish. It
ranks right up there with cooking Dungeness crab whole, rather than
cleaning them first. Why would you do that?

Anyway.

If your fillets are thicker than 1/2 inch, slice down to 1/2 inch or
less. Thicker pieces get more 'interesting' to cook without the result
being overdone outsides and underdone centers. Fish is not beef and does
not fair well at the table when rare in the center. At least at our house.

Cut length/width to suite, I usually shoot for around 3x4 to 3x5 as that
is a nice 'finger food' size. :-)

Just prior to cooking soak fish pieces for 10/15 minutes in large GLASS
bowl of mild lemon water (quart of water, juice of half a lemon). Metal
bowels will change the flavor. Plastic is probably alright, don't know,
I've always used glass.

While fish is soaking, crush crackers (to powder fineness, use a rolling
pin) for coating. I like a 50/50 mix of saltines and Ritz, myself. The
crackers will have enough salt, but I usually add some pepper to the
resulting 'flour'. (Lemon Pepper is good if you have it) I've been known
to use just plain flour too. It is fine, just not the way I like to do
it. (no pigheadedness here)

Mix (with whisk) 1 to N eggs in bowl for coating fish prior to rolling
in coating mixture. You want a totally homogenized egg mix here.

Start preheating skillet with a decent oil, about 1/8 to 1/4 inch
covering bottom of pan. I tend towards peanut oil as it stands high heat
well and I also like the flavor, but that's me. You want the skillet
fairly hot, not stir-fry hot, but hot enough to seal and cook the fish
quickly, I suppose around 375 degrees F.

Drain and dry the fish. The fish has to be dry for the egg to stick to it.

Dip/role fish pieces in egg mix, roll/cover in crackers, set on plate
until you have a skillet full. Quickly load the heated skillet with the
prepared fish. You want all pieces to be as close to the same cooking
time frame as possible.


Cooking time will vary, but if you keep the pieces 1/2 inch or less,
when the cracker/egg coating is golden brown (2-3 minutes a side), the
fish should be done on that side. If the fish is too greasy, you are not
cooking hot enough.

If it's blackened, well, you can figure that one out. :-)

Put cooked fish on paper towel lined plate, serve with lemon slices on
the side, tartar sauce, salad/whatever and a cold beer.

Life is good.

\s


Wow! Thank you! I will definitely skin them. Would you
use any garlic? Any salt (brine) in the lemon soak?

I brine my chicken and turkey in a Stainlness steel pot.
Comes out great, but these is no acid in it. Do you
think I would get away with a stailness pot? (I do use
lemon juice to clean up stains from my Stainless pots
and pans, so I would not want any of that in my fish.
So, I am thinking probably not.)

-T