The Global Kitchen

We had another adventure in seafood grilling last night. This recipe is also from Fish & Shellfish Grilled and Smoked by Karen Adler and Judith M. Fertig.

This was excellent and a definite repeater!!! I served it with crash hot potatoes and Italian bread.

Jim had the fire a little too hot and the hot side of our plank was charred so we quickly heated the other side and laid the fish on that. I was pretty diligent in checking the fish as I was worried it would overcook. But he got the fire cooled to where it cooked close to the recipe. Cooking time for our fish was only 30 minutes on the indirect heat. Keep checking until the fish flakes easily with a fork.

The original recipe calls for an oak plank and salmon but I had a cedar plank left over from last year's grilling season. The cedar will give the fish a different taste than oak of course. We also used arctic char in place of salmon as arctic char is a better choice for sustainability according to Seafood Watch.

By the way Seafood Watch is an excellent resource for information on fishing and farming techniques as well as which fish are the best choice at the seafood counter. I carry their downloadable pocket guide in my wallet.

Oak Planked Salmon Charmoula
From Fish & Shellfish Grilled and Smoked by Karen Adler and Judith M. Fertig.

1 salmon fillet about 2 1/2 lbs skin on
1/2 cup charmoula (recipe below)

Vegetable Medley

2 tbs fresh lemon juice
8 small ripe Roma tomatoes
2 med cucumbers peeled seeded and diced
1 bunch scallions, chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 yellow bell pepper seeded and diced
1 cup chopped Italian parsley
1/2 cup snipped chives
3 tbs olive oil
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Lemon, orange and lime slices for garnish

Soak plank in water for at least 30 minutes before smoking.

Rinse and pat salmon dry with paper towels and trim the fish to fit the plank if necessary.

Sprinkle the flesh side with charmoula. Combine the vegetable medley ingredients in a small bowl and mix to blend.

Prepare an indirect fire.

When ready to smoke place the plank over direct heat until it begins to smoke and pop 3-4 minutes. Turn the plank over and place the salmon skin side down, on the hot side of the plank. Top the salmon with the vegetables. Grill over direct heat for 4-5 minutes, then move the plank to the indirect side of the grill. Close the lid and let the salmon plank-smoke until it is opaque and begins to flake with a fork at the thickest part, about 45 minutes.

Remove the planked salmon from the grill and serve directly from the plank with the citrus on the side.

Charmoula

Charmoula is a traditional Moroccan herb and spice mixture that is excellent on fish and chicken.

1 large clove of garlic, peeled
2 tbs chopped Italian parsley
2 tbs chopped cilantro
1 tsp salt
1 TBS ground cumin
1 tbs paprika
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil

Process garlic through cayenne in food processor until smooth. Add lemon juice and olive oil and process into a paste

I read so many rave reviews of this recipe I was prepared to have my socks blown off.

I really did like it but it didn't live up to my expectations. I think that's my fault because I tasted the curry before it was complete and thought it was awful. However when I added the rest of the ingredients and the garnishes it was a 500% improvement. So if you make this, no tasting before it's done.

I have the leftovers for lunch today and I definitely want to make it again. It's very good-just not "greatest hits" worthy.

Burmese Noodles
Deborah Madison, Vegetarian Cooking For Everyone

Curry paste

1/2 onion, chopped
2 large garlic cloves
2 1/4-inch round slices of ginger root, peeled
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
2 red bird chilies or 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Noodles and veggies

5 dried shitake or black Chinese mushrooms
8 ounces fresh Chinese noodles or dried fettuccine
1/3 cup chopped roasted peanuts
1 large tomato, seeded and chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 can unsweetened coconut milk, cream reserved
1 handful of snow peas, trimmed
2 scallions, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
Cilantro, basil, and mint leaves, sliced, for garnish

Use a mortar and pestle, or food processor, to make the curry ingredients into a thick paste.

Soak the mushrooms in the warm water for 15 minutes. Drain the mushrooms and save the liquid. Discard the stems and chop the mushrooms into thin slices. Separate the fresh noodles, if using them. Chop the peanuts.

Heat the oil in a wok until it's hot, and add the curry paste. Cook on high heat for 30 seconds, then turn heat down to medium and cook for 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Add a little water if it starts to stick. After 15 minutes, raise the heat and add the tomato and the mushroom liquid and coconut milk. Simmer for a minute, then add the mushrooms, snow peas, scallions, and soy. Turn off the heat.

Cook the noodles until tender and drain. Add them to the mixture in the wok and lift and mix the noodles until they are covered with the sauce. Put the noodles into a large serving dish and scatter the peanuts and chopped herbs on top.

I've made this several times and everyone has loved it.

It's especially fun to see people who aren't accustomed to eating whole fish take in the presentation. People also seem to think you went to a lot of trouble when this is the easiest recipe evah!

Sorry about the blurry picture but I was at my bf's house and it looked fine on my little monitor.

Anyway the recipe is from Fish & Shellfish Grilled and Smoked by Karen Adler and Judith M. Fertig. It's an excellent book and I haven't had a failure yet. We had this with grilled asparagus and Italian bread.

Now the original instructions say to grill 8-10 minutes each side but I have never grilled them that long. I did 5 minutes on one side and 2 on the other. I think it all depends on how hot your fire is and I've developed a "fish-stinct" to where I can tell it's done. Keep testing.

Recipe

4 12 to 16 oz dressed rainbow trout (I always get bone in)
2 lemons, thinly sliced
1 small onion, thinly sliced
Fresh Italian parsley
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Zesty Lemon Baste (recipe below)

Prepare med/hot fire

Place 2 onion slices, 2-3 lemon slices and a sprig of parsley in the cavity of each fish. Season with salt and pepper. (I put a dollop of the lemon baste in the fish too).

Grill until meat is opaque and just beginning to flake with a fork, turning once and brushing frequently with the lemon baste.

Serve garnished with lemon slices and parsley.

Zesty Lemon Baste
(You can also use lime orange or grapefruit juice)

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 tsp cayenne pepper
Grated zest and juice of 2 lemons
4 minced garlic cloves.

Combine all the ingredients and blend (I used my hand mixer)
Will keep well wrapped in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.

A later note- I realize I blogged this twice! Eesh I really need to chack myself.

A friend of mine was raving about Spicy Coconut Noodles. I don't know if this is the recipe she made but it's what my pal Google found for me.

They are insanely good! And since I didn't toast coconut it went together in about 10 minutes. To cook rice noodles just cover with boiling water and let them sit for about 5 minutes or until done. Do not overcook or you will end up with a gummy mess.

I used the really thin rice noodles. I think next time I'll use wider noodles. I think it would be good on the fresh Chinese egg noodles too.

I'm also a basil snob. In Asian dishes I like to use Thai basil not Italian and if it isn't available I substitute mint. Well I couldn't get to the Asian store for the Thai basil and the regular grocery store was out of mint. So I succumbed to the Italian. It would be sooo much better with Thai basil or mint though.

For chili paste I used a wee bit of Sambal Olek, made the sauce, tasted and added more.

Recipe HERE. Courtesy of Real simple Magazine.

This is on the cover of the current issue of Bon Appetit. It looked so good I had to try it.

It was so easy and very "fresh" tasting. I loved the pesto and want to try it on cold pasta.

My changes: I roasted a chicken over the weekend and used some shredded breast instead of grilling chicken, I used regular cuke instead of Japanese and I used less oil in the dressing.

Recipe HERE

Easiest appetizer ever! I used applewood smoked salmon and regular. I really liked the way the applewood tasted with the rosemary.

Asparagus and Smoked Salmon Bundles

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients

* 1 bunch asparagus, ends trimmed (about 20 spears)
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves
* Pinch kosher salt
* Pinch freshly ground black pepper
* 4 to 6 ounces thinly sliced smoked salmon (1 slice per asparagus spear)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Lay the asparagus on a foil-lined baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with rosemary, salt, and pepper. Roast until cooked and starting to brown around the edges, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and transfer to another baking sheet to cool.

Once the asparagus have cooled, wrap each spear in a slice of smoked salmon. Arrange on a serving platter and serve at room temperature.

Sorry about the long absence. I've been a bad blogger! I have been revisiting the "greatest hits" recipes on this blog. Especially the soups since "soup season" is coming to a close. I will be trying some new things soon. Namely Indian food which has been a glaring ommission from this blog. But more on that later.

One new recipe I have tried is Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day from the book of the same name by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois I'd been eyeing the book for months after reading glowing reviews.

This method is perfect for me because I like my bread really fresh and since I'm single a whole store bought loaf is a waste.

With this recipe I can just take off a tiny hunk and make a mini-boule.

If you don't wash your bucket in between batches you do end up with a great sourdough-which is what I have now. I love sourdough!

Anyway, I highly recommend the book. Fresh bread for dinner souldn't be easier! As for equipment I baked mine on a cookie sheet with my silpat and I found a peel at Marshalls for $5. The peel really isn't necessary unless you're making pizza or baking on a stone.

From Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day: The Discovery that Revolutionizes Home Baking by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois (Thomas Dunne Books, 2007). Copyright 2007 by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois.


Serves 4


1-1/2 tablespoons granulated yeast (about 1-1/2 packets)
1-1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
6-1/2 cups unbleached flour, plus extra for dusting dough
Cornmeal (if you're using a peel)

In a large plastic resealable container, mix yeast and salt into 3 cups lukewarm (about 100 degrees) water. Using a large spoon, stir in flour, mixing until mixture is uniformly moist with no dry patches. Do not knead. Dough will be wet and loose enough to conform to shape of plastic container. Cover, but not with an airtight lid.

Let dough rise at room temperature, until dough begins to flatten on top or collapse, at least 2 hours and up to 5 hours. (At this point, dough can be refrigerated up to 2 weeks; refrigerated dough is easier to work with than room-temperature dough, so the authors recommend that first-time bakers refrigerate dough overnight or at least 3 hours.)

When ready to bake, sprinkle cornmeal on a pizza peel. Place a broiler pan on bottom rack of oven. Place baking stone on middle rack and preheat oven to 450 degrees, preheating baking stone for at least 20 minutes.

Sprinkle a little flour on dough and on your hands. Pull dough up and, using a serrated knife, cut off a grapefruit-size piece (about 1 pound). Working for 30 to 60 seconds (and adding flour as needed to prevent dough from sticking to hands; most dusting flour will fall off, it's not intended to be incorporated into dough), turn dough in hands, gently stretching surface of dough, rotating ball a quarter-turn as you go, creating a rounded top and a bunched bottom.

Place shaped dough on prepared pizza peel and let rest, uncovered, for 40 minutes. Repeat with remaining dough or refrigerate it in lidded container. (Even one day's storage improves flavor and texture of bread. Dough can also be frozen in 1-pound portions in airtight containers and defrosted overnight in refrigerator prior to baking day.) Dust dough with flour.

Using a serrated knife, slash top of dough in three parallel, 1/4-inch deep cuts (or in a tic-tac-toe pattern). Slide dough onto preheated baking stone. Pour 1 cup hot tap water into broiler pan and quickly close oven door to trap steam. Bake until crust is well-browned and firm to the touch, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven to a wire rack and cool completely.

Once a week or so I roast a chicken and strip the meat for soups and salads. My normal method was to truss and roast using THOMAS KELLER'S PERFECT ROAST CHICKEN RECIPE. Sometimes I'll season it with different herbs or a sprinkling of Penzey's Mural of flavor. I occasionally make a PSYCHO CHICKEN.

But now I am a convert to spatchcocked chicken. And I like the word, "spatchcocked". It cooks faster and turns out incredibly tender and juicy. I think once the weather gets too hot to roast this will be a great way to grill a chicken.

I can't really describe the technique except to say it's deceptively easy. I just watched THIS VIDEO a couple of times. I didn't trim the fat-instead I cut slits and tucked the legs in. I roasted at 400 degrees until the thigh temperature reached 170 and let the chicken rest for 10 minutes. I do need a bigger roasting pan as mine isn't big enough for the flattened chicken. The foil lined baking sheet worked fine though.

Tom Kha Gai is my favorite soup on the menu of our local Thai restaurant. They serve it in one of those aluminum chimneys. It's usually the only thinkg I get.

Anyway I've been meaning to replicate it for a couple of years but never got around to it. I looked a lot of different recipes and took notes from each one but settled on measurements from THIS recipe on the Food Tastes Good blog.

I added a can of straw mushrooms, rinsed very well, and skipped the red bell pepper, salt and red pepper flakes. I made my own nam prik pao(Thai roasted red chili paste but I used a recipe from my Hot Sour Salty Sweet cookbook which doesn't call for palm sugar. My block of palm sugar was harder than cement and I would have needed a jackhammer to break it apart so I used brown sugar.

The end result was very close to what I get at the restaurant. The heat was just right for me. Gradual and flavorful.

I took the leftovers to work served over jasmin rice and it held up very well. I'm definitely making it again next week.