Tag Archives: crust

Oven Roasted Salmon with Parmesan-Mayo Crust

Posted on May 19, 2012 by She cooks...He cleans | 33 Comments

Recently at the Saturday morning farmers’ market in Decatur, we picked up some fresh eggs from a local farm. You might ask, “now what does that have to do with salmon?” Thanks for asking, because I’m having a heck of a time getting this post started! Well, I’m not a big egg-eater so I needed to come up with some other uses for the eggs. Also, I have a bottle of great-tasting olive oil from Kasandrino’s …eggs plus olive oil equals mayonnaise! (I’m getting to the salmon…) Next thing you know, I have a big jar of homemade, lemony mayonnaise with no real plans for using it. (As you can see, I was not thinking too far ahead last week.) Thankfully I ran across a sale on salmon and put the mayo to great use!

Coating the salmon with a mixture of mayonnaise and Parmesan cheese and oven-roasting it resulted in an unbelievably moist, buttery fish with all kinds of good flavors. I will be making this again…and soon!

This basic mayonnaise recipe does not make a very thick mayonnaise, since I use the whole egg instead of just the yolks. You can also adjust the taste of the mayonnaise to your preference, by trying different oils and different acids (vinegars, lemon or lime juice, etc.), or adding herbs. Go crazy with it!

Ingredients for Salmon

16-20 ounces salmon fillet(s), skin on
Kosher salt/ freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons mayonnaise, preferably homemade
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
additional Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
a few dashes of sweet paprika

Ingredients for Basic Olive Oil Mayonnaise

2 whole eggs, at room temperature(*See Note below)
1 to 1 1/4 cup oil (I used 1/2 cup olive oil and 1/2 cup almond oil)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper, or pepper blend, to taste (I like Florida Seasoned Pepper…citrusy!)

*Note: For thicker mayonnaise, use 1 whole egg plus 1 egg yolk

Mayonnaise Instructions:

Place the eggs in a blender or small food processor. Blend the eggs alone for around a minute, so they will be ready to adsorb the oil. Add lemon juice, dry mustard and salt, and mix in with the eggs. With the blender running, SLOWLY start adding the oil, a few drops at a time, until the liquid begins to thicken up some; then you can start adding the oil in a thin, steady stream. Continue blending until all the oil is incorporated. Season the mayonnaise with salt and pepper, to taste.

**Raw Egg Warning… to reduce the risk of salmonella or other food-borne illness, use only fresh, clean eggs with intact shells, from a trusted source. Avoid contact of egg white/egg yolk with outer shell.

Salmon Instructions:

Preheat oven to 425F. Line a shallow roasting pan with foil. Rinse the salmon with cold water and dry thoroughly with paper towels, and place in roasting pan. Season lightly with salt and pepper.

Mix the mayonnaise and Parmesan cheese in a small bowl. Spread completely over the salmon. Sprinkle with additional Parmesan cheese on top, and add a few dashes of sweet paprika.

Roast for 12-14 minutes (depending on thickness of salmon). Remove from oven; carefully slide a wide spatula between the skin and meat to separate from the skin, and serve!

When you experience as much music as I do, you cultivate a healthy list of artists you need to listen to, but haven’t yet. One of mine was Roberta Flack. Sure, I had heard her for years on the radio, but never actually listened to an album. Boy, that was a mistake! We put on First Take one evening, and we both were completely blown away by it’s brilliance. This was her debut from 1969, and her phrasing, song selection and piano work certainly don’t sound like a beginner! Contains the classic “First Time Ever I Saw Your Face”, her version of Leonard Cohen’s “Hey, That’s No Way To Say Goodbye” and more. With Ron Carter on bass and Bucky Pizzarelli on guitar, this is an understated jewel of a record.

Her newest release, Let It Be Roberta – Roberta Flack Sings The Beatles looks like a winner. That sublime voice coupled with those songs? How can you go wrong?

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Posted in Entrees, Sauces, Marinades, and Rubs, Seafood

Tagged crust, easy, fish, gluten free, grain free, lemon, low-carb, mayonnaise, olive oil, paleo, Parmesan, primal, recipe, roasted, salmon

BBQ Chicken, Bacon, and Pineapple Pizza (gluten free)

Posted on January 15, 2012 by She cooks...He cleans | 5 Comments

Santa brought me several bags of Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free, Dairy Free Pizza Crust mix this past Christmas. Evidently Santa not only knows when you’ve been bad or good, but he also is aware when you have been suffering a serious craving for pizza! Since I haven’t experimented with making my own gluten-free crust from scratch, I cannot compare this mix to the many recipes out there. However I can tell you that I appreciated the convenience of having a pizza mix (instead of buying 5 or 6 kinds of flour), and we really, REALLY enjoyed having a slice of pizza that you could pick up and eat properly with your hands! Thanks, Santa!

For our first pizza, we decided on one of our old favorites – barbeque chicken with bacon, pineapple, and mozzarella! Since the last post on the blog was Oven Barbequed Chicken, I think you can follow the trail of leftovers leading to this choice. In truth, there were not enough chicken leftovers, so I ended up making more barbequed chicken using boneless, skinless thighs baked in Bone Suckin’ Sauce. The method was the same, except I didn’t brown the chicken since there was no need to crisp the skin, and I baked it for an hour until the chicken was tender enough to shred with a fork.

So, how did this pizza stack up to “real” pizza? If you’re expecting chewy dough with some “pull” to it, you’re not going to find it here. I’m not sure there is a gluten-free crust out there that has the same texture and consistency of a gluten-containing crust. Gluten, unfortunately, is what gives bread that stretchy quality. The crust of this pizza is crispy, and is more reminiscent of biscuit dough. Is that bad? Not in our opinion; we gobbled this down as if we had not eaten in years, stopping only to exclaim “mmm” or to grunt “pizza good, pizza good”.

When the weather warms up, I can’t wait to try this on the Big Green Egg! There’s nothing like the taste of a wood-fired pizza!

Let’s get started building this pizza!

Note: The pizza mix makes 2 12-inch pizzas. The dough can be prepared ahead and stored in the refrigerator for several days.

Ingredients (for one pizza):

1 package Bob’s Gluten-Free Pizza Crust Mix
Yeast packet (included with pizza mix)
1 1/2 cups warm water
2 eggs
2 tablespoons olive oil + more to coat pan and to handle the dough
Sea salt
Barbequed chicken thighs, shredded (~2 thighs/pizza)
6 slices bacon, cooked until crisp, coarsely chopped
3-4 slices pineapple, chopped into small pieces
Barbeque sauce
Fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into bits

Other handy items: Electric mixer, 2 bowls, clean kitchen towel, silicone spatula, 12-inch pizza pan, pizza stone

Pizza dough rising...

Arrange one rack in the center of the oven, and another rack at the bottom. Place a pizza stone (if you have one) on the bottom rack. Preheat oven to 425F.

In a large bowl, combine the warm water and yeast, and allow to stand a few minutes to activate the yeast. Whisk in eggs and olive oil. Add the pizza crust mix; blend with electric mixer at medium speed for around 1 minute, or until well combined and dough is coming together.

Gather the dough together in a ball using a silicone spatula, and split it in half. Place the second half in a separate bowl. It helps to handle the dough with wet hands – it is sticky. Cover both bowls with a clean kitchen towel, and place in a warm place to rise for at least 20-30 minutes. (Near a warm oven is good enough, or you could put the bowls in lukewarm water if the room is cold. Also, I left the dough out for several hours before using it, and it was okay. If you are planning on making only one pizza, after the dough has risen, wrap it in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator. When ready to bake, allow to rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.)

Ready for the oven!

Grease a 12-inch pizza pan with olive oil. Rub your hands with olive oil, and place dough in the pizza pan. Spread the dough out to cover the pizza pan, with more dough at the edges to contain the sauce. You will notice here that the dough does not stretch – you just have to smush it in place. Sprinkle the dough with sea salt and place on the center rack of the oven. Bake the crust without toppings for 7-9 minutes.

Toppings added - it's starting to look like pizza!

Remove from oven. Spread a thin layer of barbeque sauce over the surface of the pizza (just a few tablespoons). Distribute the desired amount of shredded chicken, chopped bacon, pineapple, and mozzarella cheese over the crust. Slide the pizza from the pizza pan onto the hot pizza stone, and bake for 15-20 minutes until crust and cheese are browned and topping is bubbling hot. If you aren’t using a pizza stone, you could bake the pizza in the pan, or for a crisper crust, bake directly on the oven rack.

Cut the pizza into slices and serve. Don’t be like me and burn the roof of your mouth – let it cool some before shoveling it in!

Bellissimo!

Pizza is back! My goodness I’ve missed it! Thank you Santa…! The soundtrack today features a pair of rock’s most “out there” performers. First, the wild-eyed Texan Roky Erickson and the 13th Floor Elevators with Easter Everywhere, the bands masterpiece. Loaded on acid and freaking out in Texas in the 1960s, the Elevators somehow created a cult record while Erickson lost his mind. But when it worked- as on “She Lives (In a Time of her Own)” or their version of Dylan’s “Baby Blue”, this is a seminal record, and a look back at a time when hippies walked the earth.

Long before they did The Wall or Dark Side of the Moon, Pink Floyd was as psychedelic as they came, in large part due to their founder, Syd Barrett. Their 1967 debut, The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn is Syd’s finest moment, containing “Astronomy Domine” and “Lucifer Sam” among others, and is a trippy headrush of an album. The band went on of course to become megastars, but their “Crazy Diamond” leader wasn’t along for the ride, releasing a handful of singles and this grand album. It’s groovy, man.

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Posted in Entrees, Pork, Poultry, Product Review

Tagged bacon, baking, barbeque, BBQ, Bob's Red Mill, cheese, chicken, crust, gluten free, mozzarella, pineapple, pizza

Pan-Fried Catfish

Posted on November 12, 2011 by She cooks...He cleans | 2 Comments

Here we are – with “Frying, Revisited”. As I’ve mentioned before, I’m not much of a fry cook. The last effort ended with a smoky, greasy mess in the kitchen – and that was just me! However, I’m glad I made another attempt because this catfish was “right tasty”, as Southerners might say.

We wanted to try something different from the fish counter, and neither of us could remember having catfish before. Since catfish may be the mostly widely eaten American fish, we may be mistaken. Regardless, I picked up a few fillets at Whole Foods and decided to fry them up with a light coating of seasoned cornmeal. I wasn’t sure what to expect, flavor wise, but was pleasantly surprised with how creamy and mild the catfish tasted. Beyond the salty, crispy crust, the fish was sweet and soft as butter – a delicious contrast. We enjoyed it so much that a repeat performance was requested and served up this week!

This isn’t something that we’re going to eat every week (sorry, sweetheart), but it’s nice to have as a treat every once in a while! Be sure to soak the fillets in buttermilk (or whole milk) first, because it really improves the flavor of the fish. Freshwater fish sometimes have a “muddy” flavor, and the milk will neutralize or wash out that undesired after-taste. (I’m not sure how it works, but I tried catfish with and without the buttermilk. The marinated catfish was definitely creamier, moister, and better tasting.)

Ingredients:

4 catfish fillets
~1 cup of buttermilk or whole milk
~1 cup of stone-ground cornmeal
kosher salt
Florida Seasoned Pepper, or other black pepper blend
Old Bay Seasoning
cayenne pepper (optional)
Olive oil, peanut oil, or other oil suitable for moderately high temperatures
lemon or lime, cut into quarters

Rinse and dry catfish fillets, and place in a glass baking dish. Pour buttermilk over the fish (they don’t need to be completely submerged, but use enough buttermilk to make sure all the fillets have good contact with the milk.) Marinate for one to two hours in refrigerator, turning the fish once.

To another shallow plate or baking dish, add the cornmeal and generously season with salt and pepper. If you thought you were generous, go back and add more salt and pepper. (I didn’t measure, but some recipes suggest 1-2 teaspoons of salt and 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoons of pepper.) Add several good shakes of Old Bay Seasoning. If you’d like a little spiciness, add some cayenne pepper. Mix well.

Remove the catfish fillets, one at a time, from the buttermilk. Allow the excess buttermilk to drip off the fillet, then roll in the seasoned cornmeal. Place the cornmeal-coated fillets on a clean plate and allow to dry for about 5 minutes. (Yes, this recipe dirties up a lot of dishes. I hope you have a good cleaner-up like “He Cleans”!)

Preheat the oven to 150 degrees (or lowest setting). Place a heat-proof tray, lined with paper towels, into the oven. (Do not put paper in the oven if there’s an open flame in there, however. Safety first!)

Using a large, heavy skillet (cast-iron is best), add enough oil to cover the pan 1/4 to 1/2-inch deep. Heat until very hot – a morsel of cornbread dropped in the pan will sizzle. Add two of the fillets and cook 2 to 3 minutes per side or until nicely browned. Place the cooked fillets in the oven on the paper towels to keep warm. Repeat for the last 2 fillets.

Serve hot with a squeeze of lemon or lime juice and creamy cole slaw! Enjoy!

Like some blues with your catfish? Well of course! First up is a one of my favorite guitar players, Catfish Keith with his 1993 album Cherry Ball. Keith is a delta blues player, and his takes on classics such as Blind Willie Johnson’s “By and By I’m Going To See The King” or the ribald “Rabbits in Your Drawers” show off his fingerstyle guitar picking expertly.

Next is Adventures at Catfish Pond from Bob “Catfish” Hodge. On it the long-time bluesman aims for the little folk with a children’s record, and with songs such as “Pancake Man” or “Dreamy Time Time”, he creates a winning album that won’t have you flinging the disc across the room after your kids play it for the fifth time!

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Posted in Entrees, Seafood

Tagged buttermilk, catfish, cornmeal, crust, fish, freshwater fish, fried, frying, gluten free, marinade, marinate, milk, pan-fried

Salmon with Pesto Crust

Posted on March 11, 2011 by She cooks...He cleans | 1 Comment

Pesto-encrusted Salmon, with asparagus and mushrooms

According to Marcella Hazan, noted author of many books on classic Italian cuisine, pesto is the sauce invented by the Genoese as a vehicle for the fragrance of basil, and it has just ONE role – “to be the most seductive of all sauces for pasta”. Does that mean that primal eaters have to forsake pesto forever, having no pasta to accompany it? Of course not! There are many foods that pesto is great on; scrambled eggs, chicken, salmon and some vegetables come to mind. Although these aren’t the classic applications for pesto, they are an easy way to incorporate the wonderful flavor of basil into your meals all year long.

I made this pesto from basil grown in our yard, and kept it frozen in a log in the freezer. If you plan on freezing your pesto, you should use less olive oil than usual so that it can be rolled into the log shape. When I need some pesto, I just slice off what I need, thaw it, and reconstitute with a little olive oil and freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

The recipe I use for pesto is based on Marcella Hazan’s classic recipe, in Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking. However, I am a big fan of using different types of nuts in pesto, especially walnuts or cashews. Lightly toasting the nuts before processing will also add flavor to your pesto – although some people prefer the taste of raw nuts. Try it both ways to see the difference!

If you don’t want to make your own pesto, there usually is a good variety at the grocery store. Sometimes you can find fresh pesto in the refrigerated section…look for local or grocery brands and not the stuff from big manufacturers. Fresh would be preferable to jarred pesto, which is often too salty, rancid, or filled with preservatives (although there are good ones out there). This one is good, and available on-line. Whatever you do, do not make “pesto” from anything that comes in a packet! That does not even qualify as food!

Here is the original recipe:

Pesto (Marcella Hazan, from Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking)

2 cups tightly packed fresh basil leaves
2 garlic cloves, chopped fine before putting in the processor
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons pine nuts
salt
1/2 cup freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese
2 tablespoons freshly grated romano cheese
3 tablespoons butter, softened to room temperature

Briefly soak and wash the basil in cold water, and gently pat it thoroughly dry with paper towels (Note: this part is tedious, but it is important to get all the water off the leaves).
Put the basil, olive oil, pine nuts, chopped garlic, and an ample pinch of salt in the processor bowl, and process to a uniform, creamy consistency.
Transfer to a bowl, and mix in the two grated cheeses by hand. When the cheese has been evenly amalgamated with the other ingredients, mix in the softened butter, distributing it uniformly into the sauce.

Fresh pesto will keep in the refrigerator for at least a week. Cover the surface with a layer of olive oil, and keep in an air-tight container. Contact with air will cause the pesto to lose its bright color.

If freezing, do not add cheese and butter to the pesto. Add cheese and butter when it is thawed, just before using. Wrap well with plastic wrap and place inside a freezer bag.

Recipe for Salmon with Pesto Crust

Salmon fillets (approximately 8 ounces each)
Pesto sauce

Preheat oven to 400F. Line shallow roasting pan with foil; lightly oil surface of foil. Place salmon filets in roasting pan.

Taste pesto and adjust seasoning if necessary. (Now stop tasting the pesto or you won’t have enough for the salmon!)

Spread a layer of pesto over the top of the salmon fillet. Place the roasting pan in the oven and roast for 12-15 minutes until just cooked through (or less time if you like your salmon medium-rare).

Enjoy!

Delicious! As is the new release from house favorite John Renbourn, Palermo Snow. This guy just keeps getting better. Fans of Pentangle, Oregon and David Grisman will love this, it’s tasty.

Just like the pesto!