:: Life on Planet Dan-E ::

:: Cooking ::

Anyone who reads my blog knows I love to eat and from various posts you've probably figured out I love to cook. (If you love eating as much as I do and eat out all the time, you'd have to be rich or you'd go broke. I weigh over 200 pounds and that's not from eating out.) One of the cool quirks about working for restaurants is that you learn not just recipes, but how to match certain flavors.

(True story, of all the women I've dated - and there really hasn't that many - I've always been the better cook. Sad but true. I'm okay, but not great.) At my last job at Seafood Grille, I stole their recipe for Marsala sauce, which goes great with chicken, veal, or shrimp. I also made their shrimp scampi sauce, both of which I've made at home a few times. The Ex was very appreciative when I made these.

Now, while my cooking isn't so advanced that I can make some of the fancy stuff at Swanky Trendy Restaurant, learning their menu and the ingredients in the dishes inspired me to try and experiment. For example, we have fresh ceviché that's different each day of the week and I've made experimented with different sorts of ceviché (grouper, snapper, salmon, scallops) at home many times.

I'm not a good enough cook that I can replicate Swank's entrees but I'm decent enough that I don't worry about going hungry.

One recipe that I pulled out of my ass (not literally... that would be gross) is a cedar-planked salmon filet with an orange-rum reduction sauce that I whipped together. I like it enough to put it in my regular rotation and my bartender seemed intrigued enough to pester me for the recipe. I gave it to her, so I'll share it with you readers.

Salmon
1 pound salmon fillets (cut into two pieces)
1 cedar plank (large enough to hold two filets)
4 tablespoons Dijon mustard
4 tablespoons brown sugar
Kosher salt, coriander, freshly cracked black pepper

Orange-Rum Sauce
2 medium to large oranges
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
Splash of Worcestershire sauce
Fresh Pepper
Crushed red pepper
8 oz. light rum. (I used Bacardi)
4 pats of butter
1/4 cup heavy cream optional

(All measurements are estimates. I don't own measuring spoons or cups.)

First off, pour two ounces of the light rum. Mix with Cola, ice, and a lime wedge and enjoy the drink. If you have a bottle, repeat as needed.

Soak cedar plank in salted water for at least an hour. Overnight is good. Season the salmon with salt and pepper on both sides. (Don't be afraid of salt; salt is flavor.) Lay the salmon skin-side down on the cedar plank and spread the mustard over the top and sides. Sprinkle the brown sugar evenly over the mustard.

This is probably better over a charcoal grill but I don't have one, so I did mine in an oven. Preheat the oven to 350º. I cook about 15 minutes since I like my meat medium rare or less. Adjust per your preferences.

While the salmon is cooking, prepare the sauce. Squeeze the juice out of the oranges straight into a non-stick saucepan (remove the seeds, but leave some of pulp... that's flavor) over medium-low heat. Add the Dijon, Worcestershire (a teaspoon worth, I think), and the pepper (less if you can't handle heat... wimp). Whisk the sauce briskly and constantly until it reduces somewhat (again, I did this by "feel" so your mileage - especially if you have an electric stovetop - will vary) after which you turn the heat up to medium, dump the remaining 6 oz. rum into the saucepan. Let the rum catch fire (again, gas stoves help) and keep whisking until the fire dies down.

When the fire is gone, remove from heat, add the butter (cream optional) and whisk into the sauce until the butter is melted.

When the salmon is done, you can serve it one the cedar planks or move the filets to plates, depending on how much cleaning you like to do. Pour the orange-rum sauce over the salmon and serve immediately. Accompany with mashed potatoes or roasted spring veggies. Compliment it with a dry American Pale Ale: or an I.P.A. or if you prefer wines, an earthy New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc (California versions can be too heavy and oakey) or a robust Gewürztraminer.

Try it and report back to me about how much you loved it. Or if you have any ideas that might make it better I'm open to suggestions.

Labels: Beer, cooking, fish, food

:: Miscellaneous Ramblings by Dan-E at 1:22 AM [+] :: | 0 comments
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:: Food TV ::

One of the things about being unemployed is that I have all this unintended free time and I'm constantly trying to find ways to fill my day. I'm usually gone during the day pounding the pavement till about four or five but what to do afterwards?

I usually don't watch much TV unless it's sports, news or Food Network related, although I usually have it on when I'm at home. Most of the series I watch like "Lost," "Nip/Tuck," or "Alias" is on DVD. I watched all seven seasons of "West Wing" on DVD. Right now? "Lost" and "Nip/Tuck" are already a few episodes in so there's no point in watching it now. However, I am an avid fan of Anthony Bourdain's "No Reservations" and "Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern." The Travel Channel usually reruns them after midnight so I catch it when I get home.

So when they ran a "No Reservations/Bizarre Foods" marathon it was perfect. I switched it on after I got home and vegged out. If you were wondering, yes I would actually try some of the stuff that they've had. One of my favorites was the episode in Mexico, where Zimmern went around trying authentic Mexican food, everything from fine dining to street cart fare. Some of the local fare involved crickets and worms and I can't believe it but the way they prepared it, it actually look appetizing. When he started scarfing down a taco made with pig parts, it reminded me of the stuff I used to eat back in Los Angeles. I've had tacos filled beef tongue, tripe, stomach, head, and even brain. Similar stuff from pork. I'm telling you, it's good stuff. The tongue especially would probably be enormously popular in the states if cooks could somehow got around the fact that it's a cow tongue.

Other weird stuff I've eaten is sea cucumber (ugh), various pig parts (good stuff if you cook it right), chicken and duck feet and head and other parts (ditto), 1000-year old egg (yummy), bird's nest soup (okay), chicken hearts (tough and chewy), fried stinky cheese (awesome and not that stinky), chitterlings, and other stuff I can't remember.

(True story: at my last job we sold two fish, a yellowtail snapper and a pompano, that were cooked and served whole. Head, tail, bones and everything. They're excellent. The pompano is my favorite and I eat it regularly. This one time, I was almost done dismantling my lunch and the New Guy dared me to eat the eyeballs. Not only did I eat the eyeballs, I picked up the head and started gnawing away at the meat, much to his disgust. Some people like them but every now and then we get a few who order them but request the head be removed. The cooks do this after the fish has been cooked. If this happens and it's slow I ask the cook to save the head for me, after which I take it in the back and gnaw away. My old manager once caught me doing this and he got angry - not because I was eating during a shift but because he wanted first dibs.)

There were several favorite Bourdain moments. One was in Vietnam, where he ate the local delicacy of whole cobra - still beating heart, blood, bile, innards, and meat - prepared in various ways. I'd be lying if there wasn't a part of me that was thinking "hmm... I wanna try that." He also has an infatuation with "street food." Imagine a hot dog cart or a farmer's market, except with food indigenous to that culture. Having grown up in L.A., where some of the best Mexican, soul food and hot dogs are from glorified stands that stuff hits home. There was also a recent episode in Scotland where he went to a Chip (fries) Shop and ordered deep-fried haggis and something called king rib. King rib is, in a way, kinda like our McDonald's McRib in that it's processed meat shaped to resemble a small rack of ribs. Unlike the Mcrib, where you at least know pork is the main ingredient, they weren't quite sure what goes into king rib, or even it there's any actual meat in there. Yes, I wanted some.

I also like his acerbic wit, whether he's talking about their culture, our culture, or is has misgivings about trying something new and frightening. It's especially fun when he talks shit about some of the more famous Food Network personalities. And I find it amusing that his diction and opinions are such that the network feels the need to lead into every segment of his show with a disclaimer. Good stuff.

Labels: eating, fish, food, TV, weird

:: Miscellaneous Ramblings by Dan-E at 9:32 PM [+] :: | 0 comments
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