in Solidarity: Salmon Teriyaki

Since the tsunami struck I've been horrified and saddened by the images from Japan.  We await news of friends, praying they're safe.  I wonder about the beautiful and adventurous ladies who visited our village a few months ago, eager to see our mountain towns and participate in cooking classes.  My neighbor opened his wine cellar to them and I translated from Italian to English (which was then translated to Japanese) as Peppe explained the principles of his organic, home-made vino.  Their sweet smiles come into my mind and I just wonder...

There are many avenues for assistance, as this article on Huffington Post points out. 

Today I'm giving you a recipe a world away from Italy, but close to my heart.  It comes from a friend who owned a Japanese restaurant in New Mexico.  Enjoy, and do consider contributing to the relief efforts.

Salmon Teriyaki

1/4 cup molasses
1/3 cup dark soy sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup orange juice
1 clove garlic, minced
1 TBSP fresh ginger, minced
dash of red pepper flakes
2 TBSP light oil

Combine all in a saucepan and cook until reduced by half and thickened.  Reserve half the sauce; use the other half to brush on the salmon filets while grilling.  Drizzle the reserved sauce over the cooked salmon, and serve with hot, steamed rice.

Pesce al Forno

As Christmas approaches I'm reminded that Italy celebrates la Vigilia (or Christmas Eve) with fish.  While the "feast of the seven fishes" has become almost fabled, the reality is that most households do eat fish, but not necessarily seven plates of it.  Our own experience of the past three Christmases spent with Roman friends brought four to five fish dishes to the table each year.  There is usually one or two seafood-based antipasti, followed by a pasta with salmon or shrimp, and then the obligatory pesce fritto, fried small white fish that everyone devours while complaining about the grease and fat, being careful to leave no speck of breading on the plate.  The highlight is always the pesce al forno, baked or roasted fish that is meaty with a delicate flavor.

You can use any whole fish - bass, redfish, snapper, bream, or perch.  Obviously the herbs can be varied to taste, substituting fresh dill or the rosemary or thyme.  Roasting whole fish on the bone gives it a wonderful flavor and moistness you don't get with fillets.

Whole fish - cleaned and gutted
1 lemon, sliced
1 garlic clove, sliced
fresh herbs - rosemary, thyme, oregano, parsley, or dill
olive oil
white wine

Rinse and dry the fish, then rub it with olive oil.  Sprinkle it generously all over with salt.

In a roasting pan or baking pan lay some sprigs of rosemary or thyme, then lay thin slices of lemon on top.  Put the fish on the "bedding".  Put slices of lemon, sprigs of thyme and slices of garlic inside the cavity of the fish.  Lay more lemon slices on top.  Drizzle with a little bit of white wine (about 1/3 cup).

Bake at 400 F. for about 1/2 hour.  Fish is done when the eyes turn white and the flesh flakes with a fork.  A good rule of thumb for cooking fish is ten minutes per inch of thickness.

Related Link:

How to Eat Fish on the Bone

Italyville's Feast of the Seven Fishes Roundup

Pan-Roasted Salmon

I'm a big fan of salmon, especially the wild Alaskan variety.  It has so much flavor, and the beautiful scarlet hue makes a lovely presentation. 

This is another one of those go-to dishes that I can make in a flash, but it's still impressive enough for guests.  The smokey-sweetness of the sundried tomatoes and balsamic vinegar compliment the hearty salmon well.

4 Salmon fillets, rinsed and patted dry

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/3 cup white wine

a jar of sundried tomatoes, packed in olive oil, chopped

2 TBSP balsamic vinegar

1 tsp. capers, rinsed

In a large heavy-bottomed skillet, heat some olive oil.  Place the salmon in the pan and sear on one side, then turn over.  Once you've turned the salmon, add the garlic and saute until it starts to color.  Add the wine, then the sundried tomatoes.  Shake the pan, and simmer until the salmon is nearly cooked through, about 10 minutes, adding a little more wine if necessary.  Just before the salmon is done, add the balsamic vinegar and the capers to the residual wine sauce, and simmer about five minutes more, until it turns into a glaze. 

Serve, spooning the remaining sauce and the sundried tomato pieces over each fillet.

Photo credit goes to Harmony Markets

Scampi

To say "shrimp scampi" is a repetition...in Italian, scampi means shrimp (though in this area, at least, gamberi is the word most commonly used). There are numerous ways to prepare the little critters; unfortunately, here in the bel paese most of those ways involve the entire creature...heads, peels and all. Not so hard if it's a plate of large shrimp simply prepared. When it's a sauce it's definitely more of a challenge, especially keeping your shirt clean while you're cleaning the shrimp. I really like the flavor of the pesce fritto here, but I don't see the point in keeping the shrimp whole and then frying it...you have to peel off all that good coating to eat the things!

In the summer when we want to keep the house cool and cook in hurry I like to make this shrimp dish. It's done in minutes and can be eaten as is or served over pasta or rice, making it versatile as well.

Large shrimp
extra virgin olive oil
a clove of garlic, minced
about 1/2 cup white wine
a couple good shakes of peperoncino (crushed red chile flakes)
salt and pepper
about a tablespoon of chopped parsley
about 1 teaspoon of prepared pesto sauce
a squeeze of lemon

In a skillet, heat the olive oil and saute the garlic until slightly softened. Add the shrimp and stir-fry a minute. Splash in the wine, then add the seasonings. Boil a minute longer until the flavors mingle and shrimp are cooked through.
Enjoy!

Spaghetti alla Vongole

...or, linguini with clam sauce.
Forget about that $12 plate of overcooked noodles dripping with tomato-based sauce and a couple of canned clams floating about that may form your impression of linguini with clams. This dish is much lighter on the palate and very tasty. It's also a snap to prepare.

Here it is usually made with spaghetti rather than linguini. Today, though, I procured a nice helping of hand-cut linguini from pasta all'uovo shop and a nice sack of fresh baby clams at the pescheria. Dinner for less than 5 euro for 2 people!
It's easy to adjust for more servings, or smaller portions.

1/2 pound to 1 pound of fresh baby clams
1 clove garlic, minced
a dash or two of red chile flakes
1 cup white wine
a handful of parsley, minced
1/3 to 1/2 pound spaghetti or linguini

If the clams haven't already been cleaned you'll need to soak them in heavily-salted water for a couple of hours to clean out the grit. Drain and rinse them well.

In a pan large enough to hold the clams heat the olive oil and lightly saute the garlic, red chile flakes and about half the parsley until garlic begins to color. Add the wine and bring to a boil. Add the clams, cover, and cook until they open up, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the linguini or spaghetti until al dente. Drain and return to the pot. Add the clams and wine, drizzle on a bit of olive oil, and sprinkle in the parsley, tossing it all well. Serve.

*You can grate on some parmigiano if you want, but here in Italy that is strictly taboo. You may even be reprimanded for it as my step-dad was in a seafood restaurant in Nettuno!


Valerie Schneider 2007

Tuna Salad Italian Style

Tuna Salad Reborn

This simple salad takes basic pantry ingredients and turns them into a refreshing summer lunch.

1 can tuna, packed in olive oil
1 can cannellini beans, drained
½ onion, sliced thinly
red chile flakes
salt and pepper
1 to 2 fresh ripe tomatoes, sliced
5 or so fresh basil leaves

Combine the tuna, beans, onion, and seasonings together and put in the middle of a bowl. Arrange the tomatoes around the perimeter. Tear the basil leaves and sprinkle them on top. Serve.

How easy is that? You can drizzle on some balsamic vinegar if you like, too.
copyright 2006 Valerie Schneider

Pesto and Parmesan Salmon

This simple (and simply delicious) dish combines the sweetness of basil pesto and the nutty, melty goodness of parmigiano cheese. Oh-so-easy but nice enough for guests. Done in 20 minutes!

4 salmon fillets
1/2 cup basil pesto (I usually make my own, but you can use store-bought if you prefer)
1/4 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese

Oven 425.

Put the pesto in a dish and coat each salmon fillet on both sides. Lay in a baking dish. Top each fillet with a generous helping of parmesan, patting it onto the fillet to help it stick, covering the top.

Bake for about 15 minutes until the cheese is melted and the fish is cooked through.

YUMMY.

Feta-baked Shrimp

As previously noted I love feta cheese! For a special occasion dinner, like tonight's New Year's Eve feast, this seems decadent and novel but is oh-so-simple to prepare that you'll not spend the whole celebration in the kitchen.

1 pound peeled shrimp (raw)
juice and zest of 1 lemon
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 shallot, minced
a sprig of thyme
2 tsp. minced oregano
2 tbsp. minced parsley
white wine
1/4 c. cream or evaporated milk
1/3 c. feta cheese (or to taste)

Oven 400`.

Arrange the shrimp in a casserole dish or oven-proof baking/serving dish. Zest the lemon and set aside. Squeeze half the lemon over top of the shrimp and let it marinate while you mince up the herbs, garlic and shallot.

In a small saucepan, heat some extra virgin olive oil, add the garlic and shallot and saute until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the herbs, then splash on a little wine (about 1/4 to 1/3 cup). Add the cream and the lemon zest. Stir, bring to a boil, then pour over the shrimp.

Use a fork to break thin chunks off the feta block and sprinkle them all over the top of the shrimp. Bake for 10 minute until the cheese is melty and the shrimp is cooked through. Serve with lemon wedges and a dusting of finely minced parsley.

I like to serve this with couscous or orzo, both of which I cook in chicken broth for richer flavor.

Happy New Year!~

copyright 2005 Valerie Schneider

New Orleans Barbecue Shrimp

Mr. B's Bistro is a lively place in the heart of New Orleans' famed French Quarter. The house specialty is barbecue shrimp, which arrives at the table in a large bowl, the whole shrimp swimming in sauce. "There's only one way," laughed our waiter, "you got to get your hands wet!" With a plastic bib around his neck, Bryan plunged in and used his fingers to behead and peel all the shrimp. The instant the last peel hit the bowl, the waiter reappeared with a steamy, damp towel for Bryan to clean up with. Then he dug back in with his fingers to consume all those tasty shrimpies. Be sure to serve this with plenty of fresh, very crusty French bread to soak up all the wonderful sauce. I usually use peeled shrimp for the sake of time and mess, but the shrimp cook up with more flavor and tenderness if you leave them in the shells.

This delicious dish is done in ten minutes!

Mr. B's New Orleans Barbecue Shrimp
1 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. freshly cracked black pepper
1 tsp. Creole or Cajun seasoning
4 TBSP worcestershire sauce
2 cloves chopped garlic
3 TBSP water
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 stick of butter, cut into pieces (don't even think of substituting margarine!)

In a sauce pan over medium-high heat, place all the ingredients except the butter. Cook until the shrimp begin to turn pink, then reduce the heat to medium and add the butter one piece at a time, stirring constantly until it's melted. Serve in a large bowl on the table with crusty French bread.