Roasted Snapper w/ Polenta, served with a 2009 Lynfred Chardonnay!
We actually used salmon here because, even though the recipe calls for it, there’s no way I was going to get my wife to eat fish that still had the head and tail on it. Because this dish is in the oven with all the ingredients for so long, EVERYTHING really soaks into the fish, so don’t scrimp on anything. Also no knife is needed. It comes out so tender that a fork will do.
Anyways, the fish was fantastic but I really don’t know about the polenta. Not sure if we made it incorrectly (ie., didn’t let it sit enough, used too many sun-dried tomatoes or didn’t cut them fine enough), but it tasted too differently for my tastes. Not necessarily bad but I’ve really got to reserve judgement until I eat someone’s that knows that what they’re doing.
No items! today. Please recommend us if you like and maybe one day I’ll post more…probably not.
Coming up: the March recipes and wines!
Recipe from the Private Kitchen of Lynfred Chef Joe Hetman
INGREDIENTS
*for the fish*
12 large garlic cloves, peeled
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 (2-pound) whole red snappers, cleaned, leaving head and tail intact
2 beefsteak tomatoes cut into 1/3-inch thick slices
1 bunch fresh thyme
1 bunch rosemary
*For the polenta*
2 cups chicken stock
2 cups water
1 cup stone-ground cornmeal
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped
DIRECTIONS
*for the fish*
1 - Preheat oven to 400.
2 - In small saucepan over medium high heat, combine garlic and 3 cups water and bring to boil. Drain and repeat process two more times. Set garlic aside.
3 - Whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
4 - Lay 1 fish on its side. Holding sharp paring knife at 30-degree angle from fish cut 3 vertical slits through skin and partially into flesh. Turn fish over and repeat. Repeat with other fish.
5 - Pat fish dry, then rub with seasoning mixture, being sure to tuck some into slits.
6 - Arrange tomato slices so they cover bottom of roasting pan. Lay fish on top and surround with thyme and rosemary.
7 - Roast, uncovered, 15 minutes. When fish has roasted 15 minutes, scatter garlic cloves across pan and continue to roast until fish is just cooked through, about 15 more minutes. Keep warm.
*for the polenta*
1 - In a medium saucepan over high heat, bring the chicken stock and the water to a boil.
2 - While whisking constantly, slowly pour the cornmeal into the hot liquid. Add the sun-dried tomatoes next. Then stir in the salt.
3 - Lower the heat to cook the mixture at a gentle simmer.
4 - Cook, stirring frequently, until the cornmeal is creamy and not grainy, about 30 minutes.
5 - Remove the polenta from the heat and stir in the cheese and the butter. Serve alongside a portion of the whole roasted snapper.
Zucchini Fritters with Green Goddess, paired with Lynfred Cuvee White Wine!
Well, we didn’t get to this one because my wife saw anchovy and immediately nixed it. Now, on the wikipedia page for this salad (if you search for green goddess it defaults to a fire engine called the Bedford RLHZ Self Propelled Pump which I think is hilarious), green goddess is a salad dressing and anchovy is the main ingredient…however in this recipe below, it can be omitted, essentially giving yourself a salad. So if you like anchovy, go for broke. If not, make a salad.
Pictures on this post are from slowtrav.com and ahungrybear.com, respectively.
Coming next week: Gourmet Mac & Cheese with Bacon, and wine information on a 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon.
Also, starting in October, a weekly Tuesday post is hopefully starting! “Hopefully” meaning that I hope it will last more than one week.
It’s Tumblr Tuesday! So if you’d like to recommend us, please click here. Thanks!
Recipe from the Winery Chef Joe Hetman
INGREDIENTS
Dressing:
1 cup mayonnaise (be extra adventurous and try making your own mayo from scratch!)
1/8 cup chopped fresh dill
1/4 cup chopped fresh chive
2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
1 anchovy fillet, chopped (the anchovy adds a meaty quality, but may be omitted if need be)
Fritters:
5-6 zucchini, trimmed of outer skin and grated coarse
2 teaspoons kosher salt, split evenly
6-7 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4-1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1/4-1/3 cup Lynfred White Cuvee
14oz pkg fresh soft goat cheese, crumbled coarsely into a bowl and chilled
1/4-1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
3-4 cups fresh mixed salad greens
DIRECTIONS
DRESSING CAN BE MADE 1 DAY AHEAD
1 - For the dressing, blend all ingredients in a food processor until smooth, occasionally scraping down sides of bowl.
2 - Season dressing with salt and pepper. Transfer to small bowl. Cover; chill.
FRITTERS CAN BE MADE 2 HOURS AHEAD. LET STAND AT ROOM TEMPERATURE AND REWARM IN 375 F OVEN FOR 5-6 MINUTES BEFORE SERVING
3 - For the fritters, sprinkle 1 teaspoon kosher salt over grated zucchini in a colander and toss to coat evenly. Place colander over large bowl. Let zucchini stand 30 minutes, tossing occasionally.
4 - Press on zucchini to release as much liquid as possible.
5 - Empty zucchini into kitchen towel. Roll up to enclose and squeeze dry.
6 - Whisk flour, baking powder, pepper, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt in medium bowl to blend.
7 - Mix in white wine.
8 - Scrape zucchini from towel into bowl; stir to coat evenly (batter will be thick).
9 - Mix in goat cheese crumbles.
10 - Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat until very hot, about 2 minutes.
11 - Working in batches, drop batter into skillet by 1/4 cupfuls, flattening to about 3-inch rounds.
12 - Sauté until brown and cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes per side.
13 - Transfer fritters to rimmed baking sheet.
14 - Repeat with remaining batter, adding more oil as needed.
15 - Place mixed fresh greens in large bowl. Toss with 2 to 3 tablespoons dressing.
16 - Place 2 fritters on each of 6 plates. Top with mound of mixed greens salad.
17 - Serve fritters, passing remaining dressing alongside.
White Asparagus w/ Smoked Salmon & Caper Relish!
We didn’t actually do this one this month, mostly because capers are really difficult to find by us for some reason. Also, it sounds like the ingredients would make for an odd combination.
Another meal and wine information coming soon…
Recipe from the Private Kitchen of Lynfred Chef Janaki Makes 5 or 6 small sandwiches INGREDIENTS
4 oz. smoked salmon
4-6 stalks white asparagus
Olive oil
1/2 c. bread and butter pickle chips
1/2 c. capers
Red bell pepper, for garnish
Fresh baguette
DIRECTIONS
1 - Mince bread and butter pickle chips finely. Mix with capers.
2 - Mince a few julienned strips of red bell pepper and mix into caper/pickle mixture. Combine thoroughly and set aside.
3 - Cut baguette on the bias (ed. note “on the bias” means diagonally against the natural curve of the bread) into 1/2 inch thick slices. Toast lightly on both sides.
4 - Peel asparagus and cut into equal lengths, no longer than your baguette slices. Sautee in olive oil, just until tender and starting to turn slightly golden. Allow to cool to room temperature.
5 - Slice salmon into 1/2 to 3/4” wide strips. Then slice each strip into thirds of equal size.
6 - Assemble just before you are ready to serve. Spoon caper relish onto toasted baguette slices and spread evenly. Place three small pieces of smoked salmon and a piece of sautéed white asparagus on top. Enjoy immediately.
Pan-Fried Fish with Endive & Corn!
Makes 6 servings.
Recipe from the private kitchen of Lynfred Chef Joe Hetman
INGREDIENTS
For the fish:
4 oz. fine cornmeal
4 1/2 oz. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1 1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. paprika
6-count 8-oz. fillets of fish
canola/vegetable/peanut oil, as necessary
For the relish:
20 oz. corn from the cob
6 oz. crushed tomato
2 scallions
2 tablespoons shallot, minced
1 green bell pepper, diced
2 Tbsp. flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped
1/4 tsp. minced garlic
2 1/4 fl. oz. cider vinegar
1 tsp. sugar
salt and pepper, to taste
DIRECTIONS
1 - In a bowl, mix the cornmeal, flour, and seasonings.
2 - Dredge the fish in the mixture, and pat off any excess.
3 - In a large skillet, heat oil to medium-high. Pan-fry each fillet of fish until golden brown (about 3 minutes per side).
4 - Set on paper towels to drain any excess oil.
5 - In a large bowl, mix the corn, tomato, and all remaining vegetables together.
6 - In a separate bowl, combine the sugar and vinegar. Whisk until sugar dissolves.
7 - Pour over the top of your corn relish, and incorporate. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
8 - To plate, lay the fresh endive on the plate.
9 - Liberally disperse the corn relish, and dress the outer leaves with juices from the mixture.
10 - Place a fillet of the fish atop the salad, and garnish with a bit more of the corn relish.
(picture from http://www.cookinglouisiana.com)
Maine Lobster Rolls, served with a 2008 Chenin Blanc!
As some may have noticed, I started this month posting “previews” of the upcoming meals. It’s going to be interesting how different the finished product versus the “food sculpture” preview is going to look. Well, I’m interested anyways. Something I never knew about lobster tails: they are extraordinarily easy to make. We were a bit worried, never having cooked lobster before, but everywhere we looked it was just throw it on a grill, or boil it, or what-have-you. We finally decided to boil it. TO COOK LOBSTER TAILS: Boil a pot of water with some salt. Throw in lobster tails and cook 1 minute per ounce. Remove. Done. Seriously that’s it. And don’t forget to let them cool before cracking them open! Overall this tasted really good although we could’ve probably done with less celery (not because of the recipe, I think we put more in than what it called for). Also, the cost might be a little steep for people looking for a salad type of sandwich and using lobster, but hey, what’s life without a little bit of off-the-beaten-path? Also, I don’t know what New England style hot dog buns are, so we used French rolls. The Midwest does not contain New England style hot dog buns. We contain Chicago style hot dog buns. The French rolls worked really well though, especially buttered and toasted in the oven at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Makes 4 servings Recipe from the Private Kitchen of Lynfred Chef Chris Smith INGREDIENTS 5 lobster tails or 1 3/4 pounds lobster meat 2/3 cup mayonnaise 2 stalks and leaves of celery, finely chopped 3 1/2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice 2 teaspoons dried tarragon leaves 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley Freshly ground black pepper 4 New England style hot dog rolls Melted butter for brushing rolls DIRECTIONS 1 - Cook lobster meat until firm yet still tender, about 8 to 10 minutes…or if using tails, see above. 2 - Cool and refrigerate until well chilled (we waited about 2 hours and that was fine). 3 - Remove the meat from the tails, chopping any large chunks into bite-size pieces. 4 - In a bowl, combine the lobster meat, mayonnaise, lemon juice, celery, tarragon leaves, chopped parsley, and fresh ground black pepper to taste. 5 - Brush cut sides of hot dog rolls with melted butter and toast lightly (oven 350 degrees for 10 minutes is what we did). 6 - Fill rolls with lobster salad. 2008 Chenin Blanc Info Aroma: Pale straw in color. Lovely aromas of freshly sliced limes and oranges with hints of mineral. Palate: This svelte white brightens the palate with flavors of fresh peaches and orange popsicle. A crisp and refreshing finish! Foods: Incredible with calamari, white fish with lemon, fried fish, sushi, smoked salmon and apples. (or Maine Lobster Rolls!)
Barcelona White Fish, served with a 2008 Sauvignon Blanc!
This was one of the more interesting tasting dishes I’ve had, mostly due to the paprika and anise, both of which I doubt I’ve ever had. The recipe called for a white fish of our choice, and I bought cod…which I’m not sure is even a white fish, but man was it tasty. The colors were fantastic as well, which you can see in the closeup picture.
Makes 2-4 servings
Recipe from Lynfred Chef Joe Hetman
INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons softened butter
1 tablespoon lemon zest
3 tablespoons olive oil
Flour for dredging
Spanish paprika
Salt and pepper
24 ounces whitefish fillets
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup mixed almonds, filberts/hazelnuts, pine nuts
1/4 cup orange zest
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Anise
DIRECTIONS
1 - Preheat oven 350.
2 - Combine and mix butter and lemon zest in a bowl.
3 - Add olive oil to skillet and heat.
4 - Season flour with paprika, salt, and pepper.
5 - Dredge fillets and saute them until they’re golden brown.
6 - Put fillets on baking sheet and bake 3-5 minutes.
7 - As fish cook, pour excess oil from pan.
8 - Add raisins, nuts, orange zest, and parsley.
9 - Almost immediately remove from heat after stirring a bit.
10 - Add anise and stir to coat everything with anise.
11 - Lemon butter is probably hardened by now, scoop out of bowl and allow to melt over mixture. Stir.
12 - Remove fillets from oven, place on a platter, and pour sauce over everything.
Braised Halibut in a Tomato-Fennel Broth, served with a 2008 Pinot Grigio!
Fennel, as we found out, is a magical onion-like bulb that you can use all the pieces of (bulb, stalk, leaves, etc). We were a bit worried at the start because the bulb has a bit of a licorice taste to it, but it went away a lot with some cooking and ended up being pretty good. Actually just using an onion or two in the broth instead of the fennel would have been fine…but we always love cooking new things.
Also the halibut was great! And I only said “just for the halibut” twice! A personal best. It’s a little expensive (on a great sale for the month of April it was 6.99 for a 5 oz. piece - good for one person - normal 12.99), but really worth it.
Makes 2-4 servings
Recipe from Lynfred Chef Chris Smith
INGREDIENTS
2 lbs halibut, cut into four even portions
Salt and pepper
4 tbsp olive oil
1 fennel bulb, trimmed, quartered, cored, and sliced thinly lengthwise
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1/2 cup dry white wine
One 14 1/2 oz can diced tomatoes with juices
3 tbsp chopped fresh basil
1 tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley
1/2 cup water
DIRECTIONS
1 - Season halibut with salt and pepper.
2 - Heat 2 tbsp olive oil over medium high heat.
3 - Sear both sides of fish about 4 to 5 minutes per side. Remove fish to a plate.
4 - Add the other 2 tbsp olive oil.
5 - Add fennel, season with salt and pepper, and cook for a couple of minutes, stirring occasionally.
6 - Stir in garlic and cook for another minute or so.
7 - Pour in wine. Reduce heat to medium and cook another 5 minutes.
8 - Stir in tomatos and all juices, 1/2 cup water, and basil. Cook for another 5 minutes.
9 - Taste broth and season with more salt and pepper if needed.
10 - Return halibut to broth in pan and pour juices over and around it.
11 - Simmer for about another four minutes.
12 - Take halibut out of pan. Taste broth again and season if more if desired.
13 - Server fish in bowls with broth spooned over and around it.
14 - Garnish with parsley if desired.
BBQ Salmon with Fruit Salsa, served with a 2006 Pinot Noir Reserve!
I ate the salmon for like 2 weeks and it was fantastic. Unfortunately, I didn’t cut the fruit nearly small enough, so it ended up being more of a fruit salad instead of fruit salsa.
It has a touch of BBQ Sauce in it (Sweet Baby Ray’s is my favorite). The fruit salad itself was overall really good, but it didn’t store well at all (i.e., it should be eaten directly after making it).
Makes 4-8 servings
INGREDIENTS
Four 5-6 ounce fresh skinless salmon fillets or steaks.
1/2 cup BBQ sauce (use your favorite).
4 tablespoons Lynfred Pinot Noir.
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
Salt and pepper to season.
2 nectarines, pitted and chopped.
3/4 cup fresh bing cherries, pitted and split in half.
3/4 cup fresh blueberries.
1/4 cup coarsely chopped and lightly toasted almonds.
Lemon wedges.
Cooking brush.
DIRECTIONS
1 - Rinse the salmon filets and pat dry with paper towels.
2 - Lightly sprinkle the filets with salt and pepper.
3 - Mix 2 tablespoons of the wine, 1/4 cup of the bbq sauce, and the chopped thyme in a bowl.
4 - Lightly brush the mixture on both sides of the salmon.
5 - On a grill (a frying pan will work too), cook for 8 to 12 minutes or until salmon flakes. Flip the filets halfway through, following your judgement on doneness.
6 - Spread more of the BBQ sauce mixture onto the salmon to your taste.
7 - For the fruit salsa, combine the nectarines, bing cherries, blueberries, almonds, the remaining 1/4 cup bbq sauce and the remaining 2 tablespoons of wine.
8 - Toss the fruit salsa mixture lightly and season with salt.
9 - Serve salmon with the fruit salsa and lemon wedges to garnish.
