Monday, September 27, 2010

Salmon with Pasta Salad

Ram is a big fan of fish. I am not. But in our quest to diversify our diet and to reduce our meat consumption, I'm putting more effort into fish- and seafood-centered meals.

In my years of watching Food Network, I've learned a thing or two about cooking fish. But, per usual, I attacked this meal with no recipe, just some techniques I stored away in my gray matter.


I started by rubbing a half-pound piece of Atlantic salmon with a packaged spice mix. This one is intended for salads and features (as far as I can tell) dried celery, garlic powder, and sesame seeds, as well as a few other things. It's orange, anyway, so I suspect paprika and/or chili powder, though the flavors are not strong. Essentially, I was looking for some light flavors. I prefer the flavor of my seafood (and Ram's fish) to take center stage. A second night, I prepared a simple marinade of a tablespoon canola oil, minced garlic, ginger pa5ste, black pepper, and the juice of one lime. That was a fabulous flavor combination too. Both weren't too heavy and allowed the subtle fish flavor to remain.

The next step was to sear the fish. I wanted to do this to seal in the flavor and to create a nice crust on the fish. I heated a pan over medium heat until a drop of water Sizzler on its surface. I dropped in a tablespoon or two of canola oil and places the fish flesh side down. For a couple of minutes, I let it sizzle. Then, I turned the fish over, just to quickly toughen the skin side. A minute later, I put the fish on a cooling rack atop a baking sheet and baked it for about twenty minutes at 350-degrees. Ram likes his fish well done with no pink. If you prefer yours less well-done, bake it a little less.

This is a tecnique I will use over and over because the results were perfect. As I continue to develop my palate, perhaps I'll dine on salmon. For now, I sauté shrimp in the same spices and call it good. Either way, I hope you, too, will venture into new food territory with fork in hand.
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