Asian-Style Glazed Salmon

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I had planned to share a grand dessert with you tonight, but time caught up with me and it never quite made it to the oven. Tomorrow will be a better day, I promise. What I do have to share tonight is an easy Nigella Lawson recipe that is perfect for guests as well as family. The recipe is self-explanatory and the salmon comes together quickly. While I made a few minor changes to her recipe, I wanted to share the original version with you, and simply tell you about the changes I made. As you probably can tell from the photo, I used Atlantic salmon for my version of the dish. I had the fish monger cut a single thick fillet to makes its preparation even easier than in the original recipe. I also left the skin on and removed it just before serving. Over the years, I've learned that the flake test is really the most reliable way to determine if a fish is done, especially if you are working with thick fillets. The sugar in the marinade makes the fillets prone to scorching, so you'll want to carefully watch them as they cook. I make it a point to have everything else I plan to serve with dinner ready to go before I begin to cook the fish, It comes together so quickly that there won't be time for anything else once its done. This is a really nice recipe and I think you'll use it often. Come back tomorrow for the dessert recipe I had planned to feature tonight.

Ginger Glazed Mahi Mahi

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I came across this recipe while searching for fishing gear last week. It was part of a recipe collection that was being featured on the Salt Strong Fishing Apparel site. Their Mahi Mahi looked scrumptious, so I followed the link they provided to see how it was made. It took me to the All Recipes site where I found this extraordinarily simple recipe. As you know, even fresh Mahi Mahi is bland, so it really needs a marinade or sauce to perk it up. The marinade I found there is a combination of sweet and salty ingredients that produce a fish that is bursting with flavor. These fillets take about 10 minutes to prepare and while they sit in the marinade for 20 minutes before they are grilled you can have a really tasty meal on the table in about 40 minutes. I made steamed rice dish and a bean sprout salad while the fillets were marinating. It was a super easy and delicious weeknight meal that is perfect for families, but it is special enough to serve to guests should you be so inclined. I do hope you'll give this recipe a try. I think you'll love fish prepared in this manner. Here is how the Mahi Mahi is made.

Slow Roasted Ivory King Salmon - More Gifts from the Sea

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Ivory salmon is a white fleshed King salmon native to waters of the Pacific Northwest. Most salmon get their color from carotene in the food they eat, but white or ivory Kings are genetically predisposed to process carotene rather than collect it in their flesh. Ivory salmon tends to be milder, silkier and more buttery in taste than regular Kings. They are rare and will cost a king's ransom when they can be found. We were gifted the fillets I'm sharing with you tonight. This is the first, and probably the last, time we have had this delicacy. Fifteen years ago, consumer demand was for wild red salmon, so when Kings with white flesh were found, they were tossed into piles heading to canneries or smokehouses. Ivory salmon cannot be identified until the Kings are filleted and their white flesh is exposed. Chances are they'd have remained in the cannery heap, save for the fact that segments of the food community began to demand novelty in their cuisine, and, as a result, the fish gradually found its way to some of the finest restaurants in the United States. Its color was the attraction, but its taste and texture kept it there. Pigmentless salmon has a softer, buttery flesh that is less fishy and more like that of a freshwater fish. I decided to slow roast the fish we had been given using a can't fail method that had been perfected by Charlie Trotter. Slow roasting produces a fish with a unique texture that will melt in your mouth. The appearance of the fish changes only marginally and it actually looks undone when you take it from the oven. Rest assured it's done and delicious. Should you have the good fortune to stumble on ivory King salmon, I hope you have a wallet that can take the beating this fish will give it. Here is how I prepared our fish.

Grilled Tuna Kebobs

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...The folks who follow me on Facebook have often heard me comment that I love my life. I've made it past most of the potholes in the road I'm traveling and it's been a smooth ride for quite a while now. I've been especially fortunate in the friendships that I've made, and last week one of them surprised me with some gifts from the sea. A body appeared in my kitchen following a tap on the door. One of these days I'll be mugged at my sink, but until then the door remains open to friends who are welcome to come and go as they please. This "Greek" came bearing gift from the Oregon coast. Seems her granddaughter is working on a fishing boat this summer, and they were docked in Newport sitting out a storm that prevented them from chasing tuna. My friend returned with a cooler full of fish, and I was one of the fortunate recipients of the bounty it contained. I received tuna steaks and a gorgeous filet of white - ghost - salmon. The salmon is an unbelievable treat and I'll tell you more about it later in the week. Tonight is tuna night and we are not making salad, my friends. The tuna was so fresh I decided to treat it as simply as I could. I made a marinade of olive oil and lemon juice and after a quick soak, put the tuna on skewers and grilled it. It was delicious. I served it with a Lemon Coleslaw, and an Asparagus and Mushroom Risotto that I particularly enjoy. It was a wonderful meal. My recipe for grilled tuna kebob follows. I think you'll be pleased with how easy the kebobs are to make.

Fresh Salmon and Dill Patties

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...A near perfect morning, combined with a bad case of spring fever, put my calendar and associated commitments on hold today. The Silver Fox and I jumped in the car and headed for the coast to better enjoy the day's glorious weather. Our excuse was to get really fresh salmon from the dock in Florence. We did that and a whole lot more. The highway on the Oregon coast is banked with slopes that are covered in gorse at this time of year. Its color is a cross between molten gold and a yellow that rivals the sun. Many consider it to be a weed, but anything that beautiful has to be part of a master plan, so I prefer to think of it as a misplaced garden shrub. The ocean was quite still, so its blue was a perfect contrast to the golden gorse and the scene was so lovely that, were they to have seen it, the Impressionists would have turned green with envy. Once we had our fish on ice, we drove further north for lunch and a little beach combing before taking backroads home. Back in the real world, I decided to use the salmon for fish patties because I wanted a really simple meal for our supper. The patties are easy to make. I freeze them before cooking because they hold their shape in they go into the pan or oven in a frozen state. I baked ours to make them more diet friendly. If you look at the picture you'll see there are some white deposits on the surface of the fish. I know it spoils the appearance of the salmon, but it is not dangerous. It is coagulated protein, and if I had more time, I could have minimized its appearance by soaking the fish in a brine for 10 minutes before beginning its preparation. The brine can be made by dissolving a tablespoon of iodized salt in a cup of warm, not hot, water, so if you are turned off by the appearance of the white goop on the surface of your fish, brine away. The dill, capers and mustard give the salmon a flavor pop without masking its natural taste. I like this recipe for its simplicity and the clean flavors it produces. I do hope you will give it a try. Here is how the salmon patties are made.

Fogarty's Cod Fish Pie - A Lenten Casserole

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I've had this "pie" at least a hundred times since I was a little girl. It's one of those dishes that people try to relegate to the back burner, but it always manages to push its way back to the front of the stove. Fish pie is great Lenten fare, and it usually ends up on the tables of the observant at least once during the Lenten season. Those of you who are not familiar with fish pies have probably had their kissin' cousin, Shepherd's Pie. Here, instead of ground lamb or beef, it's fish that is sauced and top with a thick blanket of mashed potatoes. Like many cooks, I enrich the sauce in which the fish cooks with cheese, despite  injunctions from food Nazi's who insist fish and cheese should not be served together. I also go all out and make a very rich potato topping for the pie. As a matter of fact, I make Champ, a potato dish that's much loved in Ireland, to cover the casserole. Champ looks like colcannon, another  potato dish that is native to the Northern Ireland. It's made by blending scallions or green onions into a base of rich and creamy mashed potatoes, and while it is great on its own, angel's sing when Champ is used to top a fish pie. It's also great with Italian sausage, but I'll save that discussion for another day. When I was quite young, my grandmother, the very Irish Maude, would add a handful of shrimp or chopped sea scallops to the white fish she used to make the pie. Back in the day, white fish, usually perch or cod could be bought at the supermarket in a frozen block for less than a dollar a pound, so Maude lived large when she made fish pie and added more expensive fish with abandon. She and my mother also shared a love of Finnan Haddie, so we often found that smoky addition in our pies as well. Now, I must be honest. There are those among you who will not like the pie even if it's made with lobster, and I suspect that most of you would not want to eat this on a daily basis, but it is good basic food and great for an occasional meatless meal. Good Friday is coming and that's a perfect day to give the pie a try. Here is how it's made.

Salmon Roasted in Herb Butter

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This simple recipe is another of Mark Bittman's creations, and those of you who like salmon should give it a try. I have made the salmon in its simplest form tonight, and baked it with butter and parsley. I usually use dill but had none in the house, so parsley was my herb of choice this evening. The basic recipe calls for the use of chervil, parsley or dill, but other herbs and oils can replace the butter and herbs used in the original recipe. Some of the variations that have been suggested are an equal measure of extra virgin olive oil in place of butter, combined with 2 teaspoons basil or thyme leaves or 2 tablespoons marjoram leaves for the dill, chervil or parsley. If you are feeling adventurous, peanut oil mixed with a teaspoon of dark sesame oil can also be substituted for the butter, and cilantro or mint would then be the herbs of choice. Whatever combination you use, you'll find this main course to be one of the easiest and most satisfying you can prepare. It can be on the table in less than 30 minutes and while it is wonderful family fare, it is fancy enough to serve to guests. Here is how it is made.

Mirin Glazed Salmon

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I had planned to share a grand dessert with you tonight, but time caught up with me and it never quite made it to the oven. Tomorrow will be a better day, I promise. What I do have to share tonight is an easy Nigella Lawson recipe that is perfect for guests as well as family. The recipe is self-explanatory and the salmon comes together quickly. While I made a few minor changes to her recipe, I wanted to share the original version with you, and simply tell you about the changes I made. As you probably can tell from the photo, I used Atlantic salmon for my version of the dish. I had the fish monger cut a single thick fillet to makes its preparation even easier than in the original recipe. I also left the skin on and removed it just before serving. Over the years, I've learned that the flake test is really the most reliable way to determine if a fish is done, especially if you are working with thick fillets. The sugar in the marinade makes the fillets prone to scorching, so you'll want to carefully watch them as they cook. I make it a point to have everything else I plan to serve with dinner ready to go before I begin to cook the fish, It comes together so quickly that there won't be time for anything else once its done. This is a really nice recipe and I think you'll use it often. Come back tomorrow when I'll be featuring the world's greatest blueberry buckle.

Table for Two - Sesame Crusted Salmon with Lemon and Ginger

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I made this salmon for the Silver Fox on Saturday evening. He made a request for "adult" food, and after a week of eating dishes selected to please others, he was entitled to at least one special request. This lovely dish popped into my mind. The recipe for it comes from Cook's Illustrated, and their recipes, like those of Ina Garten, are flawless. They may not always agree with your palate, but in execution they are flawless. These fillets are loaded with flavor that comes from a paste of tahini, lemon, and ginger, while a crust of sesame seeds adds some texture to an otherwise  soft protein. This recipe brines both the fish and the sesame seeds to assure each piece of fish is seasoned and remains moist after cooking. This is an altogether lovely entree and it is one that I should make more often than I do. I am including the photo that first appeared with the Cook's Illustrated recipe. My own picture, which is also featured, does not capture the appeal of these fillets and I wanted you to see them at their best. Do try this recipe if you enjoy salmon. I was unable to find thick salmon fillets, so I had to use the related stealhead fillets in their place, but the mildly Asian paste overcame any difference that might exist between the two fish. Here is how the sesame coated salmon is made.

Charlie Trotter's Slow Roasted Salmon

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Chinook salmon are now running and starting to appear in fish markets throughout Oregon and Washington. The farm raised version of the fish is available throughout the year, but the Silver Fox and I prefer to stave off salmon purchases until the wild variety is available. There is an enormous difference in flavor and while it's more expensive, the wild variety is less fatty and has better texture. Sometimes you get what you pay for. Over the years, I've tried more salmon recipes than I care to admit, but these days I tend to fall back on a handful of them that are truly outstanding. Tonight's recipe is one of those. Better than 15 years ago, Chef Charlie Trotter began to slow roast salmon in an oven set to 250 degrees. The method, then and now, produced a succulent and tender piece of fish that had glorious color and melt in the mouth appeal. Salmon cooked in this manner is irresistible to cooks and lovers of the fish alike. Slow oven or not, it is fast to cook and simple to make, and the stunning color of the fillets after roasting will brighten any table. I do hope you will this recipe a try. I don't think you'll be disappointed. Here is how slow roasted salmon is made.

Table for Two - Asian-Style Baked Salmon with Scallion Rice

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This is an easy dinner to make and while it is simple to prepare, it's fancy enough to serve to guests. The salmon is a riff on a recipe I found, here, on Rasa Malaysia and the rice is one that I have shared with you before. The two dishes pair beautifully and produces a flavorful meal that is pleasing to both the palate and the eyes. There are no special insights to be shared here. This is a straightforward recipe, and if you follow the directions below, you'll have no trouble making this dish. It takes about 10 minutes to prepare, but do be forewarned, there is some wait time required to marinate the salmon. I serve the salmon atop rice in shallow bowls along with stir-fried bok choy or snow peas as an accompanying vegetable. This is a delicious dish that I know you will enjoy. Here is how it is made.

Ocean Whitefish Soup

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...There comes a time in prolonged home renovation projects, when the urge to use a hammer on the next workman you see becomes compelling. At that point you have two choices. Spend the rest of your life in the slammer or get as far away from the confusion as you possibly can. I chose the later. The Silver Fox and I headed to  Florence on the Oregon coast for a meal at one of our favorite restaurants, the Bridgewater. There are restaurants on the coast that have better views, but this is our destination  when we are hungry and want truly good seafood. The place is old and crowded and has a decor reminiscent of vintage restaurants in Key West. Hemingway would feel right at home here and would probably make the Zebra bar his watering hole. Hunger, not thirst, brought us here, so we left the bar to others and grabbed the first table we could find. I scanned the menu and found a dish called Ocean Food Soup. I had not seen it before and the unusual name made me curious, so I decided to give it a try. It was a great choice. The soup is like a poor man's cioppino. It has the same winy, briny sauce as its more expensive cousin, but has no shellfish or clams and relies on ocean white fish for protein. Tonight's feature is my attempt to recreate the Bridgewater's Ocean Food Soup in my kitchen. I came close, but I must admit I still have some work to do. The soup I created is really delicious but it is not the soup I tasted yesterday. Despite that, those of you who enjoy fish stews and soups will really like this. While the recipe looks involved it is not hard to make. The chopping is a pain in the neck, but once it is done you are home free. Do try it. I've asked for the Bridgewater recipe and when I get it I promise to share it with you. Till then, here is my version of their wonderful soup.