Seared Salmon with Lentils

Prep Time: 45 Minutes ~ Serves: 4

Recipe by Gracie Schatz

Ingredients:

4 (6-8 oz) Silver Salmon Fillets, skin on*

2 T. oil for pan frying salmon (non-GMO canola, coconut, safflower, etc)

For Lentils:

2 T. coconut oil

1 large onion, sliced

4 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped

1 T. turmeric

1 T. cumin seeds

2 t. Garam Masala

Salt to taste

1 cup green or red lentils*

1 pint fish stock*

½ cup dry white wine*

 Harrissa Yogurt Sauce:

1 cup plain, whole milk yogurt

1  clove garlic, grated with a microplane 1 T. olive oil*

2  T. Harissa paste* Salt to taste

* Available at Newman's Fish Company

Start by cooking your lentils. In a large sauce pot, over high heat, warm your coconut oil. Add onions and cook until they start to develop a golden color, around 6-8 minutes, stirring regularly. Add garlic and spices and continue to cook until the garlic is cooked through and you can smell the spices, about 2 minutes. Add your lentils, fish stock and wine. Once this liquid is boiling, reduce the heat to low heat and allow to cook until the lentils are tender, about twenty minutes, stirring every five minutes or so.

 While your lentils are cooking, make sure your salmon is brought to room temperature. Pat the salmon dry with a paper towel, this will ensure that you get the crispiest skin when you are pan frying. While the salmon is tempering, make your yogurt sauce by mixing all of the ingredients together in a small bowl with a whisk. Harissa is a little spicy, you can add more or less of the paste to your liking. Add salt to taste and set aside in the refrigerator until your salmon is cooked. This sauce should be served cold and will last up to a week in the fridge.

Once your lentils are tender, it is time to cook your salmon! Heat a large non stick or cast iron pan on high heat. Once it is hot, add your cooking oil. Liberally salt your salmon. Lift the pan so the oil pools away from you. Carefully lay your salmon fillets in the pan skin side down and use a hard metal spatula to press them down. Reduce the heat to medium and turn your hood fan on! Give your pan a little shake to make sure the salmon is not sticking to the pan, it should slide. You don’t want to crowd your pan so it is okay to cook the fillets two at a time. Watch the salmon fillet cook, when half of the fillet has turned opaque and pink, carefully flip the fillet over, this should take about 5 minutes. Continue to cook the salmon on the flesh side for 3-5 minutes, depending on how well done you like it. Serve the salmon over the lentils skin side up and drizzle yogurt sauce over the top. Garnish with freshly picked cilantro and a squeeze of lemon or lime. This dish pairs beautifully with a dry Reisling. Enjoy!

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Grilled Chinook with Fresh Summer Squash

Prep time: 30 minutes

Difficulty: Medium

Serves: 2-4

1 piece of fresh Chinook salmon with the skin on, roughly 8 oz each (per person)

1 lb. fresh summer squash or zucchini, yellow or green 

1 cup fresh parsley leaves

Handful of nasturtium leaves and flowers for garnishing (substitute mint or dill)

1 T. capers

1 shallot 

Champagne or white wine vinegar

1 lemon, cut into wedges for garnishing

Salt 

Pepper

Olive oil 

Make sure your salmon is a room temperature before cooking. Season it with salt and pepper and then rub it with olive oil. If you are using a charcoal grill, heat it up until the coals are just glowing and there are no active flames, it should be a medium heat. Place the oiled salmon skin side down on the grill and cover it for 8 minutes. It should take about 12 minutes total, but it is good to keep an eye on it to not overcook it. It is done when it has reached an internal temp of 125F. 

Finely dice your shallot and place it in a bowl. Submerge it in vinegar. Finely chop the parsley, capers and nasturtium leaves (a little mint, fennel frond or dill is also nice if you have it) and place them in a separate bowl. Coat the herbs generously with olive oil. Mix the shallots with the herbs, oil and capers. Mix well and taste for seasoning.  

Use a vegetable peeler or mandolin to peel wide ribbons of summer squash. Place the ribbons in an ice bath to shock them. If there are chunks of squash left, toss them in a little olive oil and grill them until they turn golden brown. Chop them into bite size pieces.

To serve, strain and shake off the ribbons of summer squash and toss them with the seared squash and herb sauce, taste for seasoning. Plate the salmon and make a decorative pile of herbed squash beside it, topped with fresh nasturtium flowers. Enjoy! 

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Recipe and photo by Gracie Schatz

Pacific Northwest Gefilte Fish - Appetizer

Recipe by Gracie Schatz

Servings: 8

For the Gefilte Fish:

1 large onion, coarsely chopped

12 oz. Oregon snapper fillet, coarsely chopped

4 oz. wild salmon, bones and skin removed

2 T. vegetable or grapeseed oil

1 large egg

2 T. coarsely chopped fresh dill

1 t. kosher salt

1/8 t. freshly ground white pepper

1 t. sugar

For the Broth:

2 qt. Newman’s Seafood Broth

Preparation:

1. If there are any bones left in your fillets, remove the larger ones by hand, but don’t fret about the smaller ones since they’ll be pulverized in the food processor.

2. Place the onion in the bowl of a large food processor and process until finely ground and mostly liquefied. Add the fish fillets to the food processor along with the rest of the ingredients. Pulse in the food processor until the mixture is light-colored and evenly textured throughout. Scoop into a bowl and give it an additional stir to ensure that all the ingredients are evenly distributed throughout.

3. Warm up your broth, once it is boiling, reduce to a simmer. Wet your hands and form fish into balls, according to your size preference. They should be a little bigger than a walnut but smaller than a matzo ball. They will expand as they cook.

Place them one by one into the simmering broth. When all eight servings are in the pot, make sure heat is low and place lid on the pot. Cook gefilte in the pot for 30 minutes.

Remove gefilte with a slotted spoon and place in a bowl or deep serving dish. Chill.

Serve them chilled, topped with freshly chopped dill and freshly grated horseradish.

King Salmon a la Santa Fe

3 lbs Oregon salmon fillet with all bone and skin removed, cut into six equal portions 
1 cup prepared salsa, well drained
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tbsp minced garlic 
2 tbsp freshly chopped cilantro
1 lime, zest and juice 
Fresh cilantro sprigs for garnish
Combine all of the above ingredients, except salmon and cilantro garnish. Thoroughly coat both sides of salmon fillets.

To Grill: Grill over medium high heat. Start with dark side up (side where skin was), basting occasionally and turning once.

To Bake: Baste well (skin side down, do not turn) baking at 400 degrees for 15-18 min.

To Sauté: Place well basted fillet portions (skin side up) in dry pan over medium high heat basting occasionally and turning once. 

(Courtesy of Gary Puetz, The Seafood Steward)

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General Cooking Tips for Salmon

Oregon Ocean Chinook Salmon cooks in minutes. A small cut in the thickest part of the meat shows it is done when it flakes easily and appears opaque throughout. Do not overcook because the salmon will continue to cook for a short time after the fish is removed from the heat source. 

For pieces 1/2 to 3/4 inches thick - Cook 5 to 8 minutes 

For pieces 1 to 1 1/2 inches thick - Cook 10 to 12 minutes 

Bake - Bake at 400 degrees F until the fish is cooked according to the above times 

Broil - Lightly oil broiler pan. Place fillets, skin-side up, on pan. Broil 4 inches from heat source until done. Do not turn. 

Grill - Brush both sides of the salmon with vegetable oil. Grill, skin-side down, on hot griddle. Turn halfway through to cook evenly. 

Poach - Poach fish in water, fish stock or a combination of white wine and stock or water.   Fill pan large enough to hold fish with enough liquid to cover fish completely. Bring to boil, reduce heat to simmer and add fish. Cook until done. 
Saute or Pan Fry - Heat a small amount of oil or butter in a heavy fry pan. Cook fish over high heat, turning once to finish.

Grilled Plank Salmon

1 (12 inch) cedar plank
2 tablespoons sesame oil
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon dried dill weed
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
3 tablespoons water
4 (6 ounce) salmon fillets, with skin
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (optional)
1 tablespoon soy sauce (optional)
1 lemon, cut into wedges (optional)
DIRECTIONS
1. Soak the cedar plank in water for at least 2 hours and up to 12.
2. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
3. Place the salmon on the plank, skin side down. In a small bowl, stir together the sesame oil, brown sugar, dill weed and sesame seeds. Stir in just enough water to make it liquid. Season with pepper and soy sauce if desired. Spoon the mixture over the salmon so it is fully coated.
4. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes in the preheated oven, until the fillet can be flaked with a fork.

On the Grill
Preheat a grill to medium heat. Place plank with fish on the grate and cover. Grill for about 25 minutes, or until fish can be flaked with a fork.

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Cedar Plank Salmon

Planked salmon is a method of cooking and smoking salmon that has been used for many years. Make sure to use natural red cedar (no preservatives). The salmon is slow cooked, which produces a rich, smoky flavor.

24" x 8" x 1" untreated cedar plank
6 (4 ounce) fillets salmon
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
onion, slices
lemon

1. Submerge untreated cedar plank in water. Soak 12 hours or overnight.
2. Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat. Place prepared plank on the grill, and sprinkle with coarse salt. Cover grill and heat plank 2-3 minutes until dry. Adjust grill temperature for medium heat.
3. Rub salmon fillets with olive oil. Arranage on plank. Top salmon with onion, lemon slices, and whatever spices you enjoy on salmon.
4. Cook salmon, covered 20-30 minutes, or until opaque and easily flaked with a fork.

When you purchase a whole fresh troll-caught Oregon Ocean Chinook Salmon from a commercial fishing boat or retailer, you can be assured that only the highest quality standards have been followed. Each salmon is cleaned and dressed at sea and held at an optimum temperature until the boat returns to shore and the fish sold.

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