Speaking of Salmon

Yesterday I posted a really simple and delicious recipe for poached salmon to be served either hot or cold. The thing is, I am a sucker for salmon. I am also a sucker for the huge glass fish-shaped platter shown in the poached salmon recipe. And, I am really a sucker for how food looks, the aesthetics of presentation, the color palette one can achieve, the food porn of it. This being said, I always, always, always buy an entire salmon fillet, even if it's just the two of us for dinner. I love the color of it. I love the shape of it. I love the way it fills up almost the entire surface area of that heavy, heavy fish platter. If you can find it, there is nothing more delicious than fresh wild salmon. Every year, for a month or so, our local Costco gets in wild salmon. While farmed salmon is good, wild salmon is excellent beyond description. It's a beautiful thing.

After all my big salmon love fest talk, and poaching and presenting, the next big issue becomes what to do with the leftovers. Even with another couple as dinner guests, there arealways leftovers. I have a plan. I always have a plan...or two...for leftover food. We never, ever throw away food.Below is my recipe for a delicious baked salmon souffle'-type casserole. It uses either canned salmon or, as I do, leftover poached salmon (I've never tried it with smoked salmon, but imagine that would also be good). It's very light and very tasty.

Salmon Souffle'ish* Casserole

 Ingredients:

1- 14 oz. can red salmon, well drained and round cartilage picked out or 2 cups cold leftover salmon

1 medium onion finely diced

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 beaten egg

1.5  cups milk

1 sleeve (about 24) Keebler Club Crackers broken into very small pieces**

1 Tbsp minced parsley

Method:

Mix all ingredients together. Pour into lightly greased 1 1/2Qt casserole dish. Dot the top with small pats of butter and sprinkle with parsley. Bake at 350 degrees 45 mins. to 1 hr or until top is lightly browned and knife inserted in middle comes out clean.

 * Please do not leave me a note (well, you can if you really want to and it makes you feel better in some way) telling me that souffle'ish is not a word.  I know it isn't.  I made it up to try to describe how light and delicate this dish really is.  I love the word and I'm keeping it...so there!.

*FWIW ("for what it's worth" in geek speak), for about twenty-five years I made this dish using Saltines.  A few years ago I started putting the dish together, reached in the pantry and no Saltines!  Flexibility is my middle name so out came the Keebler Club crackers.  Since that day, I've never looked back.  The club crackers make a lighter more buttery tasting dish.  The choice is yours.  Also, I just dump the crackers into a plastic bag, make a fist and smash the heck out of them.  It makes the right size crumbs, not too course or not too fine and helps to release all of my aggressions and hostilities in a constructive and legal manner.

Poached Salmon

Poached salmon is one of our favorite dishes. Because we live in south Florida where it is almost always warm, we eat the salmon cold. I traditionally serve it with cold hard boiled eggs, either warm or cold baby new potatoes and fresh green beans skillet sauteed with shallots. The salmon is equally delicious served warm, but the cold version makes a fantastic summer dinner.

Ingredients

• 1 to 1½ pounds fresh salmon fillets
• ½ cup dry white wine
• ½ cup water
• A few thin slices of yellow onion and/or 1 shallot, peeled and sliced thin
• Several sprigs of fresh dill or sprinkle of dried dill
• A sprig of fresh parsley
• Freshly ground black pepper

Method

 

  

• Put wine, water, dill, parsley and onions in a saute pan, and bring to a simmer on medium heat. Place salmon fillets, skin-side down on the pan. Cover. Cook 5 minutes or to desired done-ness. Do not overcook. Serve sprinkled with freshly ground black pepper.  If serving cold, transfer all to large platter cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

Serves 2-4.