lemon | Lemon and tomato

Wild Salmon Time

We are spoiled in BC as most of us have been lucky enough to enjoy fresh caught salmon, not to mention a wealth of other fresh seafood. I have memories as a child when people came door to door asking if anyone wanted to buy a fresh Fraser River turkey? This involved going to the trunk of the person’s car and choosing some very large turkeys which were wrapped in that day’s newspaper. Upon my grandma’s return to the house I would point out the obvious, that’s not a turkey it’s a fish. After telling me to keep it our secret, she would usher the “turkey” into the kitchen, make dinner and then can the remaining (you’ve never had good canned salmon unless you’ve had it homemade by granny). I can’t say that salmon has always been a favourite go to seafood in past. Though some family thought it was my fav( I never had the heart to say that I actually disliked it). My son and I used to joke when we went for family dinner – what do you think, could it be salmon again? and of course it was.

Pistachio paste on salmon

Sometime in the last year my taste buds changed and I now actually look forward to a great piece of local salmon. Maybe it’s the new recipes that I have been experimenting with? These new recipes all started when a friend said “Can I have a party at your house?” Of course I said yes, and then one of her cohosts showed up with salmon and pistachios – it was the beginning of a new love story (with salmon that is). Many of you will lust after a plain piece of nicely bbq’d salmon but for the rest of us we need a little more temptation.

So wandering hosts aside, I thank my travels in Europe which have definitely broadened my horizons in the many methods of fish preparation from poaching to stuffing to enveloping in incredible sauces. This year I plan to rediscover a few of the many delightful concoctions that I have been privileged to try over the past few years – especially if my neighbour keeps bringing home salmon to share. To begin, the recipe which created the first stirrings of love.

Pistachio salmon on bbq

Pistachio Crusted Salmon

Cuisine: West coast

Author: Lemonandtomato

BBQ salmon with a pistachio crust

Ingredients

1 salmon filleted 2 to 3 lbs or 4 pieces of salmon filet
1 cup shelled pistachios ground
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp Grainy mustard
1 clove garlic crushed
Pepper to taste
Lemon pepper (optional)
Salt to taste
Juice from 2 large lemons
Shake of chili pepper
1/2 cup Panko (you can buy gluten-free if that’s an issue)
4 tbsp Olive oil

Instructions

Grind the pistachios in a food processor or with a mortar and pestle being careful to still keep chunks you don’t want pistachio dust.
Mix together pistachios, mustard, garlic, salt, pepper, chili flakes, lemon juice and panko. Add oil just until it makes a nice paste.
Spread the paste over the salmon.
Preheat and then oil the grill, put skin side down and cook until inside flakes nicely.
Be careful not to overcook.
For those who like it better cooked you can always give it another minute or two after you have rescued pieces for everyone else.
When you take it off the bbq, let it rest for a few minutes before serving.
You can also cook this on a pan in the oven. I prefer to put it on parchment paper and cook around 350. It may take longer than the bbq.

BBQ salmon perfectly cooked

Stay tuned over the next few months for salmon in horseradish sauce, salmon en papillote and a few others.

Pistachio Salmon

As a child I always loved lemons. When my mom made something with fresh lemon, I always snuck the left overs and sucked on them. At that age, older people thought it was strange yet charming as I waited for the lemon in their cocktails.

As I got older, I would actually cut lemons into segments and eat them right to the pith which friends, (rightfully?), thought was downright weird.

Out on my own and learning to cook, I found a whole new world of lemons in the form of lemon bread, lemon curd, lemon chiffon pudding, lemon cheesecake, Avgolemono, lemon chicken – you get the picture.

Today, lemon is a go to for me in both sweet and savoury cooking. There are few single ingredients that can enhance flavours in a dish the way lemon can.

With it being January lemons bring the sunshine in. Not that we can complain here on the west coast given that we have flowers blooming, but January always seems such a long dark month and the vibrant colour and taste of lemons is just bound to brighten anyone’s day. Even better, January is when Meyer lemons are in season so head to the store a buy a big bag.

Now I realise some of you might prefer to turn to chocolate in the dark days of winter but it doesn’t have quite the same vibrancy and tang to wake up your taste buds and maybe your soul. Don’t get me wrong I like chocolate just fine too, but a good lemon treat is really what makes me get up and do the Snoopy dance.

P.S.

I finally discovered that I was not an anomaly once my younger sisters were old enough to ask for their own lemons! Still eating lemons in every shape and form. Go ahead, try some.

Lemon Tarts

Flaky Tart Dough (is there any other kind?)

5 cups all purpose flour
pinch of salt
1/2 cup cold butter, cubed
3 Tbsp cold water

Make sure everything is COLD. Cut butter into flour until it resembles small flat peas. Add water in 2-3 batches. Flatten between plastic wrap into a disk. Rest for 30 minutes or overnight in the fridge before rolling. Roll out.

Next,

Press the dough into the tart pans. Place parchment or aluminum foil over the dough and gently mold it to the dough in the pan. (Sometimes I just skip this step and put the weights right on top of the pasty) Add pie weights (or dried beans). Bake for 20 minutes until golden. Remove from oven and let cool.

Lemon Curd

juice of 2 large lemons (Meyer lemons have a great flavour if you can find them)
zest of 2 lemons (I prefer organic lemons when I am using the zest)
3/4 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp cornstarch
1/2 cup cold butter, cubed

Whisk all ingredients, except the butter, in a saucepan on low heat. Let the mixture cook just until it starts to bubble and thicken slightly. Remove from heat and immediately add cubed butter & whisk until thick. Cool slightly and then spoon into the waiting pastry shells.

Serving suggestion: Top with a spoonful of whipped cream and lemon zest curls, then sprinkle with a bit of confectioner’s (icing) sugar.

Original recipe courtesy of Northwest Culinary Academy and Chef Tony Minichiello