Salmon Tagine with Chermoula over Quinoa

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Since we are doing the whole New Years Resolution thing right now, we haven’t been cooking much in the way of ‘postworthy’ food.  But tonight we had some very nice salmon ‘slow cooked’ in the tagine, you could use a Dutch oven or heavy braising pan with a lid. 

We’ve been working hard these past few weeks to eat healthy, low calorie meals.  We were in the mood for eating some of the Chum salmon that I caught recently so we were looking for salmon ideas.  One of the things that can often be hardest when being really strict on a diet is to find food that is satisfying and flavorful.  This is why I thought of doing something Moroccan.  All of the spices and the slow braising sounded both comforting and tasty!

We started with a recipe we found here.  We found that we inevitably changed a few things, but for the most part we were pretty faithful to the recipe.  The two main differences are that I season the fish (salt and pepper) prior to cooking and I make my own tomato paste since everything here is too delicate to use canned.

SALMON TAGINE WITH CHERMOULA
3 tsp        – cumin seeds
1 1/2 tsp  – coriander seeds
3 cloves   – garlic, minced
3/4 cup    – extra virgin olive oil
1-1/2 tsp – sweet paprika (not smoked!)
1/2 tsp    – cayenne pepper, or 1-1/2 tsp harrissa, to taste
3/4 tsp    – kosher salt
1/3 tsp    – black pepper
1-1/2 oz  – fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp    – flat-leaf parsley, chopped
2 Tbsp    – fresh cilantro, chopped
3/4         – roasted red pepper, chopped (plus kosher salt and olive oil for roasting)
1            – whole preserved lemon, pulp removed, finely chopped
1/2 cup   – small cherry tomatoes, halved
6            – Kalamata olives, pitted, halved (these can now be found in the a la carte deli in many Supermarkets)
3 stalks   – celery, cut in half lengthwise, then into 3-inch long slices
1-1/2 to 2 lbs – salmon, cut into 6-8 pieces (plus additional kosher salt and pepper for seasoning)

4-6 cups  – cooked quinoa (we prefer to cook ours in chicken broth)

For the sauce:
3-4       – roasted Roma tomatoes (plus kosher salt and olive oil for roasting), optionally use 1 1/2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp     – sugar
3 tsp     – lemon juice
2 Tbsp  – olive oil

Roast Veggies

This can be done in advance.  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Cut open the pepper and remove the seeds and veins.  Lightly oil the inside of the flesh with olive oil, season lightly with kosher salt and place flesh side down on a parchment covered cookie sheet.  Lightly oil and salt Roma tomatoes and do the same.  Place in oven for 20-30 mins or until the skins begin to wrinkle.  Remove from oven and let cool for 1-2 minutes.  Place in plastic bag or air tight container to cool.  Once cool, peel the skins and rinse lightly.  These can be stored for stored for several days in the refrigerator.

Place chilled roasted Roma tomatoes in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.  Place puree in a double lined chamois or cheese cloth and press as much water as possible then hang it over the sink to continue to strain for at least 20 minutes.  The remaining solids will make a tomato paste that you can reserve in the refrigerator.  For an extra smooth paste, press the remaining solids through a metal sieve using a spatula.  Reserve 1 1/2 Tbsp for the recipe.

Season the fish

Pat each piece of salmon dry with a paper towel, then sprinkle generously with kosher salt and pepper.

Make the chermoula

In a small, dry frying pan, toast cumin and coriander until slightly fragrant, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and grind thoroughly with a mortal and pestle.  Remove to a large bowl.

In the same pan, sauté garlic in 1 Tbsp olive oil until lightly cooked, 1 minute. Add to the mixing bowl, along with paprika, cayenne, salt, pepper and lemon juice. Whisk well. Add remaining olive oil slowly, then add parsley and cilantro. Then, add chopped red pepper, preserved lemon, tomatoes and olives, to make the chermoula.

Set aside 1/4 of the chermoula. Place fish in a nonreactive glass or ceramic baking dish, and rub on all sides with the remaining 3/4 of the chermoula.

Make the Tagine

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In the base of a tagine, Dutch oven, or heavy braising pot, arrange celery stalks to form a “platform” for the fish.

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Arrange fish pieces on top, along with the chermoula marinade. 

Make the Sauce

Mix together the sauce ingredients (tomato paste, sugar, lemon juice, oil) and pour over the fish. Add 1/2 cup of water to the pan, trying not to wash the chermoula or sauce off of the fish.

Cover and cook on lowest heat for 20-25 minutes, until the fish is just cooked. Top with reserved chermoula, and serve over couscous or rice (we ate it with quinoa).

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We Catered a 10 Course Dinner – Whew!

This past week Holly and I catered a 10 course dinner for a co-worker of mine and his friends (a party of 10).  We had planned on doing eight courses but as time went on and the menu became more complete, it ended up being 10.  We had also planned on having someone to help us with dishes and serving and at the last minute that fell through.  This meant that we were running between dishes, serving, cooking, plating, etc.  It was hectic to say the least (and exhausting) and a good learning experience. 

We started cooking Friday night, cooked all day Saturday, and though we had planned on arriving several hours early, we ended up arriving a few minutes before we were supposed to start!  Even with that short of time, we had prepared well and actually started only a few minutes late (about 7:20 instead of 7:00).

Here are some of the pics.  We didn’t bring our camera but luckily one of the guests was nice enough to take some pictures.  We are missing a few of the courses but we plan on doing this same menu on Mother’s day.  Brian will be there so we will have him take pics (so come back and check them out!).

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This is the "Are we going to have to pack our knives and go home?" look

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Amuse Bouche Trio

For the amuse we did a trio.  First was a Cauliflower Panna Cotta with a Oyster Nectar Gelee topped with Lumpfish Caviar.  Second was Red Cabbage Gazpacho with Mustard Ice Cream.  Third was a Red Snapper Ceviche with a Rutabaga Chip and Guacamole.

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Seafood

This was one of the hits of the night, Seared Scallops with Butter Poached Lobster and Fresh Morels in a Tarragon Lime Emulsion topped tableside with Parmesan Foam.  We had made this recipe the first time a few days before and we were licking our plates, so we knew it would be good.

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Foie Gras

This course ended up being the most troubled course of the night.  We had bought grade A frozen foie gras and made it in the Thomas Keller style.  The problem is that I don’t think I pressed it tight enough.  Also, when it came time to serve, it hadn’t been returned to the refrigerator so when I cut it, it was soft and gooey.  I worried and decided to try and save the dish by searing it.  It shrunk a ton as the fat rendered out so I pulled it and put the bits on the plate.  I think it was still ok, just because foie gras is so good it’s hard to make it bad, but it was a horrible waste of an expensive ingredient.

The course was Seared Foie Gras with Sour Cherry Compote and Toasted Homemade Brioche.

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Pasta

The next course was fun.  We made a Corned Beef and Chicken Tortellini made with homemade Ricotta and Mascarpone Cheese.  It was served with a Roasted Red Pepper Cream Sauce and a Sauteed Sage Leaf.

Pork

Sadly, the next course, which was the favorite of the night, didn’t get a picture.  It was Mangalitsa Pork Belly slow braised in Guiness and topped with Bourbon BBQ Sauce and Shaved Black Truffles.  It was served with Cheesy (9 year aged cheddar) Grits and Molasses Sauteed Collard Greens.  The only criticism we received was that they didn’t get enough.

 

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Palate Cleanser

After the pork belly, a palate cleanser was served, Meyer Lemon Oregano Sorbet.

Soup

The next course also didn’t get a pic.  We served a bowl with Julienned Sugar Peas, Greek Yogurt, and Homemade Eucalyptus Marshmallows.  I then served a Green Pea Veloute tableside.IMG_0911

Salad

This Caesar Salad sat on a Mascarpone filled Brioche Crouton and was wrapped in a Bocarone (pickled anchovy).  It was fun and yummy, with homemade dressing.

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Main Course

The main course was also a hit.  We served a Braised Lamb Osso Buco topped with Gremolata and Rack of Lamb.  We served it with Black Quinoa tossed with Gremolata, Golden Raisins, Slivered Almonds, and Braised Carrots.

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Dessert Trio

The dessert trio was the finale and also was meant to mirror the amuse bouche.   We served Cocao Nib Panna Cotta with Fresh Raspberries and Syrup.  Next we served Milkless Mousse from Peruvian Single bean Chocolate in a Chocolate Ring.  Lastly we served a Black Bottomed Praline Bar with Chocolate Ganache.

Whew, were we dead when we finished!  I imagine (and hope) it will be a much lighter experience when we do this again on Mother’s day for our friends.