Sunday, March 7, 2010

Avoid Fish Shrapnel- It's Gross

Way to go Clever Girls! You made it through the grilling series and here is your reward. The sacred salmon recipe. It's perfect for this weekend and good luck!

Grilled Salmon with Salsa Verde


Wild salmon (I don’t use farm raised)

20 limes

Sea salt

1 to 2 bunches of cilantro (depending on the amount of salmon and the number of people) pick through to make sure you have removed wilted or bad leaves and take the thick stems off completely. The more slender stems are OK for blending. I cut off about one inch of the stems prior to rinsing in a colander.

2 to 3 fresh jalapenos

1 to 2 cans of black beans

1 jar of Mrs. Renfro’s salsa verde

1 to 2 packages of Casbah Toasted CousCous (pearl pasta)

2 to 4 cups (two for one package of couscous- four cups for two packages) of chicken stock

½ of each- red, yellow and orange pepper, julienned

Black pepper

Garlic powder

Juice all but one lime (save for garnishing yummy Mexican beer)

Prepare salmon by generously salting and garlicking- add a minimal amount of black pepper. Use a knife to puncture the fish several times and bathe it in lime juice. Put in the refrigerator until you are ready to grill. Make sure you leave at least ¾ cup of lime juice for the sauce.

In a blender, combine the remaining lime juice- ¾ cup for up to five people- and one bunch of rinsed and picked cilantro. For more than five people double the recipe. Add salt and jalapenos if desired. There are ways to manage your spice on this dish. Eliminate the jalapenos completely if you don’t like spice. Or, take the seeds out and rinse them if you like the flavor but not so much spice and use half of one. If you really enjoy heat, leave the seeds in and add up to three jalapenos for a double batch of sauce.

Blend until smooth. I leave the sauce in the blender until I am about to serve it so I can reblend it prior to dinner.

Rinse and drain the black beans and add to them Mrs. Renfro’s salsa verde as liquid for cooking and eating. This can be spicy so if you don’t like spice, don’t rinse and drain your beans but cook them in the liquid and serve with a slotted spoon. Or, you can cook them in some chicken broth.

I like to prepare the couscous with chicken broth instead of water so just substitute accordingly. When there is about five minutes left of cooking (I usually put the fish on the grill when I begin the couscous), add the julienned peppers so they remain a bit crispy.

Now, about the fish- I like my fish cooked through but not dry- some people prefer a light grilling, Make sure you check with your guests and grill accordingly. Direct heat will sear it- which some people prefer- or indirect heat will cook through without drying it out.

You may prepare the dishes for presentation by serving the fish on a bed of couscous with black beans nestled in the middle. Lavish the salmon with green sauce so it is spilling over onto the beans and the couscous.

I have never had anyone eat this dish and not tell me it was the best salmon they’d ever eaten.

A fantastic change up to this recipe is using chicken instead of salmon for those who do not prefer fish.

If you do not like so tart an option on the sauce, I have in the end added the juice of a navel orange for a smoother finish. In this case, I have added freshly squeezed OJ to the marinade.

TIP: Buy a basket for use when preparing flakier fish- this could help you avoid being sprayed with blazing fish shrapnel the first time you attempt to flip sea bass with a spatula. It doesn’t matter how big the spatula – be assured, the fish you are not wearing will be smoldering on the hot coals. Honestly, I use tin foil often for fish, as I am impatient and more likely to throw a basket used to cook fish away than clean it. Gross.

Bon Appetit! Ok, for Monday- there are some updates to the case of the girl who lit her mother on fire and I feel I need to address them. I will have two to three posts for Clever Couples planning weddings. Two on the DRESS- for the Clever Brides and one on the DRESS for Clever Guys trying not to get their ass handed to them in the wedding planning process. It's a bitch guys and I feel for you.



No comments:

Post a Comment

Search This Blog