Man vs Food- Salmon with Sundried Tomato Dauphinoise

Man vs Food

After three months in our flat, the walls remain bare and the internet unhooked. The only thing I am happy to report is in full force is the kitchen.

Jonathan, our roommate and resident ladies man extraordinaire, is quite the chef. Perhaps this skill was one of the instrumental factors in his ascension in the world of women. I do have to say there is nothing better than a man who can find his way around the kitchen. When he noted he was cooking a weekday meal for the summer camp family (our immediate group of friends), I was excited to see what made the table.

Salmon, dill, and greens; was this boy food? Have we entered the age where men contemplate the calorie count of each serving? This was a far cry from the Hamburger Helper with fried accompaniments my college boyfriend craved but was a refreshing change. Jonathan has now taken on the task dominated by my mother for over twenty years. He gently reminds me of my calorie intake when he sees me eating chocolate and he stresses the importance of exercise. God help him..

J-Man's Salmon with Lite Sundried Tomato Dauphinoise

Serves 4

Baked Salmon with Sliced Onions and Cherry Tomatoes

4 servings of fresh salmon (with or without skin, according to preference)

1 small white onion

16 cherry tomatoes

Juice of one half lemon

Salt and pepper

A tiny bit of olive oil

chopped fresh dill

Instructions

· Pre-heat the oven to 200F

· Pat Salmon dry.

· Wipe the bottom of a baking sheet with olive oil

· Place salmon on the tray, assort thin slices of onion over the fish

· Pour lemon juice over

· Place dill over the fish and cherry tomatoes around

· Sprinkle with salt and pepper (if desired)

· Bake for 15-20 minutes (according to preference).

Sun-dried Potatoes Dauphinoise (with very little cream.. of course)

6 potatoes

1 small knob of butter

1 small jar of sundried tomatoes

3 Tbsp cream

1 Tbsp milk

1 clove of garlic, minced

1 egg

Salt & Pepper

* serve with steamed asparagus

Glazed Toman with Stewed Peppers and Manchego Risotto.

My apologies for my complete lack of contribution this month. I shall explain. I have been a gypsy wandering from house to house for many moons now. While staying at others it is not best practice to take over their kitchens, make a mess, then force feed them.... so I have been eating peanut butter sandwiches and local hawker center food. I am SO ready to get back behind the stove and continue where I left off. Luckily, we are moving into a new flat next week and I will be going on a cooking rampage so FASTEN YOUR SEATBELTS!

Toman also known as the "giant mudfish" is typical in Southeast Asian cooking. Normally found in street stalls barbequed to perfection, you can also buy fillets at the g-store and fancy it up at home. It is meaty flaky and handles glazes and spices well. If you can't find Toman, buy some catfish and give it a Southern twist!

xx

Glazed Toman with Stewed Peppers and Manchego Risotto
serves 2

Ingredients:

• 2 medium Toman fillets, bones removed


• 1 tsp soy sauce


• 1 tsp brown sugar


• 1 tsp apricot jam


• 2 cloves of garlic, minced


• 1 onion, finely diced


• 1 tsp tomato paste


• 3 peppers (one green, one yellow, one red), julienne


• extra virgin olive oil


• dash of tabasco


• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, divided


• 1 large onion, chopped


• 1 1/2 cups arborio rice


• 1/2 cup dry white wine


• 5 cups (or more) hot chicken (or vegetable) broth


• 1/2 cup manchego, shredded


• salt and pepper

Directions:

For the fish:

• Preheat the oven to 425F/220C


• Mix the glaze together.


• Coat fish.


• Put the fish in the oven for 15 minutes until flaky and perfectly cooked.
  

For the peppers:

• Sweat the garlic in the olive oil over the stove.



• Add the peppers and cook on medium heat for 5 min.



• Add the tomato paste and stir.



• Add a ladel full of the warm chicken stock and let thicken but be careful not to overcook the peppers.



• Sprinkle on some Tabasco!
  

For the risotto:

• Melt half of butter (2 Tbsp) in a heavy saucepan over med. heat.



• Add onion and soften (about five min).



• Add rice; stir and toast for a couple of minutes.



• Add wine and cook until almost all liquid is absorbed. Stir constantly!



• Add 1 cup hot broth. Simmer until broth is almost absorbed (KEEP STIRRING!!! You don’t want any to stick to the bottom)



• Add more broth, 1 cup at a time, allowing each addition to be absorbed before adding.. stirring the whole time!



• You know it’s done when risotto is tender and mixture is creamy.



• Take off heat and add the manchego and salt & pepper to taste.



• Serve with the stewed peppers and the fish on top!

Fish Pie

As I become more and more fed up of these winter months the more and more I've turned to comfort food. Great for my tummy, not so great for my scales. After a foray into the world of mac and cheese I thought it best to reign it in a little and move towards the healthier realm of comfort food. This pie is like a warm duvet washed in lenor's new fragrance of fish pie. You can vary what goes on in these a lot but I like to have some kind of shell fish, some kind of white fish and some kind of greenery. The sauce and topping I think you should stick with as it really does work. As the topping is crumbs you can serve with carbs but I would recommend some leeks as they go really well with the vermouth, some carrots would also look pretty here.

Ingredients:

600 g haddock cut into 3x3 inch segments (I use un-smoked, un-dyed)

250g cooked and peeled prawns

375ml skimmed milk

1 1/2 tbsp plain flour

2 tbsp unsalted butter (plus extra for cooking crumbs in)

1 bay leaf

2 cloves of garlic, mashed

2 tbsp vermouth

3 pieces of bread blitzed into breadcrumbs

1 lemon - finely grated rind only

2 tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley

large handful of grated Parmesan

Bag of spinach, washed

seasoning

Firstly make your white sauce:

Heat the milk with the bay leaf in a sauce pan until it simmers then turn off the heat and leave to infuse.

Heat the two tablespoons of butter in a thick based saucepan. When it is bubbling whisk in the flour as well as 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp of black pepper until it forms a paste. Very slowly whisk in the hot milk lowering the heat to medium. Whisk constantly while the sauce thickens for about 15 minutes. Stir in the vermouth, let it cook for a few more minutes then turn off the heat. Remove the bay leaf when you add the white sauce to the pie dish.

Secondly, make your fish:

In a cold pan add the butter and garlic, allow the two to melt together. Once the butter is foaming add the portions of fish and season. Give them about 2 minutes on each side to colour and absorb the garlic. If you do have any of the lemon left over from grating the rind a little squeeze here wouldn't go amiss but not essential.

Thirdly, assemble:

Line a deep pie dish with as much spinach as you can fit in and press down to leave room on top for the fish. Place your fish on top, it should break up into 1 inch segments when you take it from the pan and scatter over spinach. Scatter over the prawns and then add the white sauce making sure everything is covered. Scatter the pie the Parmesan.

Then make your crumb topping:

Wipe the frying pan in which you cooked the fish. Heat some more butter in the pan and once it is bubbling add the bread crumbs and lightly toast. When they are turning golden season well add the parsley and lemon and stir through then take off the heat. Scatter directly over the pie for a thick crispy topping.

Cook in a pre-heated oven at 180C for about 25 minutes. Whilst it is in the oven you can steam/saute/boil your veg of choice. Serve together and enjoy!

Fresh Eating: Rockfish

I love being invited to a dinner party. You make me food, I will be round in ten with a bottle of wine in hand. Of course there are those times where you go for meals at someones house and you think, "well that was ok". Not this time people! This meal was TERRIFIC (and I'm not just saying that).

Hayes Huff is Norfolk's resident Tye Pennington. This man knows how to fix, build, and hunt anything.. he really needs his own show. I am on a mission to get him to start his own blog so he can share his amazing "how to" ideas. He was the master chef of this meal and during the course of tonight's dinner he taught me several things about the nature and cooking of a rockfish...and when Hayes imparts wisdom, one ought to listen.

The Rockfish:

a). It tastes PHENOMENAL.. light but meaty. It's perfect for those who hate the "too fishy taste"

b). Rockfish is actually an "elderly striped bass". Sad. Apparently when they are younger they travel in packs and as they age they become lone rangers...
c). They are an East Coast fish (represent) and can be found all the way down the Eastern seaboard. They are also the official state fish of South Carolina. I found that tidbit out on my own.
d). The best way to catch them is with an eel. yuck.

The Huff Secret Rockfish Recipe
serves 4

Ingredients:

• 12 oz/375g rockfish fillets (or bass for those away from the E. Coast)
• 2 large handfuls of regular Sun Chips, crushed finely
  
• 1 cup flour, seasoned with salt and pepper
• seafood seasoning, Old Bay will do
  
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 2 lemons.
  

Directions:

• Mix seasoned flour and seasoning.
• Coat fillets with flour
• Coat fillets with crushed Sun Chips.
• Heat frying pan over medium heat.. add butter
• Add fillets... and cook until done (when the meat in the middle is white). Flip as needed and squeeze lemon juice over..
  
• Serve with roasted potatoes and greens.