Mató & Maple Syrup » salmon

Moqueca Risotto

alexandra — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 01:18:20 +0000

A moqueca is a Brazilian fish stew typical of the state of Bahia. This past weekend I made Salmon and Shrimp Moqueca to try out the capixaba clay pan my mother brought me from Brazil. I pureed a head of garlic, an onion, lime juice, salt, and cilantro and marinated six salmon steaks and a pound of shrimp in the mixture. I then layered sliced tomatoes, onions, and peppers at the bottom of my clay pan and topped it with the salmon steaks and shrimp. I pureed another tomato, an onion, and a tbsp of paprika and poured over the fish and added a can of tomatoes to the pan and covered the whole thing with plenty of cilantro and set it over medium heat. The moqueca is ready when the fish and shrimp are cooked, in about half an hour. But that’s not why I’m writing this post. I’m writing this post to share what I did with the leftovers.

I got home from work today and had one salmon steak left in plenty of moqueca broth. I had been talking about risotto with my brother the night before so the idea of a moqueca risotto came to mind. I strained the moqueca broth, separating the cooked fish, caramelized an onion in some butter, added 1-2 tsp paprika, and mixed in the risotto rice*. In order to re-enforce the coconut milk flavour of the original moqueca, I added 3-4 tbsp of unsweetened shredded coconut. I mixed in the moqueca broth and when that was absorbed, I added hot water, a 1/2 cup at a time until the rice was cooked but still a bit al dente. I folded in the shredded leftover salmon, serving the risotto as soon as the whole thing was heated through. It was yummy!

*I use short grain brown rice, following Mark Bittman’s directions of parboiling the rice for 12 minutes before using it in the recipe. It results in nice creemy risotto every time.

Using my organic box

alexandra — Thu, 01 May 2008 19:36:15 +0000

I got inspired by my newly arrived box (described below) and prepared this for dinner:

Broiled fillet of salmon served with chives mashed potatoes and bok choy & mushrooms stir fry. It was amazing.

Salmon on Fennel Salad with Citrus Dressing

alexandra — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 20:47:51 +0000

Who said you need to spend a fortune at a fancy restaurant to enjoy a gourmet meal? Who said you need to be a master chef? Tonight I made Salmon on Fennel Salad with Citrus Dressing from the LCBO magazine. Alan doesn’t care much about fish in general but he loves Salmon and I’m crazy about any fish, so I couldn’t let this simple and healthy recipe go untried. The result was even better than we imagined and had the two of us moaning through dinner. We had it with a glass of cava and followed it up with a nice capuccino and some baileys. As Alan said at the end of the meal, “a meal fit for the gods.” Which is Alan-speak for “the best meal ever!”. So here’s the recipe from the LCBO magazine:

Salmon on Fennel Salad with Citrus DressingThis zesty salad complements salmon’s richness while almonds add crunch. The fish can be served hot or cold as a light main course. If serving salmon cold, grill right away. If serving hot, make salad first.Salmon1/2 lime1/2 lemon1/2 orange4 skinless salmon fillets, each about 175g – 200g 1 tbsp butter, meltedSalad1 1/2 tsp granulated sugar [I used brown sugar]1 small garlic clove, minced1/2 tsp saltseveral grindings of black peppercorns1/4 cup (50 ml) olive oil 2 oranges1 large bulb fennel4 cups baby salad greens [I used baby spinach]1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted1. Using a microplane or other grater, zest lime, lemon & orange. Combine zests; set aside. Juice lime, lemon and orange; combine juices and set aside. 2. [explanation on how to grill salmon; since I don't have a bbq, I made it my usual way: in the oven, under a broiler. Turn the broiler on in the oven and move a shelf to about 5 inches from the broiler. Let it preheat for about 10-15 mins. Meanwhile, brush the salmon fillets with the melted butter and place it on a greased baking sheet. Place it under the broiler for 9 mins. Sprinkle each fillet with a pinch or two of zest, and squeeze a bit of the lemon and lime on it]3. To make salad, stir reserved juices with sugar, garlic, salt & pepper. Whisk in olive oil; set aside. Cut rind off oranges; section. Cut off green fronds from fennel. Cut bulb in half; core. Using a mandoline or fine blade of food processor, finely slice crosswide into slaw-like pieces (you can also slice it with a nice if you don’t have a mandoline). Toss fennel and orange sections with dressing. 4. Line serving plates with salad greens; top with fennel orange mixture. Lay salmon, hot or cold, over salad and strew with almonds.