The Return of the Salmon

In 2008 when I began this project, my first table featured poached salmon. It was awful. A huge waste of a lovely piece of fish. I bought an equally nice piece of wild salmon and fixed it two ways on this weeks table. The results were far different from the last. Here is what was on my table.

Paper Wrapped Salmon
Potato-Gruyere Gratin

Grilled Salmon Gyros
Cucumber-Pomegranate Salad

Butternut Squash and Apple Soup with Cider Cream

Cooking fish of any kind in parchment paper is a favorite process of mine. The salmon is seasoned and covered with strips of Zucchini, yellow squash and black beans. A broth of white wine and soy sauce is drizzled over the vegetables and a pat of butter on top. The paper is folded tightly to form a packet. Baked on a cookie sheet for about 20 minutes. The packet is carefully opened and the fish is served in the paper. This was a recipe I will use again with perhaps some other fish. The salmon is a excellent choice.

The side for this was a gratin of thinly sliced, partially cooked cauliflower and potatoes. They are layered in a casserole with half of the grated Gruyere and milk is poured over. Top with the remaining cheese and bake about 30 minutes. Great taste, but rather bland looking. Perhaps some green herbs would have been a good choice.


The second half of the salmon is marinated with garlic, hot pepper flakes, EVOO, lemon zest and juice. It is then grilled and broken into smaller pieces. I don't care for pita bread as a receptacle for anything, so I used a warmed flour tortilla in it's place. A tomato onion salad and yogurt cucumber dill sauce is spooned over the salmon and rolled up. Excellent! I really like this concept and was pleased with how it turned out.

I made a salad to go with it. Thinly sliced cucumber, fennel and Granny Smith apple are dressed with a dressing of lemon juice, zest, EVOO and white wine vinegar and S&P. Fresh pomegranate seeds are sprinkled over the top. A good choice with the rolled gyro.

The soup this week is a puree of cooked butternut squash, leeks, carrots, celery and Granny smith apple. The broth is chicken with apple cider and herbs. A garnish of cider cooked down to thicken and then sour cream stirred in. A spoon over the soup is with some fried sage leaves.

All in all I was quite pleased with the table. It was a bit of a challenge because my disposal died on Saturday and there is about 3 inches of vegetable peelings and water in the sink. Cooking without the use of the sink is something I don't want to experience again. Hopefully it will be fixed by next week.