Go Fish!

The Fishing Opener in Minnesota (a big thing here - it is the "Land of 10,000 Lakes") is always Mother's Day weekend. I'm not even going to comment on that fact - I could have too much fun with it and I'll never get to the food. The Governor always picks a lake and goes fishing in it and I guess it is a big deal. I never thought about it until the Governor picked White Bear Lake to open the fishing season. White Bear Lake! A once sleepy resort town where gangsters and the likes of F. Scott Fitzgerald mingled. A lake of Legends from the Chippewa and the Lakota. A lake with enough charm that Mark Twain rewrote the old legend and it is now inscribed at Matoska Park - a park of bicycles, dogs, Frisbees, ticks and a time machine that takes you back in time by gazing at the lake.

Over night, White Bear Lake was planted, streets were closed, parking not possible and the Lion's Club fed 5,000 people. As I bravely tried to get to the grocers. I came across this by the docks:

Yep. Green elephants for the fishing opener. O-kay. I know the governor is a Republican - but maybe a walleye? A northern? A sturgeon? A fish????? And where do they go next? What do you do with elephant topiaries once they have outlived their use? Food for thought.
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And speaking of food, I did think fish was appropriate for the weekend even if we were not going fishing. I found some nice halibut (I couldn't find walleye in the stores this weekend - go figure - the fisherman are loading their coolers with frozen walleye - in case nothing bites???). And I found a lovely recipe at ALL RECIPES: Halibut with Crusted Hazelnuts over Creamy Garlic Potatoes.

I used less butter than was called for and could have cut even more of it. And I could have used more garlic -but that's me - I can always use more garlic. All in all - it was just fishy enough for the Fishing Opener, easy enough for a busy weekend and warm enough for a wet, cold, rainy day. Oh! Did I forget to mention that Fishing Opener weekend is always chilly and rainy? Not a lot of fish get caught. Perhaps that's why the grocers do a landmark business selling fish during the opener. You can't go home empty-handed. Not after spending Mother's Day weekend fishing.

The Best Laid Plans ...

Two years ago, our family began discussions about the four of us travelling to Italy.
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One year ago, we started making plans.
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Three months ago, we realized - it wasn't going to happen. The costs were far more than anticipated. The four of us are only free at the same time in August (when Italy is closed and on vacation.)
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We got on the Internet and investigated Alaska, Vancouver, San Francisco and Seattle.
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Ultimately we are landing in the:
"Land of Heart's Desire,
Where beauty has no ebb, decay, no flood,
But joy is wisdom, time an endless song,"

We are going to to Ireland! Land of Joyce, leprechauns, Yeats, Synge and fine cheddar. Where history is embroiled with myth, and faeries dance on Midsummer's Eve.

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To celebrate finally making a decision, I devised an appetizer plate for today. Something simple:





Fresh apples, Irish Cheddar with a little Irish whiskey thrown in for what ails you, bread and currant scones.

Dinner was from Bon Appetit's May's 1996 (yes, I do tend to keep things and I'm glad I do) The Romance of Ireland.

Salmon with Lemon and Chive Cream Sauce

(and of course, I altered a few things)

4 servings

3/4 cup fish stock or bottled clam juice

1/3 cup dry white wine

1/4 cup finely chopped shallots (you strain them so you don't have to go crazy with the mincing)

1 T dry vermouth

1/2 cup whipping cream (I used 1/4 cup)

1 T fresh lemon juice

1 T chopped chives (I used about three! - I love them and they're sitting in my garden)

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1 1-pound center cut skinless salmon fillet (I skinned it) about 1-1/2 inches thick

2 T butter (I did use the 2T but I didn't need it - 1T would have worked)

Ground nutmeg
Whole chives (optional) for garnish

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Combine stock, wine, shallots and vermouth in small saucepan. Boil until liquid is reduced to 1/3 cup (about ten minutes - for me it was 8). Add cream; boil until sauce coats spoon. Add lemon juice. Strain sauce. Return to saucepan. Add chopped chives. Season with salt and pepper. The sauce came together in no time - it was very easy.

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Cut salmon into scallops (I cut the fillet in half and then did about 2 inch pieces down the fillet; I found it easy to skin after it was cut.) Sprinkle salt and pepper on the salmon and then lightly sprinkle some nutmeg. (Easy to do if you grate it right over the salmon-scallops.) Melt butter in large non-stick skillet and add salmon. Cook until just opaque in center - about 30 seconds per side.

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Pour sauce onto plates (or platter; I reserved some for on top of the salmon), place salmon in sauce and garnish with chives.

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I was able to receive my first taste of the Irish Sea! (Even if they were Norwegian fillets!) It was grand. With some quick substitutions (chicken broth for fish stock) this would work on chicken. I also think it would be nice - as is - on halibut. My husband chimed in with the idea of adding a little Gorgonzola or blue cheese and putting it atop a steak. All in all a fun beginning for my Irish journey. As someone more literal than visual (you've seen my photos), going to Ireland is a playwright's dream.

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Until then I shall dream:

" till time and times are done

The silver apples of the moon,

The golden apples of the sun."

And read my beloved Yeats.

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P.S. Matthew signed a lease for a one bedroom in south Fargo - a little further from the U than wished for but the price was right, he did get a garage and he claims it has a gourmet kitchen!

"By the pricking of my thumbs, something fishy this way comes"

SALMONE ALLA GRIGLIA CON SALASA AL TIMO
SALMON WITH THYME AND PARSLEY SAUCE

I misquote Shakespeare when I can. It's an occupational hazard. It does underline the love/hate relationship I have had with fish. I know it contains all sorts of elements that fight disease. It's low-fat (although I have wearied of that phrase), one can eat it sensibly and easily find sustainable fish. I live in the Land of 10,000 lakes where even in winter, you can dig a hole in the ice and find some tasty protein. (But then we tend to deep fry it, negating the reason you're eating this stuff with a zillion (I don't exaggerate) tiny, crunchy bones.)

I adore lobster - growing up in New York City and vacationing in Maine, I was introduced to this luxurious treat in my childhood. Shrimp (never frozen) makes me sing. Halibut can be a delectable. And then there's salmon. Widely available, sustainable and sometimes I like it and sometimes I don't. My favorite is the Copper River Salmon - available four weeks out of 52. Minnesota does seem to get a good crop of salmon in from Canada all winter. Fresh. Sustainable. I like the idea of that meal usually more than I like the meal itself.

As our weather soared into the fifties, I took some salmon home. Grilling season has begun. My entire block was lighting up their grills. And I tried a variation of Giuliano Hazan's recipe. I can usually count on him to give it a light, Italian taste. And he came through.

Salmon with Thyme and Parsley Sauce adapted from Giuliano Hazan: (Serves 4)

2T fresh lemon juice

salt

8 sprigs flat leaf parsley

8 sprigs thyme (I use more herbs that Mr. Hazan)

5 T extra-virgin olive oil

2 lbs salmon fillets

freshly ground pepper

4 T bread crumbs

Preheat gas or charcoal grill (I am hooked on charcoal). Put the lemon juice and the salt in a small bowl and stir till dissolved. Chop the herbs finely to have 2 T of each. Add herbs to the bowl and whisk in 4 T of the olive oil until emulsified.

Season fish with salt and pepper and coat it with the bread crumbs. Drizzle remaining 1 T of olive oil over it. Place salmon on grill. Cook the fish for about 5 minutes per inch of thickness, turning the fillets once. Salmon should be pink in center and flaky when done. Transfer to a serving platter, pour the herb sauce over it and serve.

I served it with some brown rice and a Greek Salad (my salad of choice in the winter: greens, thinly sliced cucumber, feta cheese, Kalamata olives, scallions and a lemon-oil vinaigrette.)

It wasn't fishy - tasting like the first buds of spring - all lemony and herby and fresh. I liked it. Don't think I will even do the breadcrumbs next time. There. I said it: next time! So, maybe it isn't that I don't like most fish, maybe I'm just fussy over its preparation.

Oh! And for dessert? I had my eye on the French Yogurt Cake that was the recipe of the week over at Tuesdays with Dorie. It was perfect and will be the dessert for the monthly family Cover Girls Cooking dinner. The recipe is here.