When it comes to seafood, often simplest is best - quick and easy cooking techniques ensure that fish retains its natural flavor and keeps it from becoming overcooked or dry. Pan sauté any thin fillet – halibut, swordfish, tuna, salmon, sole, tilapia – or even lobster meat or scallops, and serve drizzled in piccata, a classic Italian sauce that shows off the succulence of fish oils and balances them with sea-salty brine.With just a couple of ingredients that you can keep on hand at all times, you can have a light and yet robustly-flavored meal ready in a matter of minutes.
handful of flour (this can be omitted for gluten-free diets), poured onto a plate
olive oil
3 T butter
4-5 shallots, minced
½ lemon, thinly sliced
¼ cup white wine or dry vermouth
1-2 T capers
salt and freshly cracked black pepper
1.Heat a little olive oil and a tablespoon of butter in a heavy skillet over high heat.Rinse the fish in cold running water, dust each side with salt and pepper, and dredge the fillets in the flour.
2.When the oil is hot, gently place two of the fillets in the skillet, sautéing until golden and then turning them over and browning on both sides.Remove from heat and keep warm in the oven while you cook the second two fillets the same way.
3.Pour the used oil and any bits from the skillet and return it to the heat.Add 1 tablespoon of butter and allow it to melt.Add the shallots and 4 or 5 lemon slices, sautéing until the shallots turn golden and translucent.Pour in the wine or vermouth, and stir briskly with a wooden spoon or small whisk.Remove the lemon slices, and place them over the fish fillets.
4.Add the rest of the butter to the pan, along with the capers.Let the sauce thicken, and add salt and pepper to taste.
5.Spoon the sauce over the fish and serve immediately with crusty bread to mop up leftover sauce.A crisp green salad and orzo cooked with chilies and saffron make nice accompaniments.
In a renewed lawsuit pitting economics against environmental concerns, judges are again being asked to consider whether hatchery-raised fish should be considered identical to wild salmon when counting fish populations. Although a ruling last year declared that they were, in fact, not the same, an Oregon-based business alliance has objected to the decision, claiming that the distinction unfairly lowers salmon counts and unnecessarily disrupts development and commerce in favor of protecting salmon habitat.
Wild salmon and hatchery-raised salmon are genetically similar, environmentalists counter, but wild salmon have adapted behaviors that contribute to much greater survival numbers in natural habitat, as opposed to the higher death rates of hatchery fish released into the wild. 16 salmon and steelhead species are listed as endangered in the Pacific Northwest, and their habitats are protected and managed under the Endangered Species Act. Fishermen and conservation groups argue that including human-raised fish in wild fish counts leads to an inaccurate portrait of fish stocks, and thus irresponsible management of their waters.
An estimated 137 other species depend upon the health and stability of wild salmon stocks for their own ecological survival.
Whether your salmon was grilled, baked, broiled or poached, it makes great leftovers.Buy extra and plan ahead - Friday evening’s dinner becomes a perfect light lunch for the weekend, with little preparation.
Salmon Salad
Flake leftover cooked salmon into a bowl, and add just enough mayonnaise to hold it all together; too much will overpower the flavors and make it mushy.For an unusual twist on standard tuna salad sandwiches, try adding one or more of the following to the flaked salmon and mayonnaise combination:
curry powder
chopped fresh dill
hot sauce and chopped fresh cilantro
capers and flecks of cream cheese or chevre (goat cheese)
soy sauce and a dash of sesame oil
sweet pickles
minced red onion and stoneground mustard
Salmon Cakes
These are excellent alone as appetizers, or atop a homemade caesar with crisp romaine, freshly grated parmesan cheese, and lemon wedges.
Basic ingredients:
leftover salmon, flaked (canned works well, too)
one egg, beaten
a cup or more of crushed soda crackers (put them in a large ziploc bag and roll them with a rolling pin or bottle of wine)
salt and pepper
flour for dusting
Suggested add-ins:
minced red bell pepper
chopped cilantro
minced fresh jalapenos
fresh garlic, crushed
cumin
capers
Be creative!
Combine all the ingredients (except the flour) in a large bowl and mix well with washed hands.The mixture should be dough-like in consistency; if it’s too wet, add some flour or more cracker crumbs; if it’s too dry, add a splash of milk.Form the cakes into inch-thick rounds, dust them with flour on a flat plate, and fry in a quarter inch of oil in a heavy-bottomed skillet until brown.Crack the first one open to be sure they’re fully cooked - they need to be crisp on the outside, and hot all the way through.If the oil is too hot, they may brown too much before cooking through: turn down the heat and smash the cakes a little flatter.Drain on paper towels and keep warm in a low-temperature oven before serving.
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