Lemongrass Salmon with Bok Choy Stir Fry

Throwing a good dinner party is one of my favorite past times. As lovely as being a host can be, I also appreciate the evenings when I get to be a guest. Aside from the relaxing conversation and leisure this type of situation provides, it expands my culinary mind and enlightens me to flavor combinations I would not otherwise come up with. A few weeks ago a wonderful new group of friends cooked up the most amazing halibut I have ever had. Their secret? Lemongrass. They added lemongrass and cilantro with a bit of sweetness to a buttery rich fish and vola! Clearly something worth reenacting, so I dreamed up a dish with a similar flair- Lemongrass Salmon with shrimp poppers.

 

Lemongrass Salmon

                      2 Salmon fillets

                      1 1/2 tablespoons chopped lemongrass

                      1 1/2 teaspoons packed light brown sugar

                      1/4 teaspoon salt

                      2 tablespoons chopped shallot

                      1 1/2 teaspoons fish sauce

                      2 Tablespoons oil
                      1 lemon
                      3 Tablespoons butter
                      1 bunch chopped fresh cilantro
                    *6 raw shrimp cut into cubes

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Run your finger along the flesh side of the salmon filets to check for any bones. Remove them with tweezers. Set aside.  In an electric food processor, grind the lemongrass, brown sugar, and salt to a minced texture. Add the shallot, fish sauce,  and oil. Run the machine, pausing to scrape down the sides, to arrive at a coarse paste. Taste it and adjust the flavors to create a heady paste that’s a little saltier than you’re comfortable with. You can also "water it down a little" with a bit of water and/or oil. Which I recommend.  Rub a baking pan with oil. Place the salmon in the tray (as well as the chopped shrimp if you choose to add them), skin down and evenly spread the marinade over the top of the fish. Squeeze the juice of one lemon over the mixture, as well as a bit of fresh cilantro.  *Optionally also poor 3 tablespoons of melted butter over top. Bake uncovered til the salmon is no longer deep pink on the inside (approximately 25 minutes).

 

 
Bok Choy Stir Fry 
                     1 onion chopped
                     2 carrots chopped
                     1 container bamboo shoots
                     1 container water chestnuts
                     1 red bell pepper chopped
                     1 bunch brocolini (or broccoli)
                     4 heads Bok Choy
                     3-4 shitake mushrooms*

       Sauce:
                    2 Tablespoons oyster sauce
                    2 Tablespoons soy sauce
                    2 Tablespoons fish sauce (or 1 Tbs soysauce and 1Tbs sugar)
                    2 Tablespoons sweet Thai chili sauce
                    2 Tablespoons brown sugar
                   2 teaspoons fresh lime juice

                   5 cloves garlic, minced

Heat stir frying pan to medium high heat. Mix the sauce ingredients (oyster, soy, fish, thai chili sauces, and brown sugar, lime, garlic) thoroughly in bowl and set aside. Oil the pan and saute the onions till tender. Add the carrots and mushrooms, saute for 2 minutes. Then add the rest of the veggies (bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, broccoli, bell pepper and boy choy) as well as the sauce. Continue to stir together until veggies have reached the desired level of softness.

  Serve stir fry with Lemongrass Salmon and fresh steamed rice! Enjoy :)

Seafood Cioppino

I'm back at it! Believe it or not I have been cooking. As we can all relate, life is busy! Working a 9 to 5 on top of socializing and athletics doesn't leave much time for food blogging. However, it would be short of a crime to not share some of the recipes I've come across lately. As per usual, I am challenging myself to cook food I love to eat but have never created in my own kitchen. Last week this pursuit had me cooking up Seafood Cioppino-- a beautiful mussel and fish stew featured at many high end restaurants. It is the legacy of San Francisco's Italian and Portuguese immigrants—many of them fishermen—have lived on these surprisingly easy to make North Beach favorite, with fresh parsley this stew is both hearty and fresh.  

Cioppino

                          1 medium onion, quartered
                          3 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
                          3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
                          2 Turkish bay leaves or 1 California
                          1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
                          1/8 teaspoon dried hot red-pepper flakes
                          1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes in juice
                          1 1/2 cups water
                          1 cup full-bodied red wine such as Zinfandel or Syrah
                          1 8 ounce can of tomato paste
                          1 (8-ounce) bottle clam juice
                          1/2 to 1 pound skinless fillets of thick white-fleshed fish cut into 1- inch  .   chunks (I used halibut; hake or pollack can also be used)
                          1/2 to 1 pound fresh mussels
                          1 bunch fresh parsley chopped

Heat olive oil in a 5- to 6-quart heavy pot over medium-high heat until it shimmers, then stir in chopped  onion, garlic, bay leaves, thyme, red-pepper flakes, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper.  | Cook, covered, over medium heat, stirring once or twice, until vegetables begin to soften (about 4 minutes).   | Add tomatoes with their juice, water, wine, clam juice, tomato paste and boil covered for 20 minutes.  | Stir in seafood and 1/4 to 1/2 cup fresh parsley and cook, uncovered, until fish is just cooked through and mussels open wide. This should take 4 to 6 minutes (discard any that remain unopened mussels after 6 minutes). Discard bay leaves.

 

And serve HOT! Preferably with a toasted bread and a nice bottle of wine :)