Lemon Herbed Orzo Salad
1 lb salmon
2 cups uncooked orzo or penne pasta
one large cucumber, cut in half lengthwise and sliced thin
4 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped or 1 ½ tablespoons dried
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
zest and juice of one lemon
1 small shallot, minced
2 teaspoons garlic, minced
½ cup olive oil, plus more for salmon
salt and pepper
¼ cup feta cheese, crumbled
Cook pasta in boiling salted water according to directions on package. Meanwhile, season salmon with oil, salt and pepper and roast in 350°F oven until cooked through. Cool slightly and break up into small chunks. Add to pasta along with cucumbers. Combine rice vinegar, lemon, shallot, garlic, olive oil and salt and pepper to taste and whisk together. Pour dressing over salad and toss carefully. Garnish with feta cheese and serve immediately. Makes 4-6 servings.
Cedar Planked Salmon with Maple Soy Marinade
2 tablespoons maple syrup, warmed
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons white wine or mirin
Olive or vegetable oil
1 lb salmon fillet
Soak cedar plank for at least one hour prior to using. Mix maple syrup, rice vinegar, soy sauce and wine together. Marinate salmon in mixture for 30-60 minutes. Preheat a grill and rub oil on top side of plank. Place fish skin side down on plank and grill for 10-15 or so minutes until it achieves desired doneness. Meanwhile, heat the marinade in a small saucepan over medium-high until it comes to a boil, then simmer for five minutes. Ladle sauce over the salmon steaks and serve hot. Makes 2-3 servings.
July 1 marked the re-opening of the California commercial salmon fishing season, and here in the foothills, fresh salmon caught off the state's coastline will once again be hitting backyard barbecues.
A favorite among professional chefs, ocean-caught king salmon has a higher oil content that adds to their healthy omega-3 fatty acid profile, deep coloring and robust flavor.
Highly prized for its quality, the fish is considered a "best choice" according to the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch List, which promotes sustainably managed fisheries.
Along the Pacific Coast, California is the leading producer of troll-caught (hook-and-line) king salmon. The season has been restricted in recent years to protect stocks of Klamath salmon, which collapsed due to the practice of diverting the river's water for land irrigation.
This year's season only lasts through Sept. 30, so make sure to include fresh salmon in your summer meal rotation, whether you're having an outdoor neighborhood get-together on a breezy afternoon or an air-conditioned dinner after a heat-soaked day.
Chef Troi Frankhuizen of A Chef's Affair Catering in Granite Bay uses roasted salmon in a dish called lemon herbed orzo salad. The cooked fish is broken up into a serving dish of cooked pasta, tossed with a flavorful dressing and served warm.
"It's very easy and versatile," Frankhuizen said. "You can use it as a dinner salad, but it also is nice light fare as a main dish for brunch. An adaptation of her recipe appears at right."
Commercial fisherman Brand Little, who sells ocean-caught fish at the Auburn Farmers' Market, notes the recent trend toward grilling salmon on a cedar plank, a practice discovered by the Pacific Northwest Indians eons ago. The method, which involves cooking through indirect heat on a damp piece of wood, yields a moist and tender fish with a wood-smoked flavor.
To grill salmon on a cedar plank, soak the wood for one to four hours by completely submerging it in water. The grill should be preheated to between 350 and 400 degrees. After a few minutes of cooking, the plank will start doing its job by smoldering, which imparts a lovely flavor to the fish.
Sometimes it gets carried away and catches on fire, in which case it's helpful to have a spritz bottle full of water to douse the flames.
Test the salmon occasionally to make sure it's cooked through but not dried out.
If your cedar plank is still presentable, it can go straight to the table as a serving platter.
While gourmet stores offer pricey cedar planks, you can make your own by purchasing untreated wood from your local lumber store. The key is to make sure there are no chemicals of any kind on the cedar, and that it is between one-half and one-inch thick.
