Panko Crusted Salmon

January 21, 2016 by Laura Messersmith in Cooking with the Contessa

Each week I follow along with Ina Garten (aka the Barefoot Contessa) and attempt to recreate one of her dishes in my tiny New York City kitchen. The catch? This is my version of cooking school and today I’m making Panko Crusted Salmon for the first time. I’ll share both my successes and um, challenges, along the way and we’ll see if I can keep up with the Contessa!

Episode: “Miguel While You Were Out”

The Set-up: Miguel is visiting from New York to take pictures of Ina’s garden, so she’s treating him to a home-cooked dinner.

The Menu: Panko Crusted Salmon, Warm French Lentils, Chicken Noodle Soup, Chicken Stock, All-American Cheese Board

0:52 – We’re starting today with Miguel’s favorite Chicken Noodle Soup which Ina is planning to send with him in a thermos when he leaves. How sweet!

1:20 – Naturally this starts with homemade Chicken Stock. We get a quick overview on the process, which is involves a 20 quart stock pot. That’s not a typo – twenty quarts.

2:56 – A brief check-in with Miguel as he snaps some shots in the garden. I bet it’s heaven out there on a late spring day.

3:23 – Ina has declared that egg noodles are really the only appropriate noodle for chicken noodle soup. True. It honestly wouldn’t be the same with bowties or linguini.

4:34 – Ina has roasted two chicken breasts to help the meat retain its flavor in a way that it doesn’t when you boil it. Boiled chicken frankly sounds incredibly unappetizing.

5:51 – It’s so freezing today and I am officially now craving chicken noodle soup. Do you think Ina would send an extra thermos for me…?

6:47 – I love that Ina actually tastes her food and adjusts the seasonings if they need it. Pro Tip #1: Salt is the key to making chicken soup taste really delicious.

9:32 – Moving on to Panko Crusted Salmon. Ina says she assembles it ahead so it’s ready to cook when company arrives. My one qualm is that salmon is so ‘fragrant’ that I hesitate to cook it for company.

10:14 – Interesting technique, the mustard is used for flavor but also to help adhere the panko and seasonings to the fish.

11:29 – Out to Miguel raiding the garden. He’s taking clippings for some project of his own mysterious devising. What is he up to?

12:06 – All will be revealed I suppose. In the meantime: Warm French Lentils. I’ve make Ina’s other recipe a ton (and it’s incredible) but this is a different version.

13:45 – She says the two secret and fairly random ingredients are an onion stuck with whole cloves and a turnip, which season the water the lentils cook in. Presumably both will be removed before the dish is served.

14:38 – Ah yes, the vegetables have been removed and now the drained lentils go in with sautéed carrots and leeks. Again, this recipe diverges from the other with the addition of a mustard vinaigrette.

19:17 – Ina has arrived at a little cheese shop called Lucy’s Whey at the Amagansett Farmer’s Market (awesome name) to select some options for her All-American Cheese Board.

20:30 Ina often suggests that one creamy/soft, one hard, and one blue option give a nice variety for a small cheese board. Lucy recommends Moses Sleeper, Vermont Shepherd, Bailey Hazen Blue all from Vermont.

21:41 – Now that the cheeses are settled, it’s time to pick up a few jams, crackers, and dried fruit to round out the board. PS: Ina has an account at the shop, such a charming small-town!

22:55 – Now for a little cheese board-arranging lesson. Step 1: layer the cutting board with a flat green leaf (fig, hydrangea, etc.), Step 2: give the board some height with a nice pile of green grapes.

23:02 – Step 3: place the wedges of cheese; Step 4: fill in with big blocks of crackers, dried fruit, and a small dish of jam.

27:19 – It’s time to cook the prepped Panko Crusted Salmon first by searing the skin side in a hot pan on the stove-top then finishing the cooking in the oven.

28:54 – Ahh, as promised the surprise has been revealed: Miguel set the table on the porch and arranged it with flowers from the garden. Perfect timing because dinner is ready!

29:43 – It turns out that great minds think alike – the center piece and the All-American Cheese Board both feature a fig leaf back drop. Hilarity ensues when Ina shows Miguel his to-go thermos of Chicken Noodle Soup.

Final Thoughts:
Just when I think Ina has developed the perfect recipe, she transforms it into something else entirely.

Ina’s seafood cooking techniques are so spot on.

I suppose a gift of Chicken Noodle Soup is sort of odd, but how endearing!

Lessons Learned:
I’ve made versions of salmon in the past, but never anything ‘crusted’ so Panko Crusted Salmon was a new adventure and one I’m happy to say is practically fool proof.

Panko Topping – this really is the place for either plain or whole wheat panko crumbs, as opposed to traditional bread crumbs. Their rougher texture provides more little nooks and crannies to catch hold of the lemon zest and other seasonings, as well as places for toasting and crisping to take place.

Mustard – One to two teaspoons of Dijon mustard might seem like a lot for one piece of fish, but I urge you not to skip it. The flavor is excellent with the salmon, which can totally stand up to it’s robust spice, and it serves a dual purpose by also giving the panko a place to adhere. No point in putting a crispy coating on something if it’s just going to fall off the minute you move the food.

Cooking Time & Resting – I found the cooking + resting time to be spot on for a perfectly cooked piece of salmon. One recommendation though: loosely cover the cooked fish with foil so that some of the heat can escape. Formerly crunchy bread crumbs gone soggy with steam is not a good look.

Small Kitchen Friendly?
Yes, 100%. I needed a 10 inch oven-proof sauté pan, a small mixing bowl, small cutting board, chef’s knife, measuring cups, measuring spoons, a microplane zester, and a fish spatula. That’s all!

The Verdict:
Ina is an absolute wizard with cooking fish and her Panko Crusted Salmon is no different. The fish emerges from the oven perfectly cooked, tender and moist with the crispy, crunchy panko for contrast. As always, the flavors are spot on and elevate anything you’d like to serve along side. I recommend a base of crisp, leafy spinach or baby kale, preferably topped with the Avocado and Grapefruit Salad from last week. A fresh and light dinner that’s still grounded by the salmon.

Asian Grilled Salmon

May 13, 2015 by Laura Messersmith in Cooking with the Contessa

Each week I follow along with Ina Garten (aka the Barefoot Contessa) and attempt to recreate one of her dishes in my tiny New York City kitchen. The catch? This is my version of cooking school and I’m making these recipes for the first time. I’ll share both my successes and um, challenges, along the way and we’ll see if I can keep up with the Contessa!

Episode: “Fast and Elegant Supper”

The Set-up: Ina’s friend Frank is coming for dinner and she’s cooking up a feast in no time flat.

The Menu: Asian Grilled Salmon, Sautéed Asparagus and Snap Peas, Pear Clafoutis, Zucchini Vichyssoise

0:24 – We’re beginning with theZucchini Vichyssoise, possibly the most difficult to spell recipe ever invented. Seriously, I had to look up 100% of the words.

1:06 – Even though it’s impossible to spell, Ina likes it because soup is an easy made-ahead dish and this one has the double benefit of being served cold. You know, like revenge…

2:45 – Ina is leaving the skins on the potatoes because they’ll be pureed and filtered out when the soup is processed through the food mill. Sounds reasonable.

3:17 – Onward to the Pear Clafoutis which Ina says is basically a pancake with fruit cooked in it. I made one last summer with cherries to mixed reviews – it seems that neither of us are that fond of custards.

4:38 – A little cooking math from Ina – did you know that 1/4 cup is equal to 4 tablespoons? Cue the More You Know star…

5:21 – Ina says that some pear brandies have a whole pear in the bottle which sounds amazing, but how do you get that delicious pear out?

6:13 – Ina confirms that cherries are the traditional fruit for clafoutis, but you already knew that from my post last year.

9:32 – Time to puree the vichyssoise and finish the soup. Ina has a well documented love of the food mill, but I have honestly never used one. They seem a little cumbersome for a small kitchen.

10:59 – Now for the main event: Asian Grilled Salmon. Ina can’t remember how many times she’s made this, but from her tone it’s probably in the neighborhood of a metric ton.

11:20 – Apparently the marinade is used in two ways – first to flavor the fish ahead of cooking and then later as a sauce.

12:45 – As if the marinade working overtime weren’t enough, Ina says that this recipe makes great leftovers so she always makes extra. Efficiency!!

13:56 – The soy sauce in the marinade is what makes this Asian, but I’d also love to try it with grated fresh ginger. I bet that would be really good too.

14:18 – Now that dinner is 90% finished Ina has left the premises and Miguel has arrived to set the table.

15:03 – Florist Pro Tip from Miguel: if you don’t have a flower frog, make a grid over the opening of the vase with scotch tape to hold the flowers in place.

19:17 – Back to prep the fruit for the Pear Clafoutis. Firm, but ripe pears are best and Ina has buttered and sugared the pan.

20:30 – Ina has placed the sliced pears in the dish to make a gorgeous pattern, which reminds me a lot of the process for Apple Cake Tatin.

21:55 – Even though this is called Asian Grilled Salmon it turns out that Ina is cooking indoors. Good news for me since an actual grill is out of the question right now.

22:24 - Sautéed Asparagus and Snap Peas are the side dish Ina is serving along with the salmon. Relevant to your interests: they’re both in season during late spring/early summer, so basically right now.

23:41 – In case you’re wondering, this does count as a green vegetable in my book and I bet the combination is great with the salmon.

26:32 – The salmon is coming off the grill pan and Ina suggests placing it skin-side down on a platter so that the reserved marinade/dressing/sauce poured over it will be absorbed.

27:11 – A final drizzle of sauce, a final flip of the vegetables, and the vichyssoise is ladled into the most charming little tureens and sprinkled with a few snips of chives.

28:40 – Ina’s guessing that dinner will be so elegant that her guests won’t realize how easy it was.

29:12 – The Pear Clafoutis goes over well – it’s Miguel’s particular favorite – and everyone agrees to come back, even if dinner is Chinese takeout.

Final Thoughts:
Ina’s recipes, while fairly simple, do take a little doing and a fair amount of time, so I love it when she cooks something that’s really quick!

I am seriously thinking of tinkering with that marinade recipe and making a ton of different versions of grilled salmon - can I get some taste-testers?

I wonder if Ina feels terrific pressure when she has guests – the expectations of dinner prepared by the Barefoot Contessa must be pretty high.

Lessons Learned:
absolutely love salmon but since I’ve started cooking it at home I’ve never tried marinating it, which seems like a serious gap in my repertoire. Asian Grilled Salmon is seriously simple (just 5 ingredients including the salmon) and takes about 15 minutes to prepare not counting the marinating time.

Flavor - One of the primary things I learned is how much flavor can be developed with truly minimal ingredients. I want to cook simply, but I still feel the urge to keep adding and adding when perhaps a more limited list would work just as well. Something to keep in mind….

“Grilling” – I put that word in quotes due to my lack of charcoal (Webers aren’t really conducive to apartment living.) However, as Ina demonstrated this recipe is 100% doable without a grill or even a grill pan, the cooking time (5 minutes per side) is exactly the same, so don’t let that a lack of grilling equipment hold you back! Definitely turn on the exhaust fan, or rig one up with a small fan in the closest window – this lets off a lot of smoke and sizzle.

Tools – This is a time when a fish spatula (metal, slim, very flexible) would have been helpful, if you have one definitely bust that baby out and use it. I made do with a standard spatula, but I’m coveting this one from Kuhn Rikon that combines sturdy stainless steel and a silicone edge. Trust the Swiss for perfection, right?

Small Kitchen Friendly?
Oh yes. I used a cast iron grill pan (a sauté pan would work too), a glass baking dish for marinating, a metal spatula, small cutting board, chef’s knife, small bowl, measuring spoons, and a tablespoon for mixing. That’s it!

The Verdict:
The flavor in Asian Grilled Salmon is A-mazing and belies the simplicity of the marinade and the amount of effort required. I made this for a midweek dinner and both Mike and I were in heaven. The reserved marinade has the perfect amount of salt from the soy sauce, a little heat from the mustard and is begging to be the dressing over a pile of baby spinach, roasted asparagus or broccoli. Ina was definitely telling the truth – this dinner is fast and fabulous.

Scouting: Barney Greengrass

September 12, 2014 by Laura Messersmith in Scouting

Barney Greengrass | Image: Laura Messersmith — **Barney Greengrass** | Image: *Laura Messersmith*

One of my favorite things about New York is the sense of energy, of change. It’s exciting to live in a city that’s constantly evolving – shedding old layers and taking on new ones. The flipside of all that change is a sneaking anxiety that the history and charm of the city’s sometimes gritty past will be wiped away. Even as a new arrival to the city I worry that the “authentic” places will disappear and be replaced by some slick storefront devoid of personality.

Some of the old spots – places recognizable to even the most old-school New Yorker like Barney Greengrass – survive in our neighborhood and I admit that I get a thrill of satisfaction from visiting them. I like knowing that I stand where decades of other people have stood and taking my small place in the parade of humanity that has crossed the threshold since the business (established in 1908) opened it’s doors on Amsterdam Ave.

I know almost nothing about traditional Jewish deli & appetizing food. I definitely wanted salmon, but beyond that ...well, just imagine crickets chirping. I was a little nervous when I first arrived and braced myself, expecting exasperation, but thankfully I needn’t have worried.

The gentlemen behind the counter listened patiently as I described my intended recipe (stay tuned for the results…) and since the shortest distance between two points is a taste-test they offered samples to help me make a selection.

Friends, I think I picked the right place to try smoked/cured fish for the first time. The texture of Barney’s hand-cut slices is beautifully delicate and thanks to my guides I left with new insight into why there are such strong opinions on which preparation is best - smoked eastern nova tastes really different from say, house-cured gravlox.

There’s a reason that places survive for more than 100 years and it’s not just nostalgia keeping them viable. Those years come from the Greengrass family; owners that value tradition, treat their customers warmly and provide a high-quality product. I’m excited to continue my education on the wide world of smoked fish and with any luck Barney Greengrass will be around to serve as my classroom.

Pan-Fried Salmon with Grapefruit, Pistachio and Spinach Salad

August 11, 2014 by Laura Messersmith in Cooking

I love to travel particularly when said travel provides ample opportunities to wander the neighborhoods of an unfamiliar city and poke my nose into odd corners in search of hidden gems. The past four days in Chicago offered many chances for me and my Vans to cover some significant ground (hello, Ukrainian Village, Wicker Park, Lakeview, Old Town, etc.), but also included deep dish pizza, ice cream, and stuffed pretzels. Oh dear. Even after striding along miles of sidewalk I’m still feeling a little uh, ‘fluffy’ shall we say and in need of a solid dose of salad.

When I’m thinking about dinner, even when I know its going to be greens based, I’m still trying to check a few boxes so that we still have a meal that satisfying and tasty - protein, a variety of textures and balanced flavors. This recipe does all of that and manages to be really simple too, which is always a good thing, but particularly when you’re airport-weary.

It starts with my favorite way to cook salmon: brushed with a little olive oil, seasoned with salt and pepper, and pan-fried. I first tried this method last winter when I made Ina Garten’s Salmon with Lentils (please forgive the beginner photography from that early post) and the results were so good that it has become my fail-safe technique when I want perfectly cooked fish with great crispy edges.

Salmon is relatively rich, so when I’m trying to keep the dish light, I like to pair it with an acidic flavor and thanks to the ever-reliable Flavor Bible my craving for pink grapefruit was deemed a solid choice and I decided to carry it through to the vinaigrette too.

Arugula is my favorite salad green as evidenced by it’s many appearances here – but in this case I didn’t want too much bitter sharpness competing with the citrus, so I switched to baby spinach. Now for the crunch factor. Even with a bed of greens as a major component I still like to add a handful of toasted nuts to salads – I’ve made this recipe before with slivered almonds, but wanted to mix-it up a little and try pistachios this time. Edgy, I know.

Perhaps this is obvious, but shelling pistachios is not terribly fun unless you A. have a lot of time on your hands B. some sort of fancy contraption that does it for you or C. really strong fingers. If the answer you’ve selected is D. none of the above, I’d strongly recommend buying them pre-shelled or just going with a different nut altogether.

Pan-Fried Salmon with Grapefruit, Pistachio and Spinach Salad (serves 4)

Ingredients:

4 (8 oz.) salmon filets, skin off
3 grapefruits, peeled and sectioned
4 cups baby spinach, washed and dried
2 tablespoons pistachios, shelled and lightly toasted
1/2 cup freshly squeezed grapefruit juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon honey
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

In a small, dry sauté pan toast the pistachios for a 3-5 minutes over low heat until lightly golden. Remove the pistachios from pan and set aside until cool enough to handle. Coarsely chop, if desired.

With a paring knife, peel the grapefruit removing the zest and pith. Holding the peeled grapefruit over a small bowl to collect any juice, remove the sections by sliding the edge of the knife between the connecting membrane. Set the removed segments aside. Once you have removed all the sections squeeze the grapefruit membrane into the bowl to extract any left over juice.

Next, heat a medium, dry oven-proof sauté pan over high heat for 4 minutes. Brush both sides of the salmon fillets with olive oil and season the tops generously with kosher salt and black pepper (about 1/4 teaspoon each per piece of salmon). When the sauté pan is very hot, place the salmon fillets seasoning-sides down in the pan and cook over medium heat without moving them for 2 minutes, until very browned. They should come away from the pan easily; if they stick give it a few seconds longer. Turn the fillets to the unseasoned side and immediately place the entire sauté pan in the oven for 5 to 7 minutes, until the salmon is cooked rare.

Meanwhile, to make the vinaigrette, measure out 1/2 cup of the freshly squeezed grapefruit juice. Whisk it together with 1/4 cup olive oil, 1 teaspoon honey, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Toss with washed and dried mixed greens.

Arrange the dressed greens on a platter and top with the reserved grapefruit segments, toasted pistachios and salmon filets.

Small Kitchen Friendly:

Yes, absolutely. I used a small sauté pan, a large sauté pan (although you could get away with just the large one if you didn’t mind your pistachios looking a little lonely when they toast), a medium cutting board, and two small bowls. I also used a short serrated knife, a small paring knife, measuring cups and measuring spoons, along with a wire whisk and a metal spatula. Don’t forget the potholders – that salmon pan will be HOT.

The Verdict:

We both really like this salad - the crispiness of the salmon, the mellow greenness of the spinach with the brightness of the grapefruit and the earthiness of the pistachios - compliments and balance each other nicely. (PS: 90% of those adjectives are made-up.) And, since a solid part of the prep can be done ahead - the salmon needs less than 10 minutes of cook time - this meal comes together pretty quickly. I’d make this for a small dinner party, or on occasions like today when something healthy and clean is in order.