Tag Archives: sustainable

Grilled Rosemary Salmon with Charred Corn, Bacon, and Feta over Quinoa

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Everyone has their own definition of “comfort food”.  For me, it is anything eaten out of ONE bowl.  Something about snuggling up with a bowl of warm food and a fork just makes me happy.  I think it stems from childhood memories of giant bowls of chicken & dumplings at my grandparents’ house.  In search of a little comfort, I raided the fridge and pantry for something that would turn my piece of salmon into a bowl of happiness and this is where I ended up.

I started with a piece of organically farmed salmon.  Eating farmed fish is very important.  You MUST find balance in your diet between wild and farmed or the wild stocks will eventually be depleted.  That being said, choose your farmed fish carefully.  Ask your fishmonger questions about the farms.  Make sure it comes from a reputable source.  You might be wondering why I called my salmon “organic”.  The United States does not yet have standards for labeling seafood as “organic”.  There are salmon farms in the UK area that produce salmon which is certified as organic by the European Union.  They do not use animal byproducts, hormones, or antibiotics.  The salmon is raised in ocean pens where the water is pristine.  While I enjoy wild salmon, traditionally farmed salmon, and the organic salmon… the organic salmon is my favorite.  It has great flavor, the quality is consistent, and it stays moist however I prepare it.  It’s a winner.

My salmon has the skin still on it because it is going to be grilled with the skin side down.  The skin is very easily removed after it is cooked.  I gave it a little bath with some freshly chopped rosemary, olive oil, and Italian seasoning and let it rest for a few minutes before my husband grilled it.  (If you are planning to top it the same way I did, shy away from salt.  Feta has tons of salt.)  He put it skin side down directly on the grill over medium heat.

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Ingredients:

  • Salmon
  • Olive oil, fresh rosemary, and Italian seasoning
  • 1 cobb of fresh corn, charred
  • 2 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled
  • 2 tablespoons crumbled Feta cheese
  • Cooked brown rice or quinoa

While the salmon was cooking, I gathered everything else I wanted to use:  1 cobb of corn (charred by placing it directly on the grill for a few minutes before cooking the salmon), a little crumbled bacon, and crumbled feta.  I combined them all and set them aside while the salmon finished cooking.  Again, the rule of thumb for cooking fish is about ten minutes per inch of thickness  (measure it at its thickest point).

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When the salmon came back inside, I nestled it on top of some Quinoa and brown rice.  I added some rosemary to it while it was cooking.

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This was the perfect base for my bowl of deliciousness.  Then, I topped it with the corn, bacon, and feta.

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The verdict:  it was everything I was looking for!  The rosemary in the quinoa AND on the salmon provided the continuity that I really hoped it would.  It really tied all these different flavors together.  A touch of smokiness from the bacon.  And I really didn’t feel bad about this at all.  Salmon and quinoa are amazingly healthy foods.  Corn… not bad.  Bacon and feta?  A big of an indulgence but in such a small quantity.  It was light, refreshing, and filling.

While the grill was still on, we put a few halved peaches on there to enjoy after dinner.  Just for a few minutes until they were warm, a little bit softened, and charred.  It happens quickly because they have so much natural sugar in them.  We topped them with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream and a drizzle of caramel sauce  (a little splash of bourbon in the peach is a nice touch for the adults, too).

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It may be fall, but this dinner really felt like summer.  This meal speaks to both seasons.  Feta and corn reminds me of summer, but rosemary always screams fall to me.  You can definitely enjoy this year-round.

Gator Bites and Charred Corn Crepe Stack

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Ever since we visited the Alligator Farm in St. Augustine and had that delicious alligator at Singleton’s a few months back, our oldest son has been clamoring for more alligator.  I will admit that it has been a while since I last prepared alligator, but it was a huge hit.  I also went ahead and FINALLY tried out this Charred Corn Crepe recipe I have been drooling over for a while now.  (If you have never visited the Smitten Kitchen blog, go do it.)  Summer is slipping away from us, so it seemed like the perfect time to squeeze in a delicious fresh corn recipe before we all start thinking about Autumn.

Alligator is extremely lean and very high in protein.  It contains twice the amount of protein per serving as chicken and nearly three times the protein per serving as pork.  Just 3 ounces will give most people nearly 100% of the protein they need in an entire day.  The best part?  It is farmed and, therefore, completely sustainable.  It is farmed right here in the United States.  (Interestingly, the meat is considered a byproduct.  These animals are farmed for their skin.)

I started with a one-pound package of frozen Alligator Tail Meat.  One thing to look for when buying gator meat… is it tenderized?  If it isn’t, you will wind up with a tough meal.  No one wants to set themselves up for failure.  This particular brand is very thoroughly tenderized.  Don’t expect to open it and see a one-pound piece of meat.  It is thinly sliced and nearly shredded from being put through a tenderizing machine.

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I thawed the alligator meat, and then cut the meat into bite-sized chunks.  As an added measure against any toughness, I soaked it in milk for a few hours.  Buttermilk would be great, too.

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After a thorough soak in the milk, I put it straight into the breading.  This time, I used a boxed breading that I brought home from the store.  It has a great mixture of corn flour and white flour, but no actual corn meal.  It is perfectly seasoned.  It just takes some of the work out of it for you.

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Once each piece was thoroughly coated, I set it aside and heated the oil.  I use Canola oil and I heated it over medium-high heat.

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I don’t use thermometers much when frying.  One tip is to always get the oil hotter than you THINK you need it because, when you add multiple items to the pan, the temperature will drop significantly.  The best way to tell if the oil is hot enough is to drop a test piece into the pan.  You should see bubbles immediately.  If you don’t, it isn’t hot enough.  This is what it should look like when you drop your test piece in:

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Because the pieces of alligator are so thin, this won’t take ANY time at all.  As soon as they are brown, I fished them out.  MAYBE 30 – 60 seconds.  Immediately drain the cooked pieces on a layer of paper towels.

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Now the options are all yours.  I have seen these served with everything from garlic butter to honey mustard for dipping.  We opted for the Bahamian Man-O-War sauce that we serve in the Café.  Tartar Sauce would be great.  You could even put these in a roll and eat it like a Po’ Boy.  Over a salad.  In a wrap.

They were crispy and SO TENDER!!

The Charred Corn Crepe recipe was also a success.  I recommend giving it a try while corn is still abundant.

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The kids loved it.  It is fun to eat things we don’t normally think of as “food”.  It even inspired some VERY imaginative bath tub play later on in the evening.

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