Salt Crusted Salmon Food

CRUSTED SALMON

Steps:

• Place salmon fillets in a shallow dish; add milk. Turn to coat. Let stand for 10 minutes; drain., Meanwhile, in a shallow bowl, combine the pecans, flour, brown sugar, seasoned salt and pepper. Coat fillets with pecan mixture, gently pressing into the fish., In a large cast-iron or other ovenproof skillet, brown salmon over medium-high heat in oil. Bake at 400° until fish just begins to flake easily with fork, 8-10 minutes.

PANKO-CRUSTED SALMON

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
• In a small bowl, mix together the panko, parsley, lemon zest, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Drizzle with the olive oil and stir until the crumbs are evenly coated. Set aside.
• Place the salmon fillets, skin side down, on a board. Generously brush the top of the fillets with mustard and then sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Press the panko mixture thickly on top of the mustard on each salmon fillet. The mustard will help the panko adhere.
• Heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet or large heavy, ovenproof pan. When the oil is very hot, add the salmon fillets, skin side down, and sear for 3 to 4 minutes, without turning, to brown the skin.
• Transfer the pan to the hot oven for 5 to 7 minutes until the salmon is almost cooked and the panko is browned. Remove from the oven, cover with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Serve the salmon hot or at room temperature with lemon wedges.

SALT-CRUSTED SALMON WITH COLLARD GREEN SALSA VERDE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Mix the salt and egg whites in a medium bowl with your hands and incorporate until the mixture feels like wet sand.
• Spread 1 1/2 cups of the salt mixture into a thin layer, in the shape of the salmon, on a baking sheet. (You may need to spread the mixture diagonally on the baking sheet.)
• Arrange the lemongrass, ginger, chile, and cilantro over the bed of salt. Place the fish, skin side up, on the bed of salt and aromatics and pack the remaining salt mixture over and around the fish, molding it to the shape of the fillet, sealing the fish and aromatics inside.
• Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes. The salt crust should have a warm golden color almost like sand and be rock hard. Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes.
• Present the fish at the table within its salt crust, then, using a wooden spoon, strike the crust to crack it. Carefully lift pieces of the salt crust from the fish in large chunks. Peel back the skin, exposing the juicy, perfectly cooked fish. Divide the fish among plates. Discard the salt and aromatics.
• Serve with the salsa verde.
• In a food processor, pulse the collard greens, Brazil nuts, garlic, parsley and olive oil until thoroughly combined. You can use a flexible rubber spatula to scrape down the ingredients in the food processor to make sure everything mixes evenly.
• Transfer the mixture to a bowl, add the lemon zest and salt to taste (I use about 1 1/2 teaspoons). Stir in the vinegar just before serving.
• Adapted and excerpted from "Between Harlem and Heaven: Afro-Asian-American Cooking for Big Nights, Weeknights, and Every Day" by JJ Johnson and Alexander Smalls with Veronica Chambers. Copyright © 2018 by JJ Johnson and Alexander Smalls with Veronica Chambers. Reprinted with permission from Flatiron Books. All rights reserved. Photography by Beatriz da Costa.

SALT-CRUST SALMON

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4.
• Wash the salmon well both inside and out, then pat dry with kitchen paper.
• Finely slice 1 lemon and the fennel into rounds and stuff into the salmon cavity with the parsley, marjoram and chives.
• Combine the rock salt, eggs and 250ml of water in a large bowl, then evenly spread one-third of the mixture over a large baking tray (35cm x 45cm).
• Make a slight hollow in the middle to hold the salmon snugly, lay the salmon diagonally in the tray, then spoon over the remaining salt mixture, heaping it around and on to the salmon to create an even 2cm-thick layer all over the fish. Bake for 35 minutes.
• To test if the salmon is ready, push a skewer through the salt into the thickest part of the fish - if it comes out warm after 5 seconds, it's done. Remove from the oven and set aside in the crust for just 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, make the basil yoghurt. Pick the basil leaves into a blender and add the mustard, the juice of 1 lemon and half the yoghurt. Blitz until smooth, then fold back through the rest of the yoghurt with 4 tablespoons of oil, and season to perfection with sea salt and black pepper.
• To make the salsa, deseed the chillies and very finely chop with the mint leaves and a drizzle of honey. Scrape into a bowl, add 2 tablespoons of oil and 2 teaspoons of vinegar, and season to perfection.
• Lightly crack the salt casing and pull it away from the salmon, brushing any excess from the top. Gently loosen and carefully transfer the fish to a large platter.
• Pull the skin away, then use a regular eating knife to scrape away any darker fish, leaving you with beautifully cooked pink salmon, which you can rustically remove in flakes and lobes.
• Serve with the basil yoghurt, salsa and lemon wedges for squeezing over.

CRUSTED SALMON

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375º.
• Spray shallow baking pan with cooking spray.
• Rinse and pat salmon dry with paper towel.
• Place salmon in pan, brush both sides with 2 tablespoon butter.
• Sprinkle with salt.
• Mix bread crumbs, cheese, onions, lemon peel and thyme in small bowl with 1 tablespoon butter.
• Press bread crumb mixture evenly on salmon top.
• Flip and repeat ending with skin side down in pan.
• Bake uncovered 18 minutes.
• Serve immediately.

SALT CRUSTED WHOLE FISH

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, trimmed to extend 3-inches in diameter around outside of the fish.
• In a medium bowl, combine the egg whites, sea salt, flour, 2 tablespoons of the parsley and 1/2 cup of water. Mix with your hands until a thick paste forms.
• Fill the cavity of the fish with the sun-dried tomatoes, olives, artichoke hearts and lemon slices. Rub the exterior of the fish with the garlic, then sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon of parsley and freshly ground black pepper
• Put the fish on the parchment lined baking sheet. Mound the salt paste evenly over the entire fish. Press the mixture firmly down to the baking sheet, being careful to seal any cracks.
• Bake the fish until the crust is golden brown and very firm, about 18 to 20 minutes.
• Slide the parchment and fish onto serving platter or cutting board and crack the crust with a handle of a large knife. Slide a spoon under the top fillet, over the spine, and lift it to a serving platter. Turn over and repeat. Garnish with lemon slices and serve immediately.

PARMESAN CRUSTED SALMON

Steps:

• Lightly season the salmon with salt and pepper. Generously coat 1side of the salmon with the finely grated Parmesan. In a non-stick saute pan, add approximately 3 tablespoons vegetable oil and place over high heat. When the oil is hot, carefully place the salmon in the pan cheese side down. Turn temperature down to medium heat and allow the salmon to cook about 4 minutes before flipping over. The idea is to form a nice crispy, lightly brown crust. Turn salmon and allow to cook another 3 or 4 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside in a warm place until plating.
• Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Paste:
• In a blender or food processor, add the sun-dried tomatoes along with their oil, the garlic cloves, and 1/4 cup of extra-virgin olive oil. Process the mixture on high speed approximately 1 minute until almost smooth. The mixture should be slightly chunky. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• Basil Pesto
• In a blender or food processor, place the extra-virgin olive oil and garlic clove. Process until smooth. Add the basil leaves, and process for about 1 minute until mixture is relatively smooth. Add the Parmesan and process again until fully incorporated. Season the pesto with salt and pepper, to taste.
• To plate:
• Place a small mound of mash potatoes in the center of the plate. Place the asparagus on top of the mashed potatoes at an angle. Then put the salmon nicely on the plate, overlapping the asparagus. Drizzle the plate with both pestos and garnish the plate with the Parmesan crisp by securing it in the bed of mashed potatoes.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Heavily grease a cookie sheet (parchment paper is optional, but if using parchment, make sure it is heavily greased). In a 5-inch diameter circle, sprinkle the coarsely grated Parmesan. Make sure there is just enough to fill the circle, don't over do it! Place in oven and bake for approximately 8 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool before lifting from cookie sheet. Be extremely gentle with them they are very brittle when cool.
• Cut off about 2 inches of the ends of the asparagus, as they tend to be very coarse and tough. Blanch asparagus in boiling, well-salted water until tender. Shock them in ice water to keep them from cooking any further and hold them until you are ready to plate. Right before plating, in a saute pan over a low flame, melt the butter with the asparagus. Once the asparagus are hot, season with salt and white pepper.
• Place the potatoes in cold, salted water over high heat. Cook thoroughly and strain. In a separate pot, heat heavy cream and butter. Using a potato masher, mash potatoes. Slowly incorporate the cream and butter mixture. Season with salt and white pepper, to taste.

SALT-CRUSTED TROUT

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Make sure there are no scales on the skin. Rinse well, the inside and outside.
• Pat dry and place on a rimmed baking sheet.
• Stuff the cavity of the trout with your choice of aromatics, if using.
• Rub the skin of the fish all over with the olive oil (this will make it easier to remove the salt crust after roasting).
• In a large bowl with a rubber spatula, mix the salt with the egg whites and water.
• Spread enough of the salt mixture on the bottom of a large rimmed baking sheet to make a bed about 1/4 inch thick and roughly the same size as the fish.
• Put the fish on top of the salt bed.
• Using your hands, coat the fish with the remaining salt mixture to make a 1/4-inch-thick crust, molding it around the contours of the fish. (If the tail or head extends beyond the rim of the pan, it doesn't need to be covered with the salt mixture.).
• Cook the trout 40 to 45 minutes.
• Cook until the thermometer registers between 135°F and 140°F.Start checking at the lower end of the time range in the chart above. Let the fish rest in its crust for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
• To remove the salt crust, tap with a metal spoon to crack the crust and remove with spoon or fork. Use a pastry brush to remove any salt remaining.
• To Serve:.
• Remove skin, separate top part of fish from bone to platter, remove bones and aromatics and remove lower part of fish from skin and put onto platter.
• Serve.

SALT CRUSTED WHOLE FISH

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, trimmed to extend 3-inches in diameter around outside of the fish.
• In a medium bowl, combine the egg whites, sea salt, flour, 2 tablespoons of the parsley and 1/2 cup of water. Mix with your hands until a thick paste forms.
• Fill the cavity of the fish with the sun-dried tomatoes, olives, artichoke hearts and lemon slices.
• Rub the exterior of the fish with the garlic, then sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon of parsley and freshly ground black pepper.
• Put the fish on the parchment lined baking sheet. Mound the salt paste evenly over the entire fish.
• Press the mixture firmly down to the baking sheet, being careful to seal any cracks.
• Bake the fish until the crust is golden brown and very firm, about 18 to 20 minutes.
• Slide the parchment and fish onto serving platter or cutting board and crack the crust with a handle of a large knife.
• Slide a spoon under the top fillet, over the spine, and lift it to a serving platter.
• Turn over and repeat.
• Garnish with lemon slices and serve immediately.