Smoked Salmon with Pickled Fennel

You may recall that I mentioned being inspired by a couple of dishes we enjoyed  when last in Miami. Last week's post provided my version of a Meaty Ragu, so this week is my take of the other dish featuring salmon and fennel. I also figured that with the holidays approaching and New Year's Eve around the corner, this no cook, fast assemble appetizer might be helpful.  It is an austere dish with just two stars but each one has its own strong identity.   

Ingredients

Smoked Salmon
3 c fennel, shaved or sliced thinly
5 T rice wine vinegar
2 T sugar
3 T honey
1/2 t salt
Lemon Zest
Fennel Fronds for decorating the plate (optional)
Lemon slice for decorating the plate  (optional)
Rye or Pumpernickel bread for serving (optional)

Instructions

Melt the honey and whisk together with the vinegar, sugar, salt.  Add the shaved fennel and set aside to marinate and pickle for at least an hour.

Thin slivers of fennel.  I love using a mandolin, but please watch your fingers!

Fennel slices bathing in vinegar, sugar, salt and honey

Once your fennel is pickled to your liking, you can begin to assemble your platter.  This is one of those dishes that can be assembled ahead of your party and kept covered in the fridge until guests arrive.  If you liked my idea of using the fennel fronds for color and decorating the platter, go ahead and place those as your base. Then roll up the salmon slices and arrange standing up.  Gather up a bunch of the pickled fennel and tap with a paper towel to remove any excess liquid before placing on the platter.  Arrange your plate any way you like.  Finish by grating some lemon zest a top the entire platter.  That is it.  I told you it would be a no cook, easy app!

Design your platter any way you like.  I like using the fennel fronds to decorate.  It adds color and architectural elements.

Use a good smoked salmon, as it is the star of the show here.  I would recommend having it hand cut in thin slices. Pickling the fennel really brings out the crunch and adds that acidic element which is balanced with honey so as to not overpower the salmon. This dish was part of a cocktail party.  Knowing that the other plates on the buffet would provide hearty options I served this dish just as is, but had bread, crackers and endive on the buffet table.  However, if you wanted to make this a more substantial plate or serve this as a first course, you could present it with some creme fraiche and pumpernickel or rye bread.  I think that combination would be wonderful and perfect for a holiday party or New Year's Eve cocktail event.

Ideal for brunch, or as a starter to a dinner party. Hey if you are so inclined to have a party with pass around plates, this would fit that bill.  Refreshing and light but bold with just two stars shining.

Meaty Ragú - A Bowl of Hearty & Wholesome

A huge bowl of hearty meat ragu

On a recent trip to Miami, Juan Carlos and I happened upon an Italian bistro and retail shop, Made in Italy, on our way to the Design District.  I was in my absolute glory because these types of places simply make my day.  I'm like a kid in a candy store. Maybe it's because I wish I owned one, or maybe because I love shopping in curated, specialty stores. (Ok, maybe it's both.)  It was so quaint that we decided to delay our original destination a bit and stay to have a glass of wine and a bite to eat.  JC ordered a bowl of Bolognese sauce with crusty bread and I ordered Salmon with fennel.  Little did I know how fate by way of a detour would intervene that day and present us with two dishes that would inspire me months later to create my own take on them.  

If you had a chance to read last week's post, you already know that we hosted a Post Thanksgiving party which meant I needed food options.  So guess what?  A big bowl of meat ragú was going to hold a place on the buffet table.  I wanted it to be hearty like a Bolognese but didn't want to add the milk.  Folks, I kid you not, this couldn't be easier. It does take some cooking time though, so it all can bubble together, bouncing around and reducing down.  But cooking time doesn't require any effort on your part, so easy peasy.

The main line up of ingredients

Ingredients

2.25 lb ground beef
1.25 lb ground pork
2 28 oz cans of plum tomatoes
2/3 c dry white wine
2-3 T olive oil
1/2 c onions, small chop
1/2 c celery, small chop
1/3 c carrots, small chop
3-4 cloves garlic
grated fresh nutmeg
1.5 t salt
1 t pepper

Instructions

Sauté the vegetables, season with salt and pepper and let cook until super soft.  Then using a potato masher (or a fork), break them down to create a paste or at least to mash up the bigger chunks.  

Add all the ground meat, breaking up the larger pieces.  You want to create pea size pieces, cooking until all the pink is gone. Before adding the tomatoes, make sure the whole plum pieces are cut up a bit into smaller ones. Pour it in, add the wine, grate fresh nutmeg, stir around and cover.  Let this baby cook over low heat for hours. And I mean hours.  I let mine cook away while I was prepping and photographing 4 other dishes for the next blog posts. That's a LONG time. The idea is to allow some of that liquid cook off to create a dense meat sauce that lovingly swims in a sea of sweet tomatoes.

I made this the day before, and thankfully it was an enormous pot full because my hubby tasted it and loved it so much he made a meal of it.  The amounts in this recipe make a boat load so there was plenty for our guests the next day.  I warmed it up and spooned it in a soup terrine for serving. Offered it up with some toasty, crunchy bread and spaghetti torts.  It was a hit.  

Cozy, fireside comfort food that was a lovely complement to some of the cold appetizers and vegetarian options we had. Oh, and another great aspect of this big pot of heartiness... if this amount is too much for your small group, fear not. You can freeze it in smaller containers and enjoy it again and again on a cold winter's night served over a bowl of pasta. Now that is heaven in a bowl.

Thick spaghetti with rich, hearty meat ragu.

Escarole Rolls - A Tiny Bite

For years my mom used to make stuffed breads as part of her antipasto offerings.  Some had spinach, others ham & cheese all rolled up in 'soft on the inside, crunchy on the outside' bread.  That big roll was then cut up into large slices. These have always been a favorite of anyone who has tasted them.  When I was still able to eat bread, I loved these stuffed breads and made them this way often.  When I lived in Miami, I used to make them while friends looked on so they could see how to learn just how easy it is. Yes, they are that popular.  But all too often I have found that people love them so much they eat more than one big slice and get filled quickly, not leaving enough belly room for the other nibbles being offered.  So I got to thinking...

I'm sure you are wondering why screw with a good thing, but size does matter so this seemed like the opportune time to reinvent the wheel.  Since I was in need of exactly this type of nibble idea for a little Post Thanksgiving cocktail/tapas event.. bingo, these could work!  Given that this party was not a sit down dinner but instead a buffet of many bites for people to pick and choose, this was the perfect setting to try my tiny rendition of my mom's rolls.    

I will admit that this version is a tad more time consuming than the one large roll, but in my opinion, worth the extra time. (When I say tad, it's because the other version takes but 3 minutes, so this is slightly longer than that!)  Also, what I loved about these little nuggets is that you can make them ahead of time and just warm them in the oven.

Seriously, it's just these few ingredients that make bite sized magic

Ingredients 

1 head of escarole, chopped in small pieces
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 c shallots, minced
1/4 c onions, minced
Magic 3 (oil, salt, pepper)
Dough (honestly, with parties like this I buy a good pizza dough and let it rise)

Instructions

First things first, get your dough plumping up and doubling in size by placing it in an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap.

See the nice bubbly, yeasty wonder doing it doubling magic trick.

Sauté the shallots, onions, garlic in oil adding salt & pepper to taste. If you like a little heat, then add red pepper flakes.  That would be lovely.  I would have added some but was thinking of my dad who isn't a fan of spicy food. Once nicely translucent add the chopped escarole and cook until wilted.  Set aside and let cool.

Chop in small enough pieces so that it is easy to roll up.

At the point that the dough has risen, punch it down and roll it out to its fullest size.  You really want it as thin as possible since each strip will be rolled up.  Then cut 1.5" strips.  Place the cooled escarole along each strip. Then cut the strips into thirds so each are about 4-5" long.  Longer than that and your rolls won't be bite sized anymore. Roll up each piece and pinch on the end.  Place them in oiled mini cupcake tins.

Roll out the yeasty wonder to the largest piece you can before it begins to stretch back.

Using the good ole pizza wheel, cut 1.5" strips.

Roll 'em up!

Place your rolled up delights into lightly oiled mini cupcake tins.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25-35 minutes until the dough is nicely toasted.  Definitely serve these warm.  But remember, these little bundles can be made ahead and warmed up right before serving.  

That's my beautiful sister, Alyssa, eyeing what to choose. See the rolls in the lower right hand corner of the table...

I'm pretty tickled with this bite sized version of my mom's stuffed bread.  The wheel reinvented turned out to be the perfect way to add that doughy comfort food to our buffet table; and without filling up our guests too much.  That is unless they eat a dozen! Which they just might. 

P.S.  This is just ONE stuffing idea.  I almost added cheese to these but opted not to since I had other cheese offerings.  But please start making your list of other stuffing options.  Here's a jumping off point :

• Spinach with red pepper flakes & parmesan cheese
• Strips of salami and grated provolone
• Sautéd zucchini
• Ground sautéd sausage and peppers

That's a start at least.  Continue please!

Salmon Bites with Yogurt Relish

It's no secret, I love to entertain.  For me, it's a wonderful way to gather the friends and family we love. Share food and drink, love and laughter.  When it comes to what to serve, of course, some of my old standby recipes appear.  Why not, they were good the first time and even the second. But admittedly, I try to be adventurous and use these entertaining moments to test out new ideas on my guests.  Fortunately for me, I have a group that is always willing to be just as adventurous in trying and reviewing my creations.  

In a couple of weeks JC and I will be hosting a small gathering and I've been pondering what to make.  Since many of these guests have dined with us before I certainly want to offer up some fresh new nibbles.  And I mean just that; nibbles, since I have decided that this event will be a cocktail/tapas style only.  No formal sit down or particular time to eat.  Just food coming out as it is ready.  This way we can cook, eat, entertain, cook, entertain, eat again.  It also allows for a very informal, free flowing party.  With this style of eating in mind, I want to have finger food or small items that are easy to pick up, put on a plate and mingle around.  I also thought this type of dish could be a useful one as we all are searching for easy ways to entertain during the holidays.

So, as I was sitting quietly one morning several ideas came my way. (I promise I will post the other ideas very soon.)  Normally, I don't test my ideas first.  I just make them and see what happens.  But since my sister and niece were here with us for dinner it seemed like a great opportunity.  My first set of guinea pigs!

So here's the rundown for my test run of seared salmon bites with my own homemade relish concoction for dipping.  

The line up. FYI, those small bowls are from Miller Pottery.

Ingredients

Salmon Filet (the amount will depend on the size of your crowd. For this test run I made 1.25 lbs of salmon which would have been enough to serve as an appetizer for 8-10 people with other offerings.)

Relish
1 c Greek Yogurt
2 T Dill Pickles, small dice
2  T Cornichon*, small dice
1.5 T Shallot, mince
2 T Chives, finely chopped
2 T Scallion, thin slices
4 T Cucumber, small dice
1 T Lemon Juice
1/2 t Course Salt

*Cornichon (French, meaning little horn) is a small pickled cucumber. 

Instructions

Cut the salmon into bite size squares, trying to make them as similar as possible.  Salt and pepper them and place them skin side down in a smoking hot cast iron skillet with a touch of oil (the fish will release plenty of their natural oils so you don't need much to get started).  Do not over crowd the pan.  

These will only need 2 minutes or so on each side. Let them get a nice crust.  Remove from the pan and place a on paper towel to soak up some of the oil. Continue cooking all your pieces. These can be made ahead of time and either lightly warmed up before serving or served at room temperature.

For the relish, this is as easy as mince 'em up and stir 'em up.  Cut all the ingredients into small pieces. 

All the little pieces ready and waiting for their yogurt bath: scallions, shallots, chives, olives, capers, cucumber, dill pickles and cornichon

Then with love, stir them into the creamy yogurt adding course salt and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.

Plate them up and watch them fly off.  
 

Post note: This really does work well as a make ahead dish. I served it on the same night I made it and then again the next night.  I warmed the salmon in the low heat oven, and the relish got even better as all the flavors got super cozy with one another.  Be aware that when searing salmon open the windows and put the stove fan on high, as the smell does permeate the house.

The Art of a Charcuterie & Cheese Platter

As the holidays come barreling down the highway, ideas for what to serve are top of mind. With all the hustle and bustle, a good way to fill the table, fill your guests and keep sane during the season is to offer up a beautiful, bountiful charcuterie platter as part of your appetizer/cocktail hour.  There are many ways to stack up all your meats, cheeses and other nibbles, but a tried and true method is have a wide selection,  keep like items together and spread the color around for visual impact.  

Sure, there are plenty of other rules like; offer 3 different types of cheese (cow, goat, sheep). Or one should be hard, another soft, one should be mild, one should be strong, blah blah blah.  Joking aside, these are some decent guidelines. But your own instinct and good judgement are the very best rules to follow.

I say, buy and serve what you love and what you think your guests will enjoy. Sometimes I serve four cheeses. Sometimes three or five.  There are no hard and fast rules but I will share some of the tips that my heart follows, and thus do my platters.  

• I like to offer up a 'palate party'. Put forth different items that will excite all the sensory notes on your tongue. Cheese and meat for the savory elements, fruits both fresh and dried for sweetness, nuts or chick peas for crunch, olives for a salty bite. You get the idea.

• Use bowls for smaller items. They contain them plus create height giving the platter a bit more interest.

• Add fresh items like vegetables or greens

• Include small spoons or forks so guests can easily pick up food

• Arrange each item in groupings, either neatly and orderly or nicely bunched together

• Be colorful. Spread the hues around so that similar colors aren't next to one another.

• Fill your charcuterie platters chock full of goodies. Depending on what you have available and how you want your guests to feast should determine what goes on your platter. Pull out what you have and see if it's the right mix.

• If it may seem overwhelming, then place all your items on the board to help provide a visual sense.

Using fruit of the season is a wonderful complement to cheese. If your cheese, meat and fruit choices feel like they are all in the same color scheme, tuck some herbs or greens on the edges for some visual anchoring.

Let's build a platter.  

Here is 2 types of dry cured sausage, 3 types of cheese, Marcona almonds, olives, dried apricots, gluten free crackers and short bread sticks.

Filling the bowls.
For some small items like nuts, you can snuggle them up to another offerings. However, I find that items with liquid, like olives, are best contained.  Once I have one small bowl, then I usually like to add another for balance. Also, a suggestion is to stay within a color scheme when choosing vessels.  I have presented my platters with and without bowls.  It's just how the mood hits me.  Design at will.

Create Height:
For more visual interest, place a big hunk of cheese then arrange the cut pieces around it.  This creates structure and height but also shows your guests the cheese in its original state.

Make it Easy to Eat:
When presenting cheese and meats, I prefer cutting each one so they are readily available for guests.  They can just pick up a few pieces and go.  I have noticed that trying to cut with all the other items on a platter can be difficult. For cheese, I look for the natural and most logical way to cut a particular cheese.  Each one has its own best way to present it.  Some are better in big chunks while others work beautifully in elongated triangles. Much like people, we come in a myriad of shapes and sizes but all mingle together.

Presentation:
Keep cutting and placing and building up your board.  Place items around and see how they feel in the space. They can always be shifted around.  You can't make a mistake.

Build it up:
Keep at it until you get it just the way you want. Generally, I just go with the flow.  Insert here, augment there to create a platter that looks appealing and complements my other appetizer offerings.  My suggestion is play around until you get a sense of how the meats and cheeses and fruits and other snack-ables like cozying up together.  

If you are wondering what these tiny round nuggets in the center bowl are, why those are my Spicy Chick Peas that make a perfect addition to a platter or alone for cocktails.

When it comes to dry cured meats like Prosciutto or Serrano ham, you can rock and roll 'em up. 

Serrano ham

Other times, they are best when gathered to make little bunches.

Other dry cured meats can be folded or curled like trumpets for a tidy look.  I think it's the uniformity that makes it appealing and appetizing.  

Now that you have the basics, here are a few other tips plus other platters I have created in the past to get a sense or arrangement.

I am an equal opportunity employer when it comes to my serving ware.  So I like to put into play a variety of shapes and sizes when I build my platters. Incorporating the shape of those boards/platters helps to paint the picture of the final layout.  If you have curves (like I do...) embrace them, work with them and arrange your items
in a circular fashion.  

Also, introduce veggies when you can. Since crackers can be heavy, I adore including cucumbers. (I use either English or Persian, as they have less seeds.) They work just like bread or a cracker as a delivery vehicle, and are a great alternative for gluten free and carb free folks.  Plus they burst onto the scene with a green that just makes me smile.

When you do use crackers and want to keep it all contained, include them nestled in so that guests can grab whatever their heart desires all from one place. 

Abundancia: Figs, triple cream goat cheese, Moroccan oil cured olives, Serrano ham, Fuet, cheeses, grapes, nuts, onion jam (recipe coming soon) Mary's Gone Gluten Free crackers.

The introduction of dips, such as hummus, right in the midst of it all augments your offerings with a creamy factor. I'm a big fan of tucking greens in and around. Arugula provides a lovely, spicy bite that dances well with all these flavors.  The greens not only brighten the platter but provide a crispness that both lightens and refreshes the palate.

Notice how I didn't use a bowl for the nuts here but instead just piled them amongst their friends.

Sometimes you can make a big impact by mixing nice and neat items that anchor the others that are just mounded up abundantly in the middle.

No matter how you decide to arrange your charcuterie platter, have fun with it. With every grab of a piece of this and a slice of that your guests will be delighted with your bountiful offering.