I can hardly believe it - so ends the World Cup Soccer craze that has gripped our family these last few weeks. Throughout the tournament, Mr. Hubby has been shaking his head with exasperation as I have been rooting for teams based not on their soccer prowess but rather their cuisines. And with each team being eliminated, my comments have been "There goes the cassoulet....." & "There goes the fejioda..." so on and so forth. Poor Mr. Hubby! All he could do to respond is sigh and slowly shake his head in disbelief.
This was a pretty big deal especially for my Mr. Soon-to-be-better-half because being from West Bengal in India, he grew up eating fish for lunch and dinner - everyday. And as we hung out together almost every evening after work, I naturally took on the lion's share of cooking duties as part of the weekly rotation. I would often make one of the 2 recipes shared with me by my future mother-in-law. A fish in tomato gravy and a fish in mustard gravy. And so it was that MC slowly began getting more comfortable eating fish.
So much so that when during our wedding festivities my mother-in-law fixed Hilsa also known as Shad as is the custom, MC not only ate it, but ate it like a pro - with his hands! Why is this such a big deal? Because if you know this fish, then you know that it leaves most fish eating stalwarts quivering at their knees. A fish with delicious delicate flesh and a plethora of fine bones - all aiming to get stuck in one's oesophagus. Yikes...
So though Mr. Hubby and I cannot claim sole responsibility in treading MC's path towards seafood, we most certainly are an important rung in the ladder to this end! Which is why, when I received an email from MC stating these words -
Dev,
Here's a copy of the salmon in cider that I did for a dinner a few months ago. This is now my favourite way of preparing salmon......from the book 'The Food of Spain'.....
You know he had my full attention. And what better day to fix this than on the day that Spain wins the World Cup Soccer tournament in 2010? Hooray for Spain!
Before we get started, I wish to save you the mind numbing agony I went through in securing some of the ingredients - for one, Sidra which is nothing but alcoholic apple cider cannot be found in most grocery stores here in the US. Please visit your nearest wine alcohol shop like Total Wine or Bev Mo and save yourself a whole lot of grief. Prices range from $3.99 - $5.99 for a 22 oz bottle.
Secondly, just so you get all your seafood fresh and all at once on the same day, make calls before heading out to store or stores. I had to give up on the mussels finally because it was a bi#$%h trying to get it all on the same day at the same time. Now this might all be a piece of cake for the rest of you but I'm just saying it wasn't so for me! Chalk it off to one of those days.
I have stayed true to the original recipe except for the addition of garlic cloves and prawns , omission of the mussels not by choice and adjusting few of the cooking times.
The main ingredients are -
Fresh Atlantic salmon, little neck clams, black mussels, prawns, Sidra (alcoholic apple cider or Hard Cider) hot red chilly powder, Spanish red onion, garlic cloves, fresh parsley or chives.
Clams - Soak the clam in water in the refrigerator for 2 hours to get rid of the sand. Wash the clams and discard all the water and sand.
Mussels - De-beard, wash and scrub the mussels & refrigerate till further use.
Salmon - Cut into 6 oz slices. Use a kitchen weighing scale to be accurate or have your fishmonger take care of it. I have used skinless fillets but the choice is yours. Refrigerate till further use.
Garlic cloves - Peel and crush
Red onions - Peel, halve, quarter and slice thin.
Chives or parsley leaves - Chop & set aside.
Preheat the oven to 350 deg F.
In a heavy bottomed, oven safe flat bottomed casserole (I am using my large cast iron pan), heat olive oil till very hot for about 2 minutes on medium heat. Add the salmon fillets in a single layer (skin side up).
Cook the salmon for 2 minutes per side. Flip over carefully with a flat spatula.
Pan fry the salmon in batches if necessary. Carefully remove to a plate.
In the same pan, add the additional olive oil. Heat for about a minute and add the sliced onions and garlic.
Saute the onions on medium heat for about 3 minutes till they are soft and slightly brown on the edges.
Return the salmon fillets (skin side down, if not skinless) to the pan, over the onions.
Pour the hard cider over the fish. Arrange the prawns, clams & mussels around the fish and over the fish if you run out of room. Sprinkle with the chopped parsley or chopped chives.
Cover with a tight fitting lid. Protect any oven unsafe bits on the pan with aluminum foil (like handles etc)
Place the pan in the preheated oven for 10 minutes.
Gently remove the salmon fillets to a deep flat serving platter or soup plates.
Place a lid on the pan and allow the shellfish to cook for another 3-4 minutes on medium heat.
Most of the shellfish will now have opened. Discard any shellfish that have remained unopened.
Taste and adjust seasoning. In my opinion, the shellfish liqueur is salty enough to not warrant any additional salt. Add ground black pepper and stir.
To plate, pour the wonderful soup over the fish and surround with shellfish and prawns. Garnish with chopped parsley or chives.
The cider in this dish is shear genius. The underlying sweetness it lends to the fish and the stew is wonderful. This stew is refreshing like a gust of cool air on a hot day.
The sweet onions, the characteristic flavor from the shellfish liqueur all come together in perfect harmony. What a lovely, well integrated meal that takes little time to prepare and wonderful to share with family and friends.
I served this with my favorite side of Sauteed Swiss Chard with Pine Nuts & Raisins (post forthcoming shortly) & crusty bread to sop up the delicious stew.
Recipe for
{Salmon A La Sidra} Spanish Style Salmon stewed in Cider
Soaking time for clams - 2 hours
Preparation time - 10 minutes
Cooking time - 20 minutes
Serves 4
Shopping list
4 # 6 oz fresh Atlantic salmon fillets1-1/2 tbs all-purpose flour, skinless or with skin
12 black mussels
12 little neck clams
1/2 lb medium prawns, shelled, de-veined with tail intact
2 tbs olive oil
1/4 cup olive oil
12 oz Sidra - alcoholic apple cider or Hard cider
3 tbs chopped parley
Chives or parsley for garnish
The main ingredients are -
Fresh Atlantic salmon, little neck clams, black mussels, prawns, Sidra (alcoholic apple cider or Hard Cider) hot red chilly powder, Spanish red onion, garlic cloves, fresh parsley or chives.
Clams - Soak the clam in water in the refrigerator for 2 hours to get rid of the sand. Wash the clams and discard all the water and sand.
Mussels - De-beard, wash and scrub the mussels & refrigerate till further use.
Salmon - Cut into 6 oz slices. Use a kitchen weighing scale to be accurate or have your fishmonger take care of it. I have used skinless fillets but the choice is yours. Refrigerate till further use.
Garlic cloves - Peel and crush
Red onions - Peel, halve, quarter and slice thin.
Chives or parsley leaves - Chop & set aside.
Cooking Method -
Preheat the oven to 350 deg F.
In a heavy bottomed, oven safe flat bottomed casserole (I am using my large cast iron pan), heat olive oil till very hot for about 2 minutes on medium heat. Add the salmon fillets in a single layer (skin side up).
Cook the salmon for 2 minutes per side. Flip over carefully with a flat spatula.
Pan fry the salmon in batches if necessary. Carefully remove to a plate.
In the same pan, add the additional olive oil. Heat for about a minute and add the sliced onions and garlic.
Saute the onions on medium heat for about 3 minutes till they are soft and slightly brown on the edges.
Return the salmon fillets (skin side down, if not skinless) to the pan, over the onions.
Pour the hard cider over the fish. Arrange the prawns, clams & mussels around the fish and over the fish if you run out of room. Sprinkle with the chopped parsley or chopped chives.
Cover with a tight fitting lid. Protect any oven unsafe bits on the pan with aluminum foil (like handles etc)
Place the pan in the preheated oven for 10 minutes.
Gently remove the salmon fillets to a deep flat serving platter or soup plates. Place a lid on the pan and allow the shellfish to cook for another 3-4 minutes on medium heat.
Most of the shellfish will now have opened. Discard any shellfish that have remained unopened.
Taste and adjust seasoning. In my opinion, the shellfish liqueur is salty enough to not warrant any additional salt. Add ground black pepper and stir.
To plate, pour the wonderful soup over the fish and surround with shellfish and prawns. Garnish with chopped parsley or chives.
Serve immediately.Enjoy!
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