The Salmon Fishing Queen Cooks Salmon!

I used to cook salmon using dill and lots of butter. But experimentation created this recipe which uses Vermouth and tarragon. The combination of the salmon with the tarragon and Vermouth is incredible! A squeeze of a home grown lemon is awesome!

Ingredients
1/2 of a Wild or Wild-Caught Salmon, filet, cut into four pieces, skin on one side
Vermouth, I like the Italian Vermouth
3 tsp. of dried tarragon, divided
1/4 pound of butter
1 homegrown lemon, large

Ingredients for the Salmon

Take the half of the salmon and rinse it and dry. Then cut this into quarters, and make sure that the sections are even. Place the fish skin side up in a baking dish. Drizzle the Vermouth over the fish until it is 1/4 of the way up the fish. Take the tarragon and put 1 1/2 tsp. into a mortar and crush the tarragon to aid in releasing the flavors. Sprinkle over the fish and then dot the center of each serving piece with 1 TBS of butter.

The salmon is ready for the oven

Let this sit while you get the rest of your dinner together, but do preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Tonight I am having brussel sprouts with mine, and my husband is eating my least favorite vegetable: Lima Beans. I am also making Jasmine Rice with this dish as it is a lovely compliment of flavors.

The fish will take no more than 20 minutes to cook, so time your side dishes accordingly. One quarter of the way through, baste the fish. Then half way through the cooking time on the fish, remove the pan from the oven, turn the fish, and spoon some of the pan juices over the fish, but add a bit more Vermouth, not much, just a bit.

Turn the fish

Sprinkle with the rest of the crushed tarragon, and top again with 1 TBS of butter on each piece. Don’t worry about the butter and think that this is a fatty dish, at the end you will see that it is not. Put the pan back in the oven and bake about another 10 minutes. Again, baste the fish. By now the aromas in the house will be making the stomachs grumble, and the short wait is worth it!

Dinner is served!

Sit back and enjoy all the wonderful flavors!

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This Fish is a Flake!

I am feeling a bit spicy and found some fish in the freezer, and what could be better than a spicy, easy to make, fish dinner?

Ingredients
4 Tilapia filets
2 TBS butter
1 TBS extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. Hungarian paprika
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. white pepper
1 tsp. each of onion and garlic powders
1 tsp. dried thyme leaves
1 tsp. dried basil leaves
1/2 tsp. dried oregano leaves

Wash the fish and dry with paper towel. Set aside. Melt the butter in a pan and stir in the olive oil until blended. Set aside.

Gather your spices

In a bowl mix the remaining ingredients until combined.

Spice Mixture

Brush the fish with the butter mixture and then dredge in the spice mix covering evenly.

Fish coated in butter oil mixture and then dredged in spices

Lay the fish on a foil lined baking sheet. You will have some of the butter mixture left over and will be using this shortly.

Now take out your cast iron pan and heat it up until a drop of water sizzles. Pour 1/2 the remaining butter mixture over the fish,

Drizzle the butter oil mixture on the fish

and place this side down in the cast iron pan. Cook this over high heat until the fish is browned. Pour the remaining butter mixture on the side of the fish that is facing up in the pan and turn the fish.

The fish has been flipped!

Cook until the fish is browned and begins to flake. Total cooking time is approximately 10 minutes.

I like to serve this with fresh broccoli mixed with fresh carrots and Jasmine rice.

Dinner is served!

Serve this with a Pinot Grigio!

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Rack of Lamb

I love lamb. My sister however had a stuffed lamb as a baby and cannot handle lamb. What is your favorite recipe? I am sitting in my house right now smelling the fragrance of lamb, thyme, rosemary and garlic.

Here is my Rack of Lamb recipe:

One Rack of Lamb
6 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tsp of Rosemary
2 tsp of Thyme
Salt and Pepper

Take the lamb out about two hours before serving your dinner. Let the lamb sit for a bit to warm up, then rub with minced garlic, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place the lamb in a glass baking dish on a rack. The fat side of the lamb should be facing up. Bake the lamb for about 40 minutes for rare in the middle and medium rare on the outer pieces. Take the lamb out of the oven and cover with foil and let it sit for five minutes.

Serve with steamed asparagus and jasmine rice.

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