COOKING WILD AND WONDERFUL by L.J. Martin

Did you know that the number one entre served in American restaurants (fast food excluded) is salmon? I was surprised to learn this as I presumed all we cowhands went to the steak house, and maybe we do, but salmon is No. 1. And there are so many wonderful ways to prepare this rich, healthy fish, that we could write a cookbook on the subject or fill this blog for a couple of years. This is one of the fancy ways, but not as fancy as salmon in puff pastry, which I love and will get to in the future…however, merely grilled on a hot fire or poached in dill water in a frying pan, and you've got a meal fit for a king.

Remember, so as not to overwhelm you, I'm presenting this menu a course at a time.

Gourmet Supper for Eight

Appetizers:

Served with Champagne
Crab artichoke dip or tapanade
Crunchy Parmesan Onion Squares
Bruchettas:
Mushroom
Tomato
Zucchini

Soup:

Shellfish in clear bullion

Salad:

Lobster, avocado, fresh grapefruit on butter lettuce

Fish Course:

Salmon and asparagus in parchment (en pappette)

Citrus Sorbet

Beef Course:

Tenderloin strip basted in simple sauce (see recipe)
Mushroom Gravy
Port wine reduction
Red & Yukon Gold potatoes, boiled and braised

Dessert:

Berry mélange in phyllo cups with Cointreau whipped cream

After dinner: Coffee, liquors, and a great single malt

Fish Course

Salmon in parchment, en papette

• 1 or 2 skinned salmon filets, about 2 lbs each
• 16 spears of asparagus (thin)
• 2 lemons
• 1 basket tiny tomatoes or 2 ripe medium tomatoes
• 1 yellow or white onion
• Dill seeds
• Dill weed
• Lemon pepper
• Garlic salt

I much prefer wild caught salmon over raised and artificially colored salmon. Skinned salmon is easier to eat, but skin-on will work. Cut eight pieces of parchment paper in 10” by 15” pieces (it normally comes in 15” wide rolls). I use the office paper cutter. Slice salmon across the filet in 1 ½ to 2 inch wide pieces until you have eight servings 5 to 6 ounces each. Place salmon pieces skin side down on parchment. Sprinkle dill seed, then dill weed, liberally over salmon, say ¼ teaspoon of each, and pat down. Sprinkle lightly with lemon pepper and garlic salt. Line one side of salmon with tomatoes, usually four to six small one or a quarter of a medium diced tomato (blanch and skin before dicing). Chop into ¼” cubes and sauté onion in butter until translucent and line the other side of salmon with onion. Line the top of salmon with two spears of asparagus then top with thin slices of lemon, usually three slices. Fold salmon into parchment paper and place on a sheet pan, then into a preheated 350 degree oven for 25 minutes. Serve in paper with a “bone bowl” in the center of table for discarded papers.

Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, or a dry PinoGrigio

See you soon for more from The Kitchen at Wolfpack Ranch and Cooking Wild & Wonderful. Here's the link for my cookbook for more wonderful "Wild & Wonderful" recipes.

http://www.amazon.com/Cooking-Wild-Wonderful-gourmets-ebook/dp/B004UICW36/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1370961104&sr=1-1&keywords=Cooking+Wild+and+Wonderful+by+L.J.+Martin