Oysters Rockefeller

Oysters Rockefeller

It took me 40 years to build up the nerve to try to eat an oyster. After the first bite, I was hooked. We just went back to Hog Island Oyster Farm, for yet another oyster fix. I love the down to earth feeling, when sitting at wooden picnic tables eating the scrumptious grilled oysters, while enjoying the beautiful Tomales Bay and the hills of Point Reyes. 

Like last time we brought some oysters back home, so we could try to make our own Oyster Rockefeller. 

Next time I might use less breadcrumbs and a little more cheese. But over all the oysters was so so good, I love Pernod's, anise taste.

This is my version inspired by Florence Tyler's recipe.

1 dozen (12 oysters)

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons butter

• 1 garlic cloves, minced

• ca 20 g (¼ cup) bread crumbs, I used Panko

• 1 shallots, chopped

• 225-250 g (1 cup) chopped fresh spinach

• 30 ml (1 fl oz) Pernod or dry white wine

• Salt and pepper, to taste

• 1 tablespoons olive oil

• 25 g (¼ cup) grated gruyere cheese

• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley

• 1 dozen oysters, on the half shell

• Rock salt

• Lemon wedges & hot sauce, for garnish

Directions:

Melt butter in a skillet over low heat. Infuse the butter with garlic by letting the garlic sauté in the butter for about 1 minute, remove from heat. Don’t let the garlic brown, and burn, his will make the garlic bitter. Place the bread crumbs in a bowl and mix in half of the garlic butter, olive oil, gruyere, parsley and season with salt and pepper, set aside. 

Add shallots and spinach to the remaining garlic butter. Cook until the spinach wilts and the shallots get translucent. Deglaze the pan with Pernod. Let the mixture cook down for a few minutes then season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat, at let sit to cool.

Preheat the oven to 450 ℉ (230℃). Sprinkle a baking pan with a good amount of salt. Arrange the shucked oysters in the salt to steady them. Spoon a heaping teaspoon of the spinach mixture on each oyster followed by a spoonful of the bread crumb mixture.  Bake oysters for about 10-15 minutes until golden. Serve with lemon wedges and hot sauce.

I grilled my Oyster on the BBQ at about 450℉ for 10-15 minutes.

Enjoy!

Scallops with Elderflower Syrup

Scallops with Elderflower Syrup

The smell of elderflower is the smell of summer. My mom always made her own elderflower syrup. We would go out and pick the flowers when they first start blooming. Mixing the flowers with a large amount of sugar, lemons, citric acid and hot water. After infusing the water for a few days, you would have the best sweet elderflower syrup, the taste of summer. During the summer we would get a splash of syrup in our water, just enough to infuse the water with the sweet flowering flavor.

You can use elderflower in drinks, punch and everywhere you like to add the sweet flowery taste. Here I paired with scallops, and the bright flavor worked perfect with the sweetness of peas and corn, and the hint of salt from the bacon perfected the dish.

Serves 2 for an entree. 

Ingredients:

• 6 scallops

• 2 slices bacon, cut in dices

• 2 small shallots, finely chopped

• 125 g peas, frozen and defrosted or fresh shelled peas

• 2 corn on the co, corn cut off

• butter and oil for cooking

• lime juice from ½ lime

• 75 ml elderflower syrup, I used D'arbo Elderflower Syrup

Directions:

Fry the bacon dices crispy, and let it drain to shed the excess fat on paper towel.

Sauté the shallots until translucent in a skillet, add peas and corn. Heat them through on medium low heat. 

Heat another skillet over high heat, add oil and butter. When the fat begins to brown and smoke sear the scallops for 1½ minutes on each side. The scallops should have a ¼-inch golden crust on each side, while being translucent in the center. Set the scallops aside on a plate. Pour the elderflower syrup in the skillet and reduce to about half. Remove from heat.

Mix mint and bacon with the pea/corn mixture, and plate it. Add the scallops to the hot syrup, and cover them with the syrup, just before you place them on top of the pea/corn mixture. drizzle the syrup on top and serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Salmon en Croûte - Indbagt Laks

Salmon en Croûte - Indbagt Laks

This is one of my favorite dishes to make for an spring or summer buffet. I'll just use more puff pastry and a large piece of salmon fillet.

The creamed spinach is to die for. The sweet, creamy and a bit tangy taste pairs well with any fish or smoked sausage. This recipe makes too much for this dish, but I always serve it as a side for the fish.

Ingredients:

• 300 g salmon filet, deboned and without skin

• 1 package puff pastry, defrosted

• 1 egg for egg wash

Creamed Spinach:

• 450 g baby spinach (you can use frozen leaf spinach)

• 2 tablespoons butter

• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

• 250 ml heavy whipping cream

• 1 lime, zest and juice

• 3 tablespoons sugar

• salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

Defrost the puff pastry in the refrigerator according to instructions on the package. 

Creamed spinach:

Melt the butter in a sauté-pan, steam the spinach in the butter a few minutes until it is wilted down, and you have cooked most of the water from the spinach down. Sprinkle the flour on the spinach, and stir until incorporated. Stir in the cream and cook the spinach until the sauce thickens, about a few minutes. Finally add sugar, lime juice and zest and season with salt, pepper and additional sugar. Cool the creamed spinach to room temperature, before adding it to the puff pastry.

Roll the puff pastry to two 16x8-inch (40x20 cm) rectangle. Place the on a baking pan lined with parchment paper.

Place a dollop of spinach in one end of the pastry, make sure to leave a ½-inch border to seal the pastry. Place the salmon on the spinach, and add more spinach on top. Fold the pastry over the filling, and close the pastry package by pinching it shut. Repeat with the next, and brush the packages with egg wash. Score the top with a sharp knife.

Bake the salmon for 25-30 minutes.

Serve the salmon with a nice salad.

Enjoy! 

Baked Cod

Baked Cod

Easy, yummy healthy weeknight dinner.

Adapted from a recipe by The Boston Bean.

Ingredients:

• 2 pieces cod filets, good and evenly sized.

• olive oil for the pan

• 1 teaspoon chili powder

• ¼ teaspoon lemon pepper

• 2 tablespoons butter

• ¼ teaspoon cumin

• 1 lime, the juice of

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 450°F.

Remove bones from the cod. 

Put a little olive oil in an ovenproof pan, just enough to grease the pan. 

Place cod in pan, making sure that the pieces are the same size and thickness. Sprinkle the cod with chili powder and lemon pepper..

Bake the cod for 5-7 minutes until opaque in color. Remove the pan from the oven, and melt the butter in the pan, next to the cod. Add cumin and lime juice to the melted butter, let it heat through to make a sauce. Spoon the sauce on top of the cod, and serve immediately.

Enjoy the cod with a good salad.

Smoked Mackerel on an Open-faced Sandwich

Smoked Mackerel on an Open-faced Sandwich

Smoked mackerel on a slice of Danish rye bread is a real summer treat for me. My mom always bought smoked mackerel or herring for our weekend lunches in the summer period. And we all loved it. So I was very excited, when I finally found smoked mackerel from Ducktrap River of Maine (not smoked pepper mackerel) at my local Whole Foods. Of cause this is not the same as getting a freshly smoked whole mackerel, but its pretty close in taste, but a bit firmer in texture.

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 1 pack 7-oz mackerel fillet
• 2 slices of Danish rye bread
• 2 radishes, in slices
• chives, finely cut
• Butter, optional

Directions:

Spread some butter on the bread. Remove the skin from the fish, and cut the fish, so it fits the bread-slices. Top the sandwich with radishes and chives. 

Enjoy your sandwich with a glass of cold milk or with a cold beer!