Grilled Oysters

Grilled Oysters

I went on a weekend getaway with my hubby. We went to Tomales Bay north of San Francisco. I love getting out of the city, away to small-town USA. Just a few hours driving takes you into the country side. Point Reyes Station is a small town with all the things you need. A few stores, a hole in the wall coffee shop (Toby's coffee bar makes very good lattes!) and a handful of restaurants using mainly local ingredients. 

I hadn't done my research properly, I know that now. I totally missed that we were going to cheese-country, but more about cheese in another post.

The view

The real reason for this trip was to go back to Hog Island Oyster Farm. We went there last year and both of us have been craving their grilled oysters ever since. I know we could get our fix in downtown San Francisco, but it would not be the same. There is something special about sitting on wooden benches eating oysters while enjoying the beautiful view of Tomales Bay.

We brought some oysters back with us. I wanted to try to make these scrumptious grilled oysters at home. And my, oh my, oh my - the home grilled oyster was just as tasty as the ones at Hog Island Oyster Company.

serves 3-4

Ingredients:

• 12 oysters (small oyster from Hog Island Oyster Company or any local oysters)

• 1 lemon

Butter:

• ½ stick (55 g) salted butter, cold

• 1 tablespoon brown sugar

• 2 tablespoons bourbon or whiskey

• 2-3 tablespoons chopped chipotle chilies in adobo-sauce

• 1 sprinkle of salt

• 2-3 garlic cloves

And:

• 1 knife for shucking the oyster (I used a Dexter-Russell)

• salt for the serving plate

Direction:

Dissolve the sugar in the bourbon/whiskey. Add all ingredients to the a food-processor and mix until you have a smooth paste. Chill the butter until semi firm.

At the grill:

Heat your grill to a medium heat (400℉/200℃)

Shuck the oysters like in this video.

Place about ½ teaspoon of the butter in the open oyster and place them on the grill. Close the lid and peak a few times for the butter to melt and the liquid to start bubbling, let the oysters bubble away for about a minutes. Remove from the grill and let them cool for a brief moment before eating.

Pork Roast Sandwich - Flæskestegssandwich

Pork Roast Sandwich - Flæskestegssandwich

We had a BBQ this weekend, and we served flæskestegssandwiches aka pork roast sandwiches. It was way easier than serving burgers. You don't need to flip burgers at the hot grill all day. Just make the bread/buns, red cabbage and danish cucumber salad in advance and grill the roast, before the guests arrives. Then you just need to slice the roast, whenever you are ready to eat. This sandwich is a crowd pleaser.

 In Denmark you can get pork roast sandwich at good hotdog stands (Pølsevogne), and it’s the perfect hangover food.

Ingredients:

• hamburger buns or bread
• Danish cucumber salad
• pickled red cabbage
• Danish Pork roast aka flæskesteg
• condiments like mustard, miracle whip and ketchup, or whatever you fancy.

Directions:

Toast and slice the bread, and assemble the sandwich to you’re liking. I love a bit of miracle whip, pork roast, red cabbage and some cucumber salad in mine.

Grilled Salmon Kebabs

Grilled Salmon Kebabs

Salmon kebabs are light, delicious and a perfect dish for a summer night BBQ. The kebabs are very easy to make, especially if you have double skewers, otherwise I will recommend using two single skewers for each kebab, so the fish doesn’t turn on the skewers.  I served the kebabs with boiled fingerling potatoes and a creme fraiche dip with fresh dill, salmon roe and lemon.

Ingredients:

Kebabs:

• 1 pound skinless salmon fillet, cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces
• 1 lemon, sliced very thinly
• 1 tablespoon fresh dill
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• pepper
• olive oil 
• 4 bamboo skewer soaked in water for at least 1 hour

Dip:

• 8 oz (226 g) creme fraiche or sour cream 
• 1 bunch fresh dill, chopped
• 2 tablespoons salmon roe or other roe
• lemon juice
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Dip:

Season the creme fraiche with pepper, lemon juice and dill, wait with the salt, because the roe is salty. Fold in the roe, and season with salt if needed. Set dip aside in refrigerator until ready for serving.

Kebabs:

Prepare grill for medium heat.

Beginning and ending with salmon, spear salmon and folded lemon slices onto 4 double skewers. Drip with lemon juice and brush with oil. Season with salt, pepper and dill.

Grill, turning twice, until fish is opaque throughout, about 5-8 minutes.

Danish Potato Salad

Danish Potato Salad

Potato salad is a classic at danish BBQ's. Most families have their own recipes, and sometimes you just take the easy way out and use a store bought. But homemade is best. I like to have different textures in my potato salad, and the asparagus, peppers and radishes gives me just that. 

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds (ca. 1 kg) potatoes, use small firm potatoes like Fingerlings or Yukon Gold

• 2 teaspoons salt for the boiling

• 6 radishes, finely sliced

• 1 bunch scallions

• ½ cup fresh peas

• 5 asparagus, chopped

• ½ red bell pepper, diced

• ½ green bell pepper, diced

• chives

Dressing:

• 16 oz (475 ml) sour cream or creme fraiche

• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise

• ⅛ teaspoon curry powder

• 1 clove garlic

• salt & pepper

Directions:

Place the potatoes in a large pot of water. Bring the water to a boil and add the salt, then lower the heat and simmer for 15-18 minutes, until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife. It's important to start with the potatoes in cold water, this will prevent overcooking the outside of the potatoes before they are done.

Drain the potatoes and rinse in cold water. Peel the potatoes, and set aside in the refrigerator to cool completely.

Mix all the ingredients for the dressing, and set aside. 

Wash and slice/dice the vegetables. Slice the cold potatoes, and mix it all in the dressing.

Store the potatoes salad in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve it.

Enjoy!

The Danish version:

Kartoffelsalat

Ingredienser:

• ca. 1 kg kartofler, brug en fast kartoffel såsom asparges- eller samsøkartofler

• 2 tsk salt til kogevandet

• 6 radiser, skåret tyndt

• 1 bundt forårsløg

• 1 dl nybælgede ærter

• 5 asparges, skåret i stykker

• ½ rød peber, skåret i tern

• ½ grøn peber, skåret i tern

• purløg

Dressing:

• ca. 5 dl creme fraiche

• 2 spsk mayonnaise

• ⅛ tsk karry

• 1 fed hvidløg

• salt & peber

Directions:

Kog kartoflerne i en stor gryde i 15-18 minutter, indtil de er møre. Start med koldt vand og tilsæt først saltet når vandet koger. Dette bevirker at kartoflerne ikke koger ud. Hæld vandet fra kartoflerne og skyl dem med koldt vand, for at stoppe kogningen. Pil kartoflerne og sæt dem til afkøling i køleskabet.

Bland dressingen, smag til med mere ekstra salt og karry.

Vask, og skær grøntsagerne, skær kartoflerne i skiver og bland det hele i dressingen. Opbevar kartoffelsalaten i køleskabet indtil den skal serveres.

Velbekomme!

Apricot/Habanero Ketchup

Apricot/Habanero Ketchup

We have all had tomato ketchup, but I wanted to try using apricots, since I have so many on my tree. Honestly this ketchup could be a family favorite. I might have to cook another batch before the apricots are gone for the year. If you're not into spicy food, just leave out the habanero and add some more black pepper and maybe even some star anise. 

Ingredients:

• 2 kg fresh apricots, washed, pitted and cut in half
• 500 g sugar
• 4½ dl apple cider vinegar
• 2-3 habanero chilies, without seeds
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 whole nutmeg
• 8 whole cloves
• 10 black pepper corns
• ½ teaspoon yellow mustard seeeds

Directions:

Put all the ingredients in a large pot, and bring it to a boil. Boil while stirring until the apricot is soft and mushy. Turn the heat down, and let the ketchup simmer until reduced to the desired consistency. This will take quit some time. Remember to stir regularly.

Blend the ketchup in a blender and run it through a sieve. Before adding it to scolded glass bottles. If you're not using this ketchup right away, you need to process the bottles for 10 minutes in a boiling-water bath. See National Center for Home Food Preservation for additional information on safe food preservation.

Enjoy!

The Danish version:

Abrikos-Habanero Ketchup

Ingredienser:

• 2 kg friske abrikoser, vaskede, udstenede og skåret i halve
• 500 g sukker
• 4½ dl æblecidereddike
• 2 habanero chilier, uden kerner
• 1 stang kanel
• 1 hel muskatnød
• 8 hele nelliker
• 10 sort peberkorn
• ½ tsk gule sennepsfrø

Directions:

Kom alle ingredienserne i en stor gryde og kog det op indtil abrkoserne er møre og bløde. skru ned for varmen. Kog videre indtil du får den ønskede ketchup konsistens. Det tager noget tid. Rør tit i gryden, så ketchuppen ikke brænder på.

Blend hele blandingen, og si den igennem en sigte, inden du kommer ketchuppen på skoldede flasker. Hvis du ikke skal bruge al ketchuppen med det samme, så skal du henkoge den i ovnen til den er steril. Se National Center for Home Food Preservation for mere information om fødevaresikkerhed ved syltning.

Velbekomme!