Chinatown supermarkets sell these 1-lb salmon fillets for $7.49 and it’s kind of great. I chopped it up and cooked it three simple ways. Only one is new, but all three are solid.
Pan-fried salmon
Take 4-8 oz salmon fillet, score skin side halfway through when holding salmon rolled.
Season inside lightly and top with kosher salt.
In smoking-hot olive oil, Pan fry skin side down, pressing flat.
When salmon is cooked 2/3 up, flip. Tilt pan so thickest section cooks more.
Serve with lemon.
This baked salmon is a staple in my household, taught to us by our family friend who is from Spain. Not really sure where it came from though.
Baked soy sauce salmon
Rub 6-12 oz salmon fillet lightly with salt and pepper.
Bake at 350 F for 15-25 minutes, depending on thickness of fish (15 min for 3/4 in, 25 min for 5/4 in).
Top with 2-3 scallions chopped. Pour over 1-2 tbsp soy sauce.
Pour over 1-2 tbsp olive oil heated to be smoking hot.
Serve on rice.
This is actually the only new recipe that I cooked and it’s hardly a recipe! This sweet-savory flaky salmon reminded me so much of a kind of smoked salmon that I had it room-temp on a cream cheese bagel.
Miso Salmon
Marinate 6-8 oz salmon fillet, skinned,in 3 tbsp miso, 1 tsp cooking wine, 3/4 tbsp sugar overnight. Scrape off marinade.
Pan fry in olive oil 4-6 minutes on each side, taking care not to burn.
Haha, I forgot to buy a cucumber. Also, I’ve got to stop using Korean bean paste, which is like way saltier than the type of bean paste called for here. Recipe from thewoksoflife.com.
Zha Jiang Mian (Beijing fried noodles)
Marinate 1/2 lb ground pork in 1/2 tsp oil, 1/4 tsp salt, 1 tsp cornstarch, pinch white pepper.
This is akin to the bread you find in Chinese bakeries. They’re often stuffed with fillings such as custard, red bean, or cha siu, or topped with crusts to make those Hong Kong style pineapple buns (foreshadowing!!!) but as this is my second time ever working with yeast, I’m starting small with just plain loaves.
Combine 2/3 cup heavy cream, 1 cup whole milk, 1 egg, 1/3 cup sugar, 1 cup AP flour, 3+ cups bread flour, 1 tbsp yeast (1 packet), 1.5 tsp salt. Knead for like 20 minutes.
Proof for 1 hour, until grows 1.5x. (cover bowl with damp towel, place in warm spot)
Punch down, knead a little to rid of air bubbles.
Divide into 8-12 rolls/knots. Place into greased pans. (e.g. 3 rolls in a 9×5 pan, 5 knots scattered in a 9×13 pan).
Proof for 1 hour.
Brush with egg wash: 1 egg, 1 tsp water.
Bake at 35 F for 23-25 minutes, until golden brown.
Brush with syrup: 1 tsp sugar in ~1 tsp hot water.
What’s the best thing to do with a cast-iron skillet that you bought primarily to sear meats? Bake a cookie in it, obviously. Recipe from marthastewart.com. Cost for ingredients: $2.78.
Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookie
remember 10″ skillet.
Cream 6 tbsp butter room temp, 1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar, 1/2 cup sugar.
Add 1 egg, 3/4 tsp vanilla. Mix well.
Add 1 cup flour, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1/4 tsp salt. Mix until just combined. Stir in 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips. Optionally refrigerate overnight.
Spread into 10-inch cast-iron skillet. Stud with ~1/3 cup chocolate chips.
Bake at 350 F for 18-20 minutes (or 22-26 minutes from cold), until dark golden brown. Let cool for 5 minutes.
Boy oh boy, why did I follow a New York recipe for Louisiana dish? Counting the 40 minutes it took me to peel and devein 50 shrimp, this dish took me almost 2 hours of active time to cook. That’s because fresh thyme that’s a little old is a pain to strip, the veggies absorbed all the oil so I had to redo the roux, and I realized last minute that I should brown the sausages. Just to cap it off, I didn’t even like the outcome that much…
Below is a recipe I’d follow on a second try, modified to use fresh tomatoes, more sausage, fewer bougie ingredients (like tomato paste, which the NYTimes throws in everything).
Shrimp and Andouille Gumbo
Peel and devein 1 lb medium shrimp in shell. Season with salt, pepper, 1 tsp thyme, 2 cloves garlic minced. Refrigerate.
Make shrimp broth: In 1 tbsp olive oil, fry shrimp shells, 2 thyme sprigs, 3 cloves garlic for 1-2 minutes. Don’t let brown. Add 6 cups water, 1 bay leaf, salt,and pepper. Simmer for 45 minutes. Strain.
Make roux: Heat 1/4 cup oil (optimally bacon drippings). Stir in 1/2 cup flour, cook on medium while stirring until richly browned.
Saute 1 large onion diced, 1 green bell pepper diced, 3 ribs celery diced, 4 cloves garlic minced. Add 1 tsp paprika, 1/4 tsp cayenne.
Slice and brown 12 oz andouille sausages.
To boiling broth, stir in roux. Add veggies, sausages, 3 tomatoes diced (or 15 oz can), 2/3 lb (half bag) okra sliced. Add 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, 1 bay leaf, 1/2 tsp thyme. Season generously. Simmer for 60-90 minutes.
Add shrimp (as much that will be eaten now). Cook for 2 minutes. Garnish with 4 scallions sliced.
First time baking with yeast? Obviously, the best first bread to bake is a Jewish ceremonial braided egg bread. It’s so strange to leave a small lump of dough in a sealed bowl, come back two hours later, and find it’s warm and grown to double the size. It’s alive!!
attack of the challah dough
I’ve also never really braided anything. Well, unless you count sutures, lol.
In a well in center, add 2 eggs, 2 egg yolks, 1/4 cup neutral oil (or 1/2 stick butter), activated yeast. Mix until shaggy.
Take out, knead for 10 minutes, adding flour as necessary (ended up using ~1/2 cup more flour)
Place in oiled bowl, cover, place somewhere warm, let rise for 2 hours to double size.
Cut into 6 pieces. Roll and stretch each into 1-inch thick ropes.
Pinch together at top. Cross outer strands, start with top one. Braid: Take outside strand and bring it to middle, then bring second strand on opposite side to outside to replace it. Mirror process on other side. Repeat until end. Pinch ends and tuck under loaf. Plump loaf.
Place on parchment on baking sheet. Sprinkle with flour, cover with cloth. Let rise for 1 hour.
Brush with most of the egg wash: 1 egg + 1 tbsp water.
Bake at 350 F for 30-35 minutes. Rotate pan halfway through, brush emerging crevices with egg . Bake until deeply browned and sounds hollow when tapped on bottom. Cool until warm.
