Teriyaki Marinated Salmon Fillet in Phyllo Pastry

So I saw the movie 'Salmon Fishing in the Yemen' a couple of weeks ago - which was the inspiration behind me sitting down to write this post for my favourite salmon recipe.  This movie is probably one of the best romantic comedies that I've seen in a while.  It’s hilarious (which is almost entirely because of Kristen Scott Thomas) and heart-warming.  And come on....the title alone would make me want to see it....

I picked up this recipe from my Sauces and Marinades class.  There is something about wrapping the salmon teriyaki in layers of butter and phyllo pastry that makes it a-mazing (I am sure wrapping anything in layers of butter and phyllo pastry would have the same effect....I might even consider giving tofu another chance if it was wrapped in layers of butter and phyllo pastry....).  I think the phyllo pastry has the added benefit of 'fancy-ing up' (yes, 'fancy-ing' is a word) the basic salmon teriyaki recipe.  Whatever the reason, the combination is delicious.

This is an adapted version of the recipe that was taught in class.  I turned the marinade into a glaze.  I find the glaze holds better to the salmon once it's wrapped in phyllo.  Should you want to be healthy, you can skip wrapping the teriyaki glazed salmon in layers of butter and phyllo pastry and instead pan fry or grill it.   

Also, since salmon has a lot of natural flavour, make sure you use a low sodium soya sauce - otherwise you will end up with a big salty mess.

Teriyaki Marinated Salmon Fillet in Phyllo Pastry
(makes 4-6 servings)

Ingredients:

6 tbsp sherry

1 cup low sodium soya sauce

3 tbsp brown sugar

2 tsp sliced ginger

4 tsp crushed garlic

1 1/2 pounds salmon fillet

1 cup unsalted butter

1 tsp crushed garlic

1 box phyllo pastry

Sesame seeds

1 package panko bread crumbs (can be found at most grocery stores in the 'Asian foods' section)

1 cup sour cream

Lemon zest (to taste)
Chives

Directions

Glaze:

(1) Combine sherry, soya sauce, brown sugar, ginger and 2 tsp sliced garlic in a small pot

(2) On medium heat, simmer slightly for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally

-be careful not to turn the heat up too high, the sugars in the sherry and the brown sugar will burn and give your sauce a bitter taste

(3) Once mixture has thickened (to the consistency of a syrup) remove from heat and let cool completely

Sherry, soya sauce, brown sugar, ginger and garlic....

Salmon:

(1) Remove the skin from your salmon fillet; Trim off any bits or grey fat

(2) Cut the salmon fillet into serving sizes

-you might want to consider making the serving sizes a little smaller if you intend on wrapping it in Phyllo

(3) Rinse salmon pieces and pat dry

Assembly:

(1) Brush both sides of each salmon piece with glaze.  Let this air dry and then repeat.

-do this on a rack so the excess marinade can drip off

-it doesn't have to be completely dry.  I would give it 10-15 minutes between brushing

***Optional (if not wrapping in phyllo) - At this point you can either grill or pan fry or broil your salmon - basting with any remaining glaze if you so desire***

(2) When salmon has been brushed with a second coat of the glaze and is drying, in a small saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat.  Add 1 tsp of crushed garlic to butter and let cook for about 30 seconds .  Remove from heat, but don't allow this to cool (to avoid the butter congealing).

(3) Put the panko bread crumbs in a bowl; set aside.

Wrapping Salmon in Phyllo...

As soon as Phyllo senses air, it dries out QUICKLY.  Once it dries out, it will get hard and flaky and eventually you will not be able to work with it.  To avoid this I usually grab a section of damp paper towel (about the size of 1 sheet of phyllo) and cover any unused phyllo while I am working.  This doesn't stop the drying out completely, but it definitely helps.  Also try to avoid working with phyllo near any type of heat source....

Remember to keep phyllo pastry covered with a damp paper towel!

(4) Working quickly, lay out one layer of phyllo on a clean dry counter top; Using a pastry brush, cover the layer with the still warm (so it's still liquid-y) garlic butter.

Alternately, you can cut 1 layer of phyllo into two and use the halves to create layers...

(5) Grab a second layer of phyllo, place on top of first layer

-butter adds flavour but also acts as a glue to keep the layers of phyllo together

(6) Cover the second layer of phyllo with garlic butter

(7) Grab a third layer of phyllo and place on top of the second (remembering to keep unused phyllo covered with damp paper towel), cover the third layer with garlic butter

(8) Put a mound of panko bread crumbs in the middle of your pastry

(9) Place a piece of salmon on top of the panko crumbs

-The bread crumbs are there to absorb any excess moisture

Salmon on top of panko, ready to be wrapped in phyllo!

(10) Enclose salmon in phyllo

-this can be done any number of ways.  I usually wrap the salmon with the phyllo dough like an envelope.  This has the added bonus of creating more layers of phyllo-buttery goodness.

-be sure to use the garlic butter as a 'glue' to ensure that all folded ends of the pastry and 'glued together'

(11) Place folded side down on baking sheet.  Brush top with butter and sprinkle with sesame seeds. 

Ready to be baked!

(12) In a 450 degree oven, bake for 15-20 minutes

-Check periodically to ensure that the pastry is not burning

(13) Remove from oven and serve with sauce (below)

So good!

Sauce:

Combine sour cream with lemon zest (to taste).  I usually put about 1/2 tsp of lemon zest.  Garnish with chives.

Salmon can be served with a quick green bean almondine....

Happy Cooking!

Sauces and Marinades

Sauces and Marinades is a 6 week course offered at George Brown College through their Continuing Education program.  The main focus of this course is marinating different types of meats and fish, and then either creating a sauce out of that marinade, or pairing the dish with an accompanying sauce. 

The instructor for this course was fantastic.  She taught us to analyze and dissect each recipe in order to really question and understand why each step was included - which helped to further my quest to be able to 'cook without a recipe'. 

Week 1: Mmmmm...Carbs....

First class.  This was a demo-only class.  The instructor provided an introduction to the properties of sauces and marinades and the flexibility that these provide a cook in the kitchen. 

Demonstrated in this class were sauces specifically for pasta.  All of the sauces tasted awesome (It's not too surprising that I found all of these recipes amazing...I do love me some carbs...).  There was a Three Green Pasta with Scallops and Pesto Sauce - this pasta had peas, pesto (making pesto was part of the demo as well) and asparagus (hence - three green) and a healthy dose of whipping cream.  When I've made this at home, I replaced the whipping cream with skim evaporated milk and it actually tasted great.  There was a Spagettini Col Sugo Di Erbe E Pomodoro Crudo, which was a lovely basil/sage/rosemary/mint tomato sauce.  It tasted amazing with olive oil and parmesan cheese (I never would have thought to put mint into a tomato sauce...).  There was a Pasta with Sun Dried Tomato in Cream Sauce.   I loved the flavours of the red pepper and sun dried tomato.  There was also a Pasta with Cream Wild Mushroom Sauce.  This sauce had dried wild mushrooms (which were rehydrated), white wine, shallots and (you guessed it) whipping cream.  Rich, but very good.  And lastly, Linguine with Clams in a Spicy Pernod Sauce.  This recipe had fennel which I had not worked with too much before this class, so that was interesting.  Pernod (for those who don't know) is a French liquor (tastes like Anise).  Also, this was my first experience with cooking clams.  So that was it for the first class.  I found these to be very easy, not time-consuming recipes that would work for a weeknight dinner. 

Week 2: Meaty Goodness...

Meat.  This week we covered how to marinate it and how to make lovely sauces to go with it.  Demonstrated was a Filet Mignon with Gorgonzola Sauce, a Marinade for a Flank Steak and a Roast Rack of Lamb with Hazelnut Rub and Blood Orange Sauce.  The Gorgonzola Sauce for the Filet Mignon was a very rich, creamy sauce.  The Cayenne and Thyme added to it was a nice way to break up the creamy-ness of this sauce.  The marinade for the flank steak was zesty and spicy.  It utilized pineapple juice to tenderize the flank steak.  The instructor emphzised that it was essential to marinate tougher cuts (like flank steak) overnight to achieve the correct tenderization.  The Lamb with Hazelnut Rub and Blood Orange Sauce introduced the class to the concept of a 'Gastrique', which is a sauce that has a sweet plus an acid (i.e. Caramelized sugar and vinegar).  The lamb racks are first seared in a hot pan, then they were marinated for a few hours.   They were then covered in a walnut crust and roasted in the oven.  The lamb is served with a blood orange sauce.  It's an impressive recipe that was easy to make once it was broken down.  Grilled Flank Steak with Roasted Shallot Sauce was part of the lab.  In class we made the marinade and added it to the steak.  As it was flank steak, we took that home and let it marinate overnight.  Roasting the shallots before making a sauce added a rich hearty flavour to a simple stock based sauce. 

Week 3: Les Poisson

Fish.  I love learning new fish recipes.  Fish is so healthy and I feel great after I eat it, but sometimes I am at a loss for new ideas on how to make it.  Demonstrated in this class was an Asian Marinated Mahi Mahi Fillet and a Grilled Swordfish with Lentil Ragout and a Horseradish and Apple Sauce.  The Mahi Mahi was simple & flavourful (hoisin sauce and sesame oil) and only required 30 minutes of marinating time, which is great for a weeknight meal.   The Grilled Swordfish with Lentil Ragout (which had bacon – YES!) was a good hearty meal.  I love the texture of Swordfish...it is like the 'meat' of the fish-world.  The labour intensive part of this dish was the ragout, but it's well worth it as a side dish to the swordfish. Teriyaki Marinated Salmon Fillet in Phyllo Pasty with Herb Dressing was part of the lab in this class.  I loved loved loved this recipe.  The salmon is first marinated in a teriyaki-like sauce then wrapped in phyllo pasty, which is sprinkled with sesame seeds.  A sour cream, dill and lemon sauce is made to accompany it.  I've made this a number of times and it has always been a hit.  I'll include my version for this recipe in a subsequent post. 

Week 4: Bock....Bock, bock, bock!

(I've started to see the Cadbury's Easter commercials on TV.  I couldn't help myself). 

As you've probably guessed by now, chicken is the topic of today's class.   A Herb and Buttermilk Baked Chicken Breast with a Creamy Peppercorn Sauce, and a Broiled Chicken with Fresh Peach and Ginger are demonstrated today.  The Herb and Buttermilk Chicken marinade is good for both baked chicken and deep fried chicken.  Marinating chicken in buttermilk really tenderizes chicken, and infuses them with an incredible amount of flavour.  The Broiled Chicken with Fresh Peach and Ginger was interesting - as it combined the flavours of sweet peach and the zing of ginger.  This would be a great marinade for bbq chicken.  The lab for this week included a recipe for Herb Breaded Chicken Breast Stuffed with Goat Cheese and Pecans in a Creamy Mustard Sauce.  This recipe involved flattening and stuffing chicken breasts, breading and baking them and making the accompanying sauce.  The goat cheese pecan stuffing wasn't too overpowering, and went well with the herb breading.

Week 5: Pork

Before this class, I had not worked with pork too many times - so this was a good introduction.  Also, it was interesting to me that about half the class didn't show up - so I ended up with A LOT of extra pork.  (I guess people don't like pork...?)

Demonstrated in this class was Sautéed Medallions of Pork with Red Onion Confit and Cider Bourbon Sauce.  The pork loin for this recipe is first seasoned with salt and pepper, seared on all sides and then cooked off in the oven. The cider/apple/bourbon sauce and red onion comfit combine to create a nice tangy flavour.  Pork Chops with Spicy Citrus Marinade was also demonstrated in this class.  This was an easy (5 ingredients) marinade.  The pork chops themselves require only 30 minutes of marinating in this spicy citrus marinade time prior to searing or grilling.  Grilled Garlic Lime Pork Tenderloin is included in this week's lab.  It's was actually really good.  The marinade helps to tenderized the meat.  It was a combination of soya sauce, gingerroot, mustard and lime juice. 

Week 6:  Food on a Stick...

This week was all about food made and served on a stick (food on a stick is more fun!). 

This week, Yogurt Lamb Souvlakia, Pork Rib Satays, Velvet Chicken Satay, Cilantro Chutney and Garlic-Soy Marinated Beef Strips were demonstrated.  These recipes included great marinades and sauces which would be good for appetizers, and for a BBQ.  'Velveting chicken' essentially means marinating chicken in corn starch and egg white.  This is a Chinese cooking technique which helps to prevent the chicken from overcooking - which is required for chicken satay’s (since the chicken is cut so thin, it's easy to overcook it). 

Chicken Kabobs with Ginger Lemon Marinade and a Pork Satay recipe are included in the lab for this week.  The marinade for the chicken kabobs includes gingerroot, coriander and fennel seeds.  The kabobs are made with green peppers, pineapple chunks and cherry tomatoes.  This is an ideal summer BBQ recipe.  The pork satay is a great basic recipe.... It's a 'Thai' inspired recipe as it uses coconut milk, soya sauce, chilli pepper and cumin.  It’s paired with a coconut milk/peanut butter based sauce.

This course includes a lot of great techniques for marinating and cooking different types and cuts of meats and fish.  As you can see, each class was packed full of many different, usable recipes.  Everything was very flavourful and the instructor was amazing.

Happy Cooking!  

Rock Buns

My Grandmother.....

When I was younger, my grandmother often came over and spent the weekend.  This was always so exciting, because I was lucky enough to have one of those grandmothers who spoiled me with attention, cuddles & kisses.  AND when we baked together she would let me put sprinkles on everything - & when your 6, the person who lets you put sprinkles on things is the next best thing to Santa Claus. 

One of the earliest memories I have in the kitchen is baking Rock Buns with my grandmother.  Rock buns are an excellent breakfast/snack foods.  Think muffins without the bottom (I only eat the tops of muffins...unless it is an amazing muffin - like a chocolate chip muffin - only then I might consider eating the bottom).  Rock buns are super easy to make.  They take maybe 15 minutes to mix, and 25-30 minutes to bake.  And you can put pretty much anything in the rock buns to make different variations - shredded coconut, cranberries, chocolate chips...the options are endless!

It was my grandmothers 87th birthday last weekend.  Like many 87 year old, her short-term memory is not too good, and she sometimes has a vacant look in her eyes.  It's the unfortunate signs of Alzheimer’s setting in. 

Her story is not unlike many woman with a South Asian background from her generation - Arranged marriage at 13, had her first child (of nine) at 15, complete with relocating to a new country at 50 & then losing her husband of 40 years (my grandfather - who I never had the pleasure of knowing) to lung cancer.  What makes her story unique, and why I still see her as the superhero from my childhood days, is when her husband passed away she pushed on, put her existing skills to use and embarked on a her first  career (outside of the home) as a seamstress.  Also, once she retired she discovered a hidden talent for art at 65, creating some of the most wonderful paintings that I am proud to have on my walls. 

I know that there may not be too many years left, and those that are will not be easy as her memories slip farther away.  But I will always be grateful for my memories, the cuddles & kisses and the Rock Buns.

Rock Buns

(makes about 24)

Ingredients:

2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar (either brown or white, up to you)

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold

2 eggs, room temperature

2 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup chocolate cups (optional)

1/2 cup coconut (optional)

1/2 cup cranberries (optional)

Milk

1/4 cup turbinado sugar or nonpareils for sprinkling

Directions:

(1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

(2) Line a couple of baking trays with parchment paper; set aside

(3) In a mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar and baking powder

Flour, sugar & baking powder...

(4) Add cold butter in pieces (I cut mine into 1 inch chucks); cut butter into flour with dry clean fingertips or a pastry cutter until the mixture resembles a course meal

Course meal texture...

(5) Combine 'optional' ingredients with the flour/butter 'course meal' mixture

       

Optional Ingredients: 1/2 cup Cranberries & 1/2 cup Coconut                     1/2 cup Chocolate Chips                     

(6) In a separate bowl, lightly beat the eggs and vanilla together

(7) Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture; fold flour mixture and egg mixture with a spatula until it just comes together

-if the mixture is too crumbly and does not come together, add 1 tablespoon of milk at a time and continue to fold until the mixture comes together like a rough cookie dough

Rock Bun dough with chocolate chips...                          Plain Rock Bun dough...                    

(8) Using two spoons, scoop about a golf ball sized mound with the first spoon and push it onto the baking tray with the second spoon

-It's okay if the bun is irregularly shaped (the idea is to make them look like a rock...hence the name - 'Rock Buns'...). 

Almost ready to bake!

(9) Brush each rock bun lightly with milk; sprinkle with nonpareils or turbinado sugar

Okay, now we are ready to bake...

(10) Bake for 25-30 minutes, until edges are golden brown

(11) Remove the Rock Buns from the oven and let cool slightly on baking trays before moving them to cooling racks

Baked Rock Buns...

(12) Rock Buns can be served slightly warm; alternately, you can warm them up (either in the microwave or in the oven @325 degrees) before serving them as well

My Dad likes the shredded coconut and cranberry variety....

I had 'a-ha' moment yesterday (I love Oprah) - rock buns with lemon zest.  I think I will be doing that sometime next weekend. 

Happy Cooking!

Red Velvet Cake

I have been having love affair with Red Velvet Cake for about 5 years now.  I discovered the wonderful that is the red velvet cake when I was visiting family in Florida.  And now, I love anything red velvet (except for this red velvet latte I tried last Christmas...lets just say that my taste buds were offended by it...).   There is something so deliciously perfect about the combination of red velvet cake and cream cheese icing.  It's not often that we find red velvet cakes in the supermarket or bakeries here in Canada (it's just not as popular here as it is in the USA) so I have been on a mission to spread the 'Red Velvet Word' ever since.

After discovering red velvet, I also set out on a quest to find the perfect red velvet cake recipe.  There were so many out there that I had a problem finding one that was (1) A rich deep red colour - not brown-ish red (2) Had a hint of cocoa that was not overwhelming (3) Perfectly moist, because really, who likes a dry cake?!?  I used a recipe I found here and here as a base and adapted it to my liking. 

So, I am not a cake decorator (can't be good at everything).  I took a cake decorating class with my best friend a couple of years ago and I failed miserably.  I have always had a *very slight* tremor in my hand.  It's not noticeable, but has meant that I would never have had a career as a surgeon...and apparently also meant I would never be able to write well with icing on a cake - the instructor couldn't understand why my 'Happy Birthday' looked like a font out of a 1950's horror movie.  But one day I stumbled across this rosette icing technique on 'I am Baker'.  I found it super easy and not incredibly time consuming.  I love the look of the rosettes clustered on cakes and cupcakes.  I used a 2D tip instead of the suggested 1M (because that's what I had from the cake decorating class) and it worked fine. 

These are not roses...they are cupcakes!!!

(I have only made this cake using a scale to measure out the ingredients.  The next time I make it, I will convert the measurements to cups and update... )

Red Velvet Cake

Makes 2 9"cakes or 24 cupcakes

Ingredients:

5 1/2 ounces all purpose flour

4 ounces cake flour

1/2 ounce natural cocoa

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup low fat buttermilk

1 fluid ounce red food colouring

1 tbsp white vinegar

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp almond extract

10 1/2 ounces dark brown sugar

4 ounces of unsalted butter, room temperature

2 whole eggs, room temperature

Cream cheese frosting (recipe follows)

Directions:

(1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees

(2) Line the bottom of two 9" pans with parchment paper, rub the sides of the pan and the parchment paper down with butter or line 2 standard muffin tins with paper liners, set aside

(3) In a small mixing bowl, whisk flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt; set aside

Flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda & salt...

(4) In a separate bowl, whisk buttermilk, vinegar, vanilla extract, almond extract and red food colouring; set aside

Buttermilk, vinegar, vanilla, almond & red food colouring...

(5) With an electric mixer on medium speed, combine butter and sugar and mix until light and fluffy

(6) Add the eggs one at a time, mix until combined

(7) Turn the speed on the mixer to low, add the flour mixture in 3 instalments, alternating with the buttermilk mixture; mix on low speed until smooth (about 30-45 seconds)

(8) Divide the batter between the two 9" pans or two muffin pans

I love the deep red colour of this batter....

(9) Bake 9" pans for 30-35 minutes or muffin pans for 18-20 minutes, until the center of the cake springs back when pressed

-Cupcakes will take less time to bake then a full cake. 

(10) Remove the pans from the oven and let sit for about 10 minutes before removing the cake from the pans. 

(11) Let the cakes cool completely ( at least 1-2 hours) before frosting

Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:

1 pound icing sugar

12 ounces cream cheese (room temperature)

3 ounces unsalted butter (room temperature)

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp almond extract

Pinch of salt

Directions:

(1) Combine the cream cheese and butter on medium speed until just blended

(2) Add the vanilla and salt, mix until combined

(3) Turn the speed of the electric mixer to low (or you will have a big powder-y mess) add the powdered sugar in 4 batches beating until smooth. 

***If icing is not stiff enough to decorate with, place in fridge for 1/2 hour or add more powdered sugar until desired consistency is reached.  (I do this 1/2 cup at a time if needed)

***Alternately, if icing is too stiff, add a tiny touch of water until desired consistency is reached. 

Sometimes I double the recipe for the icing depending on how elaborate I am going to be with the icing of the cake.  The extra icing can always be refrigerated and frozen, for the next time....

Happy Cooking!