Flavors in Love

You all know by now how much I adore cooking with friends.

Being in the food industry for as long as I have, I’ve become friendly with so many amazing chefs and have watched their careers begin from ground zero and then soar 20+ years later. One of those extraordinary chefs is Wayne Nish.

I ran into Wayne a few months ago at the 30^th anniversary for De Gustibus, the cooking school at Macy’s Herald Square. We both taught at the school. I hadn’t seen him in a few years- since he closed his renowned restaurant March.

Wayne Nish has the distinct honor of having a total of 20 stars bestowed upon him by The New York Times over the past 20 years, as well as a Michelin star and countless other awards. An impressive feat for a man who created his own culinary education by tearing through Larousse Gastronomique, the culinary encyclopedia that taught him the nuances of pulling off a flawless béchamel and gloveboning his own poultry. Such was the foundation of Nish’s career, one which has spanned nearly three decades and a considerable range of cuisines.

He has been cooking in Singapore the last few years, at Prive and The Screening Room, but now he’s back in NYC and working on a new project. I asked him if he would come cook with me and catch up on our lives. Besides it was a good excuse for me to learn from a master chef!!!

It was more than pleasure cooking with Wayne….it was mind blowing exciting for me to be in my home kitchen with him. He taught me so many little tips and tricks. I had never made fregola before, and he showed me how easy it is to cook this Italian grain. (see recipe below).

We also slow roasted salmon, which I had never done before.  The philosophy is that when you slow roast a fatty fish like salmon, the collagen melts at the same rate that the protein transforms from raw to cooked. It comes out very tender and fully cooked through. Wayne calls it sex in the mouth…. Oooh I like that phrase…and yes, that’s what it tasted like. You’ve got to try it!!!

FRICASSE OF OYSTERS AND CLAMS WITH SPINACH AND FREGOLA:

3/4 cup fregola

2 cups chicken or vegetable stock

1 lb of clams and oysters

1 small onion, sliced into rounds

1 cup beer

1 bay leaf

½ lb spinach

Chives and chervil for garnish

Bring 2 cups of chicken or vegetable broth to a boil, then stir in 3/4 cups of fregola. Let it simmer for 12-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until done. Drain well and set aside in a bowl.

In a med sized pot with a lid, place shellfish, sliced onion, beer, and bay leaf. Add the fregola to the pot.

Let the seafood cook until the shells open (discard any that do not open).

Steam spinach in the microwave for 2 minutes.

Transfer the seafood and fregola to a bowl and garnish with the spinach, chives and chervil.

Serve with warm bread to soak up the sauce.

When I go grocery shopping in the winter, the bright colors of the citrus fruits just seem to leap out at me!The contrast of the vibrant oranges, limes, lemons and grapefruit against the dull gray of winter, call out to me.. Buy me! Buy me!!!  So I did.   Cold weather brings about the peak citrus season and that is what inspired me to create today’s recipe: Roasted Salmon with Blood Orange Salsa.

This dish is healthy, delicious, and perfect for a quick weeknight meal.

Fresh wild salmon is roasted simply and topped with a beautiful citrus salsa (which can be made the day before to save time!)

Salmon is one of the most nutritious foods you can eat, due to the high levels of Omega-3s (which are fatty acids needed for a healthy heart), and Vitamin D (a vitamin that most Americans are deficient in!). Combined with the Vitamin C in the salsa, this recipe can’t be beat!

(And don’t forget to store all your citrus fruits at room temperature so that they can produce the most juice!)

ROASTED SALMON WITH BLOOD ORANGE SALSA

Serves 2 people

2 fillets of wild salmon, about 7 oz each

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon ground cumin

Juice of 1 lemon

½ garlic clove, minced

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon agave syrup

Blood Orange Salsa:

2 chopped blood oranges (peeled, separated into segments, and halved)

Juice of 1 blood orange

1 teaspoon white wine vinegar

1 tablespoon minced red onion

Juice of 1 lime

1 grapefruit (peeled, separated into segments, and halved)

1 chopped lemon (peeled, separated into segments, and halved)

1 teaspoon agave syrup

2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, finely minced

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, finely minced for garnish

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Season both sides of the salmon with salt and pepper. Place the salmon in a shallow baking dish and marinate with the cumin, lemon juice, minced garlic, olive oil, and agave. Let the fish marinate about 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, to make the Salsa: Combine in a glass bowl the following; chopped blood oranges, blood orange juice, white wine vinegar, minced red onion, lime juice, grapefruit, chopped lemon, 1 tsp agave, and the cilantro. Stir well to combine. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

When you are ready to roast the salmon, simply put it (in the same pan it’s been marinating in) into the oven for 15-20 minutes (25 minutes if you prefer your salmon a little more well-done). Then turn the broiler on, and broil your salmon for 4 minutes to create a nice caramelization on the top of the fish (this last step is optional).

When your fish is done, plate it on your individual dinner plates over a bed of arugula, and top it with the delicious salsa. Garnish it with the fresh cilantro and serve.

Products I recommend:

Le Creuset Baking Dish

Organic Blue Agave