Category Archives: Culinary feats

Bourbon and Vodka Vanilla Extract from Scratch: Do Not Open till Christmas!

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vanilla w bourbon_n

Quality Madagascar vanilla beans, bourbon in one bottle and vodka in the other, and the experiment begins. If all goes well, in six months we’ll have two excellent bottles of double-strength vanilla extract for our Christmas pies and confections.

Even when perfectly good store-bought products are available, we are fascinated by how various foods are actually made. For excellent vanilla extract, we know of no better than Penzeys Spices double strength. But we wanted to give making our own a go.

vanilla beans bourbon and vodka_n

We purchased our Madagascar vanilla beans from Penzeys. For the bourbon and vodka, we went with two well-known makers – a bourbon we enjoy sipping and a vodka that’s fine in our bloody Mary’s.

vodka pouring into bottle_n

There’s really nothing to creating your own vanilla extract. We had 15 long beans which we cut in half, split down the middle, and placed in old-fashioned bottles with tight seals.

Whether the subject is sherry for cooking or bourbon for vanilla extract, an oft-repeated axiom is “Don’t use anything you wouldn’t drink.” That’s good advice, on par with adding seasonings “to taste” in recipes. On one hand, this isn’t the place to use the finest bourbon one might drink; on the other hand, in our own experience we noticed a marked improvement in our sauces and sautés when we moved away from lower end sherries and upgraded to more drinkable varieties.

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bourbon pouring into bottle_new

Once the vanilla beans and alcohol have been combined and sealed tight, it’s helpful to give the bottle a gentle shake from time to time to ensure mixing and full extraction. For the richest, most flavorful extract, allow six months to go by before opening.

For this batch, that means we’ll be able to break the seal for Christmastime chocolate orange meringue pie, pecan pralines and extra rich vanilla ice cream.

Lemon Vanilla Biscotti (with Ports, Sherries, Muscat and Roasted Grouse)

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fortified wine_n

Light, crunchy and mildly sweet, Lemon Vanilla Biscotti (see recipe below) was the perfect accompaniment to an evening of sampling Port Wines, Sherries, Madeira and Muscat.

Lesson 8 in the wine appreciation course we’ve been taking this summer focused on fortified wines – ruby Port, tawny Port, fino Sherry, Amontillado, Madeira and Muscat. We wanted something sweet but not overly so to finish an evening that began with roasted wild grouse, squash risotto, Brussels sprouts and the sweet wines.

biscotti_n

Baked three times, biscotti has a satisfying crunch. This lemon vanilla version could be drizzled with icing, but we enjoyed ours unadorned. 

Although served on a warm Alaskan June evening, the meal took us to visions of late fall evenings and Autumn-colored forests where wild grouse thrive. The grouse and the squash risotto (one of the best we’ve ever enjoyed) were courtesy of our friends Bix and Krystin at Alaskagraphy.

Lemon Vanilla Biscotti

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1  1/2 tsp lemon zest

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
  2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
  3. Combine flour, sugar and baking powder in medium bowl. Set aside.
  4. Whisk eggs, vanilla and zest in a medium bowl.
  5. Add flour mixture to wet mixture and stir until combined.
  6. Scrape dough onto parchment-lined baking sheet.
  7. With floured hands, shape dough into a flat rectangle (about 10 in. x 5 in.).
  8. Bake for 50 minutes.
  9. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes.
  10. Slice into 1/2 inch long pieces with a serrated knife.
  11. Lay the slices on their side and bake again for 15 minutes.
  12. Remove from oven and flip the biscotti to the opposite side and bake for 15 more minutes.
  13. Cookies should be lightly golden and crunchy on each side.

Razors: The Perfect Fry

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razor clams 30 a_n

These Pacific razor clams freshly dug from an Alaskan beach are ready to be cleaned for New England style clam chowder, a fry (see recipe below), fritters, or sautéed with garlic and served on pasta.

Two summers ago on our favorite clamming beach we couldn’t dig ’em fast enough. Each time we spotted a tell-tale dimple and sunk our shovel or clam gun into the wet sand, the disturbance would cause a half dozen other clams to show. The beds were dense and we sometimes dug up prized razors two at a time. It took us barely an hour to each fill our 60-clam limit – and a good bit of the afternoon that day to clean those 120 clams.

razor clam in hand_n

This year the digging was considerably slower. Heavy winter storms had wreaked havoc on the beaches, washing out beds and decimating populations. The Alaska Department of Fish and Wildlife lowered the limit from 60 clams to 25 per person, but few clammers are finding even those numbers. Still, with low tides exceeding -5 feet and a morning in late May filled with sunshine, there was no reason not to go. It was warm enough to dig in nothing more than sandals, shorts and a a short-sleeved shirt – clamming attire I hadn’t worn since the days when I used to dig in Oregon.

With king salmon fishing closed or limited on the Kenai Peninsula, our “secret” beach had a few more fellow clammers than we’d seen in the past but it still wasn’t at all crowded. And there were the usual assortment of bald eagles, sandpipers, gulls and a whimbrel with its long, beautifully curved bill prying the sand for worms and silvery little sand lances that had been left exposed by the neap tide.

There were clams, too, but we had to work for them. We arrived at our spot about two hours before dead low and dug till the tide turned and began coming back in. Thirty clams between the two of us. Thirty-one counting the stray butter clam we added. Barbra had the eye for the shows on this morning, allowing us to do considerably better than most of our fellow clammers. The state’s decision to reduce the razor clam limit to 25 seemed both wise and in a way unnecessary, as we suspect very few clammers found anywhere close to 25 clams.

clam chowder bowl_n

Overall, the size of the clams was good and the reward for our morning of digging was a feast of fried razors and New England Style Clam Chowder. We paired this meal with three different premium sakes, the first wines of this summer’s wine appreciation course we and another couple are taking.

You can follow this link to our Alaskan Clam Chowder Recipe. After years of making fried razors a number of different ways, following is the recipe that gets the most frequent requests. (Incidentally, this is also an excellent recipe for onion rings.)

Fried Razors (Serves four with two medium to large clams per person)

Ingredients: Have ready a cutting board or plate on which to position breaded clams, and another plate with paper towels to drain fried clams.

  • 8 medium to large razor clams, shucked, gilled and cleaned. It does not matter if the “foot” of the clam remains attached or is separated. (See note below.)
  • 1 or 2 packets Saltine crackers, crushed medium-fine
  • 1/2 cup all purpose flour
  • 4 eggs
  • 1/2 tbsp Cholula sauce or similar chili-pepper-based hot sauce
  • healthy pinch salt
  • 1/8 tsp freshly ground pepper
  • 1/2 tsp rub/seasoning such as a Southwest rub, mesquite rub, or other rub featuring chili peppers. Our own blend features smoked chipotles, smoked paprika, oregano, and arbol chilis.
  • 2 quarts light olive oil or other frying oil (This can be reused.)
  • lemon wedges and tarter sauce

Directions:

  1. In a Ziploc bag, mix flour, salt, pepper and seasoning to taste.
  2. Place crushed Saltines on a plate.
  3. Place eggs in a wide bowl. Add Cholula and thoroughly whisk together. Position in this order: cleaned clams, flour mixture, egg mixture, Saltines, plate or cutting board for breaded clams.
  4. In a deep fryer or on the stove in a deep pot, heat olive oil to 350 degrees F or slightly hotter.
  5. Use tongs to drop clams one-at-a-time into flour bag. Shake so that clam is thoroughly coated. Next, coat clam with egg mixture. Lift clam from mixture and let excess egg drip off, then roll in cracker crumbs. Set breaded clam on cutting board to rest. Repeat till all clams are breaded.
  6. Oil is ready when a few cracker crumbs bubble when placed in oil. Use tongs to place clams two-at-a-time in oil. Do not overload. Breaded clams should bubble fairly vigorously. Cook for one minute. Remember, clams will continue cooking even after they are removed from oil. Do not overcook. Place cooked clam on paper towels to drain. Repeat till all clams are cooked.
  7. Add a squirt of lemon and dip in tartar sauce. (Beaver tartar sauce is our favorite.)

Serve clams with a quality daigingo or junmai ginjo sake, a crisp Oregon Pinot Gris, or your favorite Alaskan craft beer.

Note about cleaning clams: Even if you crack a few shells when digging, the cleaning can go quickly and it should be possible to serve sand-free clams and clam chowder. Here’s how to do it.

  1. Rinse clams in very cold water.
  2. Have an ice bath ready for clams: salted ice water in a large pot
  3. Meanwhile, in a medium-sized pot, bring salted water to a boil.
  4. Use tongs to place clams one or two at a time into boiling water. The instant the shell pops open, remove the clam and plunge it into the ice bath. The shell and most of the sand will now easily come off. Additional rinsing after cleaning will remove residual sand.

Galley and Kitchen: What’s on our Spice Racks

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Penzeys Spices_n

So that we’re ready to hit the ground running (or to hit the kitchen cooking) when we return to Point Hope in August, we place our Penzeys Spices order in April. 

Onboard our summer home, the sailing vessel Bandon, galley space is limited and so the question If you had to choose just a few herbs and spices… is answered out of necessity. Sea salt, Tellicherry pepper, powdered garlic, powdered wasabi, an Italian seasoning blend, herbs de provence and a couple of spicy chili-pepper-based blends or rubs are essentials in our kitchen. We also keep on hand soy sauce, Cholula sauce, olive oil (both light olive oil for frying and extra virgin for other uses), and when we can, sherry. Our meals tend to center around fresh seafood, and these minerals, herbs, spices and condiments go well with fresh fish.

Up in Point Hope where our kitchen is much larger, our herb and  spice collection is far more extensive and includes a variety of extracts as well. We’ve discovered that even something as basic as salt can vary greatly from one type to another. For example, smoked sea salt can be the “secret ingredient” that makes a stew, soup or chili stand out. And if you haven’t tried grey sea salt on fish, you’re in for a pleasant surprise when you do. It’s usually packaged coarse or slightly coarse, but it’s  damp, so don’t be tempted to put it in a grinding mill. Use it in its coarse form. Also called Celtic sea salt or sel gris, this mineral-rich salt from the Brittany region of France  is especially nice on broiled salmon. Like many others in this food-appreciating time we live in, we’ve come a long way from the days when Morton’s Iodized  was the only salt in our kitchen.

Another change we’ve been making is a gradual shift away from prepared spice and herb blends toward our own hand-crafted blends. We keep our old bottles of blends like Northwoods Fire, Southwest Seasoning, Italian Seasoning, Curry Seasoning and so forth, but these days those bottles are filled with similar-but-unique creations. The modifications we make to the original recipes have resulted in blends we are really pleased with, and it’s satisfying to grind and mix our own chili-pepper-based rubs. Carefully considering the ingredients that go into these blends has led us to a fuller understanding of herbs and spices.

This past year our “great discovery” was Penzeys Spices’ whole smoked chipotle chili peppers. Ground with our immersion blender as we need them, these peppers add a rich, smokey heat to chili, squash soups, cloudberry or raspberry chipotle sauce, and chicken noodle soup. Blended into a rub, smoked chipotle’s add another dimension to broiled halibut, salmon, moose or pork. 

The spice we’re most anticipating using in the coming year is high-grade Kashmir Mogra saffron. We’ve been using Spanish Coupé  which is very nice, but we’ve been wondering if the higher quality Kashmir Mogra is worth it. We’ll let you know what we conclude this fall.

Less than two weeks till we’re back aboard Bandon in Seward!

Waiter! There’s a Whale in my Soup! Beluga Chowder

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beluga chowder spoonful_n

Not your everyday ingredient, beluga whale has a firm, slightly crunchy texture and delicious flavor making it a perfect ingredient in traditional seafood chowders. 

When a friend who is on a whaling crew recently offered us a few pounds of fresh beluga, we jumped at the opportunity to work with what for us is a new ingredient. The beluga chowders we’d sampled till this point had all started with beluga being added to canned clam chowder. We couldn’t wait to try beluga with our own recipe. The result was a rich, creamy, flavorful chowder.

We view all seafood through the lens of sustainability. Although commercial whaling and environmental factors have endangered a few of the world’s 29 separate beluga populations, in Arctic Alaska’s Chukchi Sea the species is abundant and appears to be unaffected by the relatively few numbers harvested for subsistence by Inupiat hunters. Typical belugas range in size from about 10 to 18 feet long and weigh between half a ton and two tons. Salmon and cod are among their preferred prey, but they feed opportunistically on a long list of other sea creatures. Interestingly, beluga’s closest relatives are narwhales.

Beluga soups and chowders are very popular among Eskimos. The skin and a little bit of the attached blubber is cut into slices about 1/16 – 1/4 inch thick (.25 – .5 cm) and about 1/2 – 1 inch in width and length. We cut ours thin – about 1/6 inch. Chunks this size become tender after about 10 minutes of simmering, with the skin retaining just the right amount of subtle crunch to it – a bit like conch or whelk. Using our favorite clam chowder recipe as a base, our beluga chowder had guests mopping their bowls with fresh-baked bread and asking for more. See recipe below.

beluga chowder bowl_n

Sweet corn, potatoes, bacon, butter, olive oil, sautéed onions, garlic, salt and pepper are a great base for all kinds of seafood chowder recipes. After that, whether the featured ingredient is razor clams, beluga whale or the assorted catch of the day is up to you. A little tarragon is nice, too.

Beluga and Clam Chowder

Ingredients:

  • 2 pounds beluga whale (skin with blubber), cut into slices 1/16 inch thick and abut 1 inch x 3/4 inch. Each piece should have skin plus about 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch of blubber attached.
  • 1 pound razor clams or other clams, chopped coarse (This is the weight of clams after they have been drained. But save and set aside their juice.)
  • clam juice you’ve set aside. The more, the better.
  • 4 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold or yellow potatoes. (These cook up creamier than than Russets)
  • 2 sweet onions, chopped coarse
  • 1/2 pound bacon, cut into small pieces
  • 4 cups milk
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 6 cloves of garlic, chopped fine
  • 1 1/2 pound sweet corn (optional)
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil
  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons sea salt
  • 1/2 tablespoon Italian seasoning (The Spice Hunter’s Italian blend is excellent)
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper (either black or rainbow)
  • 1 teaspoon dry tarragon, crushed (optional)
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg (optional)
  • 6 – 8 very thin slices of lemon

Directions:

  1. Place sliced beluga in a pot. Add just enough water or clam juice to cover. Add a little salt. Over high heat, bring to a boil then reduce to simmer. Cook till beluga is tender (skin is easily pierced by a fork) but still a bit crunchy. About 10 minutes. Use a colander and a bowl to drain water, but keep water. Set beluga aside.
  2. Fry bacon pieces till tender. Do not crisp. Drain the grease and set bacon aside.
  3. Wash potatoes and remove any eyes, but do not remove the skins. Cut into ½ inch cubes and place in a large bowl. Cover with cold water, rinse and drain.
  4. Return water used for cooking beluga to pot. Add potatoes. If necessary, add additional water or clam juice to cover potatoes. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer till potatoes are tender.
  5. Meanwhile, place olive oil in a large skillet and heat over medium heat. Add onions, flour and seasoning (optional). Reduce heat and stir frequently for about five minutes until onions begin to turn translucent. Add garlic and bacon and stir again, cooking for about 1 minute.
  6. Add onion mixture, milk, cream, beluga, cream, salt and pepper to potatoes and water. Heat thoroughly, but do not boil.

Serve piping hot with sourdough bread.

See also: Alaska Razor Clam Chowder

Manhattan-Style Razor Clam Chowder

Alaska Seafood Chowder

Rocky Road Ice Cream

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rocky road_nRich chocolate ice cream coupled with homemade marshmallows put this ice cream flavor in a top-two tie with Cloudberry Sorbet among our all-time favorites.

Really good chocolate ice cream can be made with really good Dutch processed cocoa. But great chocolate ice cream adds in depth of flavor with quality semi-sweet chocolate. This recipe topped the charts by not adding ordinary marshmallows, but adding extraordinary homemade marshmallows to the ingredients.

Rocky Road Ice Cream

Ingredients

  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 3 tbsp unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
  • 5 oz. semisweet chocolate chips
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • pinch of salt
  • 5 egg yolks
  • ½ tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup marshmallow pieces
  • 1 cup chopped almonds

Directions

  1. Warm 1 cup of the cream with the cocoa powder in a medium saucepan, whisking to thoroughly blend the cocoa.
  2. Bring to almost a boil (mixture will steam) and whisk in chocolate chips, whisking until smooth.
  3. Remove from heat and stir in remaining cup of whipping cream. Pour mixture into bowl and set aside.
  4. Warm the milk, sugar, and salt in the original saucepan.
  5. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks.
  6. Slowly pour the warm milk into the egg yolks, whisking constantly, then scrape the warmed egg yolks back into the saucepan.
  7. Stir the mixture constantly over medium heat with a heatproof spatula, scraping the bottom as you stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula and creates a custard (and reaches 170 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer).
  8. Pour the custard into the chocolate mixture  and stir until smooth.
  9. Then stir in the vanilla.
  10. Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator.
  11. Freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
  12. During the last 10 minutes of churning, add in almonds and marshmallow pieces.

Recipe adapted from The Brown Eyed Baker.

Country-Style Apple Brioche

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Apple Brioche_n

Slices of this apple-filled brioche served with cups of freshly brewed French roast coffee sent our spirits overseas to a sidewalk table at a cafe in France.  

Baking projects tend to be inspired by a single ingredient. Last week, two students gave me the biggest Granny Smith apples I have ever seen. They were a little bumped and bruised and seemed to be begging to be baked into something sweet. I remembered an apple brioche recipe I had wanted to try in one of the cookbooks we have in our library, Beth Hensperger’s Bread. Brioche is an egg-and-butter rich pastry-type bread dough which can be used in both savories and sweets. It produces a soft, moist bread and the dough is easy to make and easy to work with.

Apple Brioche

Ingredients

  • 2 giant Granny Smith apples (or 4 regular-sized apples), peeled, cored and sliced into 1/4 inch pieces
  • 1  1/2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tbsp water
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 recipe chilled brioche dough (see below)

Topping

  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/6 cup all-purpose flour
  • 4 tbsp chilled unsalted butter
  • 1 egg, beaten

Directions

  1. Toss apple slices with lemon juice. Let sit for 1 hour, occasionally stirring.
  2. Place apples, sugar, water, and cinnamon in a heavy skillet and sauté until liquid is reduced and sugar is dissolved.
  3. Cool apple mixture to room temperature.
  4. Turn chilled brioche dough out to a lightly floured surface.
  5. Roll dough into a 10 x 15 inch rectangle.
  6. Spread cooled apple mixture down the center third of the dough rectangle.
  7. Cut strips 1.5 to 2 inches apart diagonally, almost touching filling.
  8. Starting at one end, fold strips over filling, alternating each side. You will have somewhat of a braided look when finished.
  9. Transfer bread to a parchment-lined baking sheet.
  10. Make topping by combining sugar and flour until blended. Cut in cold butter with a pastry blender (or food processor) until coarse crumbs are formed.
  11. Brush dough generously with beaten egg.
  12. Sprinkle topping on egg-washed dough.
  13. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise at a cool room temperature until puffy and not quite doubled, about 40 minutes.
  14. Bake in preheated 350 degree F oven for 40 minutes. Bread will be browned and filling will be bubbly.
  15. Cool completely on a wire rack before serving.

Brioche Dough

Ingredients

  • 2  1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tbsp active dry yeast
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 3 eggs, at room temperature
  • 1/4 cup hot water (120 degrees F)
  • 1 stick unsalted butter, cut into small pieces and softened

Directions

  1. In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine 1/2 cup flour, yeast, sugar and salt.
  2. Add hot water and beat at medium speed for 2 minutes.
  3. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
  4. Gradually add 1 cup more flour.
  5. When well-blended, add butter, a few pieces at a time.
  6. Gradually add 3/4 cup flour. Beat until thoroughly blended. Dough will be very soft and have a thick batter-like consistency.
  7. Scrape dough into a greased bowl.
  8. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until doubled, about 3 hours.
  9. Refrigerate dough for at least 2 hours. Can be refrigerated longer or frozen for up to 2 weeks.

Alaskan Shrimp Harumaki with Lime-Infused Ponzu Dipping Sauce

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Harumaki w shrimp 2_n

Harumaki (spring rolls) are a fun, tasty, easy-to-make appetizer or side dish. Both the wrappers and the filling can be modified to suit just about any taste. Recipes follow.

So named because they were a traditional part of Chinese New Year and a celebration of the coming spring, originally spring rolls were filled with vegetables and shaped like gold bars; thus they were a symbol of prosperity and good fortune. When Chinese immigrants brought this popular food to Japan, the name was directly translated to haru (spring) maki (roll). These days spring rolls are part of menus the world over, in part because they easily lend themselves to fusion cooking.

Our contribution to a recent dinner party was harumaki filled with sweet Alaskan shrimp, shitake mushrooms and fennel, which we’d recently been presented as a gift. These ingredients were arranged on a piece of nori (dried seaweed) and rolled up in thin squares of one of our favorite pasta doughs. Served hot from the deep fryer along with a lime-infused Ponzu dipping sauce, they were a big hit.

The Alaskan shrimp we use in our recipes are usually pink, coon stripe or side stripe shrimp – species often served in sushi restaurants as ama-ebi (sweet shrimp). The pinks and side stripes in particular have a distinctively sweet flavor.

Alaska Shrimp Harumaki (for eight, two-bite rolls)

Ingredients:

  • 2 to 4 shitake mushrooms
  • 8 nori (dried seaweed) rectangles approximately 2 1/2″ x 3 “
  • 8 wrappers 3″ x 3″ (we used pasta dough). (Ready-made egg roll wrappers are available in most grocery stores.)
  • 8 ounces shrimp, shelled and veins removed
  • fresh fennel leaves – enough for each roll
  • 1 tbsp lime juice
  • sea salt
  • freshly ground pepper
  • olive oil
  • water (to help seal the wrappers)

Directions:

  1. Cut the mushrooms into 1/4 inch slices.
  2. If shrimp are small, use whole. Otherwise cut into 1 to 2 inch pieces
  3. In a bowl, toss together the mushrooms, shrimp, lime juice, ground pepper and sea salt.
  4. Place 1 tbsp olive oil in a frying pan and heat over medium heat till oil sizzles when a drop of water is added. Add the shrimp mixture, stirring frequently for about 90 seconds. Remove from heat and return mixture to bowl to avoid overcooking.
  5. Place one piece of nori in center of each wrapper. (Prevent nori from breaking by first dipping in water.) Place shrimp mixture and fennel in center of nori.
  6. To wrap: Position square so that one corner is toward you. Fold this corner over the filling. Next fold the right and left corners over the filling. Then roll wrapper toward top (remaining) corner as you would a burrito.
  7. Seal by slightly moistening the last corner and gentle pressing closed. Seal well to prevent oil from leaking in during deep frying.
  8. In a deep fryer or sufficiently large pot: Add enough frying oil (we use light olive oil or canola oil) so that rolls will be completely submersed. Bring oil to 350°F. Place rolls into oil and cook until wraps are golden brown. Do not overcrowd. Remove and drain on a plate covered with paper towel.
  9. Serve immediately with ponzu dipping sauce.

Harumaki w shrimp 1_n

Lime-Infused Ponzu Dipping Sauce

Ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 1/2 cup rice vinegar
  • 1/4 cup lime juice
  • small square (about 3/4 inch) konbu (dried kelp)

Directions:

  1. Mix the ingredients together in a non-reactive container and let rest for 8 hours.
  2. Remove konbu.
  3. Combine the following dried ingredients to make 1 tbsp: onion, garlic, chili pepper, cilantro. Or use fresh ingredients.

Pasta Wrappers

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup semolina
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • water

Directions:

  1. In a bowl, combine the ingredients with a fork.
  2. Add 1 tbsp water. Continue combining. Consistency of dough should be as dry scrambled eggs. Add more water 1 tbsp at a time as necessary.
  3. Kneed dough by hand till it forms a ball. Wrap ball in plastic (or cover container tightly) and let rest for 20 minutes.
  4. Finish processing into squares using a manual pasta machine.

Caribou Stroganoff: A Classic Favorite Featuring Wild Game

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Caribou Stroganoff on homemade fettuccine_n

From San Francisco to Sydney and from Tokyo to Toronto, Beef Stroganoff is a popular dinner item. Here’s a twist on a classic favorite.

Ever since its origination in 19th century Russia, Stroganoff has been served to rave reviews. Early iterations were created with beef cubes and and early written recipe for the sauce included mustard. Mushrooms and onions came later. These days, cubes have largely given way to thin strips of meat and mustard is considered optional by many cooks.

I’d not made Stroganoff till recently. Happy to fill requests, I put some caribou we’d recently been given to good use. The Stroganoff came out can’t-stop-eating-it good and we and our guests made short work of it. But even as I was simmering the sauce, I knew next time I’d add tarragon.

In our view, the addition of this herb really brought the dish alive. Other than that, be gentle with additional flavors, including garlic. This dish is about meat and mushrooms.

Caribou Stroganoff

Ingredients

  • 1 pound caribou cut into thin strips, about 1/4″ x 1″ (or use similar meat game such as elk, venison or lean beef)
  • 1/2 cup beef broth. (Excellent broth can be made using Better than Bouillon)
  • 3/4 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/2 pound mushroom caps, sliced thin (Shitake mushrooms are a good choice. Here in bush Alaska, we use dried mushrooms.)
  • 1/2 large onion, sliced thin
  • 1 clove garlic, chopped fine
  • 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 2 tbsp flour, separated into equal portions
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 2 tbsp olive oil separated into equal portions
  • salt
  • freshly ground pepper
  • 1/2 tsp dried tarragon
  • red wine – just a splash

Directions

  1. In a bowl, combine Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, sour cream, heavy cream, a few grinds of pepper and tarragon. Set aside.
  2. Place caribou strips in a large bowl. Add 1 tbsp flour and a few grinds of fresh pepper and mix ingredients so that meat is coated.
  3. In a large pan over medium heat, heat 1 tbsp olive oil. When oil is hot enough to cause a drop of water or a pinch of flour to sizzle, add the meat. Stir and turn meat frequently to ensure all sides are seared. When meat is cooked through (about 5 minutes), place in a bowl and set aside.
  4. Pour pan juices into a bowl and set aside to cool.
  5. Deglaze the pan with a splash of red wine. Add 1 tbsp olive oil and butter, heat over medium heat, and add the onions. Stir frequently. After about two minutes, add the mushrooms and garlic and sprinkle the pan’s contents with flour, reducing heat if necessary. Continue to cook and stir just till onions begin to become translucent (about 5 minutest total).
  6. Return the meat to the pan. Thoroughly mix ingredients together and add the beef broth. Cover and simmer over low heat till broth is well reduced (cooked down) – about 15 to 30 minutes.
  7. Combine pan juices with sour cream mixture and stir into the pan. Heat to piping hot (but do not boil) and serve over fettucini, other pasta, or rice.

Serve with fall vegetables and a gin and tonic with a wedge of lime.

Alaska Salmon Lox or Gravlax

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Lox on onion bagel_n

With a history dating back to the European Middle Ages, a number of methods for preparing lox and gravlax (or gravad lax) have evolved. We’ve settled on a dry-brining method that produces beautifully colored, deliciously flavored salmon fillets ready to be sliced translucently thin as on the above freshly made onion bagel.

Many cultures have a tradition of salting and burying fish, a technique that results in both preservation and fermentation. In fact, the origins of sushi can be traced back to fish prepared in this method. The grav of gravlax derives from the Scandinavian word for grave, and lax, salmon, has cognates in many old European languages. Thus gravlax literally means “buried salmon.”

Although preparing lox is somewhat labor intensive (the fillets are packed in salt under light pressure and liquid must be drained every 24 hours or so over a period of several days), since it isn’t smoked, anyone with a refrigerator can make it. Both sea salt and kosher salt produce good results, and we like to add a little brown sugar and black pepper. The dry brining method we prefer is known as “Scottish-style.” Other styles call for a wet brine. Dill, juniper berries and other seasonings are traditionally used in some recipes, but we prefer to add seasonings, if any, when the lox is being served.

In addition to traditional lox on a bagel with cream cheese, capers and a thin slice of onion, it’s also excellent on scrambled eggs, as a colorful finishing touch to deviled eggs, or as a wrap around any number of vegetables or other seafoods and served as an hors d’oeuvre.

Silver salmon head n

Always look for the freshest fish. Salmon should be bright with clear eyes and a pleasant smell reminiscent of the sea.

While historically lox was made with Atlantic salmon, these days, with Atlantic salmon populations in severe decline almost everywhere, the Atlantic salmon available in stores is farmed in places such as Norway, Scotland, British Columbia and Chile. For reasons rooted in flavor, sustainability and environmental impact, we prefer wild Pacific salmon. The salmon in the above photo is Coho (silver salmon), but any Pacific salmon species works well, as do large char. If you leave the skin on the fillets, it can later be used to create a crispy fried appetizer.

For the best presentation, lox should be sliced very thin. The best tool we’ve found for this job is a yanagiba – a Japanese sashimi knife. Our yanagiba has an extraordinarily sharp, nine-and-a-half inch blade. Both the sharpness and the length are important for slicing – not sawing – ultra thin pieces of salmon.

For a great recipe for smoked salmon, see:

Smoked Salmon with Soy Sauce and Brown Sugar Brine

For excellent homemade bagels, see: Bagels 3 Ways

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Homemade Lox

Ingredients

  • 1 lb. fresh salmon fillets, skin on. The fillets need not be scaled, but do take pains to ensure that all bones are removed.
  • ¼ cup coarse sea salt
  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp freshly ground black pepper

Directions

  1. Rinse fish and dry thoroughly.
  2. Remove any pin bones in fillet with tweezers or needle nose pliers.
  3. Mix together salt, sugar and pepper. (This recipe works well when multiplied. Our last batch was 5 pounds of fish.)
  4. Pack salt mixture around fish. You can do this skin side down.
  5. Sandwich two pieces of fish together, skin side out.
  6. Pack any leftover sugar mixture onto exposed fillet.
  7. Wrap sandwiched pieces tightly with plastic wrap. Leave sides slightly open so liquid can drain while the salmon cures.
  8. I use a poacher with a draining tray for the next step. Another method would be to place a steamer basket at the bottom of a plastic box. The idea is to create a raised place for the fish to set while being pressed from the top. This will allow the juice to drain away from the fish.
  9. Place sandwiched salmon in poacher.
  10. Place weight on top of all salmon pieces. I use large jars of jam or large containers of salt. I have seen pictures of people using bricks.
  11. Place poacher in refrigerator.
  12. For 7 days, every 24 hours pour off liquid from the bottom of the poacher and flip the fillet sandwiches.
  13. At the end of 7 days, take the salmon out of the plastic wrap and thoroughly rinse using really cold tap water.
  14. Thoroughly pat dry.
  15. Slice very thin and enjoy!
  16. Store leftovers in refrigerator or freeze in airtight containers.