capers

poached King salmon in lemon butter sauce

by Heguiberto on September 8, 2011

poached King salmon in lemon butter sauce

poached King salmon in lemon butter sauce

I got this huge and expensive slab of King salmon at our favorite fish market in the Mission the other day. I wanted to try my hand at poaching salmon in court bouillon. Recipes for court bouillon abound! In the end what I realized is that this is just a clear broth. You can basically make with any vegetable you find in your refrigerator, plus some acidic agent, such as white wine or lemon juice. You don’t have to go all Julia Child about it and spend the entire day slaving in the kitchen, though that is fine, too. In my case I used what was at hand for a fairly traditional broth, with the addition of a stalk of lemon grass, which gave this broth a bit of a South East Asian flare.

king salmon poaching in lemon grass court bouillon

king salmon poaching in lemon grass court bouillon

poached King salmon in lemon butter sauce

3 ½ lb slab king salmon, skin on but de-scaled

for court bouillon:

½ cups dry white wine
1 whole scallion
½ onion
1 stalk of lemon grass, smashed with a cleaver
Black pepper corns
Kosher salt
1 stalk of celery
Few strands of parsley
1 piece of fennel stalk
1 carrot

for lemon butter sauce:

1 stick butter
¼ cup lemon juice
2 tbsp capers
4 tbsp chives chopped

Fill a pot with enough water to cover the salmon. Add all court bouillon ingredients to it, bring to a boil, reduce temperature and simmer for about 30 minutes. Discard vegetables. Let court bouillon cool down.

Lay salmon, skin-down, in a large pan so that it lies flat. Submerge with cooled court bouillon. Bring to a simmer and cook until done, about 10 to 15 minutes. If you choose to cut the salmon into smaller pieces before poaching, it may take as little as 3-5 minutes.

Using a large spatula carefully remove salmon from bath and place it on a serving platter. Keep warm.

Add butter and lemon juice to a saucepan on medium-high. Whisk until melted, remove from heat and add capers and 3 tbsp of chives. Mix well.

Sprinkle remaining chives over salmon and serve with lemon butter on the side.

Remember to keep the leftover broth and use it as a base for other soups. It is very aromatic.

On the night I served this, we had our friends Amie, Whitney, John, Chris and Valéria over for dinner. Amie and Whitney surprised us with a nice card, gift, some fruit tarts and a vegan chocolate cake celebrating our 3rd year wedding anniversary. It was a fun evening!

{ 6 comments }

asparagus with hardboiled egg and capers

by Heguiberto on July 18, 2011

Another great dish we found in Ottolenghi’s “Plenty” is this delightful and simple recipe for asparagus with eggs and capers. He calls it an “asparagus mimosa” in the book.

asparagus with hardboiled egg and capers

asparagus with hardboiled egg and capers

We actually had this same dish a couple of months ago at the stylish and trendy Contigo, a Catalan restaurant in the Noe Valley district here in San Francisco. Their food is all tapas-style and gorgeous. At Contigo, the dish is tweaked with the addition of tuna prosciutto, something I had never seen before. It resembled bonito flakes, those dried fish shavings used in dashi broth in Japanese cooking. It was delicious and I promised myself that I would make it at home but forgot with the craziness of our kitchen remodel.

Ottolenghi’s book arrived just before the end of asparagus season. Apparently Ottolengi himself came by, too. Turns out that he was the guest of honor at a special dinner at Contigo on July 12th. Bummer! Besides missing the chef wizard, we a great special menu! Oh well, there’s always next time.

asparagus with hardboiled egg and capers

3 lbs asparagus spears, woody parts at bottom discarded
3 organic eggs
6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4 tbsp capers with some of the brine
Sea salt
Black pepper

Place eggs in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring water to a boil, reduce temperature to medium low and simmer for 8-10 minutes. Turn temperature off. Let eggs sit in hot water for 4 minutes. Drain water and let eggs cool down to room temperature. Grate or chop fine.

Add ½ of the capers, some of the brine and olive oil to a bowl. Crush capers a bit with the help of a spoon. Set aside.

Add asparagus to a large pot of boiling water and cook for about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and drain. Arrange asparagus on a serving platter and drizzle with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil to coat. Add crushed caper sauce, capers and grated eggs. For cuteness leave tips of asparagus clear of dressing.

{ 6 comments }

poblano peppers stuffed with Italian eggplant, anchovy and pepitas

by Stevie on July 1, 2011

This recipe is based upon one from Marcella Hazan’s Marcella Cucina. I really love her food. And she sounds like quite a firecracker too. I’ve read somewhere that she’s a big fan of bourbon. Anyone who can cook that well and loves bourbon is alright in my book. I’ve a copy of her autobiography, Amarcord: Marcella Remembers, somewhere around here. I really need to find it soon.

poblano peppers stuffed with Italian eggplant, anchovy and pepitas

poblano peppers stuffed with Italian eggplant, anchovy and pepitas

Her recipe uses yellow or red bell peppers and she makes a big point of having you char and remove the outer membrane. I’ve done that several times, but it is a nightmare. Though I have to agree, it makes the final dish more tender, I don’t think that the effort is worth it. Instead, I’ve steamed my peppers, like I did for the poblanos and reds stuffed with saffron rice.

As to the poblano versus the bell, I remain of the opinion that poblanos simply taste better whereas bells just taste sweet. To each cook his or her own, I suppose. I added pepitas for a bit of crunch and it seems to match the peppers well. I did have two small reds, which I also stuffed. Oddly, these two ended up being leftovers after Hegui and I gorged on the smokier Mexican peppers.

key ingredients for poblano peppers stuffed with Italian eggplant, anchovy and pepitas

key ingredients for poblano peppers stuffed with Italian eggplant, anchovy and pepitas

poblano peppers stuffed with Italian eggplant, anchovy and pepitas

4 to 6 poblano or red bell peppers
1 medium Italian eggplant (about a pound)
salt
2 tbsp pepitas
6 anchovy fillets
2 tbsp Italian parsley
1 tbsp capers
1 garlic clove, peeled
3 tbsp panko breadcrumbs
¼ tsp oregano
2 tbsp olive oil
1 Roma tomato, peeled and chopped
vegetable oil
black pepper to taste

Cut eggplant into about ½ inch dice. Toss with ample salt in a colander. Let sit for about 30 minutes. Rinse and pat dry. Fry in vegetable oil until translucent and soft. Remove from oil to large bowl.

Preheat oven to 400F.

Cut poblano peppers in half and remove seeds and ribs. If using bell peppers, carefully cut tops off and remove seeds and ribs. Steam for ten minutes. Remove from heat and run under cold water to cool.

Toast pepitas in dry pan until slightly browned and popping. Set aside.

Coarsely chop garlic, capers, Italian parsley, and anchovies together. Add to eggplant. Add tomato, oregano, olive oil, pepitas, black pepper, and 2 tbsp panko to eggplant. Fold together.

Using two tablespoons, stuff peppers with filling, about one tbsp each. Place in a baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining panko. Bake 15 to 20 minutes.

Allow peppers to cool to room temperature before serving.



{ 7 comments }

salt cod with chickpea purée on Texas toast

by Heguiberto on December 23, 2010

Recently we got a very large piece of Norwegian salt cod at our favorite salt cod market in San Jose. It was about half of a fish, so it was extremely awkward and oddly shaped. Fortunately, L and F Fish have a jigsaw, so they cut it up for us into individual sized portions. It was freaky cool to watch.

salt cod with chickpea purée on Texas toast

salt cod with chickpea purée on Texas toast

The codfish was excellent, perfectly cured and, after the extra work, in an ideal size. Two of the meatier pieces turned into this beautiful recipe. I froze the rest for another feast in the near future.

Using salt cod requires removing most of the salt before cooking. I used a different process for preparing the meatier parts of this cod fish compared to how I make bacalhoada. Instead of boiling the fish after prolonged soaking, I just scalded it to remove the skin and bones. This way, the fish retains more of its soft original texture and has a concentrated codfish flavor that is not overly fishy.

I was sort of inspired by Sean Timberlake’s description of a salted fish and johnnycakes dish he enjoyed on vacation recently in St. Marteen.

plate your own salt cod with chickpea purée on Texas toast

plate-your-own salt cod with chickpea purée on Texas toast

salt cod with chickpea purée on Texas toast

2 thick Norwegian salt cod fish steaks, soaked for 24hours, water changed at least three times
½ red bell pepper, cut in large squares
½ yellow bell pepper, cut in large squares
½ green bell pepper, cut in large squares
1 white onion, cubed
1 tbsp capers
¼ tsp sweet paprika
½ cup green Spanish or Greek olives pitted
½ cup kalamata olives pitted
2 cups cooked chickpeas
2 bay leaves
1 tbsp parsley
2 tbsp fish stock (see below)
Freshly ground black pepper
1½ cups crushed tomato
15 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup olive oil plus more for drizzling
6 thick slices of white bread (I didn’t have true “Texas toast” so improvised with a sweet loaf from one of my favorite bakeries here, Acme Bread Company, which I cut into thick slices)

To prepare fish:

Bring two cups of water to a boil. Drain soaking codfish. Lay pieces in a large bowl with skin side up. Pour hot water over the skin and it will curl. Let cool a bit then carefully remove skin and bones. Place cleaned fish in another bowl lined with paper towels.

Make a fish stock by cooking bones and skin for about 10 minutes in boiling water. Chop the fish skin fine and return to stock. Remove any bits of fish flesh from bones. Discard bones but keep those tasty bits for the stock. This made more fish stock than we needed. Steven made a delicious Thai jasmine rice using some of the fish stock another day. Freeze remaining stock for another day.

Place a ¼ cup of olive oil in a large skillet. Bring the heat to high and give the pan a swirl to coat the bottom. Add about the equivalent of 5 cloves of minced garlic to the skillet and cook for about a minute or until aromatic. Gently slip codfish chunks in and cook for about 3-4 minutes, delicately turning them half way. Transfer to a plate and keep warm.

Return pan to burner. Add remaining olive oil followed by the chopped onion. Cook until translucent. Add about half the remaining garlic, the bell peppers, 2 tbsp fish stock, crushed tomatoes, paprika, green olives, bay leaves, and black pepper. Cook on high until the vegetables from a thick sauce. Delicately fold fish into sauce. Remove from heat but keep warm.

To prepare chickpea purée:

Add remaining garlic and a splash of olive oil into a pan. Let garlic cook for a minute then add chickpeas, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Sauté for a couple of minutes to warm it through. Transfer chickpeas to food processor along with Kalamata olives and pulse until smooth. Add a few tablespoons of water if too thick. Return to pan and keep warm.

To assemble dish:

Place bread slices on a metal tray. Drizzle with olive oil then toast them on one side only. Rub fresh garlic on toasted side.

You can plate these before serving or serve each of the three elements: the cod, the chickpea purée and the toast, separately on a large platter. Either way, simply place a piece of toast on a large dish, toasted side up. Smear with some chickpea purée then spoon some codfish with sauce on top. Garnish with parsley. This is great with a crisp Rhône or Rhône style white wine like Domaine de la Becassonne or Domaine Pierre Gonon.

{ 3 comments }

very much marinated potato salad

by Stevie on October 14, 2010

This is a recipe that I was quite fond of in the Eighties but probably haven’t made since then. I rediscovered it recently in a small box while cleaning out some dusty, rarely used kitchen cabinets. I’d written it down on an index card then forgot about it. It tastes as good as I remembered, though I modified it from the original in that I added capers. I’m not sure that I even knew what a caper was in 1989. Funny.

very much marinated potato salad

very much marinated potato salad

very much marinated potato salad

6 to 7 medium red potatoes
2/3 cup olive oil
¾ cup wine vinegar (I used Italian white wine vinegar)
black pepper to taste
1½ tsp salt
5 scallions, minced
½ red bell pepper, thinly sliced
½ green bell pepper, thinly sliced
¼ cup minced parsley
1 tbsp capers in brine
tomato cut in chunks to garnish (optional)

some key ingredients for very much marinated potato salad

some key ingredients for very much marinated potato salad

Wash potatoes thoroughly. Cut in half the long way then slice them thinly. I used a food processor for that, as I don’t have the patience or skill of Julia Child.

Combine potato slices, olive oil, vinegar, black pepper and salt in a large cooking pot. Bring to a boil then lower to simmer. Cover and cook for about thirty minutes or until potatoes are just tender. Remove from heat and cool completely. I refrigerated mine over night.

Before serving, fold in remaining ingredients. Garnish with tomato chunks, if you like (I forgot). This is a great alternative to potato salad with mayonnaise. We ate it with a leafy green salad for a meal before visiting friends for late evening drinks. It would also be perfect as a side for barbecue or part of a picnic lunch in Wine Country.

{ 1 comment }

Mediterranean lemon tofu with artichokes, olives and herbs

by Stevie on June 3, 2010

I never know what to do with the extra firm high-protein tofu. It feels like a rubber brick and doesn’t really taste that much better either. We had two blocks of the stuff sitting around for a while and I wanted to make something before they reached their expiration dates.

Mediterranean lemon tofu with artichokes, olives and herbs


I used to make something like this dish with chicken breasts. I’d only use capers, olives, herbs, sometimes artichoke hearts and lemon juice, all sautéed in olive oil with salt and pepper. The chicken lent the dish a great flavor that was highlighted by the flour mixture on the outside. But those days are long gone…

I still like the recipe. The problem with tofu is its lack of flavor. Here I’ve tried to intensify it with a briny bath, anchovies and wine with lemon juice. We liked it. I’m going to try a similar preparation for “tofu parmesan” or perhaps tofu with mushrooms and cream sauce sometime soon. Yum!

Mediterranean lemon tofu with artichokes, olives and herbs

16 oz package high-protein or extra firm tofu
Kosher salt
2 tbsp. flour
2 tbsp Italian bread crumbs
2 tsp parmesan cheese (optional)
¼ tsp pasilla chili powder or similar
¼ tsp dried basil
Black pepper to taste
5 anchovy fillets
6 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
4 tbsp. live oil
½ cup dry white wine
Juice of half lemon
½ cup mixed green and black olives, sliced
½ cup fresh herbs like thyme, basil, parsley, chopped
2 spring onions, shredded into 1 inch strips
Lemon slices
2/3 cup frozen artichoke hearts (optional)
½ red bell pepper, sliced thinly (optional)
1 Anaheim pepper, sliced thinly (optional)
1/3 cup edamame, cooked per package directions (optional)
2 tbsp. capers with some brine (optional)
Crushed red pepper to taste (optional)

Slice tofu across the longest direction into about 1 cm thick slices. Cut each rectangular slice into two triangles. Place triangles in a small bowl with a tablespoon of salt. Fill with warm water and let sit for 30 minutes. The brine will infuse some flavor into the tofu.

Meanwhile, if using artichoke hearts, sauté with salt, olive oil and a clove of garlic until heated through and slightly caramelized. Discard garlic clove and set aside.

If using fresh peppers, sauté them with some salt and olive oil until just tender. Set aside.

Mix flour, bread crumbs, cheese, pasilla powder, dried basil, black pepper and some salt together in a large dish. Drain and rinse soaking tofu. Let drip dry then toss in flour mixture.

Heat olive oil in large skillet. Add anchovies then tofu slices. Fry for a few minutes on each side until golden brown. Remove from pan. Add garlic and sauté for a minute until fragrant. Add artichoke hearts, edamame and peppers if using. Mix with garlic. Return tofu to pan and fold gently. Cook for a few minutes then add white wine. Allow to cook on medium until liquid reduces. Fold in olives, fresh herbs, spring onion, lemon slices, and capers. Squeeze lemon juice over everything. Adjust salt. Add crushed red pepper and more black pepper if desired.

Serve with white rice or perhaps potatoes.

{ 2 comments }

grilled vegetable tapenade

by Heguiberto on March 23, 2010

Did you know that the word tapenade comes from tapéno, which in Provençal means capers? Tapenade is normally made mostly of black olives and lesser amounts of capers, anchovies, olive oil and spices. It’s strange that this amazing paste derives its name from capers, whereas the major ingredient is actually olives.

grilled vegetable tapenade

I love anything made with olives. My fridge never runs out of them though I use them almost every day. Foods come into and out of fashion, but to me, the olive is a timeless classic.

sky view at Pride Mountain

For this tapenade, I tried to re-create one that I made a couple of years ago for a sensational picnic we had with a couple of friends, Suma and Tom, and, at that time at least, their newborn son, Ajay. It was in early spring at Pride Mountain, a winery located in the Mayacamas Mountains right at the crest. The winery sits in Napa and Sonoma Counties. It was a stunning afternoon. The picnic was delicious. Tom and Suma bought a bottle of delightful Pride cabernet sauvignon which we shared as we admired the grounds and the view.

What a pleasant weekend! The wine at Pride was excellent. We should go back there for another tasting and to write an entry for WC. Last week at a dinner party at the home of a mutual friend, Suma mentioned the “Pride tapenade.” She still recalls it two years later. That is high praise. It also got me thinking, so I decided to give it a go once again. It really is good. Cheers to Suma for reminding me of this dish.

Grilled Vegetable Tapenade

1 grilled red pepper, skin, seeds and ribs removed
1 2inch thick slice of grilled eggplant
1 2inch thick slice of grilled white onion
½ cup pitted kalamata olives
½ cup mixed pitted Spanish and Peruvian black olives (I use Goya)
10 oil packed sundried tomatoes, chopped
1 tbsp oil from sundried tomatoes
5 fresh basil leaves
1 minced fillet of anchovy (optional)
2 garlic cloves, nuked in the microwave for 5 seconds, or fresh
¼ cup walnuts
½ tsp red wine vinegar or olive brine
1 tsp capers
Pinch cayenne pepper
Fresh black pepper
½ tsp Greek oregano
6 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp water

To grill vegetables:

Pre heat your grill to 450F.

Place red pepper, eggplant and onion in a bowl. Sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil and water. Place pepper, eggplant, onion on grill. Grill onion and eggplant for 12 minutes turning half way. Remove from heat to a bowl, let rest, covered, till room temperature.

Continue cooking pepper for another 10 minutes or until charred and collapsing. Transfer to a paper bag and let it cool completely. Remove skin, stem and seeds.

To make tapenade:

Add all ingredients except nuts to food processor and pulse for a couple of minutes. Add walnuts and pulse again briefly. You want a semi coarse paste. Drizzle a bit of olive oil, transfer to a platter and serve. Any leftovers can be stored in the fridge in a jar covered with a thin layer of olive oil.

Use it as a dip for vegetables, bread, crackers or even as a sauce for pasta.

The flavors are exquisite with a lot going on: sweet, sour, pungent, smoky, salty, and fruity; really the perfect combination. Steven and I almost ate the whole tapenade for dinner one night. There was barely any left for the following day, though it tasted even better then.

{ 2 comments }

homemade artichoke dip

by Stevie on January 8, 2010

homemade artichoke dip

homemade artichoke dip

I like artichoke dips but don’t care for the premade kind. To me these always taste off. Perhaps it’s the preservatives used to keep the color? Anyway, I “invented” this recipe by looking at the list of ingredients on the packages of industrial type artichoke dips and improvised. Really this is similar to making American basil pesto. The Serrano chile is optional but gives the dip a mild heat that’s very good.

Homemade Artichoke Dip

key ingredient for homemade artichoke dip

1 package frozen artichoke hearts (12 oz)
3 cloves garlic
½ onion
1 Serrano chile (optional)
Juice of one lemon
1 tbsp capers with brine
¼ cup olive oil
Small handful walnuts
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
Salt and black pepper to taste

I like to dry pan roast the garlic, Serrano chile and onion similar to how I make the tomatillo salsa. You can skip this step and just cook the vegetables with the artichokes if you prefer. Personally I think it lends the dip a smoky flavor that’s enjoyable. To dry roast just heat a cast iron pan on high. Place the Serrano, garlic and onion in the pan. Cook until slightly charred, turning occasionally. Remove from heat. Peel garlic. Remove stem, ribs and seeds of Serrano. Place garlic, chile and onion in food processor.

Add some olive oil to a hot pan. Toss in frozen artichoke hearts. Sauté in covered pan until artichokes are warm and slightly browned. Add to food processor. Add capers to processor. Pour lemon juice and olive oil over everything. Process until smooth. If dip is too thick, add more olive oil.

Add salt, black pepper and walnuts. Process until smooth. Add cheese and pulse a few times to mix.

Serve dip in an elegant dish. I drizzle a bit more olive oil on top then sprinkle the dip with cayenne pepper for color. It goes well with pita triangles, chips, raw vegetables or can be used as a spread on sandwiches.

{ 2 comments }

Japanese kabocha pumpkin risotto

August 8, 2009

I absolutely love pumpkins, gourds and squashes of all types. In fact when we were thinking of a name for our site we thought about calling it cucurbita, which is the scientific name for this family of plants. Among all Winter squashes, kabocha pumpkin is my absolute favorite. It has a buttery and nutty flavor [...]

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crunchy avocado salad

July 31, 2009

We do most of our grocery shopping for the week either Saturday or Sunday. That means that by the end of the week our fridge and pantry start to look pretty empty. I like this cycle because it means going shopping again for fresh and exciting produce for the following week. I usually enjoy having [...]

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