Let me just start by saying that yes, I know that salmon is not a Mediterranean fish. DUH. I work in a library, I'm all kinds of smaht (but mostly a smartass, according to my Popstar), etc. But I wanted to do something with fish and something Mediterranean, keeping with the setting of the book, and I did have some dietary restrictions to work around. Salmon is a fish that fits almost all bills (except for fish haters, but they were not invited). This recipe...was okay. I can admit it wasn't my best work. Then again, I am guilty of doing some stoopids, like forget to use the white wine the recipe suggests, or not really thinking about how much fish I'd need (I used wayyyy too much), or basically buying pre-frozen salmon because it was the only wild salmon at Whole Foods - kids, pre-frozen fish? It is never as tasty. Plus, salmon that has been frozen and thawed takes on a well, oddly dark salmon color. Touche! I also added spinach, which I'm not sure brought much to the dish.
If you attempt to make this, do yourself a favor. Go to an actual fish market, have some selection in your fish. Also, use the wine. Double also, use 4-6 oz salmon per guest, not 3 lbs. for 5 people. Maybe even season it or remove the skin. Also, follow the directions and make sure the vegetable base is hot like it is meant to be when you put it in the dish, and that you then put it immediately into your hot oven - I cheated, because my guests were arriving, put it in colder, and mine got all white salmon sweaty because it was taking forever to cook and I turned the heat up. Putting it into a hot sauce and then a hot oven means it'll start cooking right away, reducing your cook time. Maybe serve your spinach on the side (I didn't include it below, but used about a cup of thawed chopped frozen spinach in the third step), with some well seasoned rice. I also wonder if this recipe would be better balanced with a white fish. Perhaps some day I will attempt it again! But for now, here is my meh main course. It is Mediterranean by way of the Pacific Northwest. Which perhaps explains why I keep accidentally typing Baked Salmon Alaska (confession: I am now grossly intrigued by this typo).
Recipe:
If you attempt to make this, do yourself a favor. Go to an actual fish market, have some selection in your fish. Also, use the wine. Double also, use 4-6 oz salmon per guest, not 3 lbs. for 5 people. Maybe even season it or remove the skin. Also, follow the directions and make sure the vegetable base is hot like it is meant to be when you put it in the dish, and that you then put it immediately into your hot oven - I cheated, because my guests were arriving, put it in colder, and mine got all white salmon sweaty because it was taking forever to cook and I turned the heat up. Putting it into a hot sauce and then a hot oven means it'll start cooking right away, reducing your cook time. Maybe serve your spinach on the side (I didn't include it below, but used about a cup of thawed chopped frozen spinach in the third step), with some well seasoned rice. I also wonder if this recipe would be better balanced with a white fish. Perhaps some day I will attempt it again! But for now, here is my meh main course. It is Mediterranean by way of the Pacific Northwest. Which perhaps explains why I keep accidentally typing Baked Salmon Alaska (confession: I am now grossly intrigued by this typo).
Baked Salmon Mediterranean
via Bonfire Health
serves about 6
