Dinner July 23, 2023
Note: Fritter batter was made before cooking salmon, but started frying while salmon was cooking. I don't recommend if you can't multitask, make the fritters first and then keep warm in 200°F (95°C) oven.
Almonds made in advanced
Butter basting is easy, but still feels like a labor of love because you really can't leave it alone. So you're standing over a hot stove nonstop for twenty minutes or so.
Fritter Ingredients:
8 ounces (1 small-to-medium bundle, 225 grams) fresh Broccoli (3 cups chopped)
1 large Egg ½ cup (65 grams) All-Purpose Flour ⅓ cup (30 grams) finely grated Parmesan Cheese 1 small clove Garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon Iodized Salt, plus more to taste
A pinch of Red Pepper Flakes or several grinds of Black Pepper
Olive or Vegetable Oil for frying
Fritter Directions:
Prepare your broccoli: Separate the florets from the biggest stem(s). Cut the florets into 1-inch chunks. To prepare the stems, I like to peel them, as the skin can be thick and doesn’t cook quickly, then slice them into ½-inch lengths. You should have about 3 cups of chopped broccoli total.
Steam your broccoli until tender but not mushy: Use whatever method you prefer. My quickie, lazy method is to bring a ½-inch or so of water to a boil in a small saucepan, then add the broccoli, place a lid on it and simmer it for 5 to 6 minutes. Drain the broccoli, then set it aside to cool slightly.
In the bottom of a large bowl, lightly beat your egg. Add the flour, cheese, garlic, salt and pepper. Then, add the somewhat cooled broccoli and, using a potato masher, mash the broccoli just a bit. You’re looking to keep the bits recognizable, but small enough (¼ to ½-inch chunks) that you can press a mound of the batter into a fritter in the pan. Once mashed a bit, stir or fold the ingredients together the rest of the way with a spoon. Adjust seasonings to taste.
Heat a large, heavy skillet over moderate heat. Once hot, add a good slick of oil (I usually use a mix of olive and vegetable oil), about 2 to 3 tablespoons. Once the oil is hot (you can test it by flicking a droplet of water into it; it should hiss and sputter), scoop a two tablespoon-size mound of the batter and drop it into the pan, then flatten it slightly with your spoon or spatula. Repeat with additional batter, leaving a couple inches between each. Once brown underneath, about 2 to 3 minutes, flip each fritter and cook on the other side until equally golden, about another 1 to 2 minutes.
Transfer briefly to paper towels to drain, then to a serving plate if you’ll be eating them shortly or a baking sheet in a 200°F (95°C) oven if you’d like to keep them warm for a while until needed. Repeat with remaining batter, adding more oil as needed. Serve with some of the suggestions listed in the head notes, above.
Salmon Ingredients:
2 Salmon fillets, with skin
Kosher Salt
Pepper
Butter
2 Garlic cloves
Garnish:
Chopped Smoky Almonds (store bought roasted and sated works)
Salmon Directions:
Pat dry the fillets and season with salt and pepper [do 45-90 minutes before cooking and leave in the fridge uncovered to dry brine, helping season the fish and keep it juicy after being cooked]
In a skillet, add enough butter to completely cover the bottom when it has melted and the garlic cloves
Add all other ingredients and gently toss till mixed well and apples are coated
Place salmon in the skillet, skin side down
Tip the skillet by lifting at the handle and keeping the other side on the stovetop, butter should pool at the other side with the garlic
With a large spoon, scoop up the melted butter and pour over the salmon
Keep basting until the salmon reaches 130°F (55°C) on an instant-read thermometer
Let rest [ideally on a wire rack over a rimmed sheet pan, but I hate cleaning those, so I often just use a plate]
Serve over broccoli fritters and garnish with chopped smoky almonds
Final Notes:
I knew it as I was plating it, it needed a sauce. Luke and I both felt like a creamy wasabi sauce would have been a great match for the broccoli and salmon combo.
The texture from the almonds was perfect and basically necessary. Doesn't have to be homemade smoky almonds. Luke also thought Panko on the fish could work.
Comments