Tag Archives: lemon juice

Main Course: Fish

End-of-Summer Squid Salad with Potatoes & Green Beans

My mom usually served her seafood salads with a side of boiled potatoes: the brininess of the lemony dressing from the seafood gave the potatoes a delicious flavor. So when I make a seafood salad, I usually boil a few potatoes to drag through the lemony dressing. The salad I made last week is much simpler than my mother’s (no mussels, shrimp, or octopus), and comes together in minutes.

If you can find small squid, it will be much more tender than larger squid. Most seafood salads call for cooking the seafood in white wine; my trick is to boil the squid in the water from the potatoes after I pull out the potatoes. It not only saves a pot, it gives the squid a sweeter flavor and helps it emerge extra-moist. Remember that with squid, you can either flash-cook it until it just curls and turns opaque, or you can slow-cook it for about 45 minutes until it becomes super-soft. Anything in between yields tough, rubbery squid. This recipe is of the flash-cook variety.


Serves 2 as a main course, 4 as an appetizer

  • 1/2 pound young boiling potatoes, scrubbed (a variety of colors is fine)
  • 1 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 pound green beans, ends trimmed
  • 1 pound baby squid, tubes cut into thin rings
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/8 teaspoon chili flakes
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 tablespoon minced Italian parsley

Place the potatoes in a 3-quart pot. Cover with cool water and add 1 tablespoon of the salt. Bring to a boil and cook until tender when pierced with a knife, about 20 minutes for small potatoes and 40 minutes for larger potatoes. Remove from the pot and reserve the boiling water. Slice the potatoes in half and place on a platter, cut side facing up.

Return the potato boiling water to a boil. Add the beans to the boiling water and cook 5 minutes, or until crisp-tender. Remove from the pot and reserve the boiling water. Shock the beans under cool water and drain; blot dry and place next to the potatoes on the platter.

Return the potato boiling water to a boil. Add the squid and cook 1 minute, or until the tentacles curl and the squid rings turn opaque. Drain and place on the platter next to the potatoes and green beans.

In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, pepper, chili flakes, garlic, and parsley. Stir in the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Pour over the potatoes, green beans, and squid. Toss gently and serve warm, cutting the potatoes and beans on your plate into bite-size pieces as you eat.

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condiments

Dressing Salad the Italian Way

Whenever we serve salad at our cooking classes, invariably half (or more!) of the class participants ask me what is in the dressing: “What did you put in the dressing?? It is so delicious and so light!” This is such a familiar question that I finally realized it was time to write about it. It is so very simple to make a good salad, but unfortunately most people don’t know how.

Here goes. Start with the very best salad greens; they should be perky and firm and unblemished. I usually choose several varieties (for example, arugula, Boston lettuce, Romaine, oak leaf, and radicchio) so there are textural and color and flavor contrasts, making the salad more interesting. Wash the greens thoroughly and spin them dry. A little clinging water will water down the flavors of the salad, so DRY the greens well. If you are not using the greens right away, refrigerate them in a large bowl that will allow easy tossing later, wrapped in several layers of paper towel.

When you are ready to serve, and no sooner than that, tear the greens (if needed) into bite-size pieces. Avoid cutting unless you are sure that your knife is very sharp. And here comes the most important part: Season amply with fine sea salt and give a gentle toss to coat well. Next, add the acid of your choice (most often, I use freshly squeezed lemon juice at home, or balsamic vinegar at the cooking school). Toss gently again to coat. Finally, pour in about twice to three times as much extra-virgin olive oil (the best you can afford) as the acid you used, and sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper. Toss gently again. Taste. Taste again. The salad should taste bright, lively, and full; if it is flat, add a touch more salt and toss gently again. Still flat? A bit more acid, and another gentle toss. Then onto plates right away before it wilts.

Notice the repeated emphasis on the word “gentle.” Greens should be tossed delicately, to avoid bruising, and your hands are the best tool for this job.

It is crucial to toss the salad in a very large bowl, also to avoid bruising the leaves. But the most important factor in achieving a salad with proper flavor and a light texture is to first season with salt, then with acid, and lastly, with fat. If you reverse the order in which you add the acid and fat, the fat will create a barrier that prevents the acid from coating the leaves, and the salad will be heavy as a result, lacking in brightness. And if you add salt after tossing with the fat and acid, the salt won’t flavor the greens as efficiently.

Here is a general recipe to follow. Less is more when it comes to salad, so you taste the greens and feel refreshed after eating the salad; salad should not be drowning in dressing, it should just be coated lightly with as much acid and fat as needed to bring out its intrinsic flavors. Serve salad after the main course to cleanse the palate, the Italian way, or before the meal if you prefer it as a palate-teaser.

Serves 2

  • 3 ounces salad greens, washed and thoroughly dried
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste
  • 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice or balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste

Tear the greens into bite-sized pieces if needed into a very large bowl. Season with the salt and toss gently but thoroughly. Sprinkle with the lemon juice or vinegar and toss gently again. Pour on the olive oil, and toss gently again. Season with the pepper, and toss gently again. When all the leaves are evenly coated, taste, and adjust as needed. Serve within minutes.

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Soup

Escarole and Egg Soup with Pesto and Crispy Pancetta

Soup: comfort in a bowl. In the winter, we eat soup at least once a day. Most of the time, we crave vegetable soups, full of chunky bits of goodness, with something to thicken the broth up: it can be a crushed potato, beans, or a roux. The soup below, thickened with beaten eggs, is a play on the spinach soup my husband grew up eating at home: his father Attilio cooked down spinach in broth until silky soft, then stirred in plenty of Parmigiano and beaten eggs just before serving. Here we use escarole instead of spinach, top it with crispy Pancetta for texture and meaty depth, add a squeeze of lemon juice to the eggs to lighten the flavor, and stir in pesto at the very end to brighten things up. Serve this soup with bread and salad, and you have a memorable meal fit for a chilly day indoors.

Serves 2
For the pesto:

  • 1/2 cup packed basil leaves (about 1/2 large bunch)
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 1 ounce (1/4 cup) freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

For the soup:

  • 1 ounce Pancetta, defatted and cut into 1/4-inch dice
  • 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 medium yellow onion, minced
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • water as needed
  • 1 head escarole (about 1 pound), washed thoroughly and chopped
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice

Make the pesto: Place all the ingredients in a food processor and process to a fine paste; there may be some little basil strands here and there, because there is very little oil in this pesto, but that is fine. The purpose of this pesto is to lend flavor to the soup, not to make the soup creamy in texture, so a semi-chunky texture is fine. Remove to a bowl and lay plastic wrap directly on top of the pesto to prevent darkening. This can be done up to 2 hours before serving. Hold at room temperature until needed.

Make the soup: Place the Pancetta in a 2-quart pot. Set over medium heat and cook until the Pancetta is crispy and lightly golden, about 3 minutes; remove with a slotted spoon to a bowl.

Place the olive oil, onion, and garlic in the same pot in which you cooked the Pancetta. Set over medium heat and cover. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring often and adding a bit of water if needed to prevent scorching, until the onion becomes translucent. Add the escarole and cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid. Cook, stirring often, until wilted and collapsed, about 8 minutes. Add the broth, season with 3/4 teaspoon of the salt and 1/8 teaspoon of the pepper, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium-low and cook, covered, for 15 minutes, or until the escarole is silky and the soup smells rich and deep. The soup can be made up to this point 2 hours before serving and held at room temperature. Reheat when needed to the boiling point.

When you are ready to serve, beat the eggs with the lemon juice, the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and the remaining 1/8 teaspoon of pepper. Return the soup to a boil. Pour in the eggs and let sit, undisturbed, until the eggs set, about 1 to 2 minutes. Stir gently once or twice, being careful to leave the eggs in large fluffy clouds, swirl in the pesto, and adjust the seasoning as needed. Serve hot, topped with the crispy Pancetta.

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Appetizer

Fall Salad of Pomegranate, Seckel Pears, Feta, & Roasted Beet

Salads are the most amazing food. What else allows you to play as freely with texture, color, and flavor? Desserts, I suppose; but desserts are far more contrived, the result much further from the original ingredients. A good salad just draws on the nature of each ingredient to create an amazing whole. The salad below, which has quickly become our favorite over the last few weeks, is a prime example of how you can combine contrasting elements to create a truly spectacular dish with little effort.

Start with sweet, earthy baby beets, and roast them. Slice crisp Seckel pears, skin and all. Toast nutty pumpkin and sunflower seeds. Pop ruby-hued, tart pomegranate seeds out of their sheath. Crumble salty Feta. Line a platter with refreshing leaves of lettuce. Enjoy. Crave the rest of the week, until you make it again.

A delicious variation: swap peppery arugula for the lettuce, and toasted hazelnuts for the seeds.

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Serves 2 as an appetizer

  • 1 large beet or 2 medium beets, about 1/2 pound total, scrubbed and trimmed
  • 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
  • 2 tablespoons Sherry vinegar
  • 1/8 teaspoon plus 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 ripe Seckel pears, cored and thinly sliced
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons sunflower seeds
  • 2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds
  • 1 pomegranate
  • 1 small head oak leaf or other curly, sweet lettuce, washed, dried, torn into bite-size pieces
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 ounce French Feta, crumbled

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the beets on a sheet of aluminum foil, sprinkle with the Kosher salt, and wrap to enclose in the foil. Place on a baking sheet. Roast in the preheated for 1 hour, or until tender and easily pierced with a knife. Cool, then unwrap and remove the skins with a sharp knife or by rubbing with paper towels. Cut into thin slices and place in a small bowl. Pour on 1 tablespoon of the Sherry vinegar, and season with 1/8 teaspoon of the salt and 1/8 teaspoon of the pepper. Set aside to steep for 10 minutes or up to 2 hours at room temperature.

In a small bowl, toss the sliced pears with the lemon juice. Set aside for 10 minutes (but no longer than 30 minutes, or the pears will become mushy).

In a small, dry skillet over medium heat, toast the sunflower and pumpkin seeds until golden, stirring often, about 3 minutes; set aside.

Cut the pomegranate in half along the width (in other words, along the Equator line). Working over a bowl to catch the juices and stray seeds, remove the seeds from the pomegranate. Pick out any bits of papery skin.

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When you are ready to serve, toss the greens with the remaining tablespoon of Sherry vinegar, the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, and the remaining 1/8 teaspoon of the pepper. Add the olive oil and toss again. Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed. Divide among 2 plates.

Top with the beets and any of their marinade, followed by the pears and any of their juices. Scatter the sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, pomegranate seeds, and Feta over the top. Serve at once, before the greens wilt.

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Appetizer

Fennel & Dill Salt-Cured Salmon over Baby Greens

Every summer, when it gets very hot, my husband and I salt-cure a salmon filet. It’s not only a quick thing to do; it yields enough fish to easily feed a dozen people and maybe even find yourself with leftovers the next day for topping crostini with Mascarpone and chives, or enriching a plate of homemade egg tagliatelle.

Basically a gravlax, this recipe requires only a pristine piece of salmon (I much prefer wild sockeye for its clean, intense flavor), sea salt, sugar, a few herbs and spices, and 48 hours of patience. Most gravlax recipes have you enclose the salmon in plastic while curing in the refrigerator; I find the flavor brighter if the fish is simply allowed to sit in a covered container, where it can breathe.

The most important thing when you are ready to serve the salmon is to use a very sharp knife to slice it as thinly as possible, and to serve it very, very cold.

If you aren’t sure about the weight of the salmon, weigh it; the amount of salt prescribed is for a 2-pound filet. If the filet is smaller, it will end up too salty; if it is bigger, it may lack flavor. Adjust the quantity of salt and sugar according to the weight of the salmon filet.

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Serves 8 as an appetizer

For the salmon:

  • 1 filet wild sockeye salmon (2 lbs), skin on, scales and pin bones removed, rinsed and blotted dry
  • 2 teaspoon fennel seeds
  • 2 teaspoons black peppercorns
  • 1/4 cup fine sea salt
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
  • grated zest of 1 lemon

For the salad:

  • 5 ounces baby greens, washed and dried
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Make the salmon: Place the salmon in a deep storage container with a tight-fitting lid, or in a large roasting pan.

Place the fennel seeds and black peppercorns in a mortar and crush with a pestle (or use a spice grinder) until medium-coarse in texture. The spices should not become pulverized, as a bit of coarseness adds to the visual and textural appeal of the final dish. Place in a small bowl and add the salt, sugar, dill, and lemon zest, and mix well.

Spread the mixture all over the salmon, on both the skin and the flesh side, putting a little more on the flesh side.

Arrange the salmon with the flesh side up. Cover the container with its lid or the roasting pan with a piece of aluminum foil, and refrigerate for 48 hours.

When you are ready to serve, blot the salmon filet on several layers of paper towels (I blot the skin side as well as the flesh side, but I try to leave the spicing intact if possible). Using a very sharp knife, cut into nearly transparent slices, leaving the skin behind and working the knife at an angle so the slices come out wider. Place the slices on a platter while you prepare the salad.

Make the salad: Toss the greens with the salt and pepper in a deep bowl. Add the lemon juice and toss again, then add the olive oil and toss one final time. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

Pile onto 8 plates. Top with the sliced salmon and enjoy immediately.

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