Sauces

Potlatch Salmon

CHC Canada 150 Food Blog Challenge

Prelude: I am definitely a proud Canadian so when the Culinary Historians of Canada invited food bloggers to participate in a Canada 150 Food Blog Challenge – well, that is something I just have to do! What a great way to celebrate Canada’s 150th birthday by honouring our country with a different Canadian dish every month. The first topic is fish and seafood, so I am sharing my recipe for Potlatch Salmon with you, plus a wee bit of background about the history of potlatch.

Potlatch Salmon – have you heard of it? Potlatch Salmon is one of our family’s favourite ways to serve fish. It has turned many folks from being fish dislikers to fish lovers – it is all about the glaze. First, though, we should take a look at the term Potlatch and understand the source. Potlatch is a term derived from Canada’s Northwest Coast aboriginal groups that symbolized an abundant feast, typically held in winter often using indigenous food that had been dried and preserved throughout the year. The feast was held for life events such as weddings, funerals or births. Roughly translated, it means a feast of ‘giving’. Tables at the Potlatch feast overflowed with food, generally far more than could be consumed with the idea that it would be shared amongst the guests to take home.

While Potlatch feasts are not as common today, traditional dishes that were once served at these events, of course, are still enjoyed by one and all. One of our favourites is Potlatch Salmon. What is Potlatch Salmon, exactly? Typically, it is an entire filet of salmon (skin on), spread with a simple, yet unique dry rub and cooked over an open flame or barbecue. The dry rub turns magically into a luscious sauce which can also be used as a glaze. For the purposes of this post, I will explain the method and technique of making Potlatch Salmon three different ways using slightly altered techniques that you can enjoy as an appetizer, lunch, dinner or at your own family feast. Try it with bannock, another traditional dish. I show you how to make bannock in this post.

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Blackberry Lime Curd

By Denise Pare-Watson

Did you know that you can make curd out of virtually any juice or purée? In this post, I will explain how to do just that by explaining how to make a Blackberry Lime Curd. A curd is essentially a stirred custard, similar to crème anglaise or pastry cream. Most folks have heard about lemon curd. I do love a well-prepared lemon curd. It is the perfect balance of sweet, sour and tangy. You can use it in so many ways: as a cake filling; in a crème brûlée recipe; in lemon curd ice cream; on top of plain Greek yogurt for a refreshing dessert – the list goes on.

Blackberry Lime Curd in Crispy Meringue Nests

That said, I want to encourage you to try to make a curd using a fruit juice or fruit puree. In the past, I have made crimson coloured raspberry curd, fresh looking orange curd, and even a coral coloured rhubarb curd. Try making a new variation, too, thinking outside of the realm of luscious lemon curd for a change. I think you will be pleasantly surprised!

White Chocolate Lemon Curd Tart

In this post, I am going to explain how to make blackberry puree, and then, using the prepared puree, I will illustrate through my recipe how to make a luscious blackberry lime curd. It is a gorgeous sauce, not only in its rich burgundy colour but also its flavour.

I lived for many years on Vancouver Island, British Columbia where blackberries were plentiful, so it was wonderful to make good use of this bounty from our berry picking adventures. We always had a lovely feast of the freshly picked berries in our usual style of serving them simply with a light sprinkle of sugar, lime zest and vanilla bean paste. I typically use the remainder of the berry pickings for puree, jams and compotes.

Blackberry Lime Curd served with Langues de Chat cookies

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Grilled Chicken Breast with Roasted Strawberry Salsa

By Denise Pare-Watson

The Confident Kitchen Series

In a recent article called Tweaking: A Study in Flavour Amendment, I describe how to make each dish that you make flavourful and perfectly seasoned. I included the following recipe in that particular article, however, I am reposting separately to make sure that you can access the recipe for Grilled Chicken Breast with Roasted Strawberry Salsa easily and practice your new ‘tweak-ability’.

In summary, it is now your turn to try some of the flavour boosting tweaking ideas from the article mentioned above. Don’t forget to taste, taste, and then, taste again; even if it means that you have to buy a few extra teaspoons. It will help you build your ‘tweaking’ capabilities and in turn, build confidence in the kitchen.

Roasted Strawberry Salsa on Grilled Chicken Breast

This tweaking process is often ignored until the dish is finished and on the table. In professional kitchens, the tasting ritual is encouraged by having containers of fresh spoons available for the cooks and executive chef for continual tastings while food is being prepared. It is an important element in cooking and one that is stressed in good kitchens.

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Halibut Heaven

By Denise Pare-Watson

The Confident Kitchen Series

It’s Halibut season – one of my favourite times of the year – we call it Halibut Heaven.

There’s nothing better than fresh halibut prepared simply by pan frying in brown butter (also known as Beurre Noisette), salt and pepper and a squeeze of lemon. Making your own version of Tartar Sauce (recipe below) is a perfect accompaniment to this delectable, dense white fish.

Halibut Beurre Noisette and Spinach Saute

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Crock Pot Pulled Chicken

By Denise Pare-Watson

This recipe for Crock Pot Pulled Chicken is one of those dishes that you will come back to again and again once you make it even once.

I have made pulled pork for years as it one of our family favourites. Making the dry rubbing, smoking, and the slow cooking process is a wonderfully satisfying process, not to mention the eating! Then, I came across this recipe for pulled chicken – it is a much easier process and absolutely worth trying.

Crock Pot Pulled Chicken | urbnspice.com

Crock Pot Pulled Chicken – enough for a crowd

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Creme Anglaise

By Denise Pare-Watson

The Confident Kitchen Series

What do you think of when you hear the term English pouring custard, vanilla sauce, pouring sauce, custard sauce or Crème Anglaise? Do you know the difference? Well, guess what? They are all the same thing, which is in fact – a stirred custard. I am going to share with you how to make this delicious sauce – a term that will be referred to as Creme Anglaise for the purposes of this post.

You may have seen the post on Urbnspice Ultimate Apple Crisp. To accompany crisps and cobblers or any warm desserts, creme anglaise is an excellent choice. I will explain the term, describe how to make it with tips and techniques to become confident making it on your own.

Apple Crisp and Star Apple Creme Anglaise

Here is a simple recipe for crème anglaise that you can make.

CREME ANGLAISE

CHEF TALK: This is one of the best sauce recipes that you can learn how to make. I provide tons of tips and ideas on changing the flavour of the creme anglaise.

YIELD: Approximately 1 1/2 cups sauce

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup /250 ml milk(substitute almond milk, coconut milk, rice milk or even light cream)
2 1/2 oz. (approx. 70 grams) granulated sugar
3 egg yolks
1/2 vanilla bean pod, split or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

METHOD:

Bring the milk just to a boil in a 2-quart saucepan.
In a small bowl, mix the sugar and yolks together (wait to do this until the milk comes to a boil).
Temper the milk to the egg yolk mixture by pouring the milk slowly into the sugar/yolk mixture, whisking the entire time until all the milk is used.
Add the mixture back to the heat to thicken (just until the mixture coats the back of a spoon.)
Strain the mixture.
Place the crème anglaise over an ice bath to chill
Refrigerate, covered until ready to use.
Serve over warm apple crisp, or any other type of dessert requiring a sauce.

Other Posts You Might Enjoy:

Urbnspice Ultimate Apple Crisp

White Chocolate Mini Cheesecakes

NOTES: In the LEARNING TIPS of my cookbook series, “Chocolate Desserts Made Easy and Delicious”, I go into great detail about different methods of making crème anglaise with many tips and techniques that will make you confident in making it on your own. I will share with you a few of those tips:

CREME ANGLAISE TIPS & TECHNIQUES:

CHEF TIP: Many of you will have shied away from making this sauce because of its precise temperature and tempering process that typically results in many pots of scrambled egg sauce. As a culinary student, the traditional method caused many of us angst as we hovered over our sauces. Following, are two no-fret techniques for mastering a perfect crème anglaise. It was an Aha! moment for me when I learned these methods!

METHOD:

Technique # 1: Prepare a bain-marie with a medium saucepan. In a medium bowl, combine the egg yolks and sugar together and place the bowl over the bain-marie, stirring constantly to dissolve the sugar while warming the mixture. Meanwhile, heat the milk to boiling. Pour the hot milk over the warmed egg yolk/sugar mixture and stir until the sauce coats the back of a spoon. This will happen quickly.
Technique # 2: To eliminate any guesswork, use a digital thermometer and heat (while stirring) until the sauce reaches a temperature of 182°F (83°C).
Strain the mixture and add the vanilla extract or other flavourings, if desired.
Chill the sauce quickly in an ice bath. Cover the sauce directly with a layer of plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming. When cooled, transfer to a covered container and refrigerate until required. It will keep for up to three days.

WHAT ELSE CAN I DO WITH THIS SAUCE RECIPE?

CHEF TALK: Crème Anglaise is like a blank canvas: Experiment with some of these flavouring suggestions:

Spices: Add a pinch of ground cinnamon or nutmeg to taste. Experiment with others, should you wish.
Extracts: Add almond, rum, maple, lemon, orange, etc. Start with a ½ teaspoon. Add more to taste.
Mint Crème Anglaise: Add 1 cup of fresh, chopped mint leaves to the milk as you are bringing it to the boil. Continue with the recipe. You may steep the mixture if desired to achieve full flavour and colour. Strain as per directions. This softly shaded sauce is spectacular on top of fresh sliced strawberries.
Lemon-Vanilla Sauce: Add 1 teaspoon lemon zest to the saucepan while warming the milk to allow zest to steep.
Chocolate-Cinnamon Crème Anglaise: For every 375 ml of Creme anglaise, add 1 oz. bittersweet chocolate and 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon. Serve with Gingerbread Cake.

LEARNING TIPS:

Please CLICK the link above to access my UrbnSpice LEARNING TIPS, which are listed alphabetically on the Learning Tips blog post under the following subheadings:

Bain Marie
Tempering Egg Mixtures
Flavourings
Ice Baths
Vanilla Extract
__________

As always, if you give this recipe for Creme Anglaise or its variations a try, please come back and leave me a comment below with your feedback.

You can find me on social media (see links below) – just be sure to tag @urbnspice and #urbnspice so I am sure to see it. Enjoy!

Denise Paré-Watson

The Urbnspice Chef

Follow me on Social Media:

Urbnspice Facebook Page – If you like what you see here, please LIKE my page. I would love that – thank you!

Urbnspice is on Twitter

You will find lots of fun boards on Pinterest

I am also on Instagram

A Bevy of Blackberry Ideas

By Denise Pare-Watson

It is blackberry season. This year, on our annual berry picking day, we saw lots of interesting pickers and eaters. We saw some ingenious ideas for picking the most elusive berries that always tempt those who would challenge the thorny vines. Others were content to pluck a few ripe berries as they walked by the berry patch.

We headed to a popular berry picking spot armed with a secret weapon – our reach extenders that are frequently used in our home for high shelves. They were perfect to overcome the lack of stature and most importantly, the thorns. They worked like a charm! The highest branches laden with the best berries were within easy reach. It didn’t take long to fill our small buckets with large juicy berries. Our prized bucket of berries came dangerously close to being gobbled down by an eager young Labrador puppy who could hardly resist the luscious blackberries. It certainly was an entertaining wind-up to our annual blackberry picking adventure.

In order to feature the fresh berries, you can use them in a variety of ways. After thoroughly washing the berries, our usual process is to enjoy them with a light sprinkle of sugar, lime zest and vanilla bean paste.

Blackberry Merlot Sauce

The remaining berries are generally made into the puree, which can be used in many ways. This is the method I use:

Blackberry Purée Method:

In a medium saucepan, add one cup of sugar for every four cups of berries (adjust to taste), two tablespoons of lemon juice and a vanilla pod, if available.
Simmer until the berries soften and become juicy – about 10 minutes.
Lightly crush and strain the mixture to remove the seeds, pressing with a rubber spatula to extract the puree. Discard the seeds.
The puree can be used in a number of ways, for example, Blackberry Merlot sauce recipe, which follows.

BLACKBERRY MERLOT SAUCE

Blackberry Merlot Sauce with Pork Tenderloin

CHEF TALK: This sauce is very nice with ribs, pork or chicken. It is a red-hued sauce, transforming into a rich burgundy coloured sauce after baking.

Yield: approximately 3 cups of sauce

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 teaspoons salt (or to taste)
1/4 cup brown sugar
3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 – 3 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 cup Merlot (or water)
1 1/2 cups blackberry puree (see puree method above)

METHOD:

In a saucepan, combine the salt, sugar, flour, mustard and cloves.
Add the vinegar, lemon juice, Merlot and blackberry puree, whisking to incorporate the ingredients together.
Cook and stir over low to medium heat until slightly thickened.
Set aside to cool. Use the sauce as you would any barbeque sauce (ribs, chops,etc.)
If you are using the sauce on ribs, precook the 3 lbs. of pork ribs by either pre-boiling or broiling or grilling to brown. (serves 4 – 6 people)
Return meat to the pan that you will finish baking the dish. Pour the sauce over the top of the meat. Cover the dish with foil. The dish can be prepared ahead to this point.
Bake at 350°F for one hour, turning the meat occasionally to coat, uncovering the dish during the last half hour.
If you are using pork tenderloin, sauté or grill lightly. Set aside. You may use the same skillet. Pour some of the sauce over the tenderloin and turn to coat. Finish in the oven until the pork is done. As an alternative, you can bake the tenderloin. Using a baking dish, add some of the sauce, turning to coat. Bake as above, turning occasionally until the desired doneness is reached.

NOTES:

If blackberry puree is not available for the Blackberry Merlot Sauce, you can also use cranberry sauce, which is especially tasty with pork.
If you want to save a few of the fresh berries for the freezer, place washed, dry berries on a parchment lined baking sheet in a single layer. Freeze the berries uncovered, until they are frozen solid. Then place the berries (now individually quick frozen – IQF) in zipper storage bags or containers. Voila! Ready for smoothies, for making fruit crisps or wherever your blackberry creativity may take you.
Keep some blackberry puree in reserve for Blackberry Lime Curd (the puree can be frozen). Any fruit puree can be made into a curd, similar to lemon curd. This gorgeous blackberry curd is burgundy-pink in colour.
As a light summertime dessert, Blackberry Lime Curd looks lovely piped into a meringue nest or tart shell with a garnish of mint. There is a step-by-step recipe for Meringue Nests here.

Happy blackberry picking, everyone! Enjoy the season.

LEARNING TIPS:

Please CLICK the link above to access my UrbnSpice LEARNING TIPS, which are listed alphabetically on the Learning Tips blog post under the following subheadings:

Reductions
Straining
Vanilla Extract
__________

If you make my recipe for Blackberry Merlot Sauce, please leave me a comment below with your feedback.

You can find me on social media (see links below) – just be sure to tag @urbnspice and #urbnspice so I am sure to see it. Enjoy!

Denise Paré-Watson

The Urbnspice Chef

Follow me on Social Media:

Urbnspice Facebook Page – If you like what you see here, please LIKE my page. I would love that – thank you!

Urbnspice is on Twitter

You will find lots of fun boards on Pinterest

I am also on Instagram

Blackberry Lime Curd in Meringue Nests | urbnspice.com

Blackberry Lime Curd in Crispy Meringue Nests

Roasted Tomato Compote

By Denise Pare-Watson

You may recall a post about “thinking outside of the box……or, rings”, and at the time mentioned that perhaps knowing the technique pertaining to how to make Roasted Tomato Compote is a very good thing to know. (Besides, tomatoes are readily available at this time of year).

To tell you the truth, ketchup in our household has considerably lost status in the fridge and on the kitchen table since we started making this condiment.

If you have an abundance of tomatoes, make a point of trying this. You may find yourself making an unexpected trip to the market or grocer to buy tomatoes just for the pure purpose of making this compote.

Arancini served with Roasted Tomato Compote| urbnspice.com

ROASTED TOMATO COMPOTE

CHEF TALK: Any variety of tomato will work, although some varieties, like Roma, are a little drier and roast beautifully. Cherry tomatoes are also wonderful in this compote.

Poached Eggs with Roasted Tomato Compote

ROASTED TOMATO COMPOTE

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb. ripe tomatoes
1/2 onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and left whole
Olive oil or vegetable oil
A drizzle of balsamic (optional)
Seasoning (salt and pepper) to taste

METHOD:

Preheat oven to 350°F
Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper
Halve the tomatoes, dice the onion and peel the garlic cloves. Place in a stainless steel bowl.
Drizzle the tomatoes, garlic and onion with olive oil and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Place on the baking sheet (place the tomatoes cut side down).
Roast for 15 – 30 minutes, depending on the size of your tomatoes (or until the tomatoes have shrivelled and turned a darker shade of red. The onions will be golden around the edges.
Cool slightly. You should be able to remove the skins from the tomatoes easily by lifting them off of the tomatoes. (Leave the skins on, if you want).
Crush the tomatoes, if you feel it is necessary, however, I tend not to. Just drizzle them with a little balsamic vinegar, if you want, and place the whole lot in a container without handling them too much. Fresh basil or oregano is nice if you have them readily available.
Serve it alongside a poached egg or meat for a simple condiment, or a small plate appetizer such as arancini.

Enjoy!

WHAT ELSE CAN I DO WITH THIS RECIPE?

If you make a little extra Roasted Tomato Compote, serve it as an appetizer on top of crostini and a bit of crumbled goat cheese with a sprinkling of fresh chives. Voila – a beautiful appetizer.

You Might Also Enjoy:

Arancini – Italian Rice Balls

Poached Eggs and Compote

Caramelized Onion Dip

If you give this recipe for Roasted Tomato Compote a try, please leave me a comment below with your feedback.

And you can find me on social media – just be sure to tag @urbnspice and #urbnspice so I am sure to see it. Enjoy!

Denise Paré-Watson

The Urbnspice Chef

Follow me on Social Media:

Urbnspice Facebook Page: If you like what you see here, kindly LIKE my page

Urbnspice is on Twitter

You will find lots of fun boards on Pinterest

I am also on Instagram

SABAYON

By Denise Pare-Watson

Sabayon is an elegant French dessert that anyone can make. It is easy to do and it only requires a few ingredients: egg yolks, fine sugar and typically, a wine like Sweet Marsala, Madeira, Icewine or Port. recently, I taught a class at a specialty vinegar and spice store and made Quince Balsamic Vanilla Bean Sabayon with Seasonal Fruit and Berries for the class using one of their exquisite line of balsamic vinegars.

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