Tastefully Overcaramelized

Abe says

Valentine’s day is a holiday that engenders such a range of emotions that the best solution may just be to have a drink, or two, and eat some tasty food.

In the afternoon we attended a Champagne tasting at Licorous — six wines with six tiny food pairings — along with Steve and Kat. It was delightful in every way and quite modestly priced for what it was. If you are ever fortunate enough to be able to sample sparkling wine with popcorn, I highly recommend it. Carbon dioxide and salt, my friends, better together.

For dinner I’d planned a culinary tour of memorable meals Ann and I have had, easy enough for us to prepare together with just a bit of prep work the day before. Chez Panisse and our first date were among those touched on, and I’d tried to economically replicate a couple memorable wines.

Also, frequent reader and sibling Meilin has provided us with a range of food photography accoutrements, of which the umbrella light was particularly indispensable. Suddenly taking pictures in the middle of dinner is easy!

A Valentine’s Day Menu

Blood orange French 75s

Bacon-wrapped parmesan-stuffed dates
(Be sure to use Medjool dates, Parmigiano Reggiano, and thick-cut bacon, then bake as long as it takes to cook the bacon; 20 minutes for us)

Truffled celery root bisque with seared sea scallop and American paddlefish caviar
(Idea stolen from Crush, I think)
2007 Chateau Ste. Michelle Columbia Valley Chardonnay

Caramelized pancetta and fennel salad

Slow roasted salmon, Meyer lemon, and capers with red wine risotto
2004 Bonny Doon Le Cigare Volant

Valrhona chocolate pots de crème with caramel sauce and pink salt

Ann says

Guys, this dinner was awesome.  On our first date, when I came over to Abe’s place for dinner, he made those dates first and I could smell the bacon when I came in (and feel the 80s that Abe had not noticed) and immediately knew that I was in for a treat.  The dates were SO GOOD OH EM GEE and I watched him make the rest of our dinner.  Seared salmon on lemon risotto.  He seemed so disappointed with the food, but I thought it was great.  And so our relationship unfolded. I still think he’s great.

But OH the slow roasted salmon!  People, truly!  We had salmon this way at Chez Panisse and it absolutely melts with all of its delicious salmoniness in your mouth and goes with probably everything ever.  Red wine risotto isn’t half bad and when we had it with fresh summer tomatoes I was shocked to discover the one and only time I have ever liked fresh tomatoes.

I rave a lot about food.  But try this out.  It is so ridiculously easy you’ll die.  Just don’t forget to add a bit of acid and salt or you’ll be overwhelmed with melty smoothness.

Slow roasted salmon, Meyer lemon, and capers with red wine risotto

serves 4 with small portions

For the salmon:
4 3-4 oz filets of boneless, skinless, wild salmon
4 stalks celery
1 Tbsp capers, coarsely chopped
half a Meyer lemon (substitute a regular lemon if needed)
extra virgin olive oil
salt, white pepper
fleur de sel and fennel fronds, optionally

For the risotto:
1/2 cup Arborio rice
1/4 cup diced onion
1 1/2 cups low-sodium or homemade chicken stock
1 cup dry red wine
1 tbsp butter
salt, pepper

Preheat oven to 225°F

Arrange a bed of celery stalks in a roasting pan. Lightly oil the salmon and season with salt and pepper. Lay it over the celery and roast for 15-25 minutes, or until done (it will stay brightly colored). If you push on the flesh with your finger and it bounces right back then it is done.

Combine the wine and stock, bring to a simmer, and keep hot.

In another saucepan, sweat the onion in the butter over medium heat, then add rice and cook, stirring, about 3 minutes. Stir in the stock mixture, about 1/2 cup at a time. Each time cook the rice until the liquid is almost absorbed, stirring frequently. About 3/4 way through, check the seasonings and add salt and pepper. If you run out of liquid and the rice is not yet cooked, heat up some more water or stock and continue.

Finely dice one or two of the cooked celery stalks and mix in with the risotto.

Plate the salmon and risotto. Top the fish with a squeeze of Meyer lemon juice, a dash of olive oil, 1/4 of the capers, a few fennel fronds, and a pinch of fleur de sel. Serve immediately.

Filed under: Main Courses, Miscellaneous, Recipes, Side Dishes by Abe on February 15, 2009. Tagged with: bacon, capers, caramel, caviar, celeriac, champagne, chez panisse, chocolate, dates, meyer lemon, parmesan, red wine, risotto, salmon, slow roasting, valentine's day, wine.