Question for cooks who like to make up your own recipes

Parent Cafe
1

Last night I broiled 4 salmon filets, even though DH was out of town. I love leftovers, so no biggie. Unfortunately, I overcooked them a tad (I like them medium rare inside).

The thought of dried out salmon for lunch today was not appealing. So I decided to experiment a little. I sauteed onions, tomatoes, and mushrooms in olive oil. I added the fish, and some organic chicken broth, then some white wine. I allowed the wine to reduce, added some fresh spinach at the very end, and then tried my dish. It was REALLY good. However, I felt I was missing the finishing touch: spices.

I felt like there were probably some spices that would have enhanced this dish better than others. Other than dill and curry, I like just about anything. But I really had no clue what to use, and was afraid I was going to ruin it by choosing something not best used for fish or with white wine.

What spice(s) would you have added to this dish?

2

Not spices, but maybe some lemon or orange zest, or garlic and a little oregano.

3

I like capers and maybe a bit of sun-dried tomatoes for color and interest. Served over pasta, it’s very nice too.

4

Think about spices in groups.

Basil and oregano for Italian food.
For spicy food, look to paprika, cayenne, red pepper.
Lemony herbs for chicken, fish, etc.

Also helpful:
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-use-herbs-and-spices-in-cooking/?ALLSTEPS
http://www.frontiercoop.com/learn/ss_usage.php

5

@abasket, thanks for those links!

I thought about parsley, but wasn’t sure what to pair it with. And I have no clue when to use things like rosemary, thyme, and some of the others.

6

If you like a spicy kick, try a harissa blend - red chili powder, corriander, cumin, paprika, garlic and caraway.

7

I think rosemary would have been lovely in this. And, I add garlic to pretty much everything.

8

my favorite add ins to leftover salmon: greek yoghurt or sour cream, diced cucumber, salt, pepper and fresh dill.

9

Lemon zest, chopped parsley, capers, and red pepper flakes. :slight_smile:

I like this combo with fish dishes.

10

Getting some great ideas. I knew there would be some creative solutions from the CC crowd.

11

I might have added garlic, some oil-cured olives and a bit of basil and/or oregano or pesto from the freezer.

12

You can take the flavor profile toward a number of countries: dill is one way, oregano another, rosemary another. As noted, it may need some acid but if you cook it with that as opposed to adding it at the end you may end up with the wrong, even bitter flavor.

I totally agree with the capers idea. A classic dish is exactly as described but add capers, some of the juice and maybe black or green olives.

13

How about sumac?

14

@Nrdsb4 next time you make salmon, try Pioneer Woman’s salmon…the technique is crazy, but it has never let me down. (I usually use olive oil, salt and lemon pepper as my seasoning, but the other night had a request for Mexican. Mexican salmon? So I used olive oil, taco seasoning and Tajin seasoning…so incredible!)

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2011/07/pams-day-of-deliciousness/ (Recipe is in the middle of the page)

15

You can go any direction you wish. Choose a flavor profile and just go with it. Parsley seems to enhance flavors I’ve heard. Also consider making a sauce to put on it. Horseradish plus (fat free) mayo, ,dill, black pepper, Dijon mustard. Tartar sauce with pickle relish and mayo. Just use spoonfuls to get the amount you want. NEVER worry about being correct for any culinary tradition. Once you are an experienced cook (most mothers are by the time kids are thinking college) you likely have a sense for which combinations you’ve used and proportions. Worst case scenario is that you scrape/rinse off the spices and start over.

16

This sauce works for salmon, too.

http://www.dvo.com/recipe_pages/weber/Lemon_Halibut_With_Caper_Sauce.php

17

Everything sounds great in your recipe ingredient list. When I do a one pan meat or fish veggie toss-up sometimes when a recipe seems like it needs something, I’ll add just a tiny sprinkle of sugar. It seems to heighten the flavors if you have a lot of acidic ingredients.

I vaguely recall a line in Heartburn by Nora Ephron…(a fun read!) the character was trying to develop recipes that included capers and she decided that any recipe that tasted good w/ capers tasted better w/o them. :wink: I do like capers, though.

18

Capers does seem to be a common suggestion. I’ve never cooked with them, though there are capers in my favorite dish at one of our go-to Italian places (chicken piccata).

19

gettingaclue, as Mr. B would say, “any recipe that does not call for capers will be greatly improved by adding them.”

20

Capers are very easy to use @nrdsb4. It’s easy to keep a jar in the pantry or fridge and just toss some in during the last few minutes of cooking. I typically have them on hand for chicken piccata, lox, cream cheese, and bagels, or as a garnish on things like deviled eggs.