Fajitas on the Grill

When it comes down to summer grilling fun, fajitas are an excellent choice. The word fajita is the diminutive form of the Spanish word "Faja," meaning belt, or cinch; in this case a "little belt," as in using skirt steak, which comes in narrow bands, like a belt or cinch. Skirt steak is often confused with flank steak, partly (I think) due to the amount of visible one-directional grain of the meat. Here below are photos grabbed online to demonstrate the differences. 

Flank Steak

In the top picture of a Flank Steak (from Pinterest), the fibers run along the length of the meat. Flank steaks are often found rolled up in a package, as the meat is usually no more than an inch thick and its total area takes up too much precious real estate in the meat aisle to be left open to display. Flank steak is a tough cut, made worse by the absence of fatty tissues to lend tenderness. It benefits from marinating to give it flavor and tenderness. The most important rule of all is the meat must be grilled or broiled to medium rare at best, then sliced thinly, across the grain, for serving. This cutting across makes the fibers of the muscle thinner and easier to chew. Trying to chew a slice that runs lengthwise with the fibers would be like trying to chew a rope. Not good.

Skirt Steak

In the bottom picture of a Skirt Steak (from this website), you will note the presence of the same kind of ropy grain to the meat, but this time, the fiber runs perpendicular to the length of the meat, or across its narrow length. The fibers are far more loosely arranged in the meat than in the Flank Steak, where generally the grain is tightly woven. This cut also needs marinating to bring out its flavor and likewise needs to be sliced across the grain. Once grilled, it is good to cut the long length into smaller pieces for ease in cutting across the grain. The skirt steak has lots of fatty tissues in between, helping out with keeping the meat more moist overall, but it should still be just grilled to medium rare at most. It is too easy to get the meat over done, making it far too chewy to eat. 

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After that little demonstration of the differences between these two cuts of meat, let it be understood that either of these may be used to make fajitas. Just ensure that the meat is sliced as thinly across the grain as possible with either one. That said, my preference for fajitas style meat is the skirt steak, for its flavor.

My favorite marinade for my fajitas is a Guatemalan style of Chimichurri. It is not the kind of green chimichurri used as a sauce over the finished meat like from Argentina or other countries. This is definitely a marinade only, or a cooking base for other types of stewed meat. It has terrific flavor and while it has quite a few ingredients, it can also be packaged into 5 or 6 portions and frozen. Bring out and thaw a portion when you want to use it for a marinade and it is all ready to use. 

Guatemalan Chimichurri

Guatemalan Chimichurri

Makes about 5 to 6 cups

5 ripe Roma tomatoes
5 tomatillos
1 onion
6 cloves garlic
1 red bell pepper
2 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves stripped, stems discarded
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1½ teaspoons paprika
1½ teaspoons black peppercorns
2 - 3 bay leaves, crumbled, stems discarded
¼ cup yellow mustard
½ cup olive oil
1 beer (Guatemalan style, or German)
1½ teaspoons sugar
1 cup cilantro leaves
Salt, to taste

Cut up vegetables as needed and place all in a blender to puree. Use a cup or cup and a half size portion for a marinade or cooking liquid for a roast. Divide the rest into containers to freeze until needed.

NOTES: Use to marinate skirt steak for grilling, or equally at home as a savory stewing liquid for a roast beef.


FOR GLUTEN FREE: Substitute the beer with a gluten free variety. 

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Chimichurri Marinated Fajita Meat

Once you've gotten the marinade made and portioned in the freezer, make sure to keep a portion out for your meat marinade.  As mentioned above, skirt steak is the best for flavor in making these grilled fajitas. 

Chimichurri Marinated Fajitas

Serves about 6 to 8

2 pounds skirt steak
1 - 2 cups chimichurri marinade, above
Extra salt, for sprinkling

Skirt steak may have lots of fat over the meat, but the meat is thin and fats grill out easily so do not be too concerned with getting it all trimmed off. This cut of meat can be a little tough, so it needs all the help it can get to tenderize, including slicing it thinly across the grain to serve.

Marinate the skirt steak for at least 24 hours before grilling. Grill (or broil) over high heat for short periods on each side for best results. Overcooking this cut will toughen it even more. Four to 6 minutes per side is long enough. Remove from grill to a plate and tent with foil for 10 to 15 minutes. Since this cut of meat is exceedingly long and thin and the grain of the meat (the direction in which the fibers of the meat run) goes across the meat and not lengthwise, you will need to cut the long piece into sections you can easily slice with a nice long, sharp chef's knife. To serve, sprinkle with a little more salt, then slice the meat at a slant across the grain, as thinly as possible.

If serving the meat for fajitas, set out large tortillas, saute some onion and bell peppers and add in any other side dish desired, such as grated cheese, sour cream, salsa, guacamole, shredded lettuce and refried beans. 



My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

Winefest Was a Great Success

It's taken me a couple of days to wind down after spending a few very focused weeks prepping for this years Winefest Renaissance, held for the benefit of the Boys & Girls Club of Aberdeen. The Winefest event was held on April 9th at the Ward Hotel downtown, and had a huge turnout. My part of the event was to pair four appetizer foods with four wines, to match food flavors as perfectly as possible with the flavors in the wine. 
 

Flank Steak Rolls with Romano & Cherry Onion Relish, paired with Planeta, Cerasuolo di Vittoria

When tasting a wine, there may be mixed reactions. Some wines are friendly all on their own. While they may pair excellently with food, they can also be enjoyed solo. Other wines are truly meant to pair with a food in order to bring out the wine's best flavors and attributes. For this reason, when I create a new food combination to pair with a wine, I endeavor to take into consideration all the flavors the winemaker has worked to create. If a wine is supposed to have notes of cherry or strawberry, then I try to work in those flavors, even if only in a marginal way. If it is best paired with particular aged cheeses, then I might select one of those cheeses to use in the food.

What makes it challenging for me is that most of the wines that are listed as possible selections, are also not ones that are sold here in town. I must rely exclusively on what I can glean from online sites. I read critic's commentary, winemaker's notes, expert ratings where available, and anything at all I can find, to prepare myself to make a food that will pair most appropriately - all for a wine I cannot taste-test while working on the food prep. Still, this has not hampered my efforts to date, as in all these 4 years of Winefest events, all the foods have been absolutely wonderful pairings with the wines I selected. 

While planning for the foods, the final wine I was planning for was Planeta, Cerasuolo di Vittoria (shown at right), a Sicilian wine, with the only D.O.C.G. wine designation in Sicily. I wrote about this wine and a proposed appetizer on March 26th (read that blog here). Ultimately, I made a change rather late in the game and switched to making flank steak rolls once again. I have made differently flavored and filled flank steak rolls for each of the four Winefest Renaissances to date, and always to great acclaim. I had wanted to diverge from that rut this year, but in the end I caved and made them again. Again, to great acclaim. And, they paired most excellently with the wine. What was written about the wine were things such as "fruity, reminiscent of red berries, strawberries, cherries" . . . "lively and pretty" . . . "brooding dark fruit and herb flavors" . . . "pairs well with medium aged cheeses, lamb . . .".

With these descriptors to take into consideration, I created strawberry & jalapeno marinade for the flank steak and used the Cherry & Onion Relish I had created originally. I chose Romano cheese, grated it and mixed it with a bit of Chevre goat cheese to bind it enough to roll into little logs. I kept the cheese flavors savory, as the wine, while evoking bright fruit flavors, is a dry red wine. The Cherry & Onion Relish had some sweetness, so I used only a small amount per roll - just enough to give the bright flavor. The herb flavors were accented with the use of a little dab of "Gourmet Garden Italian Herbs" paste. The mixture made a most flavorful mix, and paired well with the wine. 

While the marinade flavor was not extremely noticeable in the broiled steak, it also did not fight with the wine. The use of jalapenos gave a little zip without there being any overwhelming heat. Here is the marinade I created:

Strawberry Jalapeno Marinade for Steak

Enough for 2 - 3 pounds of steak

½ pound fresh, hulled strawberries
3 fresh jalapenos
4 cloves fresh garlic
1 cup fresh blackberries
2 teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 teaspoon fresh minced sage
1 teaspoon fresh, minced oregano
1 teaspoon fresh minced basil
¼ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons vinegar
½ medium onion

Place the strawberries into a blender container. Remove stems and cut the jalapenos into 3 - 4 chunks, with seeds, then add to blender along with all the remaining ingredients and blend to a puree. It is of no importance to be perfectly pureed, but only to make a liquid mixture for the marinade. Place your meat of choice (I used flank steak) into a gallon zip-top baggie or other marinating container and pour in the marinade. Toss well and refrigerate overnight. When ready to use, remove the steak from the marinade and scrape off excess. Broil or grill the meat to your desired doneness.

For flank steak, I broil the meat about 4-inches from the broiler element in my oven for 6 minutes per side for perfectly pink centers. Allow the steak to rest for a minimum of 20 minutes or more before slicing very thinly across the grain of the meat.



My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

Guatemalan Adobo

Lomito Adobado, hot off the grill

In these days of internet and innumerable TV cooking shows, many have already heard of Adobo (a marinade), or Adobado (a meat that has been marinated in Adobo Sauce). An Adobo is generally a marinade or a sauce, or a marinade that is also used as a sauce once cooked with the meat. The marinade is often for a meat, and sometimes the meat is grilled after marinating, and sometimes it is cooked or braised. The sauce or marinade itself will vary to some degree, depending on the country or region of a country, and like any other recipe, will vary even in a region, as cooks add "a little of this or that." 

While I lived in Guatemala in the 1970s, the only way I had Carne Adobado (meat in adobo sauce) was buying the meat already in its adobo, and then cooking it at home. I never made the adobo sauce myself. I had a recipe, hand copied from somewhere, but only ever tried to make it once a long while back, when I was again in the States and missing those flavors. The flavors of the sauce made from that copied down recipe came absolutely nowhere near what I had eaten in Guatemala, and in disgust I set the recipe aside, never to use it again. 

Lomito Adobado with Guatemalan Rice and Frijoles Volteados

Then a few years ago I created a Guatemalan cookbook/memoir of a sort as a gift for my oldest daughter's 40th birthday. Any and all recipes, whether copied from someone's book, or a Guatemalan newspaper clipping or from something I approximated myself (with or without help from someone in Guatemala), went into the book, along with memories I had of the food, where I had eaten it and also with many photos found on the internet, of places and things I had seen while there. She loved the book, and the trip down memory lane. But still, many of the recipes were ones I had never actually made myself. 

Since then, 4 years have passed, and I have created a revised edition of this book, again printed here at home, and gave it to my second daughter as she turned 40. At this point, I had tried out more of the recipes, in an effort to get some photos of the finished product for the book. I am still in the process of making more of the recipes, both to test the recipe and to get photos of the dish. One of these was the Lomito Adobado, made last week sometime, and today I am trying out a White Bean with Pork and Chorizo dish (Frijol Blanco con Costilla de Cerdo y Chorizo). This latter will be featured in another blog.

So, back to the Lomito Adobado... In Guatemala, pork was not easy to come by, and so I take leave to doubt that the Carne Adobado was actually made with pork, yet the recipe I had scribbled down does call for pork (loin or tenderloin). I believe that the meat used in the pre-marinated version I got in Guatemala was likely beef, and a cheaper cut, at that. Regardless, the flavors of the marinade itself were what absolutely made the dish, and this time I decided to see if I could do a better job through "taste-memory" at a 40+ year remove.

My old recipe for Lomo Adobado

Ultimately, while the flavors were not absolutely what I recalled, it surely came far closer this time, and I used pork tenderloin, sliced on a bias, as the meat.  I began with the recipe as the card indicated, tasted the adobo and found it severely wanting, as I had that last time. Still, it was a platform from which to build. I thought about other flavorings, spices and seasonings commonly used in Guatemala and added "a little of this and that", until it finally tasted very close to my taste-memory. I did use slightly less of the annatto powder than I might have, and the color was just a bit paler than I recalled, but it was absolutely delicious, nonetheless, and my husband and I ate that dinner with great enjoyment. I served it with Guatemalan Rice and Frijoles Volteados.

Lomito Adobado with Guatemalan Rice and Frijoles Volteados

Lomito Adobado

Serves 4

This Adobo Sauce marinade makes enough for 3 recipes: freeze remainder in separate containers. Make this three days before you want to serve your meal.

Lomito Adobado

1.5 pounds pork tenderloin, cut into 4 sections, on a bias

ADOBO SAUCE (marinade):
1½ - 1¾ pounds Roma tomatoes
1 large onion, in wedges
6 - 8 cloves garlic
1 red bell pepper
1 guajillo chile pepper, soaked in hot water
1 teaspoon dried oregano leaf
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
½ teaspoon black peppercorns
¼ teaspoon allspice berries
4 whole cloves
4-inches of true cinnamon (soft quills) stick
¾ teaspoon salt
2 - 3 teaspoons powdered annatto
3 - 4 teaspoons vinegar
2 - 3 teaspoons fresh lime juice

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and lightly spray with cooking spray. Cut the Roma tomatoes in halves, lengthwise and scoop out seeds and excess moisture. Set them, cut sides up, on the baking sheet and bake for about 45 minutes. Remove them to a blender container. Remove the soaked chili from the water, remove the seeds and stem and add the chili to the blender. If you want more heat, you might leave the seeds in. 

Make Adobo Sauce: Switch the oven to broil and set the top rack to whatever height will accommodate the red bell pepper. Set the bell pepper and the onion wedges on the sheet and set to broil. With tongs, toss the onion wedges as they begin to blacken at the edges, separating for even coloring, then remove to the blender. Turn the bell pepper occasionally until it is blackened all over, then remove the pepper to a sealed zip-top bag or other container to steam for about 10 minutes. Set the garlic on the baking sheet and broil until they begin to brown a bit; remove to the blender. Add the oregano to the blender.

Heat a dry skillet over medium high heat and add in the cumin, peppercorns, allspice berries, cloves and the cinnamon, crumbled. Toss with a wooden spoon or spatula to lightly toast and bring out the aromas of the spices. Do not allow them to burn! Remove to the blender container. Add in the salt and annatto powder and blend until smooth. Blend in the smaller amounts of vinegar and lime juice, taste and add more if needed for piquancy. 

This makes about 3 cups of adobo. Divide the extra 2 cups into two freezer containers,

Adobado Sauce, finished

label and freeze. Place the remaining 1 cup of adobo sauce into a zip-top bag large enough to hold the adobo and the pork. Combine the two in the bag and seal tightly. Squish the bag around to ensure all the meat is well coated. Refrigerate for three days.

When ready to cook, heat a grill to medium high heat and grill the pork pieces until they reach your desired doneness. Internal cooking temperature should be a minimum of about 150 degrees. Allow the meat to rest, covered with foil, for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.  If a grill ins unavailable, the meat can be roasted at 375 degrees for 25 to 35 minutes, or until the internal temperature is at least 145 to 150 degrees. Tent with foil before serving, the same as if grilling.


My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

Kalbi Flank Steak and Wild Rice Corn Salad

My son and his wife were visiting over the course of 2 weekends and whenever they are around, we tend to try new recipes and revisit old ones. We all love food and we all love wine and between us we really have an excellent time at table. They brought some wines with them that were discovered earlier this year on a trip out to the Seattle area. The winery, tiny and kept that way on purpose is called Harbinger, and the 3 wines they brought were all wonderful. My favorite of all was a Tempranillo blend caller "Bolero", and not far behind was a Sangiovese called "Rapture". Another really good one was a Cabernet Franc.
 

Wild Rice and Corn Salad

On the last evening they were here, I had marinated a flank steak with Kalbi type flavorings. The first time I ever heard of Kalbi was on a cruise ship. On the first afternoon onboard there is generally a sort of cafeteria style lineup of foods, and I tried some thin strips of meat that were just out of this world. I raved so much that the chef gave me the recipe. Unfortunately, trying to pare down a recipe for thousands into a recipe for home use obviously didn't translate well, and when I tried it at home it fell so far short that I never tried it again. That was a long time ago.

Many, many years have passed since then, and I have become far more confident of concocting my own recipes. When recently I was reading a little blurb on a restaurant somewhere that served Kalbi, made using some sort of short ribs, I was first just struck by the name. I know the thin strips of meat I ate onboard the cruise ship were not short ribs by anyone's definition, but the flavors certainly came up in the "Asian" category. I revisited the recipe.

I added some things and took out others and generally just made it my own way, using a flank steak. Flank Steak can be a really tough cup of meat if overcooked. It can also be difficult to eat unless it is sliced across the grain. There is little to no fat on a flank steak, so long cooking will only dry the meat further. I have made many many flank steaks through the years, and I truly love them. They play well with marinades and are quick to broil or grill. A match made in heaven for a Kalbi flavored marinade.

Kalbi Flank Steak

Kalbi Flank Steak

Serves 4 to 6

1½ to 2 pounds flank steak

MARINADE:
⅓ cup soy sauce
⅓ cup brown sugar
¼ cup Mirin (or use Sake)
½ onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons dark (toasted) sesame oil
1 - 2 teaspoons finely ground black pepper
1 walnut-sized piece of fresh ginger, grated or minced

Combine all the marinade ingredients in a large flat container or a gallon sized zip-top bag. Place the flank steak into the marinade, coating it on both sides. Press out all the air if using a bag. Marinate the steak for at least 6 hours or preferably overnight, turning occasionally so the meat is flavored on both sides equally.

Preheat a broiler or a grill. Grill or broil the meat over high heat for about 6 minutes per side. It should stay pink in the center, or it tends to toughen. Once grilled to desired doneness, set the meat on a platter and cover with foil for a few minutes before slicing. Slice the meat across the grain either very thinly, or in less than 1-inch thick slices to serve. 

Racking my brain for something new to make as a side dish for this meal, I finally settled on something with a wild rice base. This came about because as it happened, I had about 3 cups of cooked wild rice in the fridge. It had set on the burner for too long and had all burst open. none of those pretty black strands for this dish! There was nothing wrong with the flavors though, and adding in a lot of other flavors would only be absorbed the better for its burst open state. As I sat thinking about what I had and what I would like to add, I came up with this recipe, and as it happens it was truly inspired. We were practically inhaling it! It made a perfect side for the Kalbi Flank Steak.

Wild Rice and Corn Salad

I used 3 cups of cooked wild rice and 1 cup of white rice, as these were the amounts I had already existing in the fridge. The quantities can be changed, reversed, or used half and half, but about 4 cups of rice will be needed in total. You will need to cook about ¾ cup wild rice in about 2½ to 3 cups of water with 1 teaspoon salt for nearly an hour, covered. For 1 cup of white rice, cook ½ cup white rice with ½ teaspoon salt and 1 cup water, covered, for 15 minutes.

Wild Rice and Corn Salad

Serves 6 to 8

Wild Rice and Corn Salad

3 cups cooked wild rice (¾ cup dry wild rice)
1 cup cooked white rice (½ cup dry white rice)
2 tablespoons pine nuts or cashews
½ green bell pepper, chopped (about ¾ cup)
½ red bell pepper, chopped (about ¾ cup)
3 - 4 scallions, chopped
2 ears fresh corn, shucked
2 to 3 ounces crumbled Feta cheese
chopped cilantro to taste

DRESSING:
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 - 2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon crushed Sichuan / Szechuan peppercorns, optional
1 teaspoon Asian Dark Sesame Oil

½ teaspoon salt, or more, if needed

Have the rice cooked and cooled well ahead of time, or the day before.

Heat a grill or broiler and grill the corn until there is some char on about ⅓ to ½ of the kernels, turning often to grill evenly.

Place both the cooled rices in a large bowl and fluff the rice to separate the grains. Add in the pine nuts, green and red pepper, scallions and Feta. Cut the kernels from both of the cobs of corn and add them in. Whisk together the dressing ingredients in a small bowl and pour over the rice mixture and toss well. Add in cilantro and mix well. I used at least 1/2 cup of cilantro. If this is not to your taste, alter the amount as needed. Taste the mixture and add in the salt if needed.


My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

Delicious Maple Soy Salmon Appetizer

To start off, I want to say that first my sister told me she had tasted something like this at a Whole Foods Market. She had no recipe, but only told me they said it was salmon marinated in maple syrup and soy sauce. Then while we were conversing one evening, somewhere we found a recipe that sounded somewhat like the one she was describing. I wrote down the amounts. Yesterday, at last, I got a nice piece of salmon and thought, much like Tom Wilkinson in The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, "This is the day!"

Pepper Crusted Maple Salmon

I followed the ingredients I had written down, but amazingly, or maybe not so amazingly, after looking online to see if I could actually credit someone, after viewing a dozen different recipes with tiny differences, none - quite - matched the one I had found months ago. There are a lot of variations. To start, I am not overly fond of salmon. I have to really be in the mood, and then I do enjoy it. This recipe intrigued me on a couple of points. I had a recipe for shrimp marinade; the absolute simplest of mixtures. It made the most divine shrimp I have ever had (find that recipe here). Considering how simple the marinade was for the shrimp (or scallops! equally as good if not better), I felt that maybe here was a new recipe, just as simple, to make salmon taste just as good. While the way my sister told me about was for the salmon served as little appetizer bites, I am absolutely certain it would work perfectly for nice salmon filets also.

While the recipe is simplicity itself, there are many little variations, as I noted while perusing the web. The addition of garlic to the marinade, and / or a little Asian sesame oil (the dark, toasted kind) both sound really lovely. These might be something to try the next time I get in a salmon mood. The recipe calls for marinating the salmon for 24 hours. Obviously this requires forethought. It also calls for a cup of maple syrup, so between the salmon and the syrup, the recipe is not inexpensive to make. But the outcome? Oh, so heavenly!

Yesterday after setting the salmon to marinate, I sat thinking that since I was going to be eating this all by myself (my husband will have nothing to do with anything fish or seafood), what might be a good thing to serve it with? I had some cole slaw in the fridge, and I am positive that would have been great.

 

Pepper Crusted Maple Salmon, with Beets and Horseradish to serve

Thinking on the sweet flavors in the marinade though, I thought about a little bit of my Beets with Horseradish leftover in the fridge. In my family, Beets with Horseradish is a traditionally Easter accompaniment for ham. Ham, often basted with sweet flavors seemed to be a similar concept to the sweet flavors of the salmon. In my mind, somehow, this just sounded really good together, so I had to try it out. Once I made the salmon, just a little bit ago, I tasted a bite or two just as is. It is absolutely, perfectly, decadently, insanely - good.  And then I got out the Beets with Horseradish and tried a bite with that. O - M - G! It was the perfect match! It came out tasting precisely as I thought it would. Despite the fact that maybe the color combo is not the best, the flavors were just perfect. The perfect accompaniment.

I had wondered also, what exactly would the marinade do to the salmon? When I pulled the salmon cubes out of the marinade this evening, the pieces were sort of candied-looking and just a little translucent. I felt this boded well for the outcome, and as it turned out, it did. While not overly sweet, "candied" seems an appropriate word. 

So this is the recipe as I made it. I am sure someone out there might say "that is my recipe". Maybe even many someones, because as I mentioned recently, it seems there is just no recipe under the sun that is really new. Remember to look for a piece of salmon that has some really good thickness, so decent sized cubes can be cut. The maple syrup can be the darker Grade B type. This is what I did:

Pepper Crusted Maple Salmon

24 ounces thick salmon filet
1 cup pure maple syrup
⅓ cup soy sauce (I used Lite)
¼ cup fresh ground cracked pepper

Combine the soy and syrup in a container with lid or a quart zip-top bag. If the salmon has skin on, remove the skin and cut the salmon into cube shapes at least 1 ½-inch x 1½-inch where possible. Place the cubes into the container with the marinade, making sure they are completely covered. This is easiest in the zip top bag, as all the air can be pressed out on sealing. Refrigerate the salmon for 24 hours, turning various times to ensure even coverage of the marinade.

When ready to bake, have ready a small bowl with the cracked pepper. Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Cover a rimmed baking sheet with foil and spray the foil with cooking spray. Remove the salmon cubes from the marinade and dip one side of the salmon cube into the cracked pepper, then place it on the prepared baking sheet, pepper-side up. Bake the salmon for 3 to 4 minutes, as desired. Mine was done - even the largest pieces, at 3 minutes. Serve immediately.

           Salmon out of the marinade                     |          dipped in cracked pepper and ready to bake

If choosing to marinate individual serving sized filets instead of cubes, the timing might have to be slightly longer, but remove from the oven as soon as the fish will flake. This happens rapidly, so watch carefully.

May 3rd Update:

Arugula Salad with Pepper Crusted Maple Salmon flaked over top

As I was the only one eating the salmon last evening, there was obviously some left over. While all the recipes I read online said to eat immediately, I did wonder what it would be like reheated, or even cold. Well, let me just say that cold from the fridge was still stupendous. I had gotten a package of arugula, and thought I would have a salad with the cold salmon flaked over the greens. It flaked easily and beautifully. I added carrot, just because I like carrots! The salad with the cold fish was truly an amazing experience. So, if there is concern about leftovers, do try them on a salad. I don't think it would be possible to be disappointed! Another idea is to use it in a Nicoise style of salad, instead of tuna, and which I plan to try soon!



My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

More Pheasant and Another Recipe

As I said in my last post, our friend Rich brought home 3 pheasants on his second day hunting. We used 1½ birds in a wonderful Pheasant Mushroom Stew, and it was finally time to do something with the remaining 1½ birds. Back on Monday when we worked with the birds, I set this second half of them into a marinating container with some red wine, olive oil, smashed garlic and fresh herbs, and there they stayed until yesterday evening. This was the wine marinade recipe:

Wine Marinade for Pheasant

Enough for 1 to 1½ pheasants

1½ cups dry red wine
½ cup olive oil
2 teaspoons juniper berries
4 cloves garlic, smashed
1 large sprig fresh thyme
1 sprig fresh rosemary
2 sprigs fresh sage (about 20 leaves)

Set the pheasant quarters into a container. Add in the juniper berries, garlic and fresh herbs, then pour in the wine and olive oil. Marinate, turning twice daily for up to 3 days.

Dinner of Pheasant Alfredo, egg noodles and Fall Fruit Compote

My original intent with these wine marinated birds was to make a wine-based sauce, and add in a lot of dried fruit - somehow. Somehow, the recipe was just not coming together in my mind. The concepts I wanted to bring together just weren't coalescing into a usable recipe. And then - and this is where I love having Rich around - he said he really wanted to use a cream based sauce, maybe an Alfredo Sauce for these birds. I said I had really hoped to use a lot of dried fruits in the recipe, and it seemed they would just muddy an Alfredo sauce. Rich said, "Why not use the fruits in a side dish?" To which I had to smack myself on the forehead and say, "Well, DUH!" 

Okay, so now I had a workable plan. First off, being me, I prefer to make my own Alfredo Sauce, so I had to create a recipe, since I never really had. I asked Rich what he would put in an Alfredo sauce? He said cream and cheese. Well, okay. I was a bit concerned that the meat, having soaked in wine for 3 days, would also muddy up the white Alfredo Sauce. Rich said he didn't care if the sauce was pink or purple. I embellished on his Alfredo "recipe" a bit, but in essence, used that concept. I will say, try to use the best quality butter, cream cheese, Parmesan and Romano cheeses that you can afford for this sauce. It makes a world of difference. As for the dried fruits, I decided to make a compote-like side dish that would serve like cranberries do with turkey or chicken. Wine seemed to be a theme in this menu, so I wanted to cook the fruits in a wine reduction sauce. My other true desire was to use fresh quinces as a part of this fruit melange. 

Creamy Pheasant Alfredo and noodles with a splash of color from the Fruit Compote

I think it is truly not necessary to first marinate the pheasant in the wine sauce before making it into this Alfredo recipe. The main reason we went the wine marinade route was just to keep the birds in a suspended state until we could get one batch eaten and get around to the second batch. Rich was averse to freezing the remainder, if we were going to be using them soonish. However you choose to go about this recipe, I will say that the meat did not leach color into the white Alfredo Sauce, so that was wonderful. The meat was tender, albeit still dry, despite not really overcooking. For anyone who has not cleaned, cooked or eaten pheasant, the meat has almost no fat whatsoever. It is almost impossible to have a fat-free meat that is also juicy and tender. We even went the route of a very low 250 degree oven this time, and the meat was still dry. Luckily, I like dry fowl just fine.

The birds tasted very good last evening, in the recipe we thought up. Nothing truly new under the sun, of course. Pheasant Alfredo recipes seem to abound, as I soon noted when I Googled that concept. My Alfredo was terribly rich, but I think that sort of comes with the territory. Still, the addition of herbs and garlic seemed to take the sauce to new levels. It was absolutely delightful. The fruit compote was the perfect accompaniment. The wine was great, the company convivial and all was perfect in my world.

Pheasant Alfredo, straight from the oven

Pheasant Alfredo

Serves 4 to 6

1½ pheasants, in quarters (marinated or not)
1 stick unsalted butter
4 cloves garlic, minced finely
10 sage leaves
1 tablespoon flour
1 cup milk
1 cup heavy cream
1 (8-ounce) block cream cheese
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (3-ounces)
1 cup freshly grated Romano cheese (3-ounces)
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
1 large or 2 smaller sprigs fresh thyme
2 sprigs fresh sage (or about 20 leaves)

At least ½ hour before making the Alfredo Sauce, melt the stick of butter over very low heat and add in the minced garlic and 10-ish sage leaves. Leave the pan on the lowest heat possible, so it does not even come to a simmer. This might require leaving the pan slightly off the burner. The goal is to "steep" the garlic and sage flavors into the butter, cooking the garlic very gently so there is no raw flavor left. (I left my pot over a "warming burner" for over an hour).

When ready to make the sauce, remove the spent sage leaves and add the flour to the butter and garlic in the pan and stir in. Add in the milk and cream and bring to a low boil. Add the cream cheese, in cubes, stirring until it is melted into the cream. Add in the Parmesan and Romano cheeses, stirring until they are melted.

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Spray a 9 x 13 casserole with cooking spray. Set the fresh herbs over the bottom of the casserole. Lay the pheasant quarters over the herbs, skin side down (whether it has skin left on or not). Pour the Alfredo Sauce over the meat. Cover the casserole tightly with foil and bake for 1½ hours.
This pheasant Alfredo dish was just perfect served with wide egg noodles as an accompaniment. The Fall Fruit Compote (recipe coming in my next blog) was just the right amount of bright flavor to cut through all the cheese and cream in the sauce. 

My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.