Salmon Sashimi, Dry Ice Display

Salmon Sashimi, Dry Ice Display

Salmon Sashimi, Dry Ice Display

Our monthly seafood subscription from Alaska arrives in a smart environmentally responsible box. Shipped to us in Las Vegas, the fillets have always been rock-hard and frozen-solid due to the great packaging using -110°F dry ice.

When the box arrives, it always has a few small slabs of dry ice still intact. It was fun to use the remaining dry ice to present a piece of the fabulous Alaska sockeye salmon served sashimi style.

Salmon SashimiSockeye Salmon Sashimi
Garlic, Shallot, Olive Oil
Chili Crunch, Edamame, Tamari, Lemon
Smoked Maldon Sea Salt Flakes

Since dry ice must be used soon after delivery, defrost a beautiful piece of sockeye using the “quick-thaw” method. Keep fish in the vacuum-sealed packaging, place it is another ziplock baggie in case there are any pinholes in the packaging.  Submerge it in cold ice water, flip the fish over every 30 minutes or so. Depending on the thickness it might take 45 – 75 minutes to thaw. It is easier to slice the fish if it is not totally defrosted.

Remove skin and pin bones from the salmon and slice sashimi style. Arrange on a piece of slate chosen to fit over the dry ice display. Serve with chili crunch, edamame, and tamari in small bowls on the side. Also place lemon wedges and smoked Maldon sea salt flakes for serving, on the platter.

Finally, when ready to display, drizzle olive oil down the middle of the salmon and top with thinly sliced shallot and minced garlic. Orchids make a nice presentation too, while edible, they are here mainly for show.

Dry Ice Display

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Seared Albacore, Roasted Mushrooms, Demi-Glace

Seared Albacore, Roasted Mushrooms, Demi-Glace

Seared Albacore, Roasted Trumpet Royale and Maitake Mushrooms, Sherry Demi-Glace

It was devastatingly elegant, perfect in its four-star simplicity with just three items: fish, mushroom, sauce. Ever since I saw this Facebook post by Eric Ripert, I knew I just had to make some version of his dish.

At Le Bernardin where “every fish gets treated according to its personality,” the Chef is a genius at pairing seafood with minimal ingredients and sauces that create synergy on the plate.

Chef Ripert is world-renowned for his exquisite, clean, seafood-centered cuisine where he simultaneously celebrates the beauty and elegance of vegetables. In the original dish that inspired my recipe, the Chef pairs a pristine piece of grilled hiramasa with roasted porcini & maitake and bone marrow bordelaise sauce.

Seared Albacore, Roasted Mushrooms, Demi-Glace Recipe

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The Easiest Soufflé You’ll Ever Make

Maman's Cheese Souffle by Jacques Pepin

Maman’s Cheese Soufflé by Jacques Pépin

A little while back, I came across the most charming video of Jacques Pépin with Kristen Milgore demonstrating his mother’s easy cheese soufflé recipe. Their camaraderie was endearing, the unstuffy homey cooking style was refreshing, the rustic soufflé was mouthwatering…and they enjoyed the finished product with a tumbler of chilled white wine. I simply could not, not try it!

Maman's Cheese Souffle by Jacques Pepin

Jacques tells the story of Maman’s Cheese Soufflé:

“When my mother got married, she was 17 and my father was 22. She did not know how to cook, except for a few simple dishes that she had learned from her mother. Yet she was willing and fearless.

My father liked cheese soufflé, so my mother graciously obliged. She had never made a soufflé before, but a friend told her that it consisted of a white sauce (bechamel), grated cheese and eggs — a cinch!

To the bechamel, that staple of the French home cook, she added her grated Swiss cheese and then cracked and added one egg after another to the mixture, stirred it well, poured it into a gratin dish, and baked it in the oven.

Viola! No one had told her that the eggs should be separated, with the yolks added to the base sauce and the whites whipped to a firm consistency and then gently folded into the mixture.

Ignorance is bliss, and in this case it was indeed: The soufflé rose to a golden height and become a family favorite. This is a great recipe; it can be assembled hours or even a day ahead, and although it is slightly less airy than a standard soufflé, it is delicious.”

Maman’s Cheese Soufflé by Jacques Pépin

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Brezza Las Vegas Style “Pan-Seared Fish”

Market Fish Inspired By BrezzaPan-Seared Fish
Black Rice, English Peas
Meyer Lemon Lobster Butter
Micro Greens

Black Cod, Black Rice

We loved it so much we cooked it twice. Once featuring Alaska Coho Salmon and once featuring Alaska Black Cod…with premium quality fish, a rich and tangy lobster butter sauce, earthy black rice, and plump sweet peas.

The inspiration for this striking colorful recipe came from a heavenly dinner we recently enjoyed at the new Brezza, located in Resorts World Las Vegas. We were quite impressed by the restaurant’s service and ambiance, pristine Tonno Carpaccio, and brilliant Tagliatelle Bolognese with its intriguing hint of cloves, but it was her Chilean Seabass special that we especially craved again and again.

Resorts World Las Vegas
Resorts World Las Vegas

EATER Las Vegas writes that the winners of the 2021 Eater Awards in Las Vegas comprise a diverse group of the finest and most interesting chefs, restaurants and bars in the city.

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Fromage Langres et Champagne

Fromage Langres et Champagne

Kicking off my first post of 2022 with a theatrical Champagne and Cheese Course. Not just any cheese, but a special cow’s milk cheese that originates from the plateau of Langres in the Champagne region of France.

What Grows Together, Goes Together

A broadly accurate principle for matching wine with a particular food is to choose components from the same region…the pairing of fromage Langres (pronounced Lawn-gruh) with Champagne is no exception.

A Unique Cheese

Langres is only rotated once during maturation. The weight of the liquid in the cheese causes it to collapse creating its signature concave cap. The dent on top is the result of the cheese not being turned as it matures, making the cheese settle in the center. It is not exactly clear who originally thought that this dent would be the perfect place to splash some Champagne, but it is!

To Serve Fromage Langres et Champagne

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