If you are loving raw fish like we are here, definitely put Sashimi-Quality Sockeye Salmon on your list.
The more raw salmon I prepare and serve, the more I prefer the Sockeye species. There are five species of Pacific salmon that can be found in North American waters – king aka chinook, sockeye aka red, coho aka silver, keta aka chum, and pink aka humpback.
Sockeye salmon have a beautiful bright red flesh that is bold and intense and flavorful. Its dense, meaty texture facilitates the cutting of lovely raw thin slices. The leaner flesh of sockeye balances and harmonizes with rich citrusy olive oil emulsions. Sockeye + Crudo = A Winning Combination!
Joyeux Anniversaire Julia Child! Today would have been Julia’s 110th birthday. It has been an honor, a passion, and a tradition to celebrate her birthday on Taste With The Eyes ever since I started this blog in 2007.
This year, we are watching a super-charming episode of the cooking show Julia and Jacques: Cooking at Home “IT’S SALMON DAY!” where they go on to prepare a half-dozen salmon dishes together.
Here we are going to spotlight their gravlax presentations from the show and from their cookbook. Julia calls hers “Quick Gravlax” and Jacques calls his “Instant Gravlax.” Both different and both fabulous.
Screen Shot: Julia and Jacques Cooking at Home
The television series was the inspiration for the cookbook of the same name. In both, one can sense the pleasure the two have cooking together, tasting, exchanging ideas, joshing with each other, and raising a glass to savor the fruits of their labor.
In this one episode Julia gives Jacques a hard time about using black pepper instead of white pepper in a light colored dish…and he gives it right back.
Jacques asks Julia to add salt and pepper to the salmon tartare they are making together.
“Would you rather have black or white pepper?” teases Julia.
“Black, black without any question,” says Jacques.
“You like speckled food,” declares Julia.
“I do. I also like taste in the food and the black pepper has more taste than the white one,” retorts Jacques.
Again and again they demonstrate that cooking is endlessly fascinating and challenging, and while ultimately personal, it is a joy to be shared!
Crispy-Skin King Salmon
Israeli Couscous with Feta, Herbs, Tomatoes
Smoky Garbanzos
This is king salmon season, and the star of this mouthwatering, vibrant dish is Wild King Salmon from Alaska.
Wild Alaska king salmon are the gourmet’s salmon because of their large luscious flakes and high fat content — sometimes twice that of sockeye and coho. King salmon store this fat for their journey up North America’s longest river systems. When you eat wild Alaska king, you’re tasting the anticipation of this river journey in the fish’s flesh.
Like a well-marbled steak, this fat melts into the salmon, giving king salmon an unrivaled mouth feel. And remember, these are the good fats: the natural, marine-derived omega-3s that heart doctors celebrate. Because of this fat, king salmon is perfect for grilling and searing with just salt and pepper. King salmon needs little else.
In today’s dish, the salmon is first rubbed with an olive oil blend then simply seasoned with sea salt and fresh ground pepper. It is cooked until the skin is perfectly crisp and the flesh is just perfectly cooked through.
A Table at Joël Robuchon – MGM Grand Las VegasTaste With The Eyes RE-Creation of A Table at Joël Robuchon
RE-Creating Joël Robuchon Las Vegas
The past month has been very special. We were celebrating birthdays, anniversaries, 15 years of Taste With The Eyes, 3 years of living in Las Vegas, and the Platinum Jubilee of the Queen (remembering my mother’s trip to London for the Coronation in 1952).
The highlight of our celebrations was an exquisite dinner at Joël Robuchon’s eponomous Three Michelin Star restaurant at the MGM Grand Las Vegas. The entire experience ranks as one of our finest meals, ever. It was French Perfection.
The “Chef of the Century” sadly passed away in 2018, but his restaurants certainly keep his artistry, passion, and spirit alive. A single framed photo of the late Chef graces the credenza at the entrance to the restaurant.
Our Table at Joël Robuchon – MGM Grand Las VegasTaste With The Eyes RE-Creation of Our Table at Joël Robuchon
The world-class restaurants, with a concentration of the world’s best chefs, were one of the many reasons I was excited to move to Vegas. They are now just 21 minutes (get it?) from my house! Of all the great ones, Joël Robuchon at MGM Grand is the crown jewel.
The Pierre-Yves Rochon art-deco Parisian apartment décor is swathed in plush hues of purple. The space exudes the same type of elegance found on the plate — we were inspired to savor every moment with all the senses. Trolleys were overflowing with breads and cheeses and mignardises. The impeccable service, opulent décor, unparalleled brilliant dishes….all made for a truly unforgettable evening.
One of my most cherished creative outlets is to re-create historical events through food. Presidential Inaugural Luncheons in 2013 and 2017, Julia Child’s First Meal in France in 1948, and Dinner in Julia’s Cambridge Kitchen, are a few examples of many of my favorite re-creations. (See all the links below).
For this celebration, I am RE-Creating the restaurant in my home atelier and preparing a Salmon Crudo in a style in which I think the Chef would approve.
Cold Poached Salmon with Three Horseradish Sauces
Creamy, Red Beet, and Golden Beet
I was contemplating a starter course that would possibly appeal to more people on Passover. Those of us who absolutely adore our Eastern European Gefilte Fish are apparently and sadly, few and far between.
But is there anyone among my relatives who doesn’t love salmon? Of course, we will always honor tradition and keep serving gefilte fish. I wouldn’t have it any other way.
This year, we also serve another elegant first course – a lovely, flavorful Cold Poached Salmon with THREE Horseradish Sauces and lots of fresh herbs. The entire dish can be prepared in advance, so it is easy and ready to go when it is Time to Eat during the Seder! Edible flowers are optional, but they sure do add to a pretty spring-like presentation.
Cold Poached Salmon and Horseradish Sauces Recipes
