If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen, they say. Poaching is a quick and tasty way to keep that oven closed and serve a delicious meal!
poached salmon with tarragon sauce and fingerling potatoes
For sauce
2 large bunches fresh tarragon (about 1 ounce total)
1 large bunch fresh chives (about 2/3 ounce)
1 large shallot
3/4 cup fresh flat-leafed parsley leaves
1 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup rice vinegar (not seasoned)
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
For fish
2 1/2 cups dry white wine
2 1/2 cups water
a 2 1/2- to 3-pound salmon fillet with skin
1 1/2 pounds pink fingerling or other new potatoes
Garnish: 1/2 pound cooked sugar snap peas, diagonally cut into thirds
Make sauce
Pick enough tarragon leaves to measure 1/2 cup (do not pack). Chop enough chives to measure 1/3 cup. Coarsely chop shallot. In a food processor puree tarragon, chives, and shallot with remaining sauce ingredients until smooth and season with salt and pepper. Sauce may be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Bring sauce to cool room temperature before serving.
Make Fish
In a deep 10-inch skillet bring wine and water to a simmer, covered. Cut salmon into 6 pieces and season with salt and pepper. Submerge 3 salmon pieces, skin sides down, in simmering liquid (add hot water if necessary to just cover salmon) and poach at a bare simmer, covered, 8 minutes, or until just cooked through. Transfer cooked salmon with a slotted spatula to a platter to cool and poach remaining salmon in same manner. When salmon is cool enough to handle, peel off skin and if desired with a sharp knife scrape off any dark meat. Salmon may be cooked 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Bring salmon to cool room temperature before serving.
Assemble
Cut potatoes lengthwise into 1/8-inch-thick slices. In a steamer set over boiling water steam potatoes until just tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Spoon sauce onto 6 plates and arrange some potatoes in a circle, overlapping slightly, on top of sauce . Season potatoes with salt and arrange salmon on top of potatoes. Garnish salmon with peas.
chicken salad tea sandwiches with smoked almonds
Servings: Makes 24 tea sandwiches.
Ingredients
3 cups chicken broth or water
2 whole boneless chicken breasts with skin (about 1 1/2 pounds),
halved
1 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup minced shallot
1 teaspoon minced fresh tarragon leaves
24 very thin slices homemade-type white bread
1/2 cup finely chopped smoked almonds (about 2 ounces)
Preparation
In a deep 12-inch skillet bring broth or water to a boil and add chicken breasts in one layer. Reduce heat and poach chicken at a bare simmer, turning once, 7 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and cool chicken in cooking liquid 20 minutes. Discard skin and shred chicken fine.
In a bowl stir together chicken, 1/2 cup of mayonnaise, shallot, tarragon, and salt and pepper to taste.
Make 12 sandwiches with chicken salad and bread, pressing together gently. With a 2-inch round cutter cut 2 rounds from each sandwich.
Put almonds on a small plate and spread edges of rounds with remaining 1/2 cup mayonnaise to coat well. Roll edges in almonds. Sandwiches may be made 2 hours ahead, wrapped in plastic wrap, and chilled.
poached chicken with tomatoes, olives, and green beans
4 skinless boneless chicken breast halves (1 3/4 lb total)
1 tablespoon plus 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
5 cups water
1 3/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth (14 fl oz)
1 fresh thyme sprig
3/4 lb haricots verts or other thin green beans, trimmed
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 lb tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch dice (3 cups)
1/2 cup brine-cured green and black olives such as picholine and Kalamata, pitted and chopped
1 tablespoon torn fresh oregano leaves
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Sprinkle chicken all over with 1 tablespoon salt and let stand.
While chicken is standing, bring water, broth, and thyme to a boil in a 4- to 6-quart heavy pot, then add beans and cook, uncovered, until crisp-tender, 3 to 6 minutes. Transfer beans with a slotted spoon to a bowl and toss with 1 tablespoon oil and salt and pepper to taste.
Add salted chicken to broth and cook at a bare simmer, uncovered, 6 minutes. Remove pot from heat and let stand, covered, until chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes .
Transfer chicken with tongs to a cutting board and cool, about 5 minutes.
While chicken is cooling, stir together tomatoes, olives, oregano, pepper, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and 4 tablespoons oil in a bowl.
Holding a knife at a 45-degree angle, cut chicken across the grain into 1-inch-thick slices.
Divide green beans among 4 plates, then arrange sliced chicken over beans and top with tomato olive mixture.
Cook's note:
Beans, chicken, and tomato olive mixture can be made 2 hours ahead and chilled separately, covered.
A spring salad, if, like me, insalata caprese is one of your favorites. "Mangoes take the place of tomatoes, so you don't have to wait until summer to enjoy this much-loved Italian salad."
mango-radicchio caprese with basil vinaigrette
Servings: Makes 4 servings
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil plus 8 whole large basil leaves
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
8 radicchio leaves, thick ends trimmed
2 large mangoes, peeled, halved, thinly sliced
8 1/4-inch-thick slices fresh mozzarella cheese (from one 8-ounce ball)
Blend chopped basil, oil, and vinegar in mini processor until most of basil is pureed. Season with salt and pepper.
Overlap radicchio, mangoes, cheese, and basil leaves on plates. Drizzle with vinaigrette. Serve, passing remaining vinaigrette.
Celebrate Spring with Asparagus! In Germany, Spargelfest is a two-month springtime feast for asparagus. Celebrate the peak of this tasty vegetable right at home. Thanks, Treda, for telling me about this worthwhile celebration.
asparagus with prosciutto, pecorino, and poached eggs
Epicurious | May 2007
32 large asparagus spears (about 3 pounds), trimmed and peeled
8 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
8 large eggs
4 teaspoons sea salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
8 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 1 medium lemon)
8 thin slices proscuitto (about 4 ounces total)
3 ounces Pecorino or parmesan cheese, finely grated
2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
Special equipment: nonstick muffin pan with 12 (1/3-cup) cups
Have ready large bowl ice water. In medium saucepan over high heat, bring salted water to boil. Add asparagus and boil, uncovered, until crisp-tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain, then immediately plunge spears into ice water to stop cooking. Drain again and pat dry.
Preheat grill to moderate heat.
Transfer asparagus to large rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with 4 tablespoons olive oil. Toss to coat. Grill, in batches if necessary, until lightly charred, 8 to 10 minutes. Keep warm.
Arrange oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly oil muffin pan.
Crack one egg into each muffin cup (there will be 4 empty cups). Place muffin pan in large roasting pan and add enough hot water to reach halfway up the sides of muffin pan. Bake until eggs are set but yolks are still runny, about 7 to 8 minutes.
While eggs cook, arrange 4 asparagus spears in fan pattern on each of 8 plates. Sprinkle each plate with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, then drizzle each with 1 teaspoon lemon juice. Drape 1 slice prosciutto atop asparagus on each plate.
Using small offset spatula, carefully remove eggs from pan and place 1 atop each slice prosciutto. Drizzle with remaining 4 tablespoons olive oil and sprinkle with Pecorino Pepata and parsley.
Cook's note: If you prefer, the asparagus can be baked instead of grilled. Skip the boiling step. Drizzle the raw asparagus with oil and bake it at 450°F on a large rimmed baking sheet until tender, about 10 minutes.
asparagus with hazelnut vinaigrette
Serves 6
For Vinaigrette
1 large shallot, minced
2 tablespoons Sherry vinegar or red-wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup hazelnuts, toasted, skinned and chopped
1 hard-cooked large egg
2 pounds asparagus, trimmed and lower 2 inches of stalks peeled
Make vinaigrette:
In a bowl whisk together shallot, vinegar, mustard, sugar and salt and pepper to taste. Add oil in a stream, whisking, and whisk until emulsified. Whisk in hazelnuts.
Finely chop egg. In a deep 10- to 12-inch skillet bring 1 1/2 inches salted water to a boil and cook asparagus over high heat until crisp-tender, about 2 to 4 minutes. Transfer asparagus with tongs to a colander and drain.
Transfer asparagus to a serving dish. Spoon vinaigrette over asparagus and sprinkle with egg. Serve asparagus warm or at room temperature.
roasted asparagus with goat cheese and bacon
Serves 6; double or triple the recipe if serving for a crowd.
6 bacon slices
2 pounds medium asparagus, tough ends trimmed
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons olive oil
1 3 1/2- to 4-ounce log soft fresh goat cheese, crumbled
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
Cook bacon in heavy large skillet over medium heat until brown and crisp. Transfer to paper towels and drain. Crumble bacon; set aside.
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 500°F. Arrange asparagus on large rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons oil and turn asparagus to coat well. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast asparagus until crisp-tender when pierced with knife, about 7 minutes. Arrange asparagus in single layer on platter. Sprinkle with goat cheese, then bacon. Drizzle with lemon juice and remaining 2 teaspoons oil. Sprinkle grated lemon peel over. (Can be prepared 1 hour ahead. Cover with plastic wrap. Let stand at room temperature.)
mint sauce for asparagus
double this for 4-6 people
1/2 cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves
1 garlic clove, smashed and peeled
2 tablespoons fat-free chicken broth
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
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