Sunday Supper: Corned Salmon Tacos

I will freely admit I'm about to bastardize a holiday tradition here, but I'm going to argue that St. Patrick's Day is a holiday that reached peak bastardization with the invention of green beer, so it's all fair game at this point.

I've stolen the genius idea for corned beef tacos from Sam Sifton and changed the beef to salmon, because I adore fish tacos, and also because last year in his article about homemade corned beef, there was a throwaway line about another chef making corned salmon every year. I was instantly fascinated. How does one corn salmon? Wouldn't fish be utterly ruined if you use the same process as corning beef? I wanted to find out!

This year, I googled "corned salmon" and it seems that there is some sort of consensus that you shouldn't subject salmon to the same process as beef when corning it. At least, all the recipes I found for corned salmon skipped the five-day bath in a spiced brine, and none called for using pink curing salt, either. I suspect fish does not do well in a week-long watery grave and that sodium nitrite is maybe a little harsh for it. Instead, most recipes called for rubbing a piece of fish with kosher salt and spices and letting it sit for a mere 45 minutes. How boring.

But then! I found a recipe from Andrew Zimmern that was more along the lines of what I wanted to try. Still a salt and spice rub, but marinated for up to 18 hours, and including salmon flavor buddies like parsley and dill. So, basically a piece of salmon that is partially cured and then cooked? LET'S DO THIS.

The salmon is succulent and well-flavored. The slaw is spicy. The jalapenos are spicy. And the flour tortillas are warm and perfect. These are some of my favorite fish tacos I've ever eaten and you should get on this immediately.

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Corned Salmon Tacos

Adapted from Sam Sifton and Andrew Zimmern

For the salmon:

• 1/2 cup minced dill
• 1/2 cup minced parsley
• 1/3 cup salt
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 tbs pickling spices
• 2 tsp smoky salt
• 3 lb salmon fillet, skin on
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• zest of 1 lemon
• juice of 1 lemon

For the slaw:

• 1 small head green cabbage (or 1/2 medium-large size cabbage), thinly sliced or shredded
• 3 carrots, shredded
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 3 tbs greek yogurt
• 3 tbs cider vinegar
• 1 1/2 tbs tabasco
• salt and pepper, to taste

For the tacos:

• 12 flour tortillas
• 1 jalapeno, thinly sliced

1. Prepare the salmon: Grind the pickling spices, then add to a bowl with the parsley, dill, garlic, salts, and sugars, and lemon zest and juice. 
2. Place the salmon skin side down on a large sheet of plastic wrap. Pack the curing mixture on the surface of the salmon. Wrap tightly in the plastic wrap and refrigerate 16-18 hours, overnight, on a rimmed baking sheet.
3. When ready to make tacos, mix the slaw. Mix the cabbage and carrots in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together mayo, greek yogurt, cider vinegar, tabasco, and salt and pepper. Pour half the sauce over the cabbage and carrot mixture and toss to coat evenly. Season with more salt if needed. Set aside and refrigerate a few hours ahead, if possible. The salt will help soften the cabbage and release moisture, adding to the sauce. 
4. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Unwrap salmon and wipe off the curing mixture with a damp towel. Bake salmon until just done and flakes apart, about 15-20 minutes. 
5. Warm the tortillas and shred the salmon. Pile in to the tortillas, then top with the slaw and some sliced jalapeno, and more of the sauce, if desired. Serve immediately.

Notes:

• The original recipe called for marinating the salmon for 16-18 hours, but I think you could safely go up to 24. Any longer and you are on your way to gravlax, so I wouldn't push it. 
• Use the best quality salmon you can find. You wouldn't waste effort on corning a sub-par piece of brisket, would you? Here, you don't want to put all this effort and time into a piece of farmed, dyed for color salmon either.

Sunday Supper: Bolognese Polenta Pizza

So, at first glance, you may be looking at this and wondering why it qualifies as a Sunday Supper, a category I've so far reserved for longer, time consuming recipes with multiple parts and ingredients. And you might see that I've layered baked polenta with meat sauce and cheese and then baked it, and think, "That's it?"

Or, maybe you are just blindly following whatever I say and not questioning, or just skimming the words here and only looking at the pictures. In that case, carry on.

But, if you are wondering, let me forewarn you that yes, this is a long, drawn out recipe, only because a true bolognese sauce takes a few hours at minimum, and you absolutely should take the time at least once in your life to make it from scratch. If you do skip that step and crack open a jar of Prego, well, then this easily qualifies as a weeknight meal. But then let me also keep  going with this and let you know that most bolognese recipes I've encountered make enough sauce to feed an Italian army of approximately 30 adults, so you will undoubtedly have enough leftovers to freeze and then reheat if you're ever like, yeah, polenta pizza sounds awesome! I made half a recipe's worth of the bolognese I chose, and it still took  up an entire large pot. It may take hours but you are well-rewarded in quantity, I assure you.

Ok, all justifications out of the way, this "pizza" of polenta piled with bolognese and cheese and then baked, is like the perfect pizza/casserole/baked pasta hybrid, with a crispy lid of cheese atop a molten sauce of ground meat and tomatoes, on a base of flavorful, creamy, crisp-edged polenta. It is filling and delicious and a perfect, cozy way to end a weekend. 

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Bolognese Polenta Pizza

• 1 tbs olive oil, plus more for polenta and for baking
• 4 cups water
• 1 tsp salt
• 4 cups polenta
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan
• 2-3 cups bolognese (recipe of your choice, I used this one, subbing pork for veal)
• shredded mozzarella
• chopped parsley, for garnish

1. Make bolognese. Be sure to allow several hours for most recipes.
2. Grease a quarter sheet pan with 1 tbs olive oil and set aside.
3. In a large pot, bring water to a boil and add a glug of olive oil. Whisk in the salt and polenta. Lower heat to low and whisk for 2-3 minutes. Cover, and stirring every 10 minutes or so, cook polenta until creamy, 30 minutes.
4. Remove polenta from the heat and stir in 1/4 cup parmesan. Spread polenta into the prepared pan and smooth into an even layer. Let cool completely, then cover and chill 1 hour or overnight.
5. When ready to make pizza, heat oven to 450 degrees. Brush the polenta with 1/2 tbs olive oil. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until crisp around the edges. Top with bolognese and then cheese and bake until cheese is melted and bubbling, and starts to form a bit of a crispy lid. Let sit for a few minutes, then garnish with parsley and serve.

Sunday Supper: Swedish Meatballs and Potato Mash

How about some Scandinavian comfort food to warm up with?

Two things:

1) I don’t know why I keep putting up cozy food for weather conditions I’m not currently experiencing. I live in a climate where it’s easier to convince myself it’s the season for raw kale and green juice, but I guess after over 2/3 of my life spent in places with actual winter weather, these are cycles I can’t break. So, meatballs, anyone?

2) Please know that I mismashed a few recipes for Swedish meatballs from all over the internet, and as I’m neither Swedish myself nor have I ever eaten any meatballs in Sweden or an Ikea, let’s just focus on the question of whether these taste good. Yes, they do. Moving on.

I’ve been pretty obsessed with the idea of a proper plate of meatballs with mashed potatoes, pickles, and tart jam ever since I discovered this little Swedish cafe in Sydney (see above re Sweden). I ate them on a drizzly morning alongside a giant mug of steamed chai and life was grand. I went back again for the chai but not the meatballs, because the weather warmed up and these really do feel like the best thing to eat when it’s colder outside. But since I’m headed back to Sydney this week and it’s currently drizzly and cold here, I thought this was a nice time to revisit them. 

Plus, I hear Winter is a great time to practice hygge…?

I have to admit that I’m not 100% sure what hygge is supposed to be, other than they had a party about it on Younger and it seems to be just Instagrams of people lounging in their PJs all day. Supposedly it’s like a cozy life or something? I’m not really convinced I can do that, because I have to pay my rent, and even if I don’t know what hygge is I’m fairly sure it’s the complete opposite of my office environment, so, not gonna happen.

But I’m happy to apply that concept to the food I eat! Meatballs are certainly cozy, no? Especially with a cream sauce and paired with potatoes mashed with butter and… more cream. It’s meatballs and a triple cream whammy, really. Plus pickles.

Wait! Is hygge just what you do when you can’t fit into your jeans anymore because you ate an entire batch of meatballs tossed in a gravy made entirely of reduced cream? 

I am nailing hygge.

Make these and you can too!

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Swedish Meatballs and Potato Mash

Adapted from Food & Wine

For the pickled cucumbers:

• 1 cucumber, thinly sliced
• 1 tbs kosher salt
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 bay leaf
• pinch allspice

For the meatballs:

• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 tbs plus 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
• 2 lbs ground beef
• 1 lb ground pork
• 1 cup breadcrumbs
• 1 1/2 cups boiled, peeled and mashed potatoes
• 1/4 cup finely diced onion
• 1 tbs olive oil
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 tbs soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/8 tsp fresh ground black pepper

For the mashed potatoes:

• 2 large russet potatoes, peeled and quartered
• heavy cream
• butter
• salt and pepper, to taste

1. Make pickles: in a colander, toss cucumbers with the salt and let sit for 30 minutes.
2. In a pot, combine water, vinegar, sugar, bay leaf and allspice and bring to a boil to dissolve the sugar. Remove from heat and let cool.
3. Rinse the cucumbers and squeeze to remove as much water as you can, then transfer to a large glass bowl or other non-reactive container and pour the pickling mixture over the cucumbers. Cover tightly with a lid or plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 3 hours.
4. Make the meatballs: First, make the mashed potatoes if you don't have extra around. Bring  a large pot of salted water to a boil and peel and quarter 1 1/2 lb russet potatos. Boil potatoes until just able to pierce with a fork. Drain and run potatoes through a ricer or food mill. Measure out 1 1/2 cups and let cool completely.
5. In the bowl of a stand mixture or other large mixing bowl, combine eggs, cream, salt and pepper with the breadcrumbs and stir to combine. Let sit 10 minutes. Add the meats, the mashed potatoes and onion and mix with the paddle attachment until combined, about 30 seconds to 1 minutes on medium-high speed. This will tighten the mixture up a bit to give you springier meatballs.
6. Cover meatball mixture and chill at least 1 hour, up to overnight. 
7. Using a small cookie scoop, scoop mixture on to parchment lined baking sheets and roll into balls. 
8. Heat oven to 350 degrees and heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil and brown the meatballs in batches. Transfer back to parchment lined baking sheets and bake 15-20 minutes. Once done, keep in warm oven (lower the heat) until ready to serve.
9. While meatballs are baking, make the cream sauce and the mashed potatoes. Add 2 cups heavy cream to the meatball drippings in the skillet and simmer until reduced by about half. While cream is reducing, follow instructions for cooking the potatoes in step 4. While potatoes are cooking, add soy sauce, salt and pepper and simmer cream sauce until thickened and coats the back of a spoon. Keep warm while finishing potatoes.
10. Drain potatoes and return back to the pot. Add a splash or two of heavy cream and a few tablespoons of butter and roughly mash the potatoes. Add salt and pepper to taste.
11. Serve meatballs with cream sauce, mashed potatoes, cucumbers, and a tart jam, such as lingonberry.