Smoked Salmon with Tarragon Herb Sauce

One of our favorite things to eat is Houston's Smoked Salmon. Even though it is considered an appetizer, Kenny and I often order it for our entree. We have tried to duplicate the recipe at home. I brined the salmon overnight and will do that again, adding more brown sugar to the solution. As for the Tarragon Herb Sauce, it was spot on! The combination of herbs and anchovies adds lots of flavor to the mayonnaise and is a perfect accompaniment to the salmon. The measurements in the recipe are not exact, but I'll work on perfecting the measurements and posting those later.

Smoked Salmon

4 cups water
4 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 3-pound salmon fillet

Combine the water, sugar and salt in a 2-gallon bag. Add the salmon, seal tightly and refrigerate overnight. Remove from the brine, rinse and pat dry. Let the salmon sit at room temperature for 2 hours before smoking. Smoke at 225 degrees F. for 1 1/2 hour and the internal temperture is 145 degrees F.

Tarragon Herb Sauce

2 cups mayonnaise
4 ounces anchovies (can use anchovy paste)
3 - 4 cloves garlic, peeled
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 cup chives
1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons fresh tarragon
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and process until the herbs are chopped fine. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight before serving.

Barefoot at Quail Hollow

Today started out as one of those dreary, cold days in the South. The skies were overcast and the damp wind was a sure sign that my days of blogging outside were numbered! But what started out as a nasty day, turned into a warm afternoon and evening. This could possibly be my last blog on the back porch until spring.

Dinner tonight was delicious, thanks to the Barefoot Contessa's Back to Basics book. The menu was simple, Roasted Tomato Caprese Salad and Baked Shrimp Scampi served over Grits Cakes. I always gauge the success of a meal by Kenny's comments. I was pleasantly surprised that he loved the tomatoes since they weren't from the garden. I followed the recipe as written and Ina was right, the long roasting brings back memories of a good summer tomato.

The Baked Shrimp Scampi was easy and tasty thanks to Mike the Shrimp Man. Mike delivers the shrimp fresh from the coast of Georgia and they were perfect in Ina's recipe. The Grit Cakes were made from leftover Nora Mill's Stone Ground Grits. The leftovers from last night's supper were pressed into a pan and refrigerated. For tonight, I cut them into wedges and browned in a non-stick pan and served with the shrimp to soak up the juices. After a meal with new recipes, I always ask Kenny if I can make it again and tonight his response was "Absolutely!"

Thanks Ina and Mike for a great dinner!

Shrimp and Grits

During our recent trip to the Georgia coast, we brought home some fresh shrimp. With Doug here to work on our bonus room, this was the ideal time to fix Shrimp and Grits. I usually make Tomato Grits and saute the shrimp in butter, olive oil and garlic and serve over the grits. Tonight I decided to try something different. I began by peeling and deveining the shrimp and using the peelings to make shrimp broth. The broth was used as the liquid for the grits along with the evaporated milk. For the shrimp, bacon is cooked and then the shrimp are cooked in the bacon drippings. The crunch of the crisp bacon served over the shrimp and grits adds flavor and texture. Doug declared the recipe "off the chain" and I would have to agree. Serve with collard greens for a true Southern treat.

Shrimp and Grits

4 cups water or shrimp stock (see below)
1 cup stone-ground grits
1/4 cup evaporated milk
2 tablespoons butter
2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
6 slices bacon, chopped
1 cup thinly sliced green onions
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup white wine

Bring the water or shrimp stock to boil in a large saucepan. Add grits, salt and pepper. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat and stir in butter, cheese and evaporated milk.

While the grits are cooking, fry the bacon in a large skillet until browned. Remove bacon and drain on paper towels. Pat shrimp dry and cook in the bacon drippings until lightly browned, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Don't over cook! Remove shrimp as they are done. Add onions and garlic to skillet and saute for 3 minutes. Add lemon juice and wine and cook over high heat for 3 to 5 minutes, or until reduced by half. Add shrimp to skillet to reheat and serve over grits and top with bacon.

Shrimp Stock
To add flavor to the grits, make stock from the shrimp peelings.

Peelings and tails for 1 pound shrimp
1 stalk of celery, cut into pieces
1 carrot, cut into pieces
1/2 onion, cut into pieces
4 1/2 cups water

Put all ingredients in a sauce pan and simmer for 1 hour. Strain before adding to grits.

Cioppino

Cioppino is a wonderful seafood stew native to the docks of San Francisco. As the story goes, Italian immigrant fisherman coming home from a day of fishing would all "chip in" a small portion of their catch for a seafood stew made on the docks. The broken English of the Italians soon became "chip in o" and thus the name of this stew. If you search the Internet, you will find lots of recipes for Cioppino.

Or you can stop by Williams-Sonoma and buy a jar of the Cioppino Soup Base. Just add your seafood and you will have a meal in minutes. My rendition included a pound of shrimp, a pound of mussels and a couple of tilapia filets. Serve with crusty garlic bread and you have a delicious, quick meal.