This is what happens when I try to do homework while watching Iron Chef...
The Croquettes and sauce are both in need of serious tweaking, but overall a kitchen adventure well worth the... dear god, nearly four hours that I spent in the kitchen.
Salmon Croquettes
Spicy Caramel Sauce
Grind the cumin and fennel in a mortar until powdery, and the chili until crumbled, and throw the ginger in there, too, it's a nice way to mix together spices. Give them a good toasting in your pan (I fried them slightly in a tiny bit of the ghee, but I think that caused problems), then mix in the sugar, whisking as it melts and turns into caramel. Turn heat down to low, then add the ghee, and after the ghee the heavy cream (I didn't actually measure, just kept pouring and mixing until it was a nicely runny gravyish sauce-type consistency). I think the biggest problem with this is the sugar got a bit TOO burned - I was very skeptical when I first finished making it (kind of acrid and burny-tasting, and VERY hot on account of the chili), but it's REALLY good drizzled over the croquettes.
Roasted Root Vegetables
Put a proper cast-iron Dutch oven or deep (also cast-iron) frying pan in the oven at about 200-250 degrees (F), with a little spoonful of ghee in it. Cut the onions into 8ths and toss them in there. Peel & dice the potatoes & sweet potato into chunks about the same size as the onion, and stir them in, too. Ditto carrots, then finely mince the garlic & toss that in there. Sprinkle the almonds and pine nuts on top, and turn the heat up to 400. Shuffle around in the cupboards finding the dry spices for a few minutes, mix those in, then leave everything alone while you make the caramel sauce (keep in mind that while I cook I'm also watching tv and checking my email and stuff, so everything takes longer than it sounds). After the caramel sauce is done, add the beef stock a bit at a time (again, I didn't actually measure, just sort of splashed), reducing the liquid to nothing & deglazing the pan (the onions & sweet potato will have stuck a bit)... stop adding stock when it stops going **WHOOSH* boil boil* as soon as it hits the pan. Turn the oven down to warm and fry the croquettes (I recommend keeping your serving plate for the croquettes in the oven while you're frying, so you can quick pop the done ones on the plate & back in the oven when they're done, so they won't get cold.
I also had a small salad with this - just some romaine with a dressing made out of plain yogurt, red wine vinegar, and brown sugar.
Viola! Dinner.
Salmon Croquettes
- 9.6 oz pink salmon (aka three of the little foil-packs)
- 1 tbs. prepared horseradish (Silver Springs if you can get it, whatever is closest to just pureed horseradish)
- 1 thick slice (~2" x 3" x 1/4") of horseradish cheddar cheese (or a mild/medium white cheddar & increase the prepared horseradish a bit), in 1/4 inch cubes
- 1 cup Potato Buds (dry/unprepared)
- 2 medium shallots, finely chopped
- 1/4 tsp. black pepper
- ~3/4 cup milk
Spicy Caramel Sauce
- 1 dried red chili (one of the mean Thai chilies)
- 3/4 tsp. whole cumin
- 1 tsp. fennel seed
- 1/2 tsp. powdered ginger
- 2/3 cup sugar
- ~2 tbs. ghee or butter
- ~1 cup of heavy cream
Grind the cumin and fennel in a mortar until powdery, and the chili until crumbled, and throw the ginger in there, too, it's a nice way to mix together spices. Give them a good toasting in your pan (I fried them slightly in a tiny bit of the ghee, but I think that caused problems), then mix in the sugar, whisking as it melts and turns into caramel. Turn heat down to low, then add the ghee, and after the ghee the heavy cream (I didn't actually measure, just kept pouring and mixing until it was a nicely runny gravyish sauce-type consistency). I think the biggest problem with this is the sugar got a bit TOO burned - I was very skeptical when I first finished making it (kind of acrid and burny-tasting, and VERY hot on account of the chili), but it's REALLY good drizzled over the croquettes.
Roasted Root Vegetables
- 2 small yellow onions
- 3 small potatoes
- 1 medium sweet potato
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 1/2 tsp. dried basil
- 1/3 cup each pine nuts & slivered almonds
- generous pinch black pepper
- small pinch mint
- 3/4 tsp. marjoram
- ~1/2 cup beef stock
Put a proper cast-iron Dutch oven or deep (also cast-iron) frying pan in the oven at about 200-250 degrees (F), with a little spoonful of ghee in it. Cut the onions into 8ths and toss them in there. Peel & dice the potatoes & sweet potato into chunks about the same size as the onion, and stir them in, too. Ditto carrots, then finely mince the garlic & toss that in there. Sprinkle the almonds and pine nuts on top, and turn the heat up to 400. Shuffle around in the cupboards finding the dry spices for a few minutes, mix those in, then leave everything alone while you make the caramel sauce (keep in mind that while I cook I'm also watching tv and checking my email and stuff, so everything takes longer than it sounds). After the caramel sauce is done, add the beef stock a bit at a time (again, I didn't actually measure, just sort of splashed), reducing the liquid to nothing & deglazing the pan (the onions & sweet potato will have stuck a bit)... stop adding stock when it stops going **WHOOSH* boil boil* as soon as it hits the pan. Turn the oven down to warm and fry the croquettes (I recommend keeping your serving plate for the croquettes in the oven while you're frying, so you can quick pop the done ones on the plate & back in the oven when they're done, so they won't get cold.
I also had a small salad with this - just some romaine with a dressing made out of plain yogurt, red wine vinegar, and brown sugar.
Viola! Dinner.