Skip to main content

Fennel Pollen Salmon and Roasted Fennel Bulbs

Paxton and Jake with their catch. Photo credit: Captain Dan Wood
When Jake called to check the schedule because he wanted to head out with two of our friends the next morning, there was no hesitation in my mind: fresh salmon?! Yep. Go. Catch your limit, my love!

I packed granola bars, string cheese, beef jerky, fruits, and made some mini rhubarb loaves and sent him off - at an ungodly hour - with a good luck kiss.

Photo credit: Paxton Mobley

I didn't hear anything from them for a long time. Finally I got a text: "two fish in the boat." Sweet!

Then I mentally prepared to clean the fish. It's not that I mind cleaning the fish; it's the lingering smell on my hands that I mind. But - to my surprise and delight - when I got home, the fish was there, in the fridge, cleaned, gutted, sliced into steaks and fileted. Gotta love that.

There is nothing quite like fresh fish. And knowing that Jake reeled this 16-pounder in made it even better. No, in all seriousness, we eat "fresh fish" all the time. Living on the coast, with access to fish markets year-round that carry whatever is in season, you would think that we would be spoiled. And, I suppose, we are. But this salmon was probably the freshest I've ever had...on the line and in my oven in less than a couple of hours.


I kept the preparation simple...

I rubbed the steaks and filets with minced garlic, sprinkled them with freshly ground pink Himalaya salt, freshly ground flower pepper, fennel pollen, then I drizzled them with olive oil and a splash of soy sauce.

To complement the fennel pollen, I cut two fresh fennel bulbs from Belle's garden into wedges, placed them in the roasting pan along with the salmon, sprinkled them with freshly ground pink Himalaya salt, and drizzled them with olive oil.

Then I roasted it all in a 350 degree oven until the fish was opaque and bounced back when I touched it. I know that's very imprecise. Sorry. I didn't time it but would guess that it took between 30 and 45 minutes.

Photo credit: Paxton Mobley
And that was dinner: fennel pollen salmon, roasted fennel bulbs, and a quick salad topped with blackberries and asiago cheese.

Dan, thanks for taking them out on the boat.

Paxton, thanks for the great photos and video. I loved the Pacific white-side dolphins surfing alongside you guys.

And, Jake, my love, thanks for coming from a long line of Portuguese fisherman and bringing home the best salmon I've ever had because everyone knows I certainly didn't retain any of my Filipino fisherman roots! I do think that the fish hat helped a little. I can't wait for your grilled version tonight.

I am sharing this recipe with Beyond the Peel's Whole Food Wednesday, a weekly celebration of real food. Gotta love that!



PhotobucketI am also sharing this with Rook No. 17 and her readers.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Meyer Lemon Custard-Filled Matcha Turtles #BreadBakers

#BreadBakers is a group of bread loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bread with a common ingredient or theme. You can see all our of lovely bread by following our  Pinterest board  right here. Links are also updated after each event on the  Bread Bakers home page .  We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient. This month Stacy of Food Lust People Love  is hosting and she wrote: "Your bread can be large, as in one big animal, or small - animal-shaped rolls. Use your imagination! Points for flavor and shape!" If you are a food blogger and would like to join us, just send an email with your blog URL to Stacy at foodlustpeoplelove@gmail.com. Here's the animal-shaped bread basket from the #BreadBakers... Beef and Sweet Onion Dim Sum Pandas from Karen's Kitchen Stories Bird Bread Rolls from Ambrosia Easter Bunny Buns from Cook with Renu Ham and Cheese Elephant Rolls from Food Lust People Love Hedgehog Bread from Making Mir

Connecticut Lobster Rolls, Canned Lobster Bisque, and a 2019 Henry Fessy 'Maître Bonhome' Viré-Clessé #Winophiles

This month the French Winophiles group is looking at affordable wines from Burgundy.  Host Cindy of Grape Experiences wrote: "Burgundy, or Bourgogne, is known for its wines of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir... as well as Aligote, Gamay, Sauvignon, César, Pinot Beurot, Sacy, Melon in lesser quantities. Many of the well-known wines are quite expensive, but there are plenty of values to be found." Read her invitation here. And there won't be a Twitter chat for this event, so you will have to dive into the articles themselves to read about our pairings and findings. Here's the line-up... Wendy Klik from A Day in the Life on the Farm enjoys Domaine Chevillon Chezeaux Bourgogne Hautes Cotes de Nuits, 2018 Paired with a Maple Pecan Chicken . Camilla Mann from Culinary Adventures with Camilla shares her love of Connecticut Lobster Rolls, Canned Lobster Bisque, and a 2019 Henry Fessy 'Maître Bonhome' Viré-Clessé. Jeff Burrows of FoodWineClick! explains why we should Look t

Quick Pickled Red Onions and Radishes

If you've been reading my blog for even a short amount of time, you probably know how much I love to pickle things. I was just telling a friend you can pickle - with vinegar - or you can ferment - with salt - for similar delicious effect. The latter has digestive benefits and I love to do that, but when I need that pop of sour flavor quickly, I whip up quick pickles that are ready in as little as a day or two. I've Pickled Blueberries , Pickled Asparagus , Pickled Cranberries , Pickled Pumpkin , and even Pickled Chard Stems ! This I did last night for an upcoming recipe challenge that requires I include radishes. Ummmm...of course I'm pickling them! Ingredients  makes 1 quart jar radishes, trimmed and sliced organic red onions, peeled and thinly sliced (I used a mandolin slicer) 3/4 C vinegar (I used white distilled vinegar) 3/4 C water 3 T organic granulated sugar 1 T salt (I used some grey sea salt) 6 to 8 grinds of black pepper Proce