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I had the great pleasure to attend a Lox Class this past week. I’ve made lox before, but this was a great class to attend to learn maybe a better technique led by Brad Wolf. It is not difficult. 1-3 pounds of fresh salmon, 1/4 cup kosher salt per pound, 1/4 cup sugar per pound, 2 aluminium pans and saran wrap. You can also use some fresh herbs for this, too. We like fresh tarragon but others like black pepper and dill. Use what you like. Combine salt and sugar and add about 1/2 of it in one pan, add the salmon, skin side down, add the herbs if you are using them and coat the salmon with the remaining salt and sugar mix. Cover tightly with saran wrap and place the second aluminium on top. Weight down with something. I use a 5 quart cast-iron Dutch oven, but you can use anything. Place in the refrigerator for 48 hours. After 48 hours, rinse the salt, sugar and herbs off. Pat dry. Slice on the diagonal thinly using a very sharp Chef’s knife and enjoy! Here is the way mine turned out. Enjoy! (Click on an image to see enlarged)
Correction – The salt and sugar ingredients should be 1/4 cup per pound of salmon. Sorry for the error.
Sliced a piece off. Delicious!
Class Bagel and Lox with a good red wine. This one was a Porteugese wine.
Bagel and Lox for lunch.
Cranberry Sourdough and Lox. Different., but good.
So there you are. Easy to do, fun and a great party treat, for those who like Lox Enjoy.
Been trying some4 different recipes, most of which are Use What You Have In The Kitchen. You end up with some interesting combinations and meals.
For instance, I really hate to throw away the sourdough starter. Seems a waste to me both in time and ingredients. S I came across this recipe for http://www.rockinrs.com/Sourdough-Blueberry-Muffins.pdf – Sourdough Blueberry Muffins, that are really good and easy7 to make. Not particularly easy, but fun and delicious. Give it a whirl and see what you think, I haven’t tried, but why not change the fruit, strawberries, apricots or blackber4ies, for instance?
And if you have made some sourdough bread, why not make Sourdough French Toast? This was really deliciously different.
And here is a very basic Salisbury Steak dinner with Pan Gravy made with Apple Brandy and Caramelized Vidalia Onion and Button Mushrooms. Corn On the Cob and Steamed Asparagus on the side. Then add a slice of homemade Sourdough Bread.That sauce with the apple brandy was fantastic!
And this one, a Pork Loin Chop in a Brandy-Apple-Pear-Herb Sauce with Corn On the Cob. It was delicious! Apples and pork with fresh pears is an awesome combination. Just be sure to caramelize the apple and pear The pears should break down to act as a thickener. slices with some brown sugar in the unsalted butter.
And as an endnote, the sourdough recipe that I have been using I named Anna’s Sourdough and it comes from my Granddaughter In-Law, Anna Shaner. You can find her recipe at http://www.rockinrs,com/Annas-Sourdough.pdf
I know. Its been a while. But it has been a learning session. Making sourdough starter, bread and pancakes. But it has been an exciting adventure and a real learning experience. Started out with a basic
The starter, in my opinion, must be active, bubbly and smell somewhat “sour”. It is the starter is what gives the bread it’s name – Sourdough Bread or Pancakes, Cookies, Bagels or a host of other baked goods their name. The starter pictured here is my starter and you can see how it has doubled in size and is nice and bubbly. Thee rubber band around the jar marks the level at the start and then one can “see” how the starter has grown, or not. The starter is not especially difficult to do, but it does take some time and persistence to create. Check the recipe above to see how it is done, but don’t be intimidated by it.
This is the bread right after it came out of the oven. The recipe link above has two different baking techniques listed. Personally I like the 500 degree F temperature best, but either one will work fine. See the recipe above. The crust could be a little browner, but not much more.
Here is the loaf after it has cooled and is partially sliced. Notice the crumb – the “holes” – in the surface and the color of the crust. Love the flavor from the starter. The interior is soft, but not gummy.. The crust is crunchy, but you won’t break any teeth on it. It is somewhat crunchy. However, it could be a little more crunchy.
And finally, we have one, of many uses, for the starter discard. Sourdough Pancakes. But you can also make cookies, bagels, rolls, etc. There are many recipes on the web, but the one I like is PantryMama, http://www.pantrymama.com. Many recipes there, but more importantly, much useful information and help in solving sourdough problems. You can also find help on Facebook.
So there you go! It was a long 5 weeks or so to gather, read and then produce this bread. It was a long process, but well worth it. And then too, I had a lot of personal help from friends and relatives. I want to Thank each and everyone who gave me assistance. Have fun with these recipes. It might be a new adventure, but a fun one. just remember – Temperatures are extremely important, so follow them closely. And please don’t use cups or ounces. Rather use an inexpensive digital scale that reads in tare and grams. They range from about $20 to well mover $100. The brand I use is Escali, for about $30 and it works just fine. And please too, use a 10 quart Cast Iron pan with lid.
This potato salad,the recipe is located here Chef Lou’s Potato Salad, is full of vegetables. (Pictured above) You can use veggies, or not, or choose your own. The salad has an awesome dressing of mayo, apple cider vinegar and Dejon mustard. I also added some fresh lovage to add to the “celery” flavor. Try it. Easy to make. I chilled the cooked potatoes before adding them to the sauce/vegetable mix. I also cut the potatoes in “bite sized” pieces before cooking them. Try using new potatoes and quarter them.
The second wonderful dish we made was a Shrimp Salad. (Pictured above) This was a great, summer salad and it can be made ahead of time and refrigerated. Full of vegetables and shrimp and with a creamy sauce. I added frozen peas and corn to this salad which gave a a nice texture and flavor. I also used some fresh lovage in this, too. You could probably use lobster instead of shrimp, if you are so inclined. We served it with baked Orange Kokanee – salmon – (7 min at 375 degrees F) for 7 minutes. Toasted Sourdough Wedges with butter and garlic.
Well there are two meals you can play with. Have fun and enjoy! Just don’t forget: If it is on a plate, it is edible! Don’t ever put something on a plate that is not edible.
Robin and I are BIG believers in buying local and supporting our local farmers. Even in the winter when the Saturday Farmers Market is closed. (Due to open the first part of April at 10th and Grove!) We shop wise! We check the labels! This breakfast was 100% local products. The sourdough bread from Boise; the bacon from Twin Falls; the potatoes from Burley and the eggs from Nampa. And it was scrumptious. Check this out!
Don’t shutter! (Oops! shudder) The Cold Cucumber Soup is really good and refreshing on a hot summer day, or night. Combine that with a Chicken Muffuletta and some heirloom tomato slices and some good wine and we had a good dinner.
Oh my, but this was a great dinner. I asked Robin this morning what she wanted for dinner and to my surprise she said steak. I was looking for a New York Strip steak or a Delmonico but could not find either one. So I got to very nice Rib-Eye steaks. And this was a perfect chance to try Sandi’s Ranch Dressing on a green salad. It replaces the original Ranch Dressing. This one has avocado and Greek yogurt. Very good. But here are two photos of the dinner. Then add to the dinner a fantastic glass of 2011 Ravenswood Winery Petite Sirah and you have an awesome dinner. I will post the salad dressing recipe tomorrow – it is also on my Facebook page. [Sandi’s Ranch Dressing. PDF format] Gut essen!
Green Salad
with Sandi’s Ranch Dressing
Rib-Eye Steak
with
Grilled Mushrooms and Hollandaise Sauce
Buttered Steamed Broccoli
Acme Bake Shop Sourdough Bread
Yup, it’s Saturday and time to stop at the market. We needed some fresh vegetables and eggs. And I always stop at Rollingstone Chevre (see the link in the sidebar) and talk to Karen for a moment or two. My other routine is to stop in at Acme Bake Shop booth and get some their fresh baked sourdough. And Soraya said, “Bob. You must try this Potato Bread.” Now, Soraya has never misled us …. never. So I accepted her challenge and bought a loaf, and a loaf of sourdough also. Robin and I don’t normally eat white bread, but the Potato Bread is really good. Here are some photos of the bread this morning after I took it home and sliced it. Enjoy!
Acme Bake Shop Potato Bread
This is a new item, I think. It is a light potato bread that will make a great substitute for your “everyday” white, doughy, pasty white bread. This Potato Bread is definitely not that!
Acme Bake Shop Sourdough Bread
This is an amazing sourdough bread. It toasts wonderfully and has a unique sour taste that a sourdough must have. In my opinion, this is the best sourdough in Boise, right up there with the Acme Bake Shop Rye.
I did pick up some fresh vegetables. Turnips, garlic, beets, herbed goat cheese and fresh eggs. So it was not just a “bread run”, although my shopping bag looked that way. A good time at the market. I will hate to see it close later this fall.
Boise Foodie Guild 