Fabulous Dinner Time with a TRUE Friend
Last night I had a friend from high school coming over for dinner, Eduardo Gruber. I have to tell you this was a huge deal! see, I attended high school in a small town in the South of Venezuela, an industrial relatively new and modern city called Puerto Ordaz. We were team mates along with 2 others for 4 straight years and we both participated in the national mathematics competition, he got to the finals I got to the semi finals. For our entire high school years we discussed papers, did lab, got exited for high grades and supported each other when bad grades were inevitable. So the fact he was here in Michigan thousands of miles away from where we originally came from was a big deal. So logically I had to get my chef hat out and prepare a more than awesome dinner.
The dinner was amazing even my picky 18 y/o son said so, so here I am sharing the recipe that I came up with yesterday afternoon preparing the dinner menu.
The was Grilled Salmon with Mustard Glaze and Chives (from my organic garden), Rosemary Roasted Red Potatoes, Red & Green Bowl Lettuce with Black Olives, White Onions, Black Olives and Artichoke Hearts seasoned with a vinaigrette . For dessert a chocolate and almonds cake, which I didn’t make, hubby got it at VG’s (and it was AWESOME!). We served a bottle of Red Spanish Reserva Wine from the Rioja we brought with us from Spain, year 2003, really great wine.
I wish I took pictures of the dinner table and the plates, but I was so excited to have my old friend over for dinner that I completely forgot to get my camera out.
Ok, no more talking and lets get to the kitchen!
We should make the Rosemary Roasted Red Potatoes first as this dish takes some time to get ready. This is a recipe my mom used to make a lot when we were kids, so in a way she was the one that got me going with good food. A good rule of thumb is 2 small or 1 medium size potato per person. You can mix different kids of potatoes for an even better good looking dish. To start lets warm the oven at 300 degrees F. Wash the potatoes and rub the skin with an abrasive (scotch brite) sponge to get all the dirt out. Don’t peel the potatoes! cut the potatoes in 4. If the slices are too big cut them in half again. Get a large baking plate and place the potatoes in it. Sprinkle the potatoes with some extra virgin olive oil, rosemary (preferably fresh), salt and pepper to taste. Mix everything well with your hands, you want the potatoes to be well covered with the seasoning especially the rosemary. Place a sheet or two of tinfoil on top and place the baking plate in the oven. It’ll take about 45 min to an hour for the potatoes to be tender depending on the quantity. Test with a tooth pick to make sure they are tender. Once they are remove the tinfoil and leave in the oven for 5 more minutes so they get a nice caramel color. Once done turn off the oven and leave them there so they will remain warm.
On to the Red & Green Bowl Lettuce with Black Olives, White Onions, Black Olives and Artichoke Hearts salad. Wash the bowl lettuce and cut into bite size pieces. Place in a large salad bowl. Slice the onions finely and add to the lettuce. Get a can of good black olives in water (we use imported from Spain those are the best!) and artichoke hearts in salmuera (oil). I add them whole to the salad but you can cut them in smaller pieces. Make a vinaigrette with extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, a touch of Dijon mustar, salt and pepper and set aside.
Now the star of the dish, to make the Grilled Salmon with Mustard Glaze and Chives you’ll need:
Salmon with the skin (this is very important! and you’ll know why in a minute) I prepared a dinner for 4 so I used an entire salmon. If you buy the salmon already clean make sure you get the 2 halves of the salmon or the two large fillet.
1-2 tablespoons of butter
2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
4 teaspoons of a good balsamic vinegar
4 teaspoons of honey
the juice of a medium size lime
4 teaspoons of Dijon mustard
salt & pepper to taste
1/2 a cup of chives finely chopped
Start your grill in medium high. Skin the salmon and save the skin for later. Cut the portions off the whole salmon fillet. I got 3 big nice portions of each side. Salt and pepper the salmon and rub some olive oil on it. Brush some olive oil to the skin of the salmon as well on the outside only, this is to prevent it to stick to your grill. Now to make the glaze melt the butter until it has a liquid consistency. Add all the rest of the ingredients to the butter and mix well with a whisker. Add a little bit of salt and pepper. Set aside. Now hopefully your grill is hot and is time to grill the salmon. Get the skin of the salmon and place it on the grill like if it was a plate, stretch it flat on the grill and place the salmon on top. You’re going to cook the salmon on top of the skin that way it will slowly cook without creating a crust and remaining more juicy. Close the lid of your grill and cook for about 1o-15 minutes. Open the lid and brush the glaze you previously made on top of the salmon. Make sure some of the chives stay on top of the salmon. Be careful as your grill could burst into flames. Wait one more minute and turn off your grill. Your salmon is ready! Carefully separate the salmon from the skin and serve.
This is where it gets fun! Presentation is a big part of any dish so be creative! Now it’s time to add the vinaigrette to the salad and mix well.
One way to plate this: place the salmon on the center of the plate, on top add some of the rosemary roasted potatoes and on top some of the salad. If you saved some of the glaze we used for the salmon just get a spoon and add a touch of the glaze on one side of the plate next to the salmon and drag the spoon this would create a comma like mark with the glaze. Voila!
I hope you enjoyed this simple and yummy dish! and if you do make it let me know how it came out and send me pictures!!
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