Tired of turkey? Here’s a splendid alternative for a festive din-din. I presume you can use canned salmon (pick out the bones) if fresh isn’t available. It won’t look quite so fancy, but should taste just fine. I've changed the recipe a bit for lower fat, etc. Also have been told that it tastes even better if allowed to sit and think about things for a day, so it can be made ahead and gently re-heated for the festive occasion. Which is a good thing during hectic holidays. My thanks to B.D-M. for her version of an old standby.
GOOD OLD (Healthful) SALMON BISQUE
1/4 C Butter
2 C Sliced Leeks
1lb Sliced Mushrooms
1 Tbl Crushed Garlic (or more to taste)
46 oz Clam Juice or Fish Stock
4 Cups Canned Crushed Tomatoes in Puree or tomatoes smushed up and add tomato paste for color
½ C Chopped Fresh Parsley
2 t Dill, dry or fresh
1-2 bay leaves
Salt
& pepper to taste, plus try other seasoning, bit of curry perhaps?
4 C Salmon Cubed and Boned (approx. 3 lbs or can used canned if no fresh)
4 C whole milk or low-fat milk
¼ C Flour or cornstarch to thicken the brew a bit
Melt butter in a large pot. Add leeks, mushrooms & garlic. Saute approx. 5 minutes. Add fish stock, tomatoes, parsley, dill, salt, and pepper. Heat broth to almost boiling (pick out bay leaves) & add salmon. Cook salmon for approximately 3-5 minutes. Stir in milk, and gradually whisk in thickener (flour or cornstarch in a bit of water) . Reheat. Makes approx. 12 servings.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
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8 comments:
I have made this recipe dozens of times with variations of some ingredients depending on what is available, but I have never made it with fresh dill. If I were to use fresh dill, I would double the amount to 1/4 C, but I couldn't promise results since the original recipe does not use fresh.
I only use Contadina crushed tomatoes in this soup and do not need to add anything for color.
About the best, most delectable fish stock comes from Muzio's, but it is about $30 for half a pint of condensed stock that includes lobster stock. A little goes a long way and makes this soup divine. I have also seen this stock at the Los Olivos Grocery. I most often use Better Than Bouillon clam base that is available at Los Olivos Grocery.
This is definitely a low fat version of bisque. Cream and half and half make a more authentically rich bisque, but this tastes just as good. This recipe can be made up to three days ahead. I reheat without curdling by placing the pot over a LOW flame for one hour, stirring occasionally. It comes out perfectly.
Good Luck!!
For an accompaniment try Gravlax on crackers
a raw salmon marinated in sugar, salt and lemon
and flavored with cornishons and dill. no recipe provided at this time.
I was gonna go get my fish stock recipe and type it in here but a few lazy clicks of the mousie finds this;
http://fishcooking.about.com/od/soupsstewsstocks/r/fishstock.htm
Same thing, and I thought I was soooo clever.
Hint, If you go down to the fish cleaning station in Morro Bay or Port San Luis on a weekend afternoon.
(right next to where they launch boats)
You can score some very fine fresh fish carcasses. The fishermen, at least the ones I know, would happily share their fish bones.
Mike, great idea. I know when Mark Tognazinni's on a salmon run and they come back to sell the fish from their boat, you can ask for salmon "left overs" (from fileting) and walk away with heads, skins, etc. which still have tons of meat still on them.
And Bev, I'll look for the Contadina tomatoes.This recipe is one you can certainly play around with. And Alon, would gravlax with the bisque be too salmony or is it the case that one cannot have tooo much salmon?
Oy Gevalt. It was my salivery glands commenting.
Yes you can get too Salmony. Not as "accompaniment", Esp if you don't allow some Vino between Horse D'Overs and main Course. I've had Salmon Salmon combinations in context of a dinner. And - the Iron Chef kitchen thrives on the multiple preparations of a key ingrediant.
On the other hand, if you have a whole fresh fish or two in the Kitchen, It would be a shame NOT to pull off a fine thin fillet that has no bones and is not in contact with the fatty skin and try a gravlax experiment. I think it needs a few days marinating. The Bisque Is robust enough that frozen whole fish can be used. (the freezing increases salmoniness? Migration of skin fat flavor into meat?)
Hey, Curry-Ann?
Anise root, a few slivers?
Anis root (fennel) in the bisque, hmmmmm, interesting.
Since a single batch makes quite a lot - by the time you add everything it's about a gallon of bisque, and since Ralph's sometimes has a really good price on farm raised, dyed, and fatty salmon, it would be not too expensive to experiment with a pot of this soup by adding selected seasonings to small batches. then when you've got the perfect blend, make the real thing with salmon that has roamed freely - if there really is such a thing anymore.
I have never used bay leaf and might be inclined to give it a try. There's also the possibility of adding a couple of tablespoons of sherry for a traditional bisque flavor.
Someone once told me that the difference between lobster bisque and lobster stew is the sherry.
Good question, Bev. What makes a bisque a bisque and not a chowder? or just plain soup? The tomatoes? Maybe it is the sherry? The cream? Does anyone know? I always think of bisque as red and thick and rich with cream with fish pieces the only solids? Sort pureed thick red creamy stuff with fish chunks in it?
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