A Company Dinner

Steve had an Australian colleague named Siobhan visiting this week, so we invited her to dinner, along with some other colleagues from Steve's college, Ed and Linda.  Siobhan likes to bake, and she had sampled the orange danish, so she was excited about dinner, and Linda had already seen this blog.  So expectations were high.

I decided to try two new recipes from this month's food magazines, and two tried and true recipes.  In all it was an easy and relaxed dinner to prepare for company, and I think one that would be easy for anyone to replicate.

Here's the menu:

Spice Rubbed Salmon with Herb and Pomegranate Raita
Citrus Roasted Asparagus
Parker House Rolls
Pecan and Chocolate Tart

Unfortunately, most of the preparation was done while Steve was at work, so photos are spotty.

SPICE RUBBED SALMON WITH HERB AND POMEGRANATE RAITA
From Food & Wine

3/4 Tablespoons caraway seeds
3/4 Tablespoons cumin seeds
1 1/2 Tablespoons ancho chile powder
3/4 teaspoons garlic powder
Kosher salt
2 pound salmon fillet with skin
Extra-virgin olive oil, for rubbing
1 cup plain 2 percent Greek yogurt
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 cup chopped mint
2 Tablespoons minced scallions
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice

In a small skillet, toast the caraway and cumin seeds over moderate heat, shaking the pan, until the spices are fragrant, about 2 minutes.  Transfer the caraway and cumin seeds to a spice grinder and let them cool completely.  Add the chile and garlic powders and 1/2 Tablespoon of salt and grind to a powder.

Arrange the salmon fillet skin side down on a large rimmed baking sheet.  Spread the spice mix on the salmon fillet, cover the fish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 to 6 hours.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.  Lightly drizzle the fish all over with olive oil and rub it into the spice mixture to make a paste with the spices.  Roast the fish for about 15 to 18 minutes, until the flesh just begins to flake.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the yogurt with the pomegranate seeds, chopped cilantro, chopped mint, minced scallions and lemon juice and season the raita with salt.

Using 2 large spatulas, carefully lift the fish off the pans, leaving the skin behind, and transfer to platters.  Serve with the pomegranate raita.

The recipe above serves 5 or 6.

MAKE AHEAD

The unroasted spice-rubbed fish and raita can be refrigerated overnight.

NOTES:  I bought wild salmon, which definitely added to the flavor.  This dish was simply delicious, especially the contrast between the hot spices and the cool raita.  Pomegranate is only available October through December, so there is a time limit on it.  I'm thinking about what other fruit could be substituted.

AN ASIDE:  I used a mid-grade olive oil on this because the spices will overpower any flavor in the oil.  I save my best olive oil for dishes where the flavor will actually be tasted.  Lately, I've been buying California Olive Ranch brand because it is only moderately expensive, but contains 100% olive oil (as opposed to the unknown percentage is some of the store brand "extra virgin olive oils.")  It doesn't have a strong olive oil flavor, but it also doesn't have an "off" flavor either.

CITRUS ROASTED ASPARAGUS

2 pounds asparagus spears
2 seedless oranges
2 lemons
5 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (see aside above)
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons tarragon leaves
Sea salt and coarsely ground pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.  Put one oven rack in the upper third and one in the lower third of the oven.

Wash asparagus; break off woody bases.  Place spears in a half-sheet baking pan.

Zest (meaning finely grate) one orange and one lemon over the asparagus.  Sprinkle with garlic and tarragon.  Drizzle 2 Tablespoons olive oil; toss to coat spears (yes, with your hands!).  Spread in single layer.  Season with salt and pepper.

Thinly slice remaining orange and lemon; drizzle slices with 1 Tablespoon olive oil.  Place on a second baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Roast asparagus and citrus slices 12 to 15 minutes, turning once or twice with tongs, until asparagus is tender and citrus begins to brown.  Transfer to a serving platter or directly onto plates.

Meanwhile, for vinaigrette, squeeze 1 Tablespoon of juice from the lemon and the orange that you zested.  Combine the juice with the remaining 2 Tablespoons of olive oil; season with salt and pepper.  Drizzle over roasted asparagus.  Sprinkle with roasted citrus slices.  Serve warm.

Makes 6 servings.

PARKER HOUSE ROLLS
from the King Arthur Flour website

My mother is from Mississippi, and her mother used to make Parker House rolls, so she asked me to learn how to make them.  After a few false starts, I discovered this recipe.  They are soft, light, buttery, and so good that Jennifer, one of our adopted daughters, ate one completely unconsciously on her way down the stairs after announcing that she was too full to eat any more now, but would save it for later.


This recipe can be found in its entirety on the King Arthur Flour website:

http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/parker-house-rolls-recipe

And what is truly wonderful is the button you can push under "Directions" called "See this recipe's blog" which has photos of every step of the way.

I did invest in the King Arthur pan, which seems to do a good job of distributing the heat.

My one added touch is to sprinkle just a little fleur de sel, French sea salt, over the top.  Otherwise, just practice a few times, and you will be an expert, too.


DESSERT:

PECAN AND CHOCOLATE TART

Sweet Tart Dough (from The Modern Baker, by Nick Malgieri):
1 1/2 cups (6.35 oz) AP flour
1/4 cup (2 oz) superfine sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 Tablespoons (3 oz) cold, unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 Tablespoon water

1 1/2 cups chopped pecans plus
1 1/2 cups pecan halves
1/4 cup (2 ounces) unsalted butter
1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
1 cup superfine sugar
1/2 cup dark corn syrup
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
3 large eggs
4 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped (I used Scharffenberger bittersweet)

(This recipe calls for an 1-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom.  I only had a 1-inch one, so I did not pour all of the filling into it, but otherwise followed the recipe.)

To make sweet tart dough:

Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade.  Pulse several times to mix.

Add the butter and pulse repeatedly until the butter is finely mixed into the dry ingredients---you do not want any visible pieces of butter.

Add the egg, egg yolk, and water.  Pulse repeatedly until the dough is blended.

Carefully remove the blade and transfer the dough directly into a 10-inch or 11-inch tart pan (you don't need to butter it first).

Pat the sweet tart dough disk evenly into the pan and up the sides.  Because this dough is made with sugar and an egg yolk, it is more like a cookie than a pie crust and can take some abuse.  Cover with plastic and chill for 1 hour or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Spread out chopped pecans pieces in a single layer on a rimmed sheet and toast, stirring once or twice, until lightly browned and aromatic, 8 to 10 minutes.  Cool completely.

Place butter in a small skillet over medium heat.  Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add bean.

Cook, swirling pan a few times, until butter browns and smells nutty, about 5 minutes.  Discard vanilla bean.  Hint:  watch the butter carefully.  You want it to just stop foaming and when you see little brown flecks, swirl the pan and if you smell nuts, it is done.  I use an all-clad pan rather than a nonstick so that I can see the color change.)

Whisk sugar, both corn syrups, and salt in a large bowl.

Whisk in warm brown butter, then eggs; whisk to blend.

Spread chopped pecans in an even layer over prepared tart shell.  Scatter chocolate over.

Place pecan halves in concentric circles over chopped pecans and chocolate.

Pour filling slowly and evenly over nuts.

Place tart pan on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and slip it into the oven.  Bake tart until filling is just set in the center, 45-50 minutes.

Transfer tart to a wire rack; let cool for at least 30 minutes.

DO AHEAD:  Tart can be made 8 hours ahead.  Let stand at room temperature.

Excellent with whipped cream or ice cream.

NOTE:  In the photos you will notice that I mixed the filling in a bowl that has a handle and a spout.  It's called a PourPerfect bowl, and they come in several sizes.  This one is 8 cups and is very handy.  You can find them at Amazon and they're quite inexpensive.