Tag: main course
Grilled Steelhead Trout
Grilled Steelhead Trout
Steelhead trout are native to the Pacific Northwest and Alaska. They have a similar taste to Atlantic salmon, but are smaller in size and have slightly less fat content. Steelhead are an anadromous fish, meaning they spend part of their lives in fresh and saltwater.
Equipment
- charcoal grill
- hardwood charcoal or briquettes
- grilling basket
Ingredients
- 1 whole steelhead fillet 2-3lbs
- seasoning of your liking salt, pepper, garlic, parsley, or any pre-made mix
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 lemon juiced
Instructions
- Rub your steelhead fillet with the olive oil. Generously season with seasonings of your liking. I used Paul Prudomme’s salmon seasoning, but a combination of salt, pepper, garlic, and parsley would work just fine. Allow to rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. Place in a grilling basket.
- While the fish is resting, place the charcoal in a chimney starter and allow to turn grey; about 15 minutes. Pour the lit charcoal on one side of the grill.
- When ready to cook, place the steelhead in the basket flesh side down directly over the charcoal. Grill for 2-3 minutes to sear the fish.
- Flip the fish over to skin side down. Grill for about 8 minutes with the cover on the grill with the vent open.
Baked Eggplant Parmigiana
Baked Eggplant Parmigiana
I’ve very recently fell in love with eggplant parmigiana. I ate it from my work’s deli hot bar. It was good, but I knew that I could make it better. Eggplant parmigiana’s origins are from the southern regions of Italy; Calabrian, Campania, Apulia, and Sicily all claiming it’s creation. The dish consists of breaded and fried slices of eggplant baked in a tomato sauce, topped with parmesan cheese. Instead of frying the eggplant, I baked it in the oven until crispy; reducing the amount of oil used to make it slightly healthier. To completely ruin the healthier aspect, I added a garlic cream sauce to the dish; plus slices of mozzarella.
Ingredients
Cream Sauce
- 4 tbsp butter
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 3 tbsp flour
- 3 cups whole milk
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
- black pepper to taste
- salt to taste
Eggplant Parmigiana
- 1 large eggplant sliced into 1” pieces
- salt
- 1/4 cup flour
- 2 large eggs beaten
- 1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 cups tomato sauce divided
- fresh mozzarella sliced
- 1 tbsp dried basil
- 1 tbsp dried parsley
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Slice the eggplant and salt liberally to extract the moisture. Let sit for 10 minutes.
- Make an assembly line of flour in a bowl, beaten egg in one, and breadcrumbs in another. Dredge the eggplant in flour, then the beaten egg, and finally the breadcrumbs.
- Pour the olive oil on a baking sheet. Place the breaded eggplant on the baking sheet.
- Bake in a 400 degree preheated oven for 20 minutes; flipping half way through.
- While the eggplant is baking, melt the butter in a pot over medium heat. Sauté the minced garlic for 2 minutes. Whisk in the flour.
- Pour in the whole milk and continue to whisk for 5 minutes until thickened.
- Take off the heat. Whisk in the parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Pour half of the tomato sauce into a large glass baking dish. Arrange the eggplant on top of the sauce.
- Pour over the cream sauce.
- Place a spoonful of sauce on top of each slice of eggplant; followed by a slice of mozzarella. Season with the dried herbs. Top with the parmesan cheese.
- Bake in a 400 degree preheated oven for 30-40 minutes until the top is bubbly. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Miso Marinated Pork Belly
Miso Marinated Pork Belly
In Japan, misozuke refers to the marinade being miso-based, as opposed to kasuzuke being a sake-based marinade. The natural enzymes in the miso help break down the tissue in meat, helping to tenderize. For the protein, I used thinly sliced pieces of pork belly, but you could also use thin sliced pork loin. For optimal flavor, the pork should be marinated for at least 1 day, but no more than two. There are several approaches to can go about cooking the pork. The best in my opinion is to either grill or broil. You could even pan fry the pork if you wanted. Since the pork is so thin, it will take only a couple of minutes a side to cook. My pork belly took about 4 minutes a side. Serve the pork misozuke as an appetizer or as your main course over steamed rice with a side salad to help balance out the richness.
Ingredients
- 1 lb pork belly sliced 1/4” thick or less
- 2 oz miso paste
- 1 tbsp mirin
- 2 tsp honey
- 1 tsp soy sauce
Garnish
- green onions chopped
Instructions
- Whisk together the marinade ingredients.
- Marinate the pork belly in the miso marinade for 1 day.
- Preheat your broiler. Lay the pork belly on a rack on a baking sheet lined in foil.
- Broil for 4 minutes a side. Alternatively, you can grill the pork belly over charcoal or gas for the same amount of time.
