Salmon for Lent

Salmon Caviar

The Lenten season has officially begun, and in observance of Lent, many Catholics and Christians abstain from eating meat.  “Lent is the Christian observance of the liturgical year from Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday.  The traditional purpose of Lent is the penitential preparation of the believer—through prayer, penance, repentance, almsgiving, and self- denial.  Its institutional purpose is heightened in the annual commemoration of Holy Week, marking the Death and Resurrection of Jesus, which recalls the events of the Passion of Christ and Good Friday, which then culminates in the celebration on Easter Sunday of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.”  [Wikipedia]

In last year’s article “Ensuring Freshness”, I gave you a list of ways to ensure that the seafood that you are purchasing is at its freshest.

Very often I have conversations with people about seafood.  Salmon seems to be the fish favorite of most. There are so many ways that one can cook salmon.  Here are a few ideas to get you through this season.

Breakfast

Smoked Salmon with Cream Cheese & Capers

Wild Alaskan Salmon Benedict with Citrus Cheese Sauce

Lunch

Asian Salmon Burgers with Pickled Cucumber & Pumpernickel

Salmon Loaf

Dinner

Salad

Summer Salmon Salad

Soup

Salmon Chowder

Entrée

Grilled Salmon with Hazelnut-Lime Butter

Grilled Salmon with Avocado Salsa

Mmm take a bite out of that!

Here are some other great fish ideas & a bonus video about Lent…

Oh Gosh! Curried Crab Anyone? (in a Trini accent)

Tilapia, the not so fishy fish.

I’ve Got Clams On My Mind

 

For any of the above recipes feel free to leave a comment here or shoot me an email at simplyhershey@gmail.com.

Ensuring Freshness

Hi Readers,

It is the great season of Lent, and for those participating I know that one of the main things that people give up is meat.  Seafood is usually the food of choice and with that being said, I would like to share with you a way to ensure that you know how to determine the freshness of your seafood before purchasing it.

Because fish and shellfish are highly perishable, an inspection stamp does not necessarily ensure top quality.  A few hours at the wrong temperature or a couple of days in the refrigerator can turn high-quality fish or shellfish into garbage.  It is important that you be able to determine for yourself the freshness and quality of the fish and shellfish that you purchase or use.  Freshness should be checked before purchasing and again just before cooking.

Freshness can be determined by:

1. Smell- This is by far the easiest way to determine freshness.  Fresh fish should have a slight sea smell or no odor at all.  Any off- odors or ammonia odors are a sure sign of aged or improperly handled fish.
2. Eyes- The eyes should be clear and full.  Sunken eyes mean that the fish is drying out and is probably not fresh.
3. Gills- The gills should be intact and bright red.  Brown gills are a sign of age.
4. Texture- Generally, the flesh of fresh fish should be firm.  Mushy flesh or flesh that does not spring back when pressed with a finger is a sign of poor quality or age.
5. Fins and Scales- Fins and scales should be moist and full without excessive drying on the outer edges.  Dry fins or scales are a sign of age; damaged fins or scales may be a sign of mishandling.
6. Appearance- Fish cuts should be moist and glistening, without bruises or dark spots.  Edges should not be brown or dry.
7. Movement- Shellfish should be purchased live and should show movement.  Lobsters and other crustaceans should be active.  Clams, mussels and oysters that are partially opened should snap shut when tapped with a finger.  (Exceptions are geoduck, razor and steamer clams whose siphons protrude, preventing the shell from closing completely.)  Ones that do not close are dead and should not be used.  Avoid mollusks with broken shells or heavy shells that might be filled with mud or sand.

*Information was taken from On Cooking Second Edition

I hope that this was helpful to you.  If you have any questions please feel free to leave a comment and or send me an email at simplyhershey@gmail.com.