Menu to help say goodbye to summer
End-of-season gathering offers great opportunity to share this simple and tasty feast
It’s always bittersweet to see summer coming to an end, but my consolation is the al fresco gathering my friends Bob and Chela host each August at their oceanfront cottage in Point Roberts, Wash., the 1,200-hectare U.S. community accessible only through Canada.
Passports in hand, carloads of guests converge on the gorgeous spot for the party of the season. (Some of us leave early to pick up wine at half the price we would pay in Canada.)
As Bob slowly barbecues whole salmon filets on the grill, we gather around to sip margaritas and enjoy appetizers, provided this year by the hosts’ sons.
Michael put together a version of a Mexican street snack, dousing chilled jicama spears with lime juice and seasoning them with salt and chili powder. His brother, Rann, brought a giant platter of prosciutto, fig and goat cheese rolls that hit a home run with guests.
I’m sharing recipes for both, along with a kitchen-friendly version of Bob’s salmon for those of us who don’t have a backyard grill.
SALMON WITH CRISPY LEMONS AND ANCHOVY BUTTER
The anchovy butter adds a punch of rich, savoury flavour to the fish. The recipe calls for anchovy paste, but minced anchovy filets work, too. (So does canned tuna; see today’s Kitchen Hack.)
This method of cooking works well for all kinds of flaky fish, including Arctic char, trout and cod.
(Adapted from Host: A Modern Guide to Eating, Drinking, and Feeding Your Friends by Eric Prum and Josh Williams, Dovetail, 2016.)
4 tbsp (60 mL) unsalted butter, melted
1 tsp (5 mL) anchovy paste
2 garlic cloves, minced
Olive oil
6 lemons, thinly sliced
Flaky sea salt
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 spring salmon filets (about 2 lbs or 900 g total)
1 tsp (5 mL) finely chopped chives
Preheat the broiler to high. In a small bowl, combine the melted butter, anchovy paste, garlic and pepper; stir to combine.
Brush a large rimmed baking sheet with olive oil.
Layer the lemon slices on the pan, slightly overlapping, creating a bed for the filets.
Lightly drizzle the lemons with olive oil and season with sea salt and pepper.
Place the fish filets on the bed of lemons. Pour anchovy butter over each filet, distributing evenly.
Broil until the fish is almost cooked through, about 5 minutes (cooking time will vary, depending on thickness).
Use a broad spatula to transfer the fish and lemon slices to a platter. Sprinkle with chives and serve immediately.
Makes 4 servings.
GOAT CHEESE ROLLS
Pack these rolls for a picnic or serve them as a first course at an Italian meal. Count on four portions per person.
2 tbsp (30 mL) extra-virgin olive oil
2 tsp (10 mL) grated lemon zest
1 tbsp (15 mL) fresh lemon juice
2 or 3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
6 oz (170 g) soft goat cheese,
at room temperature
12 slices (not paper-thin) prosciutto, halved crosswise
1⁄2 cup (125 mL) fig preserves
1/2 bunch arugula, trimmed
Freshly ground pepper
Whisk oil, lemon zest and juice in a small bowl and set aside.
Mix garlic into goat cheese in another small bowl.
Spread a thin layer of the goat cheese mixture on each piece of prosciutto, spread a thin layer of fig preserves over cheese, and top with a few arugula leaves.
Drizzle with lemon vinaigrette and season to taste with pepper. Roll prosciutto slices up around filling and arrange on a serving platter, seam side down. Garnish platter with more arugula if you like.
Makes 24 rolls.
JICAMA SPEARS WITH LIME, SEA SALT AND CHILI PEPPER
Jicama is a large root vegetable with a light tan skin.
The white interior has the crunchy texture of Asian pear and is slightly sweet.
It’s an excellent addition to crudité platters and salads.
Select firm, medium-size roots that feel heavy for their size. (Large jicama can be fibrous and dry, while small ones are hard to peel.)
An uncut jicama will keep for 2 to 3 weeks in the refrigerator. Do not store it in plastic, because air circulation prevents spoilage. Wrap cut, unused jicama in plastic and refrigerate for up to a week.
3/4 lb (340 g) jicama, chilled and peeled
2 limes, halved
1 tsp (5 mL) tajin (a Mexican spice of chili peppers, salt and lime) or 1 tsp chili powder
ground medium-hot chili powder or to taste
Sea salt
Cut jicama lengthwise into 1/2-inch (1.3 cm) slices, then cut the slices into 1/2-inch (1.3 cm) wide sticks.
Arrange jicama strips on a serving plate. Squeeze lime juice on jicama and sprinkle with chili powder and salt to taste. Serve promptly.
Serves 4.
KITCHEN HACK
If there are anchovy haters on your guest list, or if you don’t have a can of anchovies on hand, here’s a foolproof substitute.
For each teaspoon of minced anchovy, use 1 tbsp (15 mL) drained, minced water-packed tuna. It is nearly indistinguishable in both dressings and sauces. Chopping it finely is the key.