I had this menu picked out probably a month ago, anticipating the perfect opportunity to make it...and when his birthday came up - well what better opportunity was there to sharpen my knives and get in the kitchen. On the menu for the evening:
Course 1: Salmon Sashimi with Ginger and Hot Sesame Oil (wine pairing: Hana Awaka Sparkling Sake)
Course 2: Duck Breasts with Roasted Pears and Cold Sesame Noodles (wine pairing: Etude Rose of Pinot Noir)
Course 3: Kara's Chocolate/Coconut Cupcake and Fortune Cookies
These choices were surprisingly, stress free, and not too difficult. Here's what I did...
Salmon Sashimi with Ginger and Hot Sesame Oil
This recipe was taken from FoodandWine.com - and not being a sushi chef, I was a little weary. I went to the wonderful large grocery store - the one that has it all - Berkeley Bowl - to get some sushi grade salmon. This is important - not just any salmon will do, the last thing I want is to get Derek sick after his birthday meal!!
INGREDIENTS
1. 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
2. 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
3. 1 teaspoon fresh orange juice
4. Twelve 1/8-inch-thick slices of salmon, cut into 2-inch squares ( 1/4 pound)
5. One 1/4-inch piece of fresh ginger, sliced paper-thin and cut into thin matchsticks (about 24 pieces)
6. 1 tablespoon snipped chives
7. 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
8. 1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
9. 1 1/2 teaspoons roasted sesame seeds
10.2 tablespoons cilantro leaves
DIRECTIONS
In a small bowl, mix 2 tablespoons of the soy sauce with the lime and orange juices. In a medium bowl, toss the salmon with the remaining 1/4 cup of soy sauce and let stand for 1 minute, then drain. Arrange 3 slices of salmon on each plate and top with the ginger and chives.
In a small saucepan, heat the grapeseed oil with the sesame oil over moderately high heat until smoking, about 2 minutes. Drizzle the hot oil over the salmon pieces. Spoon the soy-citrus sauce on top. Sprinkle with the roasted sesame seeds and cilantro leaves and serve.
Served with a Hana Awaka Sparkling Sake - caught my eye in the store. I was looking for a small bottle of sparkling wine and the thought of sparkling sake just seemed perfect! It was a little on the sweeter side but really refreshing and interesting - I'd buy it again!
In all, I'd call this first course a success - the salmon was tender (cut against the grain in one solid swoop of a cut - aka no sawing the meat) and the ginger and oils complimented the dish very well, not overpowering the deliciousness of the fish.
Duck Breasts with Roasted Pears and Cold Sesame Noodles
recipe courtesy of Tyler Florence
Duck and lamb are two meats that typically attract Derek's attention, and that typically are less interesting to me. However, after this meal, I think duck may be on my go-to list a little more. I have to say, I did one heck of a job, and it was easy!!
I started by making the Cold Sesame Noodles since those were easy to do ahead of time. (I did about a half recipe of what is listed below - and still had some leftovers after two generous portions - leftovers will be yummy)
Ingredients:
• 1/2 pound dried buckwheat (soba) noodles
• 9 tablespoons dark sesame oil
• 1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and crushed with the side of a knife
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed with the side of a knife
• 1 red Thai bird chile, minced, seeds and all
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 6 tablespoons water, room temperature
• 1 tablespoon chili sauce
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, for garnish
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced on the diagonal
• 1 lime, cut into wedges, for serving
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the noodles and stir to keep them from sticking together. Cook until barely tender and still firm, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain immediately and rinse under cold running water to cool. Drain the noodles really well, transfer to a wide serving bowl, and toss immediately with 3 tablespoons of the sesame oil so they don't stick together.
Meanwhile, make the sauce. In a saucepan, heat 1/4 cup sesame oil over medium-low heat. Add the ginger, garlic, and chile. Cook, stirring for a minute, until the vegetables are soft and fragrant. Place into a blender along with the brown sugar, peanut butter, vinegar, soy sauce, hot water, chili sauce, and the remaining 2 tablespoons sesame oil. Puree and refrigerate until cold.
Toast the sesame seeds in a dry skillet over medium-low heat until golden brown. (Shake the pan constantly to keep the seeds from burning). Put the noodles in a serving bowl and toss with the sesame sauce. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds and green onions, and serve with the lime wedges.
I was amazed by how quickly soba noodles cook - this was probably the most involved dish given that it has the most ingredients, but in all, it was really simple - and really delicious. I did kick up the heat a little and put in one small thai bird chili in my half recipe, heat with the creamy sweetness of the peanut butter and the backbone of the sesame oil was quite nice!!
Roasted Pears
Ingredients
• 1 ripe pear, cut in half and pitted
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Put the pears on a baking sheet, cut sides up. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and drizzle with 1 tablespoon sesame oil. Place them into the oven and roast 15 to 20 minutes, until very tender when pierced with a knife.
Duck Breasts
Simple recipe that is oh-so-good. Make sure to scoop out the rendered fat as you go - there is quite a bit of it!!
• 1 duck breast, skin-on
• 1-2 T. sesame oil
• Salt and Pepper
• Hydroponic watercress, for garnish
• Lime wedges, for garnish
Put the duck breast on a cutting board skin side up and score all over in a tiny crosshatch pattern, so the fat will render and the skin will crisp. Season all over with salt and pepper and drizzle with 1-2 tablespoons sesame oil. Add the breasts to a stainless steel pan over medium heat, skin side down, and cook slowly for about 12 to 15 minutes until the fat is rendered and the skin is browned and crispy. Occasionally spoon the fat out into a bowl. Turn the breasts and cook 1 to 2 more minutes for medium-rare (I did about 5-7 more minutes and it was perfect). Transfer the duck to a cutting board to rest.
To serve, cut the duck breasts crosswise, on an angle, into 8 slices each. Mound the Sesame Noodles onto the plates. Add half a sliced duck breast to each plate along with a pear half. Garnish with watercress and lime wedges.
Success! The meat was PERFECT - tasty, and not too fatty despite ALL of the fat that was rendered - the skin was crispy and everything went together quite well. And oddly enough, not one vegetable in this meal - but still it wasn't too heavy and it was perfectly satisfying!
This was served with a Rose that we had piced up from the wine club - an Etude Rose Pinot Noir 2008 - Etude makes wonderful Pinots so it was interesting to try their Rose. Coming in around $16 a bottle - this was crisp and refreshing, not sweet at all, quite good!
Kudos to the chef :)
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