Broiled Salmon With Sweet Fennel and Paprika Spice Rub And Lemon Chive Aioli

PHILLIS CAREY’S

BROILED SALMON WITH SWEET FENNEL

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PAPRIKA SPICE RUB 

AND LEMON CHIVE AIOLI 

Phyllis Carey is my favorite cooking instructor at Great News Cooking School.  It is a fun time with friends to take a class and have an outing.

Ingredients:

Salmon and Rub:

2 tsp. brown sugar

2 tsp. crushed

or coarsely ground

fennel seeds

1 1/2 tsp. sweet paprika

1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1 1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper

1 tsp. coarse salt

4 (6 oz.) skinless salmon fillets

2 T. grapeseed or vegetable oil

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Aioli:

1/3 cup mayonnaise

2 T. fresh lemon juice

2 T. minced chives

1 clove garlic, minced

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Directions:

Combine the Aioli ingredients and refrigerate until ready to serve and up to 8 hours ahead. Line the bottom of a broiler pan with foil and oil the top rack. Set the salmon fillets on the broiler rack. Preheat the broiler with the oven rack in the lower third of the oven so that the top of the salmon will be 8 inches from the heat.

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For the rub, combine the brown sugar, fennel, paprika, garlic powder, pepper and salt in a small bowl. Rub the mixture over the top of the salmon fillets. Brush the oil over the rub and broil the salmon for 9 to 11 minutes or until cooked through and well browned.

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Remove salmon to serving plates and drizzle with Lemon

Aioli and serve.

Aioli Or Garlic Sauce

Aioli Or Garlic Sauce

Aioli is often called the "butter of Provence." In an area where butter is little used, and olive and walnut oils predominate, this fabulous and stinging, stiff emulsion sauce reigns supreme. Started off in a large pestle and mortar, it is then finished in a food processor. Make lots: it is infinitely versatile.

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I like to serve this with crab cakes. I have seen it served with pasta and vegetables. It would do well with any food one might use butter but substitute instead the Aioli.

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Ingredients:

1 teaspoon sea salt

8-12 garlic cloves, halved lengthwise

1 slice white bread, wetted and squeezed dry

2 large egg yolks, at room temperature

2 cups extra virgin olive oil at room temperature

freshly squeezed juice of 1/2 lemon

about 1 teaspoon boiling water

baby vegetables such as sweet bell peppers, radishes, fennel, and celery, and hard-cooked eggs, to serve.

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Directions:

Put the salt in a large mortar. Check the garlic and discard any green sprouts. Chop or roughly crush the garlic and add to the mortar. Pound the salt and garlic to a sticky paste with pestle. Add the softened bread and pound to amalgamate. Now add the yolks and continue pounding to get a thick, golden paste. Transfer this to a food processor.

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With the machine running, drizzle in about half of the olive oil in a steady stream until the mix has stiffened. Add the lemon juice and continue processing until all of the oil has been added and the aioli is dense and gelatinous, and glossy. Finally add the boiling water to stabilize the emulsion. Serve with a selection of crudites and halves of boiled eggs; use in soups and stews, spread on toast. Serves 4-8

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Note: If time is short, put the salt, garlic, bread, and egg yolks into a food processor and whizz together. Drizzle the oil as described above. This gives a lighter, less pungent aioli.

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Wine Pairing: Fino Sherry, a dry unwooded white, red or rose wine, or a Grenache.

Pesto And Aoili ..... Two Sauces To Enhance The Flavors Of The Foods You Prepare!

Pesto

Mary and I made this sauce with fresh basil left over from the dinner party of Saturday night. Nothing is better than fresh pesto, what a flavor!

Ingredients:

3 cups fresh basil leaves

1/2 cup olive oil

2 garlic cloves

3/4 cup pine nuts

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/2 teaspoon salt (more or less)

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Directions:

Place basil leaves, garlic, pine nuts, parmesan cheese, salt and about 1/4 cup olive oil in food processor. Process with pulses being careful not to over process. Add remaining olive oil slowly to make a nice sauce. You want the ingredients well mixed with very tiny pieces of the basil leaves appearing as specks in the sauce. The ingredients should not be macerated.

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Pesto can be stored in a glass jar in the refrigerator but should have a thin layer of olive oil covering the level surface which will prevent discoloration.

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How to use Pesto:

Cook pasta in salted water and when cooked al dente, drain, and toss with Pesto. Serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

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We like the pesto on sliced tomatoes with sliced fresh mozzarella cheese.

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Aioli

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon sea salt

8 to 12 garlic cloves, halved lengthwise

1 slice white bread, wet with water and squeezed dry

2 large eggs, room temperature

2 cups olive oil, room temperature

juice of freshly squeezed lemon

about 1 tablespoon boiling water

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Directions:

Make paste of salt and garlic with pestle and mortar. Add softened bread and pound to amalgamate. Now add yolks continue pounding to get a thick golden paste. Transfer to food processor. With motor running, drizzle in half of olive oil. Add the lemon juice and continue processing until all the olive oil has been added and the Aioli is dense, glutenous, and glossy. Finally add the boiling water.

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Uses: Many European cooks serve Aioli with meat, pasta, and crudities. These two sauces, Pesto and Aioli, are the primary sauces in an European kitchen and are frequently found in the recipes.