Chef Michael Salmon - Join me in my Kitchen
I learned to make this dish from a Chinese Chef named Mr. Chang during my years working for Hyatt Hotels. The cuisine we served in that restaurant is what I refer to as “Haute Chinese,” in which a traditional dish is elevated in quality by using premium ingredients. This dish is made with tender pork tenderloin and fresh fruit. The sweet and sour sauce recipe is very simple to make (not thick and corn syrupy like the commercial ones) as is the batter.
For this recipe I took a traditional Asian dish, shrimp toast, and used Maine lobster to create a recipe with a Maine twist. The shrimp version (also explained in the recipe) is much easier and quicker to produce since the meat is easily removed from its shell, or can be purchased pre-peeled. Raw lobster meat sticks to the shell, so in this recipe I quickly blanch the lobster just enough to release the meat from the shell.
Mary Jo and I spent three lovely years living on the island of Aruba. With a fresh fruit and vegetable market on the side of the road on our way home from work, we would often stop and get tropical fruit for cold blended drinks. This was one of our favorite drinks on those hot tropical nights. Papayas, strawberries and peaches also work well as margarita flavors.
The term “confit” refers to something that is cooked slowly in it’s own fat. Duck legs are the most common item cooked in this manner because ducks are quite fatty and benefit from a long-slow cooking process. The legs are first cured for 24 hours with a wet rub of orange, scallion and spices (including star anise) and slowly simmered in duck fat for 10 hours. My recipe for confit calls for 12 duck legs because if you are going through all this effort, you might as well make a decent-sized batch. It freezes well and can be used in anything from crêpes and cannoli’s to onion or bean soups and cassoulet.
Halibut is one of my favorite fish and can be found on both coasts of the United States. It has a flaky and meaty texture that can stand up to the strong flavors in this recipe. Be careful not to overcook it though, as too much heat can render it dry and unappetizing. The pesto in this recipe is a little different from a standard pesto, replacing the basil and pine nuts with arugula and hazelnuts.
The filling for this Pear-Almond Tart is a smooth and delicious almond cream known as a Frangipane. It is often used as a filling for pastries like puff pastry and in tarts with fresh fruit. In Provence, I make the creamy filling with pistachios instead of almonds and I use fresh apricots in place of the pears. Any nut can be used in the filling and fresh fruit can range from apples and cherries to plums and fresh raspberries.
This is a nice hearty and meaty bean soup. Generally I use navy beans in this recipe but in Italy I usually make it with Cannellini beans. Diced carrots and celery can also be added once the soup is blended if desired. A nice crisp crostini that has been drizzled with extra virgin olive oil is a great side for the soup.
Come into my kitchen and let me show you how to open fresh oysters. Weskeag oysters are a staple at my house and are always a crowd pleaser. As a chef, I am always looking for high quality local products to feature on my menus, and Weskeag oysters consistently deliver perfectly sized, briny oysters that are amazing served raw on the half shell or broiled with your favorite toppings.
This is winter comfort food at it’s core. The sweet potato filling is simple and quick to make and with a small investment of time, you can have ravioli’s made for a few meals. Place extra raviolis on a parchment-lined baking sheet and place in the freezer until firm. Then, transfer to ziplock bags and keep up to 3 months in the freezer until needed.
This recipe for Papaya Seed Dressing is a variation of my fruit dressing recipe. My friend Carol gave me the inspiration for this recipe and introduced me to using papaya seeds in dressings. These dressings will keep for several weeks in the refrigerator.
Join me in my kitchen as I prepare recipes from my two cookbooks, European foodie trips and explore new inspirations.
