2966. SMOKED EEL and BACON SALAD

serves four


1 small salad frisee
A squeeze of lemon juice and a tiny splash of light olive oil to dress the above

salt and pepper

200 grams smoked eel fillets, sliced lengthways as thinly as possible

8 rashers of smoked, streaky bacon, grilled until crisp
1 heaped tablespoon finely chopped chives

For the beurre blanc

2 shallots, very finely chopped

4 tablespoons white wine vinegar

4 tablespoons white wine

4 tablespoons water

250 grams very cold, fine quality unsalted butter, cut into small chunks

salt and freshly ground white pepper

Make the beurre blanc: using a small stainless steel or enameled pan, combine shallots, vinegar, wine and water. Reduce over a very moderate heat until almost no liquid is left. Then, reduce the heat to as low as possible and add the butter one chunk at a time (using a small whisk), until it is all incorporated. It should look like light, slightly jellied custard. Season and keep somewhere warm (but not actually on the heat).

Separate frisee into thin leaves and dress with the lemon juice, oil and seasoning. Arrange evenly on the plate as a base for the salad.

Arrange the eel strips on top, the bacon bits around the edge and then spoon the beurre blanc ‘in and around’. Garnish with the chopped chives.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Week in Week Out: 52 Seasonal Stories, by Simon Hopkinson. Quadrille Publishing Ltd, 2007; Helen Graves, Food Stories, March 2009

668. LEMONY SOLE with GREEN OLIVES, BACON, and CAPERS

yields 4 servings


4 (6-ounce) grey sole fillets
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup chopped green olives
3 tablespoons drained capers
4 strips cooked bacon, crumbled
Beurre Blanc, recipe follows
1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley

Serving Suggestion: Jasmine rice

Dredge the fillets in the flour and season with salt and pepper. Preheat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the oil and butter and heat until hot. Add the fillets and cook, turning once, until just cooked through, about 4 minutes. Divide the fillets among warm plates.

Remove the skillet from the heat, add the olives, capers, and bacon, and stir, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom, until the mixture has warmed through. Add the beurre blanc and parsley and stir to combine. Spoon the sauce over the fillets and serve immediately with rice.

Beurre Blanc
1/4 cup white wine
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 tablespoon heavy cream
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into cubes and chilled
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Combine the wine and shallot in a medium saucepan, bring to a boil, and cook until reduced by half. Add the cream and continue reducing until just thickened. Reduce the heat to low. While whisking constantly, add the butter, little by little, waiting for each addition to be incorporated before adding more, to make a smooth sauce. Whisk in the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Set aside in a warm area. (The sauce may break if it's too hot or too cold.)


courtesy of: Chef Sara Moulton, Sara's Secrets, "Simple Seafood"

490. BROILED SALMON with BACON RASPBERRY BEURRE BLANC

Serves 2

2 - 8 oz. fresh Salmon Fillets
6 strips maple-flavored bacon (reserve 2 strips and cut into 1/2 inch pieces)
2 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons hazelnut syrup
1 tablespoon muscat wine
1/3 cup raspberry jam
1/4 cup hazelnuts (filberts), chopped

Place salmon fillets on an oven broiler pan and broil for 3 minutes, turn and place 2 strips of bacon on each fillet. Broil an additional 3-4 minutes or until bacon is soft-cooked. Remove, set aside, keep warm. In a non-stick skillet, over medium heat, sauté reserved bacon pieces until soft-cooked, drain and set aside. Bacon Raspberry Beurre Blanc: In the same skillet, over medium heat, melt butter, add hazelnut syrup, muscat wine and raspberry jam. Cook mixture several minutes until reduced and soft glaze is formed. Stir frequently to avoid sticking to skillet. Serve each salmon fillet by placing half of the bacon raspberry beurre blanc on each plate. Place the salmon fillet on the sauce and garnish with chopped hazelnuts.


courtesy of: Farmer John Meats / Clougherty Packing Company, 3049 E. Vernon Avenue, Los Angeles, California 90058, (323) 583-4621