Pam’s Easy Truffled Snapper

By Pam Henderson, for In Good Taste

Serves 4

4 cedar sheets, packaged in a Ziploc bag with 4 sheets

1/2 C olive oil

2 Tablespoons minced shallot

1 clove garlic, minced

1 Tablespoon finely sliced chives

Juice of one lemon

1 teaspoon or more, to taste, Truffled salt *

15 medium stalks of asparagus

Freshly ground black pepper

1 1/3 lbs of firm white fish such as snapper, rockfish, etc., or 4 filets each 1/3 to 1/2 lb in weight.

Add water to the Ziploc bag containing the cedar sheets and soak the sheets for about 10 to 15 minutes.

Combine the oil, shallots, garlic, chives, lemon juice, and truffled salt.  Set aside.

Blanch asparagus in boiling water to crisp/tender and shock in ice water to stop the cooking.  Set aside.

Drain the cedar sheets and put a serving of fish on each one.  Center 5 asparagus spears on the fish with the tips alternating direction.  Divide the oil and juice mixture among the four servings.  Roll up the entire sheet and secure with cooking twine. 

Grill over medium heat until centers are hot and the fish is cooked to your liking, about 5-6 minutes depending on the thickness of the fish.  The cedar paper will char and may smolder slightly, but it should not burn. Remove and serve immediately.

* Cook’s Tip

 This delicious salt was created by a very clever couple in Seattle. They import the finest truffles from Italy and shave small pieces of truffle into the best salts. They allow the truffle to infuse through the salt. The first time we tasted the salt, we were in heaven! We immediately ordered a large quantity - enough to satisfy Portland’s truffle cravings. Since then, it has become a household staple in our kitchens. It is a also a primary ingredient for quick dinners in my household, especially in this hot weather when we don’t want to spend hours over a hot stove:

-        Make a quick bowl of pasta, toss it in olive oil and sprinkle it with truffled salt. Voila!

-        Truffled salt sprinkled over risotto turns an ordinary dish into an amazing and delicious meal

-        Sprinkle the truffled salt over quick and easy scrambled eggs

-        Take one slice of crusty bread, layer it with lashings of creamy French butter, sprinkle it with truffled salt and you will have lunch-to-go in minutes!

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