Review of

"Salmon"

by Diane Morgan

A few weeks ago, Diane Morgan’s new salmon cookbook arrived on our bookshelves. Its eye catching paperback cover simply says “Salmon” but it is the picture of a fresh moist piece of salmon filet on parchment paper that draws my interest. Diane has written a scholarly yet fun cookbook that delves into the fishing, farm raising practices, and sustainability of salmon. Her introduction takes us with her to Alaska, Norway, and Scotland to experience the salmon story. Diane’s passion for salmon is not only relegated to cooking, but to protecting and consuming responsibly. She reminds us,” As consumers, it is important to understand the true cost of a $3.99-a-pound salmon fillet in a broad context. Buying wild salmon, or buying responsibly farmed salmon from a farm with a recognized certification of quality, might cost more, but it is the only way to avoid contributing to the overwhelming environmental and economic impact caused by the agrochemical fish farms.”

            Before delving into the recipes, those who catch salmon are instructed on how to clean and gut the fish. For the rest of us, we are taught how to shop, store, freeze and thaw our “catch”. Although Diane strongly suggests having a regular fishmonger do the tedious cleaning and scaling, she does give directions and drawings that make it easy for the adventuresome cook to follow.

            The chapters are divided into categories that use salmon. This is not a cookbook of complete menus, but a book with recipes on salmon to be interjected into one’s own menus. Diane’s recipes are global in technique and taste. Her instructions leave little to the imagination, making them easy for all levels of cooks.  One example is how Diane demystifies the technique of hot-smoking inside the home. Diane suggests using an affordable stovetop smoker or wok with wire rack and lid. She gives the novice cook confidence to try a new tasty technique.

            I was inspired to make the “Spaghetti with Marinated Salmon, Capers, and Herbs” on a night when the weather had changed from warm to spitting rain and cold. I quickly read the ingredients, and realizing I had all of them, I turned my attention to making the dish. This is an easy 4 part dish with a surprise twist at the end. First I marinated the 1/4-inch dice of salmon in lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Next the pasta was cooked and capers were sautéed until crispy. Parsley was added to the capers to heat through and set aside. Once the pasta was done and drained, it was tossed with the caper mixture, two thirds of the Parmesan cheese and the marinated salmon and its juices. I loved the simplicity of tastes and contrasting textures. Crispy capers were a surprising counterpoint to the soft lemony salmon pieces. The Parmesan cheese and parsley unified the dish. A side of sautéed spinach with garlic and dessert of ripe Bartlett pears with walnuts completed the menu. My next dish to try was a soup. Diane had several tasty suggestions from “Thai Coconut Soup with Salmon, Ginger, and Lemongrass” to “Spicy Corn Stew with Chunks of Salmon”.  Her recipe for “Salmon, Corn, and Potato Chowder with Fresh Thyme” was selected as a challenge to unseat my own “Corn Chowder” recipe that I had made by the gallon for years in restaurants. It took all of my will power to stick to the recipe and its instructions. No embellishments of garlic, white wine, nor cups of heavy cream. Diane’s recipe called for fresh ears of corn. Unfortunately there were no fresh ears of corn in the market, but I sautéed frozen corn instead in a dry non stick pan until the kernels had turned light brown as instructed in the recipe. I mentally challenged Diane to her 10-12 minute cooking time for the potato cubes and she was right! It was the perfect cooking time. The finished chowder had delicate layers of sweetness from the sautéed onion, thyme, browned corn and salmon. Salt came from bottled clam juice and sautéed bacon. A healthy grind of pepper and topping of chopped parsley garnished the soup. The two missing ingredients from my chowder recipe became garlic bread to eat and wine to drink with Diane’s chowder. Her recipe is a lovely variation and will be an addition to my repertoire.

            The photographs by both Diane and E.J. Armstrong stimulate cooking as much as the recipes. The layout of the recipes is easy to follow with suggested wine at the top and an enticing voice from Diane leading into the dish. The recipes are interspersed with cook’s notes on make ahead suggestions, equipment, and special ingredients.

            In the coming months of salmon season, I look forward to trying many of Diane’s recipes. From her Asian inspired “Austin’s Soy-Lacquered Salmon with Green Onions” to “Grilled Salmon Brochettes with Mango-Orange-Habanero Mojo” this cookbook spans the world of delicious salmon recipes. Living in the Pacific Northwest, we can never have too many healthy and tasty salmon recipes to serve.

Reviewed by: Judith Bishop

www.ingoodtastestore.com

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