We be Salmon...

So, I’ve been writing this blog for a few weeks and someone asked me why I hadn’t written anything about food yet. Food? There are plenty of blogs about food out there, I figured, who would want to read another one? I wanted to write on a regular basis not because I have this insatiable ego and want people to notice me, instead I write it, more or less, for practice. If you’re reading it, it’s just an added bonus for me. Okay, I need to rephrase that. I’m not writing for practice. I never liked practice. Practicing is work. I write so I can write better.

I learned to play the piano slowly, over the course of decades, as my family will attest to, and practicing was never really something I did. Because I never classified just plain “playing the piano” as “practice”. I just played. I just had a love for the instrument and I wanted to hear it played. If I labeled it as practice I never would have done it. I was, at times, forced to practice specific lessons which turned out to be like an awful, labored and painstakingly slow dirge, like watching a 4th grade band performance for the whole district. Have you ever heard “Twinkle, twinkle, little star” played in every key at the same time? Kinda like that. Some of you know what I mean. But when I just “played” it was out of pure desire to make the sounds and melodies, in addition to the kudos that my family would give me. I won’t deny that pride. So, in terms of blogging, I figured I wouldn’t re-invent the wheel and instead just start writing. Write, write, write. About interesting things like politics or religion or current events…things that I figured people would want to read as much as I wanted to write about. Many of those “controversial” topics are issues that I toss around in my head all the time, constantly learning about them…even changing my mind occasionally. But, as always, there are rules to everything. Like writing.

Write what you know.

Write what I know?

Food.

I know food. I know food very well. Obsessively, passionately…intimately! You can see the V-8 can hitting me in the head. And everybody else loves food, too, right? Even the pickiest eaters love one or two things on the menu. After four kids…I know! Like this is a revelation to anyone who knows me. Mike Liddy? Yeah, that boy can eat. Happily, I don’t eat quite as piggishly as I used to. If you remember the Michael Liddy who could put a buffalo wing in his mouth and immediately pull out two meatless bones, well, I could still do it…but I don’t. I don’t order appetizers anymore, either…unless they’re my meal. I went on a bit of a health kick last October and broke away from the chains of “meat, vegetable and starch”, “meat, vegetable and starch”. Every meal. Had to have all three. If I didn’t, I felt like I should do penance or something. It took me 40 years to break that habit, but, better late than never, so they say. Now it’s just meat or fish…lots of fish…and a veggie. If I’m going to do starch it has to be quality. Like the occasional baked potato or good crusty Italian bread with dipping oil. Pasta is usually whole grain or wheat. I could go on and on…I mean we’re talking food here.


So, I decided to take a little inventory of all the recipes I have to see what might be a good first dish to share and it was like opening up a closet door and the rest of the house is in there. I have recipe books crowding my bakers rack, my shelves…I have recipes in 10-15 manila folders that I have printed from the internet…everywhere. My desk at home, my desk at work, the bag I take to work. I bet if I dared clean my garage I’d find Emeril himself whipping up a long lost Jambalaya. It’s CRAZY how many recipes I have. And I realize what a disservice I’m doing to all of them. Keeping them so…dispersed. So uncared for. I always thought I was a better cook than that. But, to no avail…I am nothing more than a recipe hoarder.

There are worse things, I suppose.

But as the summer season is upon us I wanted to share a simple recipe that I must give credit to my friend (and now Boss), Kevin Alexander, for showing me. Kevin, in addition to being the Alex P. Keaton in my life, is an avid fisherman. He travels every year to Alaska for a 4 to 6 day adventure of Salmon and Halibut fishing and returns with the lions share…every year. We’ve been fortunate enough to occasionally partake in these feasts of fresh Atlantic salmon and the following recipe is the crowd favorite. Simple and appropriate for hot or cold weather, accompanied by some rustic garlic bread and roasted balsamic vegetables, this dish will garner the Brie Van De Camp award for any gathering. Enjoy.


Roast Salmon Alexander



1 whole side of salmon or 4 (6 oz.) salmon fillets -room temperature*
¾ cup mayonnaise
¾ cup sour cream
1 whole lemon
1 handful fresh Basil leaves (1 tsp. dry)
3 or 4 sprigs of fresh Thyme (1/2 tsp. dry)
3 or 4 sprigs of fresh dill (1/2 tsp. dry)
Tabasco
Salt and pepper
Non-stick cooking spray

* Many people fear letting meats and fish sit around, but allowing those proteins to come to room temperature allow for even cooking and pose very little risk for bacteria. Half of an hour should do the trick.

1. Preheat an oven or grill to 400 degrees F. (If using a grill be sure to place salmon on a raised grate or leave one of the burners off to rest the pan on – for indirect heating) If using cedar plank, don’t forget to soak it, weighted, for 2 hours

2. Spray cooking spray on a baking pan and place salmon on pan/plank. Lightly season the fish with the salt and pepper. If using whole salmon take a sharp knife and make slices, about mid-thickness through fish, every 3 or 4 inches to allow for coating to sink in

3. In a mixing bowl combine mayo and sour cream.

4. Grate the rind of the lemon into the bowl. When finished grating, slice the lemon in half and squeeze out the juice of half a lemon into mixture being careful not to leave seeds. Cut the other half of lemon in round slices.

5. Finely chop the thyme and dill and coarsely chop the basil and add to bowl. Shake a few squirts of Tabasco and mix ingredients with a rubber spatula. Mixture should be thick enough that it isn’t runny. If so add some more mayo and/or sour cream until thickened.
Using the spatula spread the mixture over top of the salmon, like you were icing a cake, making sure you cover every inch. Top with lemon slices.

6. Roast salmon for 20-25 minutes or until fish is cooked thru and golden on top.