A Traditional New England Fourth of July Dinner

Did you know there is a traditional Fourth of July dinner in New England? No, not hot dogs and hamburgers (which could be called ‘recent traditional’) but rather a meal I’ve enjoyed every Independence Day for as long as I can remember. Back in the time when people HAD to eat locally, vs. now when we can choose to, the summer bounty in early July yielded tiny new potatoes, early peas and fresh Atlantic Salmon. Atlantic Salmon used to be running thickly in the rivers, so plentiful it was said you could cross a river on the backs of them. Very sadly, the wild Atlantic Salmon is on the brink of extinction, and so must never even be considered as an option – hopefully the species can be saved. However, Wild Alaskan salmon is sustainable  and a sign of the times is that eating traditional local foods must be adaptable to current conditions. Arriving in the markets mid-June, Alaskan King Salmon is a tremendous option, and my choice to keep tradition alive and to also raise awareness of the Atlantic Salmon’s plight.

On the Menu for Fourth of July

Wild caught Alaskan Salmon poached in cream*

Herbed roasted new potatoes*

Fresh sweet peas in cream*

Farm-fresh egg enriched cream sauce*

Mini blueberry bundt strawberry shortcake*

While all of these foods are delicious just steamed (well, not the dessert!), cream is the theme running through the menu this year – another local farm-fresh favorite of mine I’m using for the fish, peas, sauce and dessert.

Offered a variety of cuts from the salmon to select  from, I always choose the one I like the best.  A nice thick bone-in and skin-on steak which is an amazing cut when poached. Poaching fish seems to be an under-appreciated cooking method, but one that infuses flavor, is simple to do, and keeps the fish moist but still flaky. Fish steaks remind me of the first time I had fish poached in cream………a swordfish steak that was a life changing experience because I had never had fish prepared that way, and I couldn’t even comprehend what was going on in my mouth! While I’ve grilled, roasted and baked my Fourth of July salmon in past years, this year it’s poached in cream!

Sweet English peas are a thing of beauty – unless they are too big, splitting and starchy. Beware of these peas, and don’t attempt to use them to make the peas in cream. Select only the small, sweet ones – the local farmers market may be your best choice for finding the perfect pea!

New potatoes are different than mature potatoes – the first time I made them for Rob he asked “How did you get all the flavor right through the potato’?  Truth is, new potatoes have an intense potato taste, and I can’t take any credit for their tremendous flavor, outside of figuring out that roasting them simply brings out the best in them.

Dessert celebrates Red, White and Blue with a strawberry shortcake made with mini blueberry bundt cakes. They are not my own made-from-scratch, because Tendercrop farms makes such good ones I can focus on the dinner dishes and leave the baking to them!  If you can’t find little blueberry cakes and don’t want to make them, just use a traditional shortcake.

THE HOW-TO PART!

: Roasted New Potatoes With Herbs Recipe

• 1 lb. baby potatoes
• 1 tbsp cooking oil
• 1 tablespoon minced flat leaf parsly, or minced mixed mild herbs
• Salt and pepper

Preheat an oven to 350 degress to roast the new potatoes.

Toss the potatoes, all unslightly marks or eyes peeled off,  with a light coating of the cooking oil, a sprinkle of salt and poke a couple of steam vents in the each with a fork or small knife and place in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Shake a few times during cooking to prevent sticking. When very fork-tender, turn off the heat, toss the potatoes in the herbs and some salt and pepper. Return to the oven to keep warm if neccessary.

Back to Menu*

  : Salmon Steak Poached in Cream Recipe

Whether using stock, water and wine or cream, the method for poaching fish remains the same!  Bring the poaching liquid of choice and seasonings to a simmer, allowing enough liquid to almost cover the fish. If you are having trouble eye-balling this, add the fish, adjust level of the poaching liquid then remove the fish before heating the poaching mix.

Per 2 cups of cream used  to poach the salmon:

• 1 bay leaf
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 3 grinds of freshly ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2 sprigs of fresh thyme
• Either 1 large clove of garlic halves or as I did here – three tips from fresh garlic scapes.

Simmer the cream and seasonings for a few minutes – enough to get the seasonings melding, but not enough to reduce it. Place the fish in the poaching liquid and simmer on very low for ten mintes per inch of fish. Fillets or steaks at least an inch thick benefit the most from this method! Spoon the hot liquid over the top of the fish often, and after the estimated cooking time check the fish for doneness. When it flakes easily, it is done, and do allow some ’standing’ cooking time. Reserve the poaching cream for the sauce.

Remove the fish, keep warm but not tightly wrapped while you make the sauce and peas.

Back to Menu*

Sweet Peas in Cream

• 1 cup of fresh peas
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon butter
• A few grates fresh nutmeg
• Salt and pepper to taste

Peas in cream is a simple matter of melting the butter in a pan, add the fresh peas, and cook over very low heat for a few minutes. Add just enough cream to not quite cover the peas, a few grates of fresh nutmeg  and simmer for about 8 to ten minutes, or until the cream has thickened some and the peas are tender. Salt and pepper to taste. The longer you simmer, the thicker and more concentrated the cream will become.

Back to Menu*

Cream Sauce for Poached Salmon Steak Recipe

• 1 cup cream from cream liquid fish was poached in, strained
• 2 room temperature egg yolks, well whisked
• 2 tablespoons dry white wine, room temperature
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• Dash of freshly grated nutmeg
• Salt and pepper to taste

Add the strained reserved cream to a small saucepan over, not in boiling water (double-boiler method). I find it best to heat the water and get the set-up going while the fish is cooking. Whisk vigourously and slowly add the beaten egg yolks, continuing to whisk all the while. Add the wine and lemon juice, still whisking away. If steam starts to spit out of the double boiler, lower the heat and continue to whisk away from the water until it lowers in heat a bit. Bring back to the heat and beat until the sauce starts to thicken. This process may take up tp ten minutes. Taste for salt and pepper and continue to whisk over the simmering water until it is as thick as you’d like. This is a very difficult sauce to break, but if it does – put back over the hot water and whisk very rapidly until it comes back together.

Back to Menu*

This dinner makes a pretty platter presentation, and if you are comfortable enough you can remove the skin and bones at the table as you serve. Just have a small bowl on hand to put them in!

How to remove bones from salmon steak and serve:

Once a salmon steak is cooked, the bones and skin are easy to remove. The skin will just about fall away on it’s own – just gently peel back to fully remove.

The belly portion of the steak has some large bones (pin bones) that can also be easily removed. Pull them away with the thin layer they are attached to, then check for strays.

The spine portion can be removed  quickly enough, even if you’ve plattered and sauced the fish for presentation.

Pull one half of the steak away from the center bone, pull the large bone and attached pin bones away from the other half and discard. Check for any remaining bones by running the serving utensil along the sides. As always, be careful, and watch out for any bones that have been missed!

Serve the dinner with extra sauce and enjoy a New England Classic!

Not to forget dessert…………..

:Semi-Homemade Baby Blueberry Bundt Strawberry Shortcake (serves 4)

• 1 quart strawberries, hulled, sliced and sweetened if needed. Save a few nice ones for garnishing
• 4 baby blueberry bundt cakes, or classic shortbread
• 4 ounces whipping cream
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

See here for full directions on how to sweeten the strawberries and make the fresh whipped cream. Cut the baby bundts in half, add a layer of sliced strawberries, top with the other half of cake, add more berries and some whipped cream. Garnish with a whole strawberry.

Back to Menu*

Celebrate Freedom – Happy Fourth of July!