Need a new ideas for a mid summer menu

Considering how fatty salmon is, I find that it grills very well. I also enjoy pairing grilled salmon with couscous, and often a fresh salad/salsa including cucumbers and cilantro to crisp things up.

 

romesco sauce for the salmon

 

I've got a little trouble getting my head around the idea of a restaurant in New Brunswick serving pacific salmon. But that's just me.

If you can get them from your supplier (they seem to be less and less common, nowadays) think about getting true steaks. Truss 'em, and cook on the grill, any of innumerable ways, such as

Bourbon-Glazed Salmon

1 cup brown sugar, packed

6 tbls bourbon

1/4 cup soy sauce

2 tbls fresh lime juice

Zest of one lime

2 tsp fresh grated ginger

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

2 garlic cloves, mashed

4 salmon steaks, trussed

Combine all ingredients except salmon in a zipper bag. Mix well to combine. Add salmon and marinate for 30 minutes.

Grill the salmon (or pop under the broiler) 4-5 minutes per side.

Meanwhile, reduce marinade until slightly thickened. Drizzle over fish.  

So far as pairing, I like this with shoestring potatoes and an orange/beet salad.

 

How hard to you want to work on prep? Reason I ask is I have a great way of preparing fish, but it's time consuming.

What you do is take salmon filets and filets of a firm, white-fleshed fish. Cut them into strips about a quarter inch square and 8 or so inches long. Then braid them, using two salmon strips and one white, and two white and one salmon. They come out neater if you braid from the middle. The finished braids should wind up about six inches long.

Cook these by broiling, using any fruity glaze of your choice. Serve 2 of these on a bed of faro, with a fruity salad that matches the glaze. For instance, if you use an orange glaze, then an orange/red onion salad might be a good complement.

 

Basil Pesto Salmon

Start using that flat top for some serious searing ....

Sear Salmon on the flat top both sides...now finish off in the oven with Pesto ontop and drizzle with a lemon buerre blanc when plating ....And nice side of organic greens

It really is too bad you can't grill ...being such a summer thing to do

The Supremes you can marinate them in lemon juice, thyme, oregano,fresh cracked pepper,and EVVO for about an hour

sear on flat top ,,,dip supremes back into marinade and finish off in the oven (second marinade an old Greek trick)

A light cucumber cold sauce is in order for this make up your own!  Tabbouleh to accompany makes cool summer treat

For your Rack and Duck think of ways to use that flat top....it would be nice to have a grill but we can always create with what we have ...just gotta get those creative juices flowing

 

 Great ideas Gypsy.....

Duck Breast is wonderful with a rich sauce.

For me there are so many wonderful sauces to put with this:

Cranberry Port sauce

Orange

Gooseberry

Creamy mushroom - Basic , olive oil, onion, buttoon mushrooms, oyster, shiitake (or others), thyme, parsley, white wine, cream, salt and pepper

Blueberry

Chinese duck sauce

Then there is chocolate......(yes )

Fried Duck, with a chocolate port reduction

Braised – Chocolate and cherry

Chocolate and blackberry

And Mario Batali's has a nice one you should check (when he was in Spain) Anatra Al Cioccolato .

There is another favorite of mine which I make with my sister in law , (recipe supplied by Chef BDL) called “ Duck in the Spanish Style “ which is wonderful also.

Duck with sour cream and green onion

Salmon : Laced with horseradish , maple syrup and lemon, served on a bed of 3 color vegetables

Salmon Caponata

Lamb : Do a Madras rub- salt, garlic, tomato paste, grated ginger, curry, cumin, cinnamon, mustard seeds, tumeric, coriander, cayenne.

Lebanese chicken: Do a rub – juice and zest of 2 lemons, a lot of chopped garlic, olive oil, cinnamon, saffron, cumin, thyme, lots of parsley, salt and pepper. (measure to your taste)

Chicken laced with maple syrup and rosemary, 5 spice, garlic, fresh ginger, mirin, fresh rosemary, white wine (marinade)

Serve with roasted potatoes and thick red onions and greens

Kebabs of Chicken with a mayo Harissa

some thoughts....

 

Something that might work with either the salmon or the chicken is a basic teriyaki style sauce on the protein, grilled in the salamander.  Saute some zucchini, mushrooms and onion with cashew pieces and a bit of hoisin sauce as a side.

mjb.

 

How upscale and complicated is your kitchen willing to go?  Does your restaurant have its own identity or are you very open?  I'm thinking of something very specific for the lamb, do you guys do French-Mediterranean/California? 

Thanks to Petals for reminding me of that duck recipe... It could work very well for you.  Won't you take a look at it?  I'm a big fan of smoked duck.  I'm also a big fan of duck bigarade.  Retro, retro, retro, but what's old again is new again.

If the salmon is very good, it might be worthwhile to do at least some of that salmon as a raw app ... either gravlaks with a creme fraice/horse radish sauce chaud, or as a cruda -- pounded thing and dressed with best olive oil, fleur de sel and pepper.  And let's not forget that crisp-broiled salmon skin can be oh so profitably used in a salad.

But really, it would help to know a lot more about your place and your clientele before posting recipes or getting too specific.  Team's teriyaki salmon and broiled vegetables might be just the thing... or not.

BDL

 

I agree with BDL it's hard to comment when we really don't know the dynamics

I just hate to see a piece of equipment sitting there not being utilized ( flat top )

 

That's what I fixed for dinner a couple of days ago, so it was fresh on my mind.

And yes indeed, it may be appropriate as an entree at Applebys or some such place, but a bit weak for a high end place.  I could see a salmon three ways, though - the grilled teriyaki, a cruda as BDL suggested, perhaps wrapped around a stalk or two of chilled white asparagus, and a salmon salad of bits poached in white wine, finely minced capers, garlic and dill.

Regarding the rack of lamb, I'm in favor of a simple, traditional approach, don't get overly fancy with it.  Simple roast with salt and pepper, a little garlic and rosemary, served with a traditional style Welsh mint sauce, not that ghastly green jelly.

Having said that I'll contradict myself a bit.  Roast the lamb with some middle eastern or north african spices and serve with a Sudanese style spinach - sweat diced onion with cumin and cinnamon, add some chicken broth, wilt some spinach in the mix and serve it over Israeli couscous.

On the one hand knowing more details about the whole situation can provide more specific, focused replies.  Then on the other hand just throwing out ideas with no constraints could lead to a useful end result as well.  At any rate, I hope we here are able to help you out.

mjb.

 

I just hate to see a piece of equipment sitting there not being utilized ( flat top )

Just imagine how I feel, Gypsy. As a former short-order cook, the idea of a flattop sitting idle is reprehensible to me. It is, after all, the most versitile piece of equipment in the kitchen. Or can be, in the right hands.

 

Salmon with a lemon caper sauce.

 

Salmon skin:   Rinse the skin.  Dry it thoroughly with a paper towel.  Put it on a piece of foil and cook it on the toaster setting of a toaster-oven at highest heat until crisp.

Other:   If your clientele wants very straight forward, roasted or grilled meat and fish, there's not a lot I can help you with.  You already know as much as I do, so for me to suggest garnishes like "chipotle aioli" with roast chicken would be redundant. 

And, I did make some specific suggestions but you never responded.  So, while I wish I could do more for you...

BDL

 

Sole charge?....your flattop is your friend!
We have the same gear as you and max out at 100pax in season (not alone!)

Right side hot for searing, left side cooler for simmering with a cake rack in the corner for resting /parking.
Back of the hot side sears steak, chicken, lamb rump & pork fillet in oil then into the cranked oven on something similar to small pizza trays...need my pans for sauces.
Front of the hot side sears scallys, prawns (cutlets) & 'pan-fried' fish in 50/50 ghee/olive oil...straight on the plate.
Salmon gets the treatment Gypsy mentioned but I prefer to cook it out gently on the cold (broken) side of the salamander...set n forget M/R. The oven is still there if you need in a hurry...Blues & rares live there too.

The burners are then free to do the sauteeing, get reductions & pastas started then they can finish on the simmer side of the hotplate. I keep a pot of simmering water with a ladle on a back burner for reworking the cream sauces/pastas just before serving.

My point is use your gear to take the pressure off your burners and pans. For the setup your looking for the secret lies in the sauce. For variety & flexibility with fixed starch & vege consider daily sauce with certain dishes e.g. salmon this allows you to match more critically & feel around for a winner. Salmon with boiled new potatoes, asparagus & hollandaise will sell.
For meat sauces I now use BDL's (thanks) half-a**sed Espagnole as a base, portion them into the stubby, silicone muffin trays & freeze....a portion in a pan on the simmer side, mount it....see u later.

For chicken it works to pre-make any stuffing, form it into wedges, cook to set & freeze. Your breasts (the chicken's) are prepped with a slit in the side. To serve slip in the wedge, season, sear & oven. This method speeds up the cook because the breast is semi butterflied and, if the particular stuffing is hardy enough to defrost in the mike...say pork, pecan & sage, your putting a warm brick in the middle. If you use one bound with cream cheese & egg whites, dont defrost &  it will stay together after the cook.

Salmon can stuffed through a sloping slit to the side of the darne &, cooked as above, a strip of bacon laid on top with the ends folded under crisps on the first sear.

We use a small benchtop fryer full of water to reheat blanched vege. For a simple starch try 'crushed potato cake'...take warm new pots skin on 'crush'/cut with a kitchen spoon, add butter, seasoning &....pesto or s/crm & nutmeg or cream cheese & wholegrain mustard etc.

I'm just trying to help with proven technique for fast, easy delivery....this stuff wont win any awards but the punters are very happy &, right now (off season) in a really unpredictable market, we are open 101.5 hrs/wk with chefs rostered for 109 hrs/wk (with flexible backup plans)....it is doable.

As for flavours & pairing that's what your boss pays one of you the big bucks for...editorial control....good luck & good management!