What the world needs now...Bouillabaisse and Salmon

Happy Sunday morning. I hope you have all woken up to the smell of something beautiful baking in your oven. As the days get colder I cook warmer. A very natural way to progress through the varying seasons. What exactly does "cook warmer" mean? Well sometimes it means I add multiple chilli's to my recipes so that even though you may be eating a cold dish you sure will have a sense of heat running through your body. Or sometimes I make steaming hot pleasantries such as soups, stews, chilli, with fresh baked muffins, biscuits, and anything other dish straight out of the oven or pot and into your belly. 

This morning as I woke up to sunshine,  brisk air and just had to bake pumpkin muffins. Yesterday as I planned my recipes for my Demo at Clearwater I choose to cook from both warmth creating scenarios and in doing so had a spectacular day trying out recipes and talking to people. Oh the Joy of seafood, cooking and wine!

Recipe 1: Bouillabaisse

 1 Cups white wine

2 Cups Vegetable Broth or Fish Stock

1 Cup clam juice (Juice from 1 Jar St. Thomas Bar Clams)

1/4 cup Stewed Tomatoes

1 Tbsp (15 mL) butter

1/2 Cup (125 mL) coarsely chopped cilantro (about 3 large)

1 Spanish or red onion

1 Small Jalapeno Pepper or 1 tsp dried Chillies

1 Small orange

1/2 tsp (2 mL) Saffron threads, crumbled

1 Pint cherry or grape tomatoes

10 Scallops

10 Clams

1 Package Raw Lobster (Optional

1)     Put a medium sized pot on medium heat and add butter and chopped red onion. Let this sweat together turning translucent for 2 minutes and then add wine, vegetable or fish stock and clam juice and stewed tomatoes. Sprinkle in the seeds of saffron, and dried thyme. Cover and bring to a boil. Slice jalapenos in half lengthwise, take the seeds out then finely chop. Stir into broth. and add peel from half an orange. Slice tomatoes in half and stir in. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for at least 5-10min.

2)     Meanwhile, scrub mussels and remove beards. Discard any that are open. Clean scallops and tear off tough mussels that you will find on the side of them. Be sure to then pat them dry with paper towels. If sea scallops are large, slice in half horizontally, forming two rounds. Peel shrimp and lay aside.  If you are using the Clearwater Raw Lobster as well make sure you defrost this in advance and pat dry.

3)     When you are ready to serve the bouillabaisse bring the broth to a rolling boil. Stir in mussels and then cover for 2 minutes until they are partially open. Then stir in hour scallops, shrimp and lobster.  This should all cook together for around 4 minutes or until your shrimp and lobster have turned a bright red. This means they are cooked. Lastly add in salt and pepper to taste.

4)     Serve right away with baguette or tasted bread.

Pair with: High Altitude Chard/Viogner

*For this recipe and any other remember if you don't like the seafood I've used choose your own adventure when making it and use the seafood you love* This is the nicest dish to eat on a cold afternoon! There is lots of warm flavours and love in a dish like this. 

Recipe 2: Salmon with Sweet Corn Salsa

2 Salmon Fillets

1tsp Oil

½ Pint Cherry Tomatoes

1 Can Sweet Corn

1 Jalepeno

¼ Red Pepper

1 Bunch Cilantro

Place sauté pan on stove on medium heat and put oil in pan to heat up. Salt and pepper your salmon. When oil is hot add in salmon with the skin side up. Cook for 3 minutes or until nicely browned. Then flip your salmon turn your heat down to medium low and finish cooking on the skin side down.

Salsa- Chop very fine your Cherry tomatoes, jalepeno, red peppers and cilantro and mix into a bowl. Add in 1 can of corn with the liquid drained out. Mix together and add 1 tbsp olive oil and then salt and pepper to taste.

Pair with: Los Pinos Tempranillo

 There we have it my friends, two different dish's, two different ways to create warmth in your Sunday afternoon. Share a smile, share in warmth, share in a dish, and share in a dance in your kitchen.  Eat, drink and enjoy!!