Lock Down Days: The Man Holding a Giant Hunk of Salmon/Imaginary Feastings

Hello everyone. Sunday night brings thoughts of cooking and feasts. This piece kicks off an occasional series related to food, memories and future plans from the culinary side.

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In the depths of Spring 2020 lock down, just about the only place I ever visited was the grocery store. It was there that I found myself one day directly in front of a burly and emphatically unmasked man holding a clump of asparagus and a truly giant hunk of salmon. His Bourbon breath was pungent, even behind my mask.

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"Excuse me Lady, does asparagus go with salmon?"

He held up the fish and both of them wobbled a bit. Oh my.

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My training as a bartender kicked in. In those days of six-foot distancing, I already stood in FRONT of my cart to maintain a buffer zone but the guy's pungency was noticeable. He was sweaty and uninhibited and to cut off any shift to topics related to mask wearing, germ factories, etc., I decided to Stick To The Salmon.

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While keeping track of him, a relaxed hidden stream in my brain filled with the scent of melting butter, the sound of clipping of fresh tarragon, and a debate on vinegar or white wine in a lovely fish fumet.

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Big Burly Unmasked Guy was on his mobile with somebody. Who?

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"I got it. A lady told me asparagus goes with salmon. She looks informed."

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His breath turned back my way.

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"Great! My wife will cook it!"

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I paid for my own groceries, self-packed them in my tote bags from home and headed for the door. From behind me, I heard him break out in "It Happened In Monterey" (the Frank Sinatra version).

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Wheeling home with my blue cart of groceries, I felt wistful for days of good meals, and party planning. But who was to say I could not take the memory of that formidable hunk of salmon and its asparagus friend and design an Imaginary Dinner Party?

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In the mild and green-scented May air, I thought back to the serendipitous discovery that morning of a recipe for a type of spring colcannon. Colcannon is a hearty Irish staple of potato and various types of greens. I've seen it made with cabbage or chopped green onion, but a spring colcannon demanded an extra hit of freshness and the found recipe fit the bill as a base to improvise from.

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With so many spring green things popping up, how about trying it with fresh young leeks and a simple white pepper seasoning? For the essential potato base, rather than heavy winter potatoes from the root cellar, I would steam new yellow potatoes, then gently “smash” them flat with a large spoon to make small “tato coins”. Along with the fresh leek, I would add whatever random spring greens I might find once the weekly farmer’s market opened again in a brighter future. I had not yet started growing my own greens in our community garden.

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As for the salmon and asparagus, I would keep it simple. For the salmon, a long cooking time at a relatively low temperature. I would use my instinct for scent and feel and keep a close eye on it until the rawness was gone (my preference) and it had just turned pink and flaked easily with my fork. The asparagus I would steam with a cup or so of a very simple chicken broth I had cooked up and frozen a few weeks earlier. Let the flavor of the asparagus spring forth!

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Since this was an imaginary dinner party, I would throw in a little “fanciness”.?Guests on a diet or with simple tastes could enjoy the starch, vegetable, and fish in all its goodness. But if anyone wanted a bit more, there would be available a small pitcher of a lovely tarragon cream sauce inspired by the late Pierre Franey, a French chef known for lighter versions of traditionally rich dishes.

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I hunted about in the top shelf of my spice cabinet for dried tarragon I’d prepared the fall before when gifted with fresh tarragon from a friend’s patio herb garden when the plant began to go wild and take over. I inhaled in its scent, and went to work making my own “kitchen lab” version of my imaginary dinner sauce.

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As I started from Chef Franey’s sauce recipe for a poached salmon (with cooking liquid), I would vary a tad. I would take the dairy mixture (would substitute milk for half of the cream) and gently heat at low temperature with a large bunch of tarragon to infuse the herb flavor. I would then create a sauce that stood on its own against the salmon with a distinct herbal flavor profile.

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With the heart of my imaginary meal, potato, fish, and green vegetable, set up, I started to embroider. What would be a suitable appetizer? I thought, something savory and small. How about some country ham, a delicacy readily available in the Washington DC region. I would make tiny country biscuits, to top with very thin ham slices. Over the ham I would melt some hoop cheese, another regional product that I would jazz up with whatever spices from my spice rack interested me (black pepper, dried chili, dry garlic, etc.).

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For appetizer munchies with a light-flavored spring beer, I would sprinkle assorted nuts and crunchy things on a small wooden serving block. Perhaps halved apricots studded with walnuts, simply because I liked the color. And speaking of color, the image of small, sweet, mini tomatoes then popped into my head, dressed with a bit of olive oil, vinegar (available in the pantry) and black pepper, to provide a contrast from the “herby” theme of the meal. Finally, given we were feasting, after clearing the table and brushing off all the crumbs, I would ?provide, coffee, tea, and for those inclined, a little bit of something stronger.

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After time for hanging out and digesting, I would bring out dessert. A lovely tart made of raspberries and hazelnuts with a Linzer tort theme, but a bit fresher. As this is an imaginary meal, the tart would be brought over by a dinner guest, along with some packs of her homemade peppermint tea. She might have made the tart, or picked it up at a bakery, but everyone would agree it was perfect.

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As the discussion veered from Linzer torte to travels and other feasts, weddings, losses, another guest would bring out the violin he always carried to dinner parties, and begin to play melancholy tunes, then switch to Hungarian dance songs to brighten the mood and send several of the younger people off with new friends to dance and carouse the night away.

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Yes, this is an indulgent feast, and much more than enough. My philosophy is that when you are feasting with friends, an abundance of all things, food, flowers, music, drink, and laughter is a must. Just make sure to have some “to go” containers. There is ?always the option of sending everyone home with leftovers.

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P.S. Hope my grocery store friend and the missus enjoyed their salmon and asparagus!

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FINAL MENU – “May, Mid-Atlantic USA -Event Meal".

* Mini country ham and biscuits with spiced Hoop Cheese.

* Assorted chips and nuts

* Baked salmon with Tarragon Creme

* Cherry tomato salad

* Leek and New Potato Mash

* Steamed Asparagus

* Raspberry/hazelnut tart