• Choose a category
• All
• Classic-Fiction

Grill the fennel wedges and onion slices for 6 to 8 minutes, or until crisp-tender. Grill the salmon, skin side up, until the grill marks are clearly visible. Sockeye is usually fairly thin, so a ½-inch thick piece should cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side.

This is a great dish to serve family-style on a large platter. Place the salad in the middle of the platter and top with the salmon. Scatter the vegetables all around the platter. Garnish with small fennel fronds. Serve with the reserved sauce on the side.

PAIRING: A California pinot noir, such as Saintsbury Carneros 2007, or a New Zealand pinot noir.

jerk-spiced salmon with coconut pot liquor and sweet potato fries

¼ teaspoon black peppercorns

1 (1-inch) piece cinnamon stick

½ teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon cumin seeds

¼ teaspoon allspice berries

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

(or ½ teaspoon for a spicier

rub)

1 pound coho salmon fillets

or steaks, skin on, cut into 4

equal portions

1 teaspoon plus 1 tablespoon

extra-virgin olive oil, plus

some for brushing the pan

2 large orange sweet potatoes

(sometimes labeled “yams”),

peeled and cut into 4-by-½-

inch pieces (about 4 cups)

¼ teaspoon plus ⅛ teaspoon

salt

1 bunch kale leaves, stems

removed, chopped into bite-

size pieces (about 4 cups)

Heaping ¼ teaspoon freshly

ground pepper

1 (14-ounce) can salted black

beans, drained and rinsed

1 tablespoon apple cider

vinegar

1 (14-ounce) can coconut milk

1 tablespoon high-heat

vegetable oil

1 lime, cut into wedges, for

garnish

The food indulgences I love tend not to be very good for me: quality tequila, candy, deep-fried anything . . . especially doughnuts. Imagine my excitement when I developed a recipe that I could eat over and over again and which included some of the world’s most healthful foods: wild salmon, dark leafy greens, beans, and sweet potatoes. Who needs doughnuts when you can eat kale that tastes this good? OK, well I do—but now, not as often.

SERVES 4

Preheat the oven to 400ºF.

Grind the peppercorns, cinnamon stick, kosher salt, cumin seeds, allspice berries, and red pepper flakes in a spice grinder until fine. Reserve 1 teaspoon of the spice rub to sprinkle on the sweet potatoes. Coat the salmon pieces on all sides with the remainder of the rub and set them aside on a plate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, lightly brush a sheet pan with olive oil. In a large bowl, toss the sweet potato pieces with 1 teaspoon of the olive oil, the reserved teaspoon of spice rub, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Spread them out on the pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until they are browned in spots. Remove from the oven and cover to keep warm. Leave the oven on.

In a large pot over medium-high heat, add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the kale, ⅛ teaspoon salt, and pepper, and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the greens start to wilt. Add the black beans, apple cider vinegar, and coconut milk. Stir and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the greens are tender. Season to taste and keep warm until you are ready to serve.

In an ovenproof skillet over high heat, add the vegetable oil. When it is hot, carefully add the salmon fillets, skin side up. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the fillets are browned, then flip them carefully and place the skillet in the oven for 5 to 6 more minutes (assuming the fish is about an inch high measured at the thickest point). Ideally, the salmon should be served medium rare.

To serve, divide the greens and beans among 4 bowls and top each with a piece of salmon. Ladle some of the coconut “pot liquor” all around the outer edge of the bowl. Tuck some sweet potatoes alongside the salmon and garnish with a lime wedge.

PAIRING: A viognier, such as Kunin “Stolpman Vineyard” 2006, Central Coast, California, or an Alsatian pinot gris.

roasted salmon with morels and pinot noir sauce

For the pinot noir sauce:

¼ cup minced shallots

1 teaspoon fennel seeds,

lightly crushed with the side

of a knife

1 star anise pod

2 teaspoons