I experimented with the right balance of sodium alginate, sodium citrate and calcium chloride until I had little salmon pearls that held their shape but released a gushing interior when you bite into them.  In all honesty, the recipe below is an approximation of the winning batch since the actual measurements were lost in the frustration of my failed trials. 

Makes: 1 caviar tin’s worth
Total kitchen time: 30 minutes

Shopping list:

• 25g Crystal Hot Sauce
• 15g water
• 3g sodium alginate
• 2g sodium citrate
• 1 liter water
• 9g calcium chloride

1. Combine the hot sauce, 15g water, sodium alginate and sodium citrate in a small bowl.  Mix until combined and no lumps remain.  The mixture should have a consistency thicker than the original hot sauce but thinner than ketchup. 
2. Combine 1 liter of water and the calcium chloride in a medium bowl.  Whisk or blend until all of the calcium chloride has dissolved.  Prepare a separate medium bowl of just water.
3. Using an eye dropper, drop the hot sauce mixture into the calcium chloride bath one drop at a time.  For best results, hold the eye dropper parallel to the counter and about 1” above the surface of the water.  Drop 20-30 drops at a time, stirring the water occasionally. 
4. Remove the spheres using a mesh strainer.  Shake off the excess water, then transfer to the plain water bath.

Total kitchen time: 25 minutes

Shopping list:

• 2 salmon fillets, about 15mm thick
• 1 tsp. smoked salt
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat your water bath to 45.5°C.  [Note: Consuming undercooked fish blah blah blah.  Some people will cook their salmon at 39°C, but that’s a little rare even for my taste.  If you’re squeamish, crank up the temp to 52°C.]
2. Remove the skin from the salmon fillets (reserve for frying, if you want.)  Divide the salt and pepper between the fillets and coat both sides.  Place the fillets, together or individually) into vacuum seal bags, but don’t seal them yet.
3. Prepare an ice bath large enough for the salmon fillets in their bags.
4. Load a Smoking Gun with hickory wood shavings.  Insert the exhaust hose into the open end of the bag and fold over the open edge to partially seal the bag.

   

5. Turn on the Smoking Gun and light the wood chips.  Smoke the entire bowl into the bag, retaining as much smoke as possible. 
6. Holding the open end of the bag up, submerge the bag into the ice bath for a few seconds to condense the remaining smoke.  Seal the open end in the vacuum sealer.
7. Cook the salmon in the water bath for 15 minutes.  Remove and serve.

Given the soft texture of the salmon, I thought it would be good to pair it with something crunchy.  I fried kale leaves in grapeseed oil for a few seconds per side (look out for major oil splatter!) and roasted asparagus with olive oil and rosemary salt.  I also fried the leftover salmon skin until it was slightly crispy and used it to wrap the asparagus.  This is one of my new favorite salmon preparations, and I can’t wait to see what else I can instant-smoke!

Total kitchen time: 1 hour
Makes: 4 carefully plated servings

Special equipment: immersion blender or blender, chinois or fine strainer or cheesecloth

Shopping list:

• 1 small head cauliflower
• 1/2 white onion, diced
• 1 leek (dark green part discarded), diced
• 1 medium shallot, minced
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 4 stalks thyme, placed in a tea bag or bundled together with twine
• 2 lbs. salmon fillet, skin and pin bones removed
• 2 tsp. red curry powder
• 2 tsp. turmeric
• olive oil, sea salt and freshly ground white pepper

1. Preheat your oven (or toaster oven) to 400°F and set the top rack 6-8” from the heating element.
2. Cut the cauliflower into small fleurettes (little pieces) and toss with olive oil and salt to coat.  Spread onto a lined baking sheet and roast until soft and just slightly browned around the edges, about 20 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, heat 1 tbsp. of olive oil in a high-sided, heavy-bottomed skillet.  When it just begins to smoke, add the onion, leek and shallot.  Reduce heat to medium and cook until softened, about 10 minutes. 
4. Add the white wine, stirring up any browned bits from the bottom.  Bring to a boil and cook until the wine is reduced about 2/3rds.  Reduce the heat to a simmer and stir in the cream.  Add the thyme and simmer about 10 minutes.  Remove the thyme and discard.
5. Add the roasted cauliflower to the onion mixture.  Using an immersion blender (or transferring the whole thing to your blender) blend until smooth.  Transfer the mixture to a fine strainer or cheesecloth, with a bowl placed underneath.  Strain all the liquid you can from the mixture, and reserve.  The mixture remaining in your strainer should have the consistency of mashed potatoes.
6. Using two spoons of the same size, divide the vegetable mixture into 4 parts and shape into quenelles (little round things).  Place on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil.  Roast 10 minutes, or until lightly browned.
7. Divide the salmon fillet into 4 servings and coat with curry powder, turmeric, sea salt and olive oil.  Sear in a hot skillet over high heat, about 2 minutes per side (timing will vary; look for the doneness creeping up the side of the fillet.  Some pink is good.
8. To serve, spoon the reserved liquid into the bottom of a large bowl or plate, then top with a salmon fillet and a quenelle. 

I love the balance of flavors and fresh ingredients in this dish, but even more, I love that it let’s me play chef in my own kitchen. 

Makes: 6 soft tacos
Total kitchen time: 15 minutes

Shopping list:

• 1-1.5 lbs. salmon fillet, skin and bones removed
• 1/2 tsp. paprika
• 1/2 tsp. red chili powder
• 1/2 tsp. chipotle powder
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 6 whole wheat tortillas
• 2 cups Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
• 1 cup cabbage (green or red), finely shredded
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 2 tbsp. cilantro, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup tomato, diced

1. Heat a large, heavy-bottomed skillet or griddle over high heat until it is really (really) hot.  If possible, use cast iron. 
2. Season the salmon fillet on all sides with kosher salt, paprika, chili powder and chipotle powder.  Place the fillet on the heated pan, pressing down lightly to ensure the whole surface area is making contact.  Then, walk away.  Don’t touch or jiggle it or the fish will fall apart.  Let it cook for about 2 minutes, or until it naturally releases from the pan with a spatula.
3. Flip the fish over and sear another 2 minutes.  Turn off the heat, and gently break apart the fish into large flakes using a spatula or tongs.  Transfer to a plate or bowl.
4. To assemble each soft taco, heat a tortilla for 30 seconds in the hot pan (with the stove turned off).  Top with cheese, salmon, tomato, cabbage, sour cream and cilantro.  Serve warm.

Makes: about 9 cones
Total kitchen time: 1 hour

Special equipment

• 9 coronet molds (or large pastry tips)
• 1 Silpat Nonstick Silicone Baking Mat
• 1 pastry bag
• 1 4” circle pastry ring (optional)

Shopping list:

• 1 lb. parmesan cheese, very finely shredded
• 1/2 lb. lox (smoked salmon fillet)
• 1 shallot, finely diced
• 2 tbsp. chives, finely diced
• 1 tbsp. lemon juice
• 2 tbsp. butter
• crème fraîche, to garnish

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F and place the top rack in the middle of the oven. 
2. Prepare the silplat on a baking sheet.  Place the pastry ring on the silplat and gently sprinkle with an even layer of the shredded parmesan.  The layer should only be thick enough so that there are no large holes.  Repeat, leaving at least 1” of space between circles.  You’ll probably have to make parmesan rounds in 2 batches.
3. Lightly salt the parmesan rounds and bake for 5-7 minutes.  Keep a close eye on the rounds – once the cheese is completely melted and just barely starting to brown around the outer edges, remove the pan from the oven and rest it on the open oven door.  The heat from the door will keep the cheese soft and warm as you shape the rounds into cones.
4. Working one by one, roll each round of cheese onto a coronet mold and place on a stack of paper towels to dry.  The cheese will be hot to touch, and you may want to use an offset spatula to help lift the first edge of cheese off the silplat.
5. Once all of the cheese rounds have been formed onto the molds, let them rest for at least 10 minutes to cool.  Wipe any grease off the silplat, then return the cheesy molds to the baking sheet and bake 2-3 minutes more, until lightly browned.  Its important to keep the molds in for this step, otherwise your cones will deflate into triangles.  Place the cones on paper towels to drain until ready to serve.  Can be made the day before and refrigerated.
6. Using a knife (not a food processor) finely chop the salmon lox.  In a large bowl, smash the butter with the back of a fork until it is lightly whipped.  Stir in the salmon, shallot, chives and lemon juice.  Can be made up to 4 hours ahead and covered and refrigerated.
7. When you’re ready to serve, pipe the salmon mixture into the cones carefully using a pastry bag with a wide tip (or no tip at all).  The cones will be very fragile, so you may want to recruit a second pair of hands for this part of the operation.
8. Finally, using a small, decorative tip, pipe a dollop of crème fraîche on top of the salmon.  Serve on a platter, or standing up on a plate full of holes!

This recipe was inspired by a recent visit to Piroshky Piroshky, the small, wonderful-smelling Russian bakery in the Pike Place market.  They make some of my favorite street food, and I can’t make a trip to Pike Place without stopping by for a snack.  On my latest trip, I tried their salmon paté piroshky (a piroshky is a stuffed, flaky, handheld pie) and it was divine.  This “calzone” doesn’t attempt to recreate the salmon piroshky, but was simply inspired by it.  The mascarpone cheese melts away during baking, leaving the rich smoked salmon moist and delicious. 

Makes: 2 Coho Calzones
Total kitchen time: 30 minutes

Shopping list:

• 1 pizza crust’s worth of dough (or cheat and use a premade dough from the grocery store)
• 8 oz. smoked salmon
• ½ cup mascarpone (found in a small plastic tub in the cheese case)
• 1 leek
• 1 small handful chives, finely chopped
• 1 egg white, lightly beaten
• ooks&fgbp 

1. Preheat your oven to 450°F and place the top rack in the lower third of your oven.  Like a baking sheet with parchment paper (optional, for easier cleanup).
2. Wash and pat dry the leek.  Slice the leek lengthwise, then cut each half into long, very thin strips.  Cut the strips into short pieces, about ½” long.  Set aside.
3. Divide the dough into two equal parts, and roll out each into a 10” circle.  Gently spread a thin layer of mascarpone on the surface of the dough, leaving at least a ½” crust. 
4. In a small bowl, break up the smoked salmon using your fingers until it is fluffy.  You want the filling of the calzone to be pretty even, or it will fall apart as you eat it.
5. Divide the salmon between the two crusts, arranging it only on one side of the crust (in a half-moon shape), again leave at least a ½” crust.  Sprinkle the chives and leeks over the salmon, then lightly salt and pepper.  Finally, drizzle with about 1 tsp of olive oil.
6. Fold each calzone in half, making sure that the crusts line up.  Using the tines of a fork, gently press down the edge all the way around the rounded side of the calzone to seal it.  Make sure you get a tight seal – this will help the calzone puff up during baking. 
7. Brush the tops of each calzone with egg white.  Bake at 450°F for about 15 minutes, or until golden brown and delicious. 

These calzones are crunchy, salty and wonderful.  But, they’re not like the gooey, stringy cheese calzones you might be used to.  There’s an unwritten rule against combining cheese and fish (I don’t know why, you just never see them together).  So, it’s a good thing that mascarpone isn’t really a cheese.  The more you know… doo de do dee!

The potato recipe is quite simple.  Bake (or microwave) whole russet potatoes, about 1 potato for every 2 servings.  When they are fork tender, run them through your potato ricer.  This step is optional, but it’s the only way to guarantee lightness and fluffiness.  Mix in some butter, heavy cream, salt, white pepper and blue cheese.  Then, load the whole mixture into a pastry bag with an extra-large tip and pipe the potatoes around the salmon, directly on individual cedar planks.  Grill until the salmon is done, then serve directly on the planks.  Your guests will love it!

Total kitchen time: 1 hr
Makes: 4 1lb fillets

Shopping list:

• 4 1lb. salmon fillets (with skin is fine, without is fine also)
• 2 large (or 4 small) cedar planks for grilling
• 2 tsp. fennel seeds, lightly crushed
• olive oil, kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 shallot, finely diced
• 2 tbsp. orange-muscat vinegar (honestly, any white wine vinegar will work, this one just adds a little flavor and a lot of adjectives.  Available at Trader Joe’s.)
• 1 stick unsalted butter, cut into teaspoons
• fine sea salt and freshly ground white pepper, to taste

1. Soak the cedar planks, completely submerged, in cold water for at least 1 hour.  Preheat your grill over medium-high heat before grilling.
2. For the beurre blanc, heat a small saucepan over medium heat.  Add the diced shallot and about 1 tsp. of olive oil and cook until the shallot smells great, about 3 minutes.  If it looks like the shallot is starting to brown, reduce the heat.
3. Add the white wine vinegar (in this case, orange muscat vinegar) and stir to deglaze the pan.  Continue to cook until the vinegar has reduced by half, about 5 minutes.
4. Remove the pan from the heat and 2 teaspoons of butter.  Continually whisk the butter until it is completely melted.  If the butter starts to foam, place the bottom of the pan on a cold surface (like a stone countertop) to cool it.  Add the remaining butter, 2 teaspoons at a time, whisking continually.  If the butter refuses to melt, hold the pan over very low heat for a few seconds and then remove. 
5. Once all the butter is incorporated, taste the sauce and adjust with a fine-grain salt and freshly ground white pepper.  You can use black pepper if you want, but white pepper will make the sauce look prettier.
6. Prepare the salmon fillets by patting them dry and coating with salt, pepper and fennel seeds on the flesh side.  Rub the fillets on all sides with olive oil. 
   
7. Make sure your grill has been preheated over medium-high heat.  Arrange the cedar planks on your grill and place the fillets, skin side down (if they have skin) on the cedar planks.  Close the lid and grill for 15-20 minutes, or until the fish is fully cooked.  The planks will give off a lot of smoke which adds to the excellent flavor.  However, if your planks should catch fire, simply spray them with a small amount of water (I recommend San Pellegrino ) until the flames dissipate. 
8. When the salmon is cooked to your preferred doneness (let’s face it, either it’s undercooked, done, or overcooked), use a long spatula or a chef’s knife to remove them from the planks.  Top with a spoonfull of the beurre blanc and serve!

Look for more cedar plank recipes this summer.  I’m now a big fan of this cooking method and it deserves some further exploration.  Do you have any favorite wood cooking recipes?  Leave ‘em in the comments below.

Makes: 4 entree-sized delights of joy
Total kitchen time: 30 minutes

Shopping list:

• 1 lb. skinless salmon fillet
• 2 tbsp. low soduim soy sauce
• 2 tbsp. teriyaki marinade
• 1/2 tsp. red chili oil
• 1/4 cup green onion, finely chopped
• 5 cloves garlic, smashed and finely chopped
• 1 tsp. fresh ginger, finely grated
• 1/4 cup water chestnuts, finely chopped (find them in a can in the Asian isle of your grocery store)
• zest of 1 lime
• 1 tsp. sesame seeds
• 1 tsp. peanut oil (olive oil will work if you can’t find peanut oil)
• 1 tsp. rice wine vinegar
• 1 head green cabbage, separated into whole leaves
• 2 tbsp. Chinese barbeque sauce

1. Pat the salmon dry.  Combine the soy sauce, teriyaki marinade and red chili oil in large ziplock bag.  Add the salmon and marinate, 5 minutes up to 4 hours.  I usually don’t have the patience for long marinating times, so I can attest that 5 minutes will still yield great results.
2. Meanwhile, combine the green onion, garlic, ginger, water chestnuts, lime zest and sesame seeds in a small bowl and set aside.  If you want, you can coarsely chop all the fresh ingredients and pulse a few times in a food processor.  Just don’t overdo it – we still want the texture and crunch of the garlic and water chestnuts.
3. Preheat a grill pan or heavy-bottomed skillet over medium high heat.  Add the salmon and cook 2-3 minutes, covered.  Flip the salmon cook another 2 minutes or until done.  The sugars in the marinade will start to brown and caramelize immediately.  Don’t freak out if you see [what looks like] burning.  Everything will be OK.  When the salmon is done, set it aside to rest.
4. In the same pan (if it is clean enough), heat the peanut oil until smoking.  Add the chopped fresh ingredients and the rice wine vinegar.  Stir fry until you can start to smell the aromatics.  You want to keep everything fresh and crunchy, so don’t cook past 1 minute.  Remove the fresh ingredients into a large bowl.
5. Break the salmon unto small pieces using your fingers and add to the fresh aromatics.  Mix everything together.
6. Divide the salmon mixture into four servings and spoon each serving into a cabbage cup.  Top with a drizzle of Chinese barbeque sauce and roll the cabbage leaf into a burrito shape.  Chow down!

This recipe also works great as an appetizer.  Substitute endive leaves for the cabbage, or even serve the salmon mixture in spring roll wrappers.  You’ll think twice before picking up the phone to order take out again.

Makes: 6 elegant endive bites
Total kitchen time: 40 minutes

Shopping list:

• 3 heads of Belgan Endive (or try Escarole)
• 1 tbsp. finely chopped lemongrass
• 3 tbsp. champagne (or sweet white wine)
• 1 stick unsalted butter, cold
• 1/4 lb. smoked salmon
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• sea salt, to taste

1. Preheat your grill over low heat.  If your grill has multiple zones, set the front zone to medium high and leave the back zone off.  You can also make this recipe in the oven, but you’ll miss all the sunshine flavor.
2. Slice each head on endive lengthwise and coat all sides with olive oil.  Lightly salt both sides of the endive. 
3. Place the endive, round side down, on the cool area of your grill and close the lid.  Grill, turning once, for 15 minutes per side.
4. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, add the lemongrass and sweat it for 1-2 minutes over medium heat.  Add the champagne or wine and boil for another 1-2 minutes or until the liquid has reduced to a syrupy consistency.  Remove the pan from the heat and let it cool for 1-2 minutes.
5. Working 1 tsp. at a time, add the cold butter while constantly whisking.  The butter should not melt right away and at no point should it start to bubble.  Wait until each tsp. of butter is completely absorbed until you add the next one.  If the butter stops melting in to the sauce, put the pan over low heat for just a moment.  Just don’t stop whisking!  Once the butter is completely added, your sauce is done. 
6. Crumble some of the smoked salmon over the cut side of the endive and top with a small amount of the beurre blanc.  Season with a sprinkling of sea salt, to taste.

These elegant treats are sure to turn heads at your next back yard party.  They pair very well with dry white wine, or white wine sangria.  So, don your finest linen pants and get eating!

Total kitchen time: 1 hr
Makes: 2 people swim upstream for more

Shopping list:

• 1 1/2 lbs. center-cut salmon fillet, skin removed
• 1 cup flour
• 1 tsp. paprika
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. fresh thyme, finely chopped
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 3 cranks  freshly ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup light beer
• 1 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
• 1 qt. safflower oil (or vegetable oil) for frying

1. Slice the salmon fillet against the grain to form sticks, about 1″ square by 5″ long.  Pat the sticks dry thoroughly with paper towels.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, paprika, baking soda, thyme, salt and pepper.  Add the beer and stir until the mixture forms a sticky paste.
3. Spread the panko flakes in an even layer on a plate.  Then, carefully dip each salmon stick into the batter, wiping off the excess.  Roll the sticks in the panko to coat and set aside.  You want to be very delicate as you handle the fish because it will have a tendency to break apart easily.
4. Heat the oil to 350°F in a large, heavy bottomed skillet.  Make sure you have enough oil to cover about1.5″.  Add the fish sticks, no more than 3 at a time, and fry until golden.  You’ll want to turn the fish once during the frying to ensure that it is cooking evenly.  It should only take about 1 minute or so per side for nicely done fish.  Set the fried fish sticks on a stack of paper towels to drain. 

For the dippin’ sauce:

• 1 tbsp. pimentos (and about 1/2 tsp. of the liquid they’re stored in)
• 1 tbsp. capers
• 4 tbsp. mayonnaise
• 1 tsp. lemon juice

1. Combine all ingredients in a food processor and pulse for 20 seconds or until roughly combined.

For the slaw:

• 1 cup red cabbage, finely shaved
• 2 large carrots
• 2 tbsp. mayonnaise
• 1 tbsp. champagne vinegar
• 1 tbsp. cilantro, finely chopped
• sea salt and pepper to taste

1. Using a vegetable peeler, peel the outside layer of the carrot and discard.  Then, peel the inner flesh of the carrot into long, thin strips.  Coarsely chop the strips to about 3″ in length.
2. Combine the carrot shavings and remaining ingredients in a large bowl.

Allow me to reiterate how awesome this meal is.  If you are cooking for children, this is your ticket to Salmonville.  Enjoy the trip, and remember to write!