Cooking Lesson with The Dude: Lesson #1 Almond Butter Rice & Salmon

[The Dude]

Cooking Lesson with The Dude: Lesson #1 Almond Butter Rice & Salmon

(Warning modem killer - 67 pictures... But soooooooooo worth it! Cause this is step by step, I made it easy for you. You will most likely need to press refresh once or twice or a dozen times that's if you have a dial up connection...)

The first time I made this combined recipe was back in 1998, right before the ice storm in Montreal. This meal may be just the way to get the last watch purchase forgiven... I even made this one once for 8 people, double the rice recipe.

First here are the required ingredients, preparation tips, instructions and all that.

Almond Butter Rice

1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup dry basmati rice
1/2 cup butter
1 onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/2-1 tsp. turmeric
2 cups strong chicken stock
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted (I grilled them in a non stick pan without any butter or oil, it really brings out the almond flavor. Be careful not to burn them...)

Combined salt with 2 cups water. Bring to a boil, pour the rice in once it boils. Let stand for 30 minutes, then rinse rice with cold water and drain well. Meanwhile, melt butter and sauté onion and garlic for 2 minutes (more or less, that's when a Chronograph function on a watch comes into play... Watch theme, gotta keep it going) Stir in turmeric and rice (Aroma galore!) Cook stirring, over medium heat for until butter is absorbed - 5 minutes.

Place in greased casserole dish and stir in stock. Bake, covered, at 325 degrees F for 45 minutes, Stir in almonds and parsley and bake for 15 more minutes. Serves 4.

Salmon:

One big 1.5 pound fillet of salmon (No skin! one piece. Well on that day I got it in two pieces.)
White wine I used Cesari chardonnay Delle Venezie that night. The best white cooking wine, why cause it is good enough to drink and cheap enough to cook with he he he but any inexpensive white or expensive white wine will do just fine
Lemons
Parsley Fresh parsley
One Onion Always a Spanish Onion. More flavorful, not as strong tasting too, sweeter
Salt and Pepper Used my trusted acrylic grinder set

Place the fillet in an aluminum foil boat, double layered to prevent any leakage with a little bit of wine and freshly squeezed lemon juice. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, cover with a few onion rings and sprinkle with fresh parsley. Close the foil in a boat shape to prevent leakage and put in the oven with the rice... make sure the fillet stays flat so don't skimp on the aluminum and please use the wide one....

Serve with the rice and cooked mushroom, make the mushroom, sliced Portobello mushroom cooked in butter and white wine in a non stick pan....

hummm mmmm never failed me, that and Barry White on the iPod stereo player plus some candle by the fire place (When I had one) always got me forgiven for spending too much on anything I bought... For dessert. That night was a flan with four wild berries. Recipe to be divulged 25 years after my death.

Okay okay okay... So there are a few more ingredients, I had a couple of rum and coke before I started and then a bloody Caesar while I started... Of course I had to have a glass of wine. And then the obligatory Corona beer while I waited. Hey! It takes a long time to cook. Do not forget to put Billie Holiday on the iPod stereo player while you cook. Lady Day makes great cooking music.

Now the caption for the pics are above the pictures. Why? you might ask, simply because of how they will be viewed, scrolling down... So you get to see the caption before the pictures. Otherwise you see a picture and then have to scroll down to see the caption. Doesn't make sense to me for this type of thread...

First: This is the stuff you'll need. Yes, that's my Bloody Caesar sitting there and a beer but those are cooking aids just as much as "The Best of Lady Day" double cd is a cooking aid, the basmati rice is already in the measuring cup.



Boil the water take off the stove pour in rice cover and let it sit for 30 minutes.



Pour water in a another sauce pan for the chicken stock.



Add the chicken stock powder.



Stir and let simmer for now.



Clean the parsley.



Start making the aluminum boat for the salmon. Double layer of large extra strong aluminum needed. I can multi task as I was on the phone with a lady friend at the time, she couldn't come over unfortunately but this didn't deter me in cooking this great feast of delicious, sublime flavors just for me and share with you all.



Fold it in two then fold the edges into themselves a couple of times. To prevent leakage.





The bottom corners have to be folded on their own after



And then fold everything once more. You have to be careful cause you must prevent leakage at all cost, if you lose the wine and lemon juice your salmon will be noooooooo good and the mess that will make in the oven? Well, not very nice?.



This is what the aluminum boat should look like before putting the schtuff in it.





Now it is time to cut and dice the onion, I don't know how you do it at home but me I wear a cheap scuba mask? Have you ever had burning eyes while wearing contacts, not too too pleasant? (Okay it is a Spanish onion so it does not sting as much but still better be safe than sorry... And funnier as well.) Notice the calendar, I took those pictures back in September 2004! Whoa, time does fly.







Garlic time, I love garlic. Just press on top of the onions so you do not lose any of the garlic flavors.





Butter time, this is how you measure half a cup of butter. With the little scale/ruler on the butter wrapping.



Melt the butter in a non-stick pan.



Grease an oven dish, for the rice. Now the secret is to smother it in butter. So you will end up with a little more than half a cup of butter and more buttery smoothness.



Finger licking good... Errrr okay maybe not!



While the butter is melting get the lemon juice ready for the salmon.



And the parsley, for the salmon and the rice...



Now pour the diced onion and garlic in the pan.



Stir...



Stir... Nice watch! Errrr, huh-oh... Oooops, I meant, let sit and simmer for a minute here...



Pour the lemon juice in the "boat" ...



Add wine to the boat. "How much wine?" you might ask...



About this much...



Rinse the skinless salmon fillet under cold water...



Put in the boat...



Now back to the almond butter rice. Add the turmeric. (You can tell by that time my measurement are all very scientific. A little of this a little of that... Yup I fell in the sauce while cooking!)



Pour rice in... (Do not forget to drain the water after 30 minutes, that rice needed to sit in the hot water only 30 minutes. You don't need the water the rice sat in for this step. Not unless you want to ruin everything!)



Stir... ("Stir" seems to be the word of the day.)



The smell will simply amaze you...



Okay back to the salmon, add salt and pepper to taste...



Cover with onion rings...



Then cover with parsley...



Close the boat...



Seal tight you don't want anything to escape... (Kinda looks like a canoe? Well it did when I was good n' drunk!)



You gotta shape it juts so...



For the salmon to stay flat while it cooks, please buy the big, wide aluminum foil, do not skimp on the foil. If the aluminum foil you are using isn't wide enough you will end up with a wavy or "u" shaped salmon.



Pour the rice in the greased up oven dish.



Now pour the chicken stock on top and stir... (That word again, "stir")



Almost there.



Cover the rice dish with aluminum and put in the oven... Darn it! Almost out of bloody Caesar... he he he



Close the oven door and start your timer, 45 minutes!



Brown the almonds. Roast those babies!



Stir...



...and shake! Do not leave untended for a minute or you could burn and waste these almonds. Do not walk away to answer the phone at this crucial step. Mmmm more good aromas. (Good accidental watch pichture... Wonder where my drunken self was focushing... *wink* Try doing that one handed with a Nikon D200 or a D2Xs!)



Pour the almonds in a dish.



Chop the parsley.



Slice the mushrooms. Oh well here is the obligatory watch shot. See I am really using the chrono function on my watch.



Ding ding ding 45 minutes! Take the rice out. Looks strange, not! It always looks like that.



Mix in the parsley and the almonds.



Put back in the oven uncovered for another 15 minutes...



Melt some butter in a pan, add the sliced mushrooms. Simmer for a bit.



Add wine, to taste if any left! (I am not a lush I still had schome left...)



Simmer. For a couple of minutes.



Ding ding ding! 15 minutes are up take both the rice and salmon out.





Smell this? Mmmmmm mmmm MMmmmmmm, yummy!



Gently push the parsley and onion away. Take a piece of salmon and serve with rice (Pour a little of the cooking juices on the salmon and if you wish to the rice as well, to taste.)



Serve with parley garnish and eat. Yes that is an old food edition of "The New Yorker" magazine, I have fallen a little back on my reading I will catch up soon...



Dessert, 4 berries with flan and almonds. Mmmm mmmm MMMMmmmmmmm Actually I didn't make the dessert I bought two slices at Schilling's on the Danforth earlier in that day. Schilling's in Toronto is no longer in business, as such do not go looking for it, you will not find it.



I sure hope you try this meal, you'll thank me for it.

[Rockrolex]

Thanks for the cooking lesson, Patrick. One question: If you can't stand salmon, what other fish would you suggest using?

[charles]

That's alotta butta!!

[President]

Thanks so much!

[The Dude]

Originally Posted by Rockrolex

One question: If you can't stand salmon, what other fish would you suggest using?

Hummm excellent question, I'd go for Swordfish however I would cook it differently.

On an open cooking pan, about 20 minutes at 400f. covered in olive oil with a little bit of salt, pepper and cardamon.

[montecristo]

Thats a lot of work for cooking a meal...

[The Dude]

Originally Posted by montecristo

Thats a lot of work for cooking a meal...

Actually not that much work and cheaper + surer than anything else I know for... Well you know, if you cook that for any wimmin you are sure to get into her panties that very same night you cook it!

[JJ Irani]

Patrick, you have the patience of a Saint!!

[The Dude]

Originally Posted by JJ Irani

Patrick, you have the patience of a Saint!!

he he he maybe but I ain't "The Dude" for nothing, I get laid more than most, ask Roger and that's with .... different wimmin! He he he I just think I have found a good one, she is grrrreat!

[JJ Irani]

Originally Posted by The Dude

he he he maybe but I ain't "The Dude" for nothing, I get laid more than most, ask Roger and that's with .... different wimmin! He he he I just think I have found a good one, she is grrrreat!

....and the morals of an alley cat, I might add!!

[The Dude]

Originally Posted by JJ Irani

....and the morals of an alley cat, I might add!!

Well yea but I stop at sheeps, I will not do a sheep!

[rolexfan21]

whoa! AWESOME THREAD! I think I am going to try this out... too bad i dont have a family to cook for... I live on my own and usually I cant find meals that would accomodate 1!!!!!!!!!11 but ill try this recipe out when i get a family