Crispy Skin King Salmon, Sweet Corn Pudding, Tomato-Basil Salad

Victor Scargle, executive chef,

Go Fish Restaurant, St. Helena

6 6-ounce King salmon steaks, skin on, scored, pin-boned out

12 ears corn, shucked  and juiced

10 heirloom tomatoes, darker color, scored, peeled, diced (concassé)

1 Tbsp. minced shallots

1 tsp. minced garlic

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, not too spicy or bitter

1/2 bunch basil, chiffonade (thin strips)

2 Tbsp. apple balsamic vinegar*       

Grapeseed oil (preferably Napa’s Salute Santé!)

Maldon salt (flaky salt, or fleur de sel)

Black pepper, freshly ground

For the tomato salad, mix shallots, garlic and extra virgin olive oil and heat over low heat for 3 minutes to release flavors into oil. Cool and mix with tomatoes and basil. Season with salt and black pepper.

For corn pudding, juice corn in a juicer (or put kernels in blender with a little water and then strain out the solids), then place corn juice in sauce pan and heat over low heat, stirring until thickens. Season with salt and pepper.

To plate, season salmon with salt on both sides and pepper on one side. Place skin side down in smoking hot sauté pan. Turn heat down to medium and cook skin side for four minutes. Turn and cook for another 3 minutes depending on thickness of filet. Salmon should be cooked to medium rare at the most.

Warm corn pudding, place in center of bowl. (You could also roast the corn and serve the salmon atop the roasted kernels.) Place salmon on top. Place a heaping tablespoon of tomato salad over salmon and drizzle apple balsamic around the plate. Enjoy with oaky chardonnay or light pinot noir.

Serves 6

*Note: I like to use the apple balsamic vinegar from Bates and Schmitt, of the Apple Farm in Philo. If you don’t want to pick it up at a local market, you can substitute a mix of unfiltered apple juice and a good balsamic vinegar for the drizzle on this dish.

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Grilled Alaskan Halibut with Oyster Mushrooms, Garden Artichokes and Herb Nage

Victor Scargle, executive chef,

Go Fish Restaurant, St. Helena

6 5-ounce Alaskan halibut filets

6 baby artichokes, top cut off, stem peeled, placed in acidulated water

1/2 cup oyster mushrooms, split in half, rinsed and spun dry

1 cup sugar peas, halved

1 white onion, diced and butter braised

1 red torpedo onion, diced and butter braised   

1 clove garlic, sliced and butter braised

1 Tbsp. chive blossoms

1 Tbsp. herb puree (basil, parsley, chives, tarragon blanched in salted water, pureed in blender with just enough water to get the blender wet)

1 cup nage (blend together 1/4 cup softened butter, 1/4 cup white wine, 1/2 cup water)

Kosher salt

White pepper

To cook artichokes, submerge in nage and simmer until stem is tender. Remove and place on sheet tray to cool. Once cool, quarter artichokes. Strain liquid through fine strainer and save.

To cook mushrooms, place a little grapeseed oil in sauté pan and sauté, season with salt and white pepper.

For onions, place in water to rinse, remove from water. Place sauté pan on high heat with a little grapeseed oil and once pan is smoking carefully place onions and garlicin pan. Immediately add enough water to just allow onions to rapidly boil. Add 1/2 Tbsp. butter and cook until tender, approximately three minutes. Remove and lay on sheet tray to cool quickly in refrigerator to keep color of onions.

For halibut, place clarified butter in pan, heat until smoking, season halibut with salt on both sides and white pepper on the bottom, only 8 parts salt to one part pepper. Place halibut with skin side up (skin is removed, but the side that had skin) in smoking pan and reduce heat to medium high. Cook until golden brown and carefully turn fish over. Cook for two more minutes and add whole butter and baste. (Or you can grill the fish on the outdoor barbecue.)

To reheat onions, mushrooms and artichokes, place in sauce pan with a little nage, just enough so they can heat without sticking, add some butter to make sauce consistency and adjust salt and pepper to taste. About 1-2 minutes before you remove from heat, add sugar peas, sauté, then place the vegetables in center of the six plates. Put fish on top of ragout.

Add herb puree to 1 cup of hot nage and 1 Tbsp. butter. With hand blender, whip air into mix, creating foam. Spoon around fish and garnish with chive blossoms.

Serves 6

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Roasted Red Pepper Crostini Spread

Copia, Adapted from “California Home Cooking”

by Michele Anna Jordan

4 large or 6 small roasted red peppers, diced

1/2 cup capers, rinsed and drained

6 garlic cloves, very thinly sliced

3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

Zest of 1 lemon

Freshly ground black pepper

1 baguette, thinly sliced on a diagonal and toasted

In a small bowl, combine the red peppers, capers, garlic, olive oil and lemon zest. Add a few turns of pepper and toss together gently.

Serve with slices of toasted baguette. Serves 8 to 12

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Rustic Mixed Berry Tart with Cornmeal Crust

Copia

For the crust

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup yellow corn meal

3 Tbsp. sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

12 Tbsp. (6 ounces) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

About 2 1/2 Tbsp. cold water

For the filling

6 cups mixed fresh berries (if using strawberries, hull and halve them)

1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp. sugar, divided

2 Tbsp. flour

Juice of 1 lemon

2 Tbsp. heavy cream

To make the crust: Put the flour, cornmeal, sugar, rosemary and salt in a food processor and pulse to combine. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. Add the water and pulse until the dough just starts to come together. Gently squeeze a small handful — if it doesn't hold together, add more water 1 tablespoon at a time, pulsing then testing after each addition. Turn the dough onto a work surface and gather it into a ball. Press the ball into a disk and wrap with plastic. Refrigerate for at least one hour and up to two days.

Preheat an oven to 400 degrees. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and allow it to sit at room temperature for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the filling: In a large bowl, gently combine the berries, 1/2 cup of the sugar, the flour and lemon juice.

Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a 14-to-16-inch round. Transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet. Top with the berry mixture, leaving a 2-inch border. Gently fold the border over the filling, pleating as you go. Lightly press the pleats together to seal. Brush the crust with the heavy cream. Sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar around the crust and over the fruit. Bake until the crust is golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through.

Serve the tart warm or at room temperature. Serves 8 to 10.

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Grilled Figs with Bacon and Blue Cheese

Grilled fresh figs are a luscious indulgence. And even more so when stuffed with blue cheese and wrapped in bacon. These simple-to-assemble treats make a great starter for a sophisicated barbecue, or even a savory dessert.

4 large fresh figs

4 thin wedges blue cheese

4 strips bacon

Coat the grill rack with oil or cooking spray. Preheat the grill to medium.

Use a knife to cut a 1/2-inch-deep slit down the side of each fig. Be careful not to cut all the way through. Gently part the sides of the slit and slide a wedge of cheese into each. It’s fine if some of the cheese is visible outside the fig.

Wrap one slice of bacon around each fig, starting at the top and spiraling it down the length of the fruit. If needed, secure the bacon at each end with a toothpick.

Place the figs on the grill, close the cover and cook for 2 minutes. Depending on the fat content of the bacon, there may be some smoke and flames. Turn offf one side of the grill and use tongs to carefully move the figs to that side. Close the lid and continue cooking with indirect heat for another 3 minutes, or until the bacon is cooked. Serve immediately.

Servings: 4/AP