Mind in the Butter

Food for taste, buds, and family

sandwich

All Hail the Sandwich King: The Havarti Dill Salmon Melt

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awesomeness

We’ve discussed this before but let me reiterate – Stingray is the supreme sandwich maker as evidenced by this post. No, but actually… he is.   He’s detail oriented and patient enough to make my sandwich just the way I like it. Don’t even get me started on his egg sandwiches…*eyes cross in ecstasy*

Anyway, I called him from work the other night and asked him to make me a delicious dinner (I do all the cooking, therefore I can demand this on the occasion) and this is what the genius came up with: an open-faced salmon melt with Havarti dill and a lemon aioli.  To make it a meal, we heated up some roasted vegetable soup, and I made a refreshing side salad of watercress with lemon juice and a zesty aioli to drizzle on the sandwich. It was heavenly.

amazing mealmoneyshotdelicious aoiliaioli

Salmon Melt with Havarti Dill and Lemon Aioli

Makes 2 

  •  2 fillets of 4-6 oz. salmon (Pacific salmon if you can get it)
  • 1 t Paprika
  • ½ t Cayenne
  • 1 t Italian seasoning
  • 1 t Herbs de Provence or some other hearty spice mix
  • Juice of ½ lemon
  • 2 T olive oil
  • S/P
  • 2 slices of fresh chewy bread
  • ¼ cup grated Havarti, or 2 slices from the deli
  • 2 T finely chopped dill

Preheat oven to 375

In a bowl mix paprika, cayenne, Italian seasoning, Herbs de Provence, lemon juice and olive oil until it’s a loose paste.  Add a pinch of salt and pepper.  Taste and adjust flavoring; the mixture should be very salty and intense.

Rinse the salmon, pat dry and season with a generous pinch of salt and pepper.  If the skin is still on, leave it; the meat will lift away easily from the skin after it bakes.

Drizzle the bottom of a stone or glass dish (oven-proof obviously) with olive oil and place the salmon in the center of the dish, flesh side up.  Pour the herby paste mixture over  the salmon. Tuck the de-juiced lemon half next to the salmon for extra flavor and cover with aluminum foil and bake.  Depending on the thickness of the salmon, it should take about 15-20 minutes. A single, thinner fillet may only take  about 10-12 minutes. Hint: White tear drops will start to form on and around the salmon when it’s ready. Don’t be afraid to under cook the fillets slightly because next up is the broiler once the sandwich is assembled.

After they’re baked, keep the salmon fillets warm under the foil on a plate. Chuck the roasted lemon.

Lightly butter the 2 slices of chewy country bread.  Heat a pan to medium-high and toss on the buttered slices. Heat until golden brown.

On a cookie sheet, assemble the sandwiches by placing the slices of bread in the center of the cookie sheet, then a fillet of salmon on each slice. If the salmon is too thick, or looks awkward and block-ish, fan it out across the bread. The fillet will break apart naturally. Mix the fresh chopped dill with grated Havarti and sprinkle generously over the salmon.

Broil the open face sandwiches for about 3 minutes.  Check on them constantly so they don’t burn! They’re ready when the cheese is golden and bubbly and the oven hasn’t caught fire. #winning

Serve with a lemon aioli (recipe below),  a piping hot soup and a cool, crisp salad and you’re ready to go!

Lemon Aioli 

  • juice of 1/2 lemon
  • 2 T mayonnaise
  • 1 T finely chopped dill
  • cracked pepper

No magic here, mix all ingredients together until smooth and yummy. Adjust flavors as needed, serve with your delicious sandwich.

  

Just for the Halibut: Lager-battered Fish Sandwich with Garlic Truffle Fries

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photo (6)This week, Stingray and I made use of two snow-white halibut fillets we had in the freezer (fate of the second fillet to be revealed tomorrow). I was lucky enough to have him make me this outrageous fried fish sandwich for Sunday supper. Despite having a reputation for being the ultimate convenience food, sandwiches are actually a luxury dinner item at our house.  They often require ingredients that we don’t keep on file (bread and sliced cheeses),  and require a keen attention to detail to make them extra tasty (hence why he cooked and I didn’t). Stingray did a basic beer batter for the fish, with classic accompaniments: lettuce, tomato, sliced cheese. He hit it out of the park by buttering and toasting both sides of the bun before serving. I was feeling kind of useless in the kitchen, so my contribution was a  dill aioli and some garlic truffle fries.

For the batter:

  • 1 bottle lager
  • 1 Tbsp baking powder
  • 1/8 tsp ground black pepper
  • Dash cayenne pepper
  • 1 tsp seasoned salt
  • 1 tsp fish seasoning
  • ¾ cup all-purpose flour, plus ½ cup
  • Canola or vegetable oil

1. In a large bowl, mix together the beer, baking powder,  pepper, cayenne pepper, seasoning and salt. Whisk in the flour until the mixture resembles thin pancake batter, add more flour if needed.
2. Fill a medium-sized pan with about a ½ inch of  oil and heat over medium-high until it begins to shimmer. Season the halibut, dredge lightly in the ½ cup of flour (helps the batter to stick), dip it into the batter, and cook the fish until crispy and flaky, 4 to 6 minutes, flipping halfway through. Remove the fillets and rest on paper towel lined plate, pat gently to coax away excess oil.

For the aioli:

  • 3/4 cup mayonnaise
  • 1-2 crushed cloves garlic
  • 1 lemon (juice and zest)
  • 1/2 cup dill, finely chopped
  • s/p to taste
  • 2 T olive oil

Add all ingredients to food processor, blend until smooth.  Taste, and adjust flavors as you like. Smear on toasted buttered buns before stacking fish fillet, cheese, tomato, lettuce.

Garlic Truffle Fries

  • 2 blemish-free Russet potatoes
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • olive oil
  • 4 T finely chopped parseley
  • truffle salt
  • truffle oil
  • s/p to taste

1. Place cookie sheet in oven and crank  to 400. Slice potatoes into long wedges. In a large bowl, coat potato wedges liberally with olive oil. Mix in 2 cloves crushed garlic, 2T parsley, salt and pepper.
2. Distribute potatoes onto hot cookie sheet and bake undisturbed for at least 15 mins before flipping.  Bake for another 15 minutes or until tender and crispy.
3. Before serving, gently toss with remaining 2 cloves of crushed garlic and 2 T parsley, a drizzle of truffle oil and several pinches of truffle salt. Serve and enjoy.

 photo (8)