Lent, concluded
As the end of the Lenten season draws near, I reflect on what the past 40 days of non-meat eating has been like. Although extremely trying at times -- cooking with meat has become such a common practice for me that suddenly eliminating it from my diet took some getting used to -- it has ultimately been very rewarding. I was able to experiment with seafood and tofu but most of all, I've come to a revelation:
Meat adds richness and depth of flavor to dishes that cannot to be duplicated by anything other than meat. This goes for sauces, glazes, soups, and curries, just to name a few. For many of these dishes, meat (whether it be in whole form or in stock form) is the primary flavoring agent. Try using a vegetable stock instead of meat stock next time for your favorite curry. Chances are, it won't be as good.
Of course, this is just my humbe opinion. There are several people out there who do not like the taste of meat (for reasons that still elude me to this day, like the people who do not like sushi). For those people, obviously, "better tasting" is an irrelevant issue.
Lent has been good to me. I've realized that there exists a world outside of meat, and it is good. While I have not become a vegetarian from this experience, I have broadened my culinary arsenal. And with that, I leave you with my recipe for quick and easy salmon that is easily customizable to your tastes.
Ingredients:
- Ovenproof skillet
- Salmon fillet(s)
- Salt and pepper
- Optional: whatever other dry seasonings you like
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Using a fillet knife, take the skin of the fillet.
3. Season both sides of fillet with salt, pepper, and whatever else you'd like. I like to add some dried red chili flakes.
4. Add enough EVOO (kill me) to coat your skillet and put it over high heat.
5. When the oil is nice and hot (throw a drop of water on it to test), put the fillet flat-side down and let it cook until that nice crust forms, about 3 minutes or so.
6. Turn the salmon over and throw it in the oven for about 6 minutes.
7. Wrap a towel around the skillet's handle to remove it and place the salmon over a bed of wilted greens, risotto, or hell, some white rice.
Meat adds richness and depth of flavor to dishes that cannot to be duplicated by anything other than meat. This goes for sauces, glazes, soups, and curries, just to name a few. For many of these dishes, meat (whether it be in whole form or in stock form) is the primary flavoring agent. Try using a vegetable stock instead of meat stock next time for your favorite curry. Chances are, it won't be as good.
Of course, this is just my humbe opinion. There are several people out there who do not like the taste of meat (for reasons that still elude me to this day, like the people who do not like sushi). For those people, obviously, "better tasting" is an irrelevant issue.
Lent has been good to me. I've realized that there exists a world outside of meat, and it is good. While I have not become a vegetarian from this experience, I have broadened my culinary arsenal. And with that, I leave you with my recipe for quick and easy salmon that is easily customizable to your tastes.
Ingredients:
- Ovenproof skillet
- Salmon fillet(s)
- Salt and pepper
- Optional: whatever other dry seasonings you like
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Using a fillet knife, take the skin of the fillet.
3. Season both sides of fillet with salt, pepper, and whatever else you'd like. I like to add some dried red chili flakes.
4. Add enough EVOO (kill me) to coat your skillet and put it over high heat.
5. When the oil is nice and hot (throw a drop of water on it to test), put the fillet flat-side down and let it cook until that nice crust forms, about 3 minutes or so.
6. Turn the salmon over and throw it in the oven for about 6 minutes.
7. Wrap a towel around the skillet's handle to remove it and place the salmon over a bed of wilted greens, risotto, or hell, some white rice.
posted by Alex at 4:39 PM
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