Tag Archives: rosemary

Freshwater Trout – Vlad Taltos series

“’Freshwater trout,’ announced Mihi, ‘from the Adrilankha River, stuffed with carrot slivers, fresh rosemary, salt, crushed black pepper, a sprinkling of powdered Eastern red pepper, minced garlic, and sliced lemon wedges. Accompanied by fresh goslingroot, quick-steamed in lemon butter.’ Then, wielding the serving spoons like tongs, he reverently delivered some fish and vegetable onto our plates…

I can’t tell you a lot about the trout, other than what Mihi said, except that Mr. Valabar had once let slip that it was double-wrapped in a heat-resistant parchment so that it was steam that actually cooked it. If I knew more, I’d make it myself, as best I could. A great deal of the art of Valabar’s, of course, consisted in putting astonishing amounts of effort into making sure that each ingredient was the freshest, most per-fect that could be found. It’s all in the details, just like assassination. Though with a good fish, more is at stake.“

–Dzur, by Steven Brust

Thoughts:

Delicious. Sometimes elaborate words fail me when a dish is just so wonderfully good, and this is no exception.

The fish cooks to perfection in the parchment, ending rich and tender, with not a hint of dryness. The inclusion of carrots in the stuffing threw me at first, but as usual, Brust knows his business. They, along with the rosemary, gave a bit of a textural counterpoint to the tenderness of the fish, while the lemon soaked into the whole thing, perfecting the combination of flavors. I, for one, can’t imagine a better way to enjoy trout (unless it’s wrapped in bacon…).


Recipe for Freshwater Trout

Cook’s Notes: Author Steven Brust said that he was thinking of asparagus when writing about goslingroot, so that’s what I’ve included here. I used white asparagus for the Goslingroot, since it was available, and is more visually interesting than the regular green variety (which is also tasty). 

Ingredients:

  • 2 whole trout
  • 2 medium carrots, shredded
  • 1 tsp. fresh rosemary, minced
  • generous pinch of salt
  • 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp. Aleppo pepper, or paprika
  • 1 lemon, sliced thin
  • 1 bunch asparagus
  • 2 Tbs. butter
  • juice of 1 lemon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut 2 sheets of parchment paper large enough to completely cover both fish.

In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients for the filling except the lemon. Divide equally between the two fish, and place the lemon slices on top of the filling. Wrap the fish up: bring the ends of the parchment up over and parallel to the fish. Roll the two ends together, toward the fish, then tuck the ends underneath the packaged fish. Repeat with the second sheet of parchment, wrapping it around the first parchment. Place the wrapped fish on a baking sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes.

Cut open the parchment and serve the fish immediately.

For the asparagus: fill a large sautee pan halfway with water. Turn up to a simmer, and blanch the asparagus for about 2-3 minutes. Drain, then melt the 2 Tbs. butter in the pan. Add the asparagus back into the pan, and toss with the butter. Continue to cook gently for several more minutes until the asparagus is tender. Sprinkle with lemon juice, and serve.

Poultry ala Sunbird – Fragile Things

Thoughts:

This plate is full of exotic, old world flavors. The chicken is soft and tender, and the meat falls from the bone, gently infused with the ingredients in the cider can. Flavors from the herbs are just barely present, but there, and the lavender mostly fades to the background, except for a hint of aroma.

The sauce is out of this world. Vanilla bean might seem counter-intuitive  but it blends with the other flavors surprisingly well. I wondered how the garlic and the sweeter flavors would meld, but the whole thing came together wonderfully. The grains of paradise, which were my own addition, give the sauce a little bit of a kick. The final squeeze of citrus in the sauce gives the whole a little zip, and helps to round out the feeling of the sauce on the tongue.

I’d love to try this same recipe with a pheasant, but until one happens my way, I’ll be more than happy to enjoy this with chicken again and again.


Poultry ala Sunbird Recipe

Cider Can with Herbs | Food Through the PagesIngredients:

  • 1 chicken
  • 1 can of cider, 1/3 filled
  • 1 sprig rosemary
  • 1 sprig sage
  • 1/2 tsp. dried lavender
  • 1 tsp. cardamom
  • 1/2 tsp. coriander seed

Fill the can of cider with the spices and herbs. Place the can inside the chicken, and stand it up in a pot. Cover with aluminium foil, and cook for around 1 hour. While it’s cooking, make the sauce (below).

Remove the chicken from the oven, and let rest for 15 minutes.

Discard the can and carve the bird. Drizzle with sauce, and serve hot.

Sauce:

Cook’s Notes: Of all the quirky ingredients that went into the description of this dish, patchouli was the only one I didn’t have on hand. Feel free to improvise according to what’s in your own pantry!

  • 1 stick butter (1/2 cup)
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 2/3 can cider
  • 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 2 Tbs. honey
  • 1/2 tsp. red sandalwood powder
  • 1/2 tsp. ground grains of paradise
  • 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • pinch of cloves
  • pinch of nutmeg
  • 1 vanilla bean
  • 1 Tbs. molasses
  • 1 Tbs. worcestershire sauce
  • 1 Tbs. fresh orange or lemon juice

Melt butter in a large saucepan. Add the garlic and sautee until soft. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for around 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it has thickened. Turn off the heat, add the citrus juice, and stir to incorporate. Serve immediately.

Umma's Olive Bread

  Olive Loaf

Thoughts:

This is another easy bread recipe, and in fact, perhaps the easiest yet on the blog, as it takes no kneading. 

That’s right, no kneading.

The resulting olive bread is very soft and airy, and the density of the olives is such that it’s difficult to find a single bite without a bit of olive in it. The classic combination of olives and savory herbs works well in this bread, the rosemary complementing the olives nicely. 

A wonderful way of enjoying the bread is dipped in a mixture of olive oil and your favorite combination of salt, black pepper, herbs, red pepper flakes, parmesan cheese, and anything else you like.

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