FRIDAY NIGHT FISH FEAST ~ PAN-ROASTED SALMON with DANDELIONS & SHERRY VINAIGRETTE

~ Peek-a-boo dandelion

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PAN-ROASTED SALMON with DANDELIONS & SHERRY VINAIGRETTE

~ Jimmy Schmidt's (Rattlesnake Club in Detroit) springtime favorite

featured in the Detroit Free Press (4/22/98)

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1/4 cup virgin olive oil (a little extra to saute in), divided

1/4 cup diced thick-sliced slab bacon

2 boneless, skinless salmon fillets (about 6-7 oz. each)

coarsely ground black peppercorns

salt to taste

4 paper-thin slivered cloves of garlic

1/2 lb. cleaned dandelion leaves

1/2 cup cream sherry

2 Tbsp. aged sherry vinegar

1 Tbsp. grained mustard

2 Tbsp. fresh-snipped chives

1 Tbsp. toasted mustard seeds (optional)

• Preheat oven to 400-degrees.
• Heat medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat with a few drops of olive oil. Add diced bacon, cooking until very crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove, drain, and reserve.
• Clean skillet and return to heat. Add a few drop of olive oil. Heavily season salmon fillets with pepper and a pinch of salt. Place salmon into pan and sear until starting to brown, abut 3 minutes. Turn over and cook one minute on other side. Remove from pan.
• Wipe skillet and return to heat. Add 1 Tbsp. olive oil and slivered garlic, cooking until tender, about 2 minutes.
• Add dandelion leaves and cook until just beginning to wilt, abut 2-3 minutes. Add reserved bacon and season to taste. Form dandelions into 2 mounds with in the pan. Remove pan from heat and position salmon fillets atop dandelions. Add cream sherry over the fish and dandelions. Cover all with a circle of parchment paper.
• Place skillet on lower rack of oven, cooking about 8 minutes for medium or to your liking. Carefully remove pan from oven.
• Meanwhile, in a small bowl combine sherry vinegar, mustard and remaining 3 Tbsp. of olive oil. Season as necessary with salt & pepper.
• To serve: Position salmon atop dandelion mound in the center of a warm serving plate. Drizzle any pan juices around plate. Spoon sherry vinaigrette over fish and onto plate. Sprinkle with chives & mustard seeds. Serve immediately. ( 2 servings )

DANDELION WINE

~ Dandelion

(Taraxacum officanale)

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GARDENER'S NOTE: Derived from the French Dent de Lion (Lion's Tooth) denoting its toothed edges, this conspicuous herb (purposely transplanted from Europe to the New World), finds its home everywhere in the northern temperate zone. Often considered a troublesome pest, Native Americans and early pioneers made great use of all of its parts. Young blossoms are sweet, honeylike in flavor but become bitter when mature. Because flowers are weather sensitive, opening in the morning and closing at night, pick immediately.

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With summer around the corner with the garden at its peak, lay in the hammock with a copy of Ray Bradbury's poignant novel, DANDELION WINE. Set in the vintage summer of '28, you'll relive your childhood waking up on a fresh summer mornings ... smell freshly mowed grass, green apple trees, new sneakers, old baseball gloves and quench your thirst guzzling homemade lemonade and ... dandelion wine.

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DANDELION WINE

~ as close a recipe as you might find to Ray Bradbury's ...

compliments of EDIBLE FLOWERS (From Garden to Palate)

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4 quarts dandelion flowers (remove stem and sepals)

4 quarts granulated sugar

4 quarts boiling water

juice from 2 lemons

juice from 1 orange

1 yeast cake

• Add dandelion flowers to a large stone crock or jar. Cover with sugar, Add boiling water. When water had cooked to lukewarm, add lemon juice and orange juice. Break up yeast cake and add to the liquid. Stir well. cover loosely and let stand for 24 hours.
• Strain through cheesecloth and discard solids. Return liquid to crock, loosely cover and let stand for 3 days.
• Strain through several layers of cheesecloth. Return liquid to crock and allow to ferment. Bottle when all fermentation action stops. Keep at least 3-4 months before drinking. (Makes 1 1/2 gallons of wine)