Fingerling Potatoes, Salmon, and One More Thing...


“Rational habits permit of discarding nothing left over, and the use to which leftovers (and their economic allies, the wild things of nature) are put is often at the heart of a cooking's character.”
~Richard Olney 

So first a couple things. This post is about this recipe, of course, but it's also about not using recipes at all. Adapting to what one has on hand. What I had for dinner last night, and then lunch this after noon is an example of this. Let's first talk about the meal pictured above, last night's dinner.

This is a simple stove-top skillet-roast meal that can be made out of nearly anything. The main thing is to add the ingredients in proper succession...the longest cooking, heartier items first, the more delicate quick cooking items later. The whole process takes about 10 minutes. Here's how I made this.

I first heated a large cast iron skillet with enough olive oil to glaze the bottom. When it was hot, I added a handful of whole fingerling potatoes, covered the skillet with a lid, then turned the flame down, giving the pan a shake every minute or so for a few minutes. After removing lid I added a handful of large diced onion, the replaced the lid. After shaking the pan a few more times I removed the lid; the onions were just beginning to brown. Then I added a couple diced salmon fillets, a few broccoli florets, a pinch each of whole fennel seed, crushed hot pepper, and sea salt. After replacing the lid I let the pan rest over the low flame while the fish caramelized, the broccoli steamed and the spices perfumed everything. After a few minutes I removed the lid for the last time and added a couple tablespoons of lemon juice, just enough to "loosen everything." The juice evaporated almost immediately, and after a couple quick shakes of the pan I quickly transferred everything to a large plate.

Mhm...you bet, yes it was delicious. Simple, nutritious, and delicious. But as is my way, I made more than I could eat in one sitting, so this brings me to today's lunch. 

Some people find leftovers unappetizing, I don't. Normally I'll reheat last night's meal for today's lunch or another dinner without issue. But when I looked at least night's dinner in the fridge the first thing that came to mind was pancakes. So that's what I did. 

I placed the ingredients in a food processor, pulsed them coarse, then transferred it to a bowl and kneaded in a couple eggs and a few tablespoons whole wheat flour. No seasoning was needed as it was already well seasoned. Anyhow, After pan-frying them in olive oil, I ate them with sliced avocado, and a couple tablespoons mayonnaise which I mixed with sriracha; a sliced apple rounded out the lunch. Not bad for leftovers.


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