FRIDAY FISH: Salmon, Leek, & Fennel Quiche

Springing up in our yard

There’s just something about eggs and cream together. A marriage, as they say, made in culinary heaven. The wide, wide world offers so many choice custard desserts (do you know natilla?); my hub and best sous Dave adores old school American custard pies, as does good friend and fine baker Ruth Lehmkuhl. I, myself, like nothing better than a little crème brûlée to tuck into at the end of a long, laughing dinner, along with a not-too-tiny Armagnac, of course. I also love plain old custard with nutmeg –the perfect sore throat fast food– baked in Pyrex custard dishes, so there. And next comes quiche, which is simply a savory custard pie no matter what shape it’s baked into or what kind of dish or pan or plate holds it. It’s all good fun to bake a few quiche (quiches?) for a brunch, having them ready when folks arrive so they can choose their favorite(s). While yummy when warm — they’re not good straight out of the oven as they need to set a spell before cutting to avoid a hot mess — they’re also stunning at room temperature or even cold sliced up into bites on an appetizer platter. I have to slip in here that they travel beautifully; we often have a slice or two in hotel rooms after long car rides. I’ll also attest you can make a quiche out of just about anything, which makes them exceptional dishes for using up leftovers — more on that later. Today’s SALMON, LEEK & FENNEL crustless quiche (no pastry worries here) was just such a fortunate pie in my kitchen. After making a Salmon Cheese Spread for a charcuterie platter demonstration, I had just a little salmon leftover…

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FRIDAY FISH: Shrimp-Arugula Salad with Louie Dressing

Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, March 5 and goes through April 17, 2025. (Easter is April 20, 2025) Some Christians fast from meat voluntarily on Fridays during Lent. I blog fish at that time as a spiritual discipline and learning opportunity, though I could also include vegetarian dishes, if I chose–and I might! This year I celebrate 10 years of FRIDAY FISH on More Time at the Table. Up your fish game with me for the next few weeks! Glad to have you on board.

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At our house, Friday night is date night. I realize that for other folks, this means running out to a restaurant, movie, concert, or maybe even ordering in a sweet meal to share in front of the fireplace. For best sous and husband Dave and me, it’s a thoughtful meal cooked right here in our own kitchen and served in a quiet dining room complete with paired wine, candles, music, comfy clothes, no phones and also… our own private restroom just across the hall–wink, wink. We rarely eat dinner in a restaurant unless traveling, and, if we do, it’s not during crowded weekend nights. Do I choose arduous recipes? Not typically but our dinners often– though not always– feature 3 or 4 painless courses, red meat, and an entire evening devoted to one another.

Here’s our Table for Two at home.

If I’ve presence of mind enough, I might say on Thursday, “Any requests for Friday night?” Dave usually leaves it up to me (he chooses wines, btw) but last week he said, “What about shrimp? Or maybe steak?” With that disparate mix in mind, I thawed shrimp for an appetizer and two hefty filets leftover from a birthday meal last October. When Friday rolled around, instead of old school shrimp cocktail, which was my first thought, I threw together a simple grilled shrimp and arugula salad that still included our favorite shrimp cocktail sauce — a spiced up Louie — as a dressing. Because I had olives out from a Friday afternoon glass of wine with good friend, Patti, I chopped those up and skinny-sliced a red onion. (If your onion is too hot, soak it in water or vinegar for 8-10 minutes before draining, patting dry and adding to salad.) This could be sounding vaguely like a Shrimp Louie salad to you aficionados –and you’d be right–but I made it out of what was on hand skipping the usual suspects of romaine, tomatoes, hard-cooked eggs, and avocado. Without the weightier ingredients and just a few shrimp, our salad was more first course-style than a typical main course Louie, which can feel something like a Cobb in size and heft. “Louis,” by the way, is right, too, but however you’d like to spell it, it’s pronounced LOO-ee. Turned out light, elegant (Dave’s word), pleasing, along with sooo appetizing. In other words, we didn’t spoil our dinner. From whence came Shrimp Louie?

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