Sunday, August 13, 2017

Perfect summer party fare from guest author Barbara Fradkin #mystery #recipe #giveaway







Amanda Doucette’s perfect summer party fare by guest author Barbara Fradkin

Please welcome our good friend, award-winning author Barbara Fradkin, back to Mystery Lovers Kitchen.  We love her books and Barbara never fails to deliver a delicious recipe. Plus she's offering an enticing giveaway.  Make sure you leave a comment AND your email address.


This recipe is from Barbara's awesome new protagonist, Amanda Doucette.  Amanda is a woman on the go, full of enthusiasm and purpose. Although she loves to get together with friends over dinner and wine – sometimes even a good Scotch – she is less fond of recipes that require a pantry full of ingredients or half a day’s prep. Fast, fresh, healthy foods are her favourite. Never one to follow all the rules, she likes to make things up as she goes along. Instead of tuna in the classic salade Niçoise, she switched it to fresh poached salmon.  Here’s her recipe, as accurately as she can remember it after the wine and Scotch. It’s both versatile and forgiving, so every chef can put their own twist on it.  

By the way, Linda /Erika and MJ /Victoria both enjoyed this recipe at our annual writers' retreat!  

PERFECT SUMMER SALMON 

Ingredients




1 fillet of wild sockeye salmon, about a pound
1-2 green onions
2-3 garlic cloves
juice of one lemon, plus about 1 tbsp. of grated rind (more or less depending on how lemony you like it!)
¼ cup white wine
2 tbsp. olive oil
salt and pepper to taste (or that secret ingredient, Mrs. Dash’s seasoned salt)
water as needed

1.
   DIRECTIONS

      Chop garlic and green onions coarsely.  



2.      To prepare the salmon fillet, sprinkle the top lightly with salt, pepper, and the zest of half a lemon.  Spread the garlic and onions over it evenly.




3.      Heat the olive oil in a heavy skillet and fry the salmon briefly, dressed side up, to seal in the juices.
4.      Pour wine and lemon juice gently over it, cover with a tight lid, and poach gently until the pink flesh is just beginning to turn paler at the thickest part. Adjust heat and add water sparingly to avoid scorching.
5.      Towards the end, allow the liquid to evaporate so that the fish browns slightly.



6.      Remove the fish to a plate, spoon any remaining juices over it, and chill before slicing it into single portions. Place the fish in the centre of the prepared bed of lettuce, and encircle it with any salad ingredients you have on hand. Amanda uses seasonal fresh vegetables, in this case sliced tomatoes and peppers, baby new potatoes and green beans (cooked and chilled), and slivered hard boiled eggs. Drizzle with oil and vinegar or lemon garlic vinaigrette.



Voilà! The result is as pretty as it is delicious!

Meet our friend, Barbara Fradkin:

Barbara Fradkin is a retired child psychologist with a fascination for why we turn bad. Besides her short stories and easy-read short novels, she is best known for her gritty, psychological Inspector Green series, which has received two Arthur Ellis Best Novel Awards. However, she recently embarked on a new mystery suspense series featuring international aid worker Amanda Doucette, who battles her own traumatic past to help people in trouble.

The series debut, Fire in the Stars, was released in 2016, earning starred reviews, and the second, The Trickster’s Lullaby, will hit the shelves on September 2.  You can pre-order it now!  Barbara lives in Ottawa.  One lucky commenter will win a copy of Fire in the Stars!  Just leave a comment with your email address.  




Join Barbara on  FACEBOOK 
and check out her  WEBSITE


Don't forget your comments!

41 comments:

  1. Welcome, Barbara! The recipe and book sound wonderful. EMS591@aol.com

    ReplyDelete
  2. Good to see you here, Barbara! Salmon is a big favorite in our household, and this sounds like a lovely recipe.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Welcome, Barbara! terrific recipe. I'm off to spread the word. Hugs. MJ

    ReplyDelete
  4. Barbara, welcome to MLK! The salmon looks delicious. So do your books. ~ Daryl

    ReplyDelete
  5. I'll have to try the salmon recipe. I'm always looking forward to some thing new for meals. The plot sounds interesting and I'm looking forward to reading Fire in the Stars. dbahn(at)iw(dot)net

    ReplyDelete
  6. The recipe looks fabulous. I'm always looking for some healthy recipes. The book looks really interesting! kristilewis dot lrc at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's an easy recipe, Kristi. My favourite kind. Good luck.

      Delete
  7. Yum! We enjoy salmon here and always look for new ways to cook it. Thanks for stopping by. breannaherron@icloud.com

    ReplyDelete
  8. This sounds perfect for a summer weekend dish! Thanks so much for the recipe and the chance to win! aut1063(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks and good luck, Autumn. It's good hot as welll.

      Delete
  9. Thanks for the recipe and book giveaway. I'm always looking for a new author. crossxjo @hotmail. com

    ReplyDelete
  10. Welcome. Sounds so good. Thanks for the chance. Janngrogan@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Judy, thanks for the comment. Good luck with the draw.

      Delete
  11. Salmon is a family favourite; love your recipe! Only 3 weeks until Trickster's Lullaby - can't wait.
    the not-so-anonymous Nancy R in Ottawa
    jw.nl.reid@sympatico.ca

    ReplyDelete
  12. Unfortunately I am the only one in my household who would eat the salmon, but it sounds divine. As does the book! ruthaw_1974@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. As Amanda would say, this would work with any fish. With a white fish I would add a bit more lemon and wine. Can't go wrong with that.

      Delete
  13. allergic to salmon, but must say you did a great presentation! Looks great! marthajane1@hotmail.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sorry about that, Martha. If you can tolerate any other fish, just adapt the recipe. But hopefully you won't be allergic to the book!

      Delete
  14. Hi Barbara! Thanks for sharing your recipe for fresh poached salmon with us -- my husband eats a lot of salmon and usually just blackens his, so I would love to prepare your recipe for a nice change (I'm not a big fan of frying). Fire in the Stars sounds like a wonderful book, and Amanda a cook after my own heart! Thanks so much for visiting MLK and for the opportunity to win a copy of your book! bobandcelia@sbcglobal.net

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for commenting, Celia. Blackened is good, but variety even better. This is a gentle fish but a few chilli flakes would crank it up to your husband's level.

      Delete
  15. Double winner! Recipe and book series. Thanks for visiting today.
    patdupuy@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  16. Happy "Early" New Release! This dish looks so yummy & pretty.
    turtle6422(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for coming by, Jana. It is pretty, guaranteed to bring a smile.

      Delete
  17. Recipe looks amazing. You are a new author to me. Would enjoy reading your book.
    diannekc8(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. New authors are always exciting! We write more slowly than readers read. Good luck!

      Delete
  18. The salmon sounds delicious. I love to eat it as often as possible. And I am really interested in your new series. Best wishes, patruta.mcghan@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Pat. Salmon is healthy AND yummy. Stay tuned for the draw!

      Delete
  19. The recipe looks delectable and salmon is my favorite fish being a fish eater. Your series sounds captivating and intriguing. Love to read your book as I have been to Ottawa many times when I lived in Mtl. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Montreal - my home town! This giveaway book is set in Newfoundland, but my Inspector Green series (10 books) is set in Ottawa. Good luck on the draw!

      Delete
  20. Thanks for this yummy recipe which I will be making this week. Salmon is so tasty and this one is a winner as is your novel which I would treasure greatly. elliotbencan(at)hotmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  21. I made salmon yesterday for lunch. It's so easy to work with and quick too. Your book is going on my tbr. :)
    Jandeplus3 @ live(dot)Com

    ReplyDelete
  22. Best of everything with your upcoming release. You are a new author for me to follow so it would be wonderful to win your book and get to know your writing.
    Thank you.
    Cynthia
    ceblain(at)tmlponline(dot) net

    ReplyDelete
  23. This recipe sounds delicious. I'd love to win the book. Mwhanzel@comcast.net

    ReplyDelete