There's Something Fishy Going On Here

My yard is an ocean of green grass.  The sun is blindingly bright as is shines on my face.  I can only wear a light coat or I become overheated when outdoors.  It is January in Alaska. 

One of these things is not like the others,
One of these things just doesn't belong,
Can you tell which thing is not like the others
By the time I finish my song?

Did you guess which thing was not like the others?
Did you guess which thing just doesn't belong?
If you guessed this one is not like the others,
Then you're absolutely...right!

 

There's something fishy going on here . . . but I'll take it!  I took the dogs out for a little jaunt this afternoon and we enjoyed the lack of snow and abundance of sunshine.  It could not have been a more perfect January day.

Tacha never complains about not having to wear a sweater!

I never get sick of this view!

Seems like the moose have been sharing this trail and nibbling/rubbing on what appears to be their favorite willow! 

New rubbing

Old rubbing

All this strolling around leaves me with a healthy appetite.  I'll pass on the willow bark and opt for some delicious halibut.  You can't go wrong with halibut.  It is easy to make and works with a variety of flavors.  Though I love a grilled fillet and would never pass up anything deep-fried, I have recently fallen in love with halibut en papillote.  Very simply, halibut in parchment.  

Cooking en papillote steams the fish, infusing it with the flavor of the other ingredients in the packet.  It leaves the fish moist and tender and clean-up is super easy.  

Halibut en Papillote

 

Ingredients:

Halibut or other white fish fillet (skin removed)

EVOO

Salt and Pepper to taste

Parchment paper

Your choice of flavorings (herbs, citrus, veggies, butter, pesto, etc.)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cut out a large sheet of parchment paper.  Arrange ingredients (fish on top if using veggies or fruit) in center of parchment piece.  

I chose orange and sriracha sauce for flavoring.  I squeezed some of the orange juice over halibut fillet.

Fold parchment paper tightly to create sealed packet.  Place packets on pan or baking sheet.  

Don't worry about folding the packet perfectly.  Just apply firm pressure and if the parchment paper doesn't unroll, it is probably sealed well. 

 Bake for 30 minutes or until fish is done.  Allow to sit in closed packet for 5 minutes then enjoy!

Easy, healthy, and delicious!  You can also make each packet a different flavor to switch things up.  This method works well for other types of seafood and cooking veggies.  Happy eating!

Alaska Fun Facts: The largest halibut ever documented was pulled from the Bering Sea September 5, 2003.  It was 8'2" and weighed 533#. 

Juicy Goose-e

Since marrying my mountain man, I have had to learn how to cook wild game.  I have gotten pretty good at it if I do say so myself.  Substituting pheasant or grouse for chicken and moose, caribou, or bear for beef seems normal in my house.  However, there is one wild protein that continues to evade me . . . goose. 

Goose is my nemesis in the kitchen.  The goose is not to blame in this.  I have had some delicious, juicy, tender goose at others homes.  In my home, it turns out dry, chewy, and barely edible.  Not one to give up after failure, I have baked, grilled, stir-fried, and slow-cooked all to no avail.  I finally decided the only sensible thing to do with all the goose in my freezer was to ignore it like the plague. 

Each year Jason returns to North Dakota and goes goose hunting, further adding to my wasteland of goose in the freezer.  While most of the goose is made into jerky (the only dry, chewy goose that is actually good!), some of it remains behind for other uses, such as an eternal existence of taking up space in the freezer.  So when Jason returned home from his annual trip and said that he had the most delicious goose recipe, I was a bit skeptical. 

Begin music: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEjgPh4SEmU

I cut, chopped, and braised, sent up a little prayer, and voila!  This goose is AMAZING!!  Here is the secret recipe!

 

Wine-braised Duck or Goose

from Ducks Unlimited Magazine

INGREDIENTS:

Ducks or geese, quartered or filleted (I used 4 geese breasts), cut into small chunks

Salt and pepper

Butter

Olive Oil

Carrots, celery, and onion, chopped

2 bay leaves

2-3 sprigs of rosemary or thyme

4-5 cloves of garlic

Red wine, something you like drinking (enough to cover meat, 750-1250mls)

Flour

 

DIRECTIONS:

Season the ducks or geese liberally with salt and pepper.  Heat a few tablespoons each of butter and olive oil in a heavy pan over medium-high heat.  Place the meat in the pan and brown evenly.

 

Add a splash or two of wine and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.  Add the veggies, bay leaves, rosemary/thyme, and garlic.  Stir to incorporate evenly and then add enough wine to pan to cover the meat and veggies.  

Cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid.  Let the pan simmer on low heat on the stovetop or place in a preheated 325-degree oven (if the pan is oven safe).  

Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a medium skillet over medium heat.  Whisk in 2 tablespoons flour and continue to whisk until the mixture (roux) is light brown.  Set aside.

After 2 hours, check the meat for tenderness.  Make sure there is at least 1/2 inch of liquid in the pan.  Add more wine as needed.  One all the meat is tender, remove the meat and veggies with a slotted spoon.  Return the pan with the liquid to the stove and heat over medium heat.  Whisk in reserved butter/flour mixture and cook while whisking for 2-3 minutes until sauce has thickened slightly.  Return meat and veggies to pan, stirring to coat with sauce.  Serve over cooked pasta or rice.

I definitely will be making this again and again and again!  I used Madiera wine and would definitely recommend it for this recipe.  It adds a more complex flavor to the sauce.  Bring on the geese!

Saw these little ladies watching us on a hike the other day.  They were just as interested in watching us as we were them.  To see more outdoors and hunting pictures, check out the mountain man's new blog: http://drowsygrouse.blogspot.com/

Alaska Fun Facts: Four goose species are commonly found in Alaska.  Canada geese, emperor geese, greater white-fronted geese, and Brant.

Outside the Polar Vortex

As the lower 48 experiences some extremely cold temps, it is a balmy 25 degrees here in Eagle River today.  Lovely weather like this calls for some winter outings.  The landscape is serene and beautiful with its white covering.  Everything appears to be in a gray-scale with the occasional blue tones. 

Denali

watching the moose below

The best part of the day (other than the view!), after all the hard work of hiking up-hill in the snow, is the ride down.  What took an hour to climb takes about 10 seconds to descend.  The 10 seconds are completely worth it and may be the secret to living longer and feeling younger! 

Alaska Fun Facts: Mount McKinley, also known as Denali, is the highest mountain peak in North America, with a summit elevation of 20,237 feet (6,168 m) above sea level.  It means "The High One" in Koyukon Athabaskan.