Akutaq

Akutaq (a-goo-duk) is what people commonly refer to as "eskimo ice cream." Traditionally, it was made with lard rendered from animal fat, sometimes fish, and berries. I decided that, for my first ever akutaq, I'd better go a bit more modern. It sounds weird, but it really is tasty!

Ingredients
2 c berries (if frozen, no need to thaw!)
1/2 c crisco
1/2 c sugar

Whip the crisco and sugar until fluffy. Fold in the berries and refrigerate. Simple as that!

Spinach-stuffed Chicken

I'm on a bit of a spinach kick. Made this one a while ago, but I've been lazy and only just got around to getting pictures off of my camera. Hopefully I remember how I made it!

Ingredients
1 chicken breast
1 c baby spinach
1 T sweet mustard (honey, etc. I use the mustard-based house dressing from Melting Pot)
1/4 c grated parmesean and asiago cheese
salt, pepper, garlic

Puree the spinach and mustard in a food processor. Stir in the grated cheese and set aside. Rub the outside of the chicken breast with salt, pepper and garlic. Slice a pocket into the breast and stuff with the spinach blend. Heat a lightly oiled skillet. Once it is hot, add the chicken and cook for 3-4 minutes per side or until cooked through.

Chicken Spinach Gorgonzola Soup

This is my attempt at recreating a soup I had while visiting the family back in Connecticut. I fell in love with the silky texture and delicious flavors and decided that I couldn't live without it! This first attempt is fairly close to my memory of the original, though not precisely accurate. Next time I think I'll reduce the cheese slightly and find another way to thicken the broth. All measurements are approximate.

Ingredients
1 chicken breast
2 c chicken broth
1/2 c frozen spinach
8 oz crumbled gorgonzola
3 T tawny port

Boil the chicken in the broth until cooked through. Shred with a fork and return to pot. Add remaining ingredients and simmer until cheese is melted and flavors meld.

Poached Halibut with Mornay Sauce

If you haven't noticed, I'm still working my way through all that fish I've got! This is another one from "Just for the Halibut," but I've taken a few liberties myself. It came out absolutely delicious!

Poached Halibut

Ingredients
3 c water
1/3 c white wine
1/3 c chicken stock
1 t rosemary
1 t sage
halibut fillet

Blend the first five ingredients in a pot or large skillet and bring to a boil. Simmer for about five minutes before adding the halibut. The broth should just cover the fillet. Return to a boil, then cover and lower heat to simmer for roughly 10 minutes per inch of thickness. Carefully remove with spatula.

Mornay Sauce

Ingredients
2 T butter
2 T flour
1/2 c chicken stock
1/2 c half and half
Worcestershire sauce
cayenne
1/4 c fresh grated Parmesan and asiago cheese
salt
pepper

Melt the butter in a saucepan until frothy. Stir in the flour until smooth and bubbly. Add the stock and simmer until thickened and smooth. Stir in the half and half and, continuing to stir constantly, add a dash of Worcestershire and cayenne. Blend in the cheese and once it has melted add salt and pepper to taste. Pour over fish.

Seafood Chowder

What's better on a cloudy day (or any day, really), than a cup of nice hot chowder? Thick and creamy, stuffed full of clam, crab, and halibut, this has finally satisfied my craving. Now all I need is bread bowls! Props to Circle of Food for providing the base for this chowder.

Ingredients
4 slices bacon
1 stalk celery, thinly sliced
1 small onion, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 slice of jalapeno

6 small red potatoes, cubed

3 cans (6.5 oz) clams
4 oz crab meat
1/2 lb halibut, cut into chunks

2 T butter
1 1/2 T flour
2 cans clam juice*
2 c half and half

salt, pepper, cayenne

Preheat oven to 350. Wrap the potato cubes in tin foil and set in the oven. Saute the first 5 ingredients in a pot until the bacon begins to crisp. Remove and set aside. In the same pot, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and cook until bubbly. Add in the juice drained from one can of clams, stirring well. Once this has blended, stirring constantly, add the half and half and the juice from a second can of clams. Add the vegetable and bacon mix back to the pot, along with the seafood and potatoes from the oven. Season to taste and simmer at least 30 minutes longer. Remove the jalapeno before serving.

Halibut with Orange Sauce

I hadn't intended to blog this tonight. It was meant to just be an experiment, so I didn't pay much attention to plating. However, after the first bite just melted in my mouth, I knew I couldn't wait!

This recipe comes from the "Just for the Halibut" cookbook by Nanci A. Morris.

Ingredients

1/2 c orange juice
2 green onions, chopped
1 T lemon juice
1 T oil
1/4 t ground ginger
1/8 t salt
1 1/2 lbs halibut chunks
2 T oil
seasoned flour (flour, salt, pepper)

Combine first six ingredients. Marinate the halibut in this for 30 minutes. Gently coat the halibut in the seasoned flour. Saute in 2 T oil until cooked, approximately 10 minutes per inch of thickness. Remove halibut and keep warm. Add the marinade to the skillet and simmer until liquid is reduced by half. Pour over the halibut and serve!

White Wine Halibut and Risotto

I've had a friend visiting me here in Alaska and yesterday we took a halibut fishing charter. The sport catch limit is currently two per day - three of our four were smallish, but the other was pretty darned big! So I now have a freezer full of halibut. To celebrate, I made my signature white wine halibut, but jazzed it up with my first attempt at a risotto.

White Wine Halibut

Ingredients
1/4 c white wine
1 T oil
1 t oregano
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 lb halibut, cut into two steaks
salt and pepper
zucchini, sliced
lemon, sliced

Preheat oven to 400. Mix the first four ingredients together. Set aside. Line a pan with foil. Rub the halibut gently with salt and pepper and place in this pan. Layer zucchini and lemon slices on top of the halibut, then pour the wine mix over the fish. Bake 15 minutes or until flaky.

White Wine Risotto

Ingredients
4 1/2 c chicken stock
1/4 c white wine (warm)
1 1/2 c rice
2 T oil
dash of garlic, onion, rosemary
1 T lemon juice

Set the stock to simmer in a pot. Meanwhile, saute the garlic, onion, and rosemary in the oil in a pan. Add rice and saute about 2 minutes or until translucent. Add one ladle of the stock to the rice, stirring constantly until absorbed. Continue to add the stock in ladle fulls, stirring. Once the stock is absorbed, add the wine and stir until absorbed. Add the lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste, and serve.