I am lazy. And this dish is proof.
First, you should know that I am a bit deliberate in the kitchen. Ask Meena. It drives her crazy. But we are who we come from and a certain Stan Brucebaugh – my affable, sensitive, and unhurried father – gave me the certain knack for certainty. That is… a certainty which is required prior to completing the simplest task whether it be an individual and very measured chop of the carrots or a two second hover over a link here on the interweb prior to the actual click.
Now that you understand I am of a methodical – I prefer well-studied – manner, you may be able to appreciate that this meal was served in about 10 minutes. The sauce is nothing more than Greek yogurt, a little EVOO (extra virgin olive oil for the foodie impaired), a bunch of lime zest and juice, a little less tangelo zest and juice, good salt, and some mild honey. Mix it all together and you’re done. That took (even me) about 2 minutes. The salmon is equally simple… Pat dry, good salt and pepper, pan sear skin side up for 3-4 minutes (until a nice golden color) then flip and finish until the center is medium rare (4-6 minutes longer). And the potatoes were holiday leftovers. Plate and eat. This is the anti-patient meal.
And it was enjoyed with a little punk rock Pinot Noir (‘06 Loring Wine Company Clos Pepe Vineyard) that honestly had me a bit nervous until the food was served. At that point I fell for it. (It is too young and wound up tighter than a magnet’s coil – thanks Sebadoh – so it didn’t really start showing well until 24 hours after being open which was conveniently about when we sat down for dinner). Delicious ripe and sweet cherries bounced off the citrusy sauce and offered up a brilliant counterpoint to the savory quality of the food. The punk rock part of it comes with the label (seemingly spray painted and stenciled “LWC” with rough edges) and an irreverent wine-making style of embracing the well-heeled, robust Santa Rita Hills pinot fruit instead of apologizing for it. Not always my thing but tonight it was just right. Those of you in the know are already well aware of Brian and Kimberly Loring’s reputation. If you get a chance, do indulge. If not, whisper sweet nothings in my ear, wash my car, or simply ask and I’ll do you up proper with the lush pleasures of LWC pinot.
Peace.
.:Nathan
