The Diversity and Inclusion Committee delivers something “New and Tasty” for our ongoing initiative!  We’re pleased to feature our next recipe for April. 

Tweed Kettle (Scottish American Heritage Month – Salmon Hash)

This month, Scottish-American societies throughout the United States observe April 6 as Tartan Day on which celebrates Scotland’s history, people, culture and contributions to the world. Tartan Day marks the signing of the Declaration of Arbroath in 1320 at Arbroath Abbey. This historical occasion sowed the seeds of modern-day democracy and was used as a basis for the American Declaration of Independence, according to www.tartandayscotland.com.    Historically, every festival in Scotland’s Tweed riverbank communities would be incomplete without cooking a live catch of salmon in elongated vessels of boiling water over a picnic fire. Bypassing the scaling, cleaning, and boning steps leaves behind a chaos of skin, entrails, and bones at the bottom of the poaching pan, which Scots call a “kettle”, thus conceiving the idiom, “a kettle of fish” to describe messy circumstances. As for the actual dish, its festiveness in the Scottish countryside drew the ale houses of Edinburgh during the 19th century to adopt and amend the rural recipes into skinless and boneless servings of salmon chunks while keeping the clean and herbaceous taste of the broth.

INGREDIENTS 

• 3 pounds/1.3 kg fresh salmon, skin on and preferably from the tail-end
•  2 tablespoons/20 grams finely chopped shallots
•  1 cup/250 mL dry white wine
•  Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
•  Pinch of ground mace
•  2 tablespoons/8 grams finely chopped parsley, preferably picked fresh on the same day for best results Specific Equipment: Medium-sized pot or saucepan , Knife

  Serves 6

INSTRUCTIONS

• Bring water to a boil in a medium-sized pot or saucepan over medium heat. Reduce heat to a simmer and poach in the salmon for 5 minutes, making sure that the water completely covers the salmon. Remove the salmon immediately from the stock and set aside to cool slightly.
• Reserve 1 cup/250 mL of the poaching liquid and stir in shallots and white wine. Set aside and discard the rest of the poaching liquid.
•  Strip the salmon from its skin and pluck out the bones. Cut the salmon flesh to 2-inch/5-cm cubes and season with salt, pepper, and mace.
• Bring the stock and wine to a simmer and poach in the salmon cubes over low heat for 25 minutes or until the salmon has fully absorbed the flavors. Adjust salt and pepper according to taste.
•  Remove the pot or saucepan from heat and stir in the parsley. Divide the salmon and remaining stock to equal portions among individual serving bowls.

source: TWEED KETTLE (SCOTTISH SALMON HASH) — The Kitchen Scholar