a kitchen towel, press as much water out of the tofu as possible without breaking it apart. Prick the tofu with a fork and then marinate using the recipe above. Grill or pan-fry as above with the fish.
GINGER-GLAZED SALMON
At Esalen, we are fortunate to be near the fishing port of Monterey. Because of this, fresh fish is available year-round. When the Pacific Wild Salmon season opens, we try to serve this fresh wild delicacy once a week. Ginger-Glazed Salmon is a favorite recipe of the longtime Esalen staff. The glaze enhances the natural subtle flavor of the salmon without overpowering it. It actually seals in the exquisite taste that is a hallmark of wild salmon. Bill Schrier brought this recipe to Esalen.
Serves 4
1½ pounds salmon fillets, skin on
1 cup tamari soy sauce
1 cup cream sherry
2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
2 tablespoons minced garlic
3 tablespoons Sucanat (dehydrated cane juice)
or brown sugar
Blend all ingredients except salmon in a saucepan and place over medium heat until sugar dissolves; then remove from heat. When the marinade cools, pour over salmon fillets and let the fish marinate for at least 2 hours.
At Esalen, we cook this recipe on the grill, but if that isn’t a possibility, you can cook it in a skillet with a small amount of oil over medium-high heat. To cook on the grill, brush the flesh side with marinade and place salmon on the grill flesh side down. Cook for approximately 4 to 5 minutes, and then turn to brown the skin side for about the same amount of time. Brush the skin side with the remaining marinade before turning.
The way to know if the salmon is done is to touch it with your fingers. If the fish is done, it will have a firm feeling to the touch; if not it will still feel pulpy or mushy.
Ginger-Glazed Salmon
VEGETARIAN AND VEGAN VERSION
In the vegetarian and vegan version of this curry, the chicken breast is replaced by 1 pound of tofu. Start by getting out the excess moisture from the tofu. Cut the tofu into four 1/2-inch pieces and place on a clean folded kitchen towel. Place another folded towel on top of the tofu and put a plate on top. Take a heavy object and put it on the plate to make a press. Leave for 15 minutes or longer. Take the tofu out of the press and cut into 1-inch cubes. Place 1 tablespoon of oil in the saute pan and saute the tofu along with 1 teaspoon ground cumin until the tofu forms a brownish skin on its sides. Add the tofu to the curry when the cauliflower and zucchini are added.
SOUTH INDIAN COCONUT CHICKEN CURRY
Raj came to Esalen from Calcutta and worked in the Esalen kitchen as a work scholar. One day he came into my office and asked if he could make a dinner. He had a brother-in-law who was a chef in a posh hotel in Calcutta and he had gotten this recipe from him. I adapted the recipe to our kitchen, and on my next cooking shift we prepared this dish together. It was a delicious curry and many people came into the kitchen raving about how tasty the meal had been.
Serves 4 to 6
CURRY PASTE
3 tablespoons good quality curry powder
1 tablespoon garam masala
1 tablespoon turmeric powder
2 teaspoons black mustard seed
2 teaspoons paprika
1½ teaspoons cumin
1¼ teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon mustard powder
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon ginger powder
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (or more if desired)
¼ teaspoon clove powder
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
2 cups coconut milk (1 14-ounce can)
On low heat, dry roast all ingredients except coconut milk in a heavy-bottomed skillet (cast-iron is best). Roast until the bouquet of the spices becomes very strong and their color changes to a deeper hue. Be careful not to burn the spices. Put the spices in an 8-quart saucepan. Whisk in the coconut milk, stirring constantly and blending well with the spices. Simmer over low heat for 3 minutes.
CHICKEN
2 teaspoons sea salt, divided
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts
3 tablespoons vegetable
GINGER-GLAZED SALMON
At Esalen, we are fortunate to be near the fishing port of Monterey. Because of this, fresh fish is available year-round. When the Pacific Wild Salmon season opens, we try to serve this fresh wild delicacy once a week. Ginger-Glazed Salmon is a favorite recipe of the longtime Esalen staff. The glaze enhances the natural subtle flavor of the salmon without overpowering it. It actually seals in the exquisite taste that is a hallmark of wild salmon. Bill Schrier brought this recipe to Esalen.
Serves 4
1½ pounds salmon fillets, skin on
1 cup tamari soy sauce
1 cup cream sherry
2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
2 tablespoons minced garlic
3 tablespoons Sucanat (dehydrated cane juice)
or brown sugar
Blend all ingredients except salmon in a saucepan and place over medium heat until sugar dissolves; then remove from heat. When the marinade cools, pour over salmon fillets and let the fish marinate for at least 2 hours.
At Esalen, we cook this recipe on the grill, but if that isn’t a possibility, you can cook it in a skillet with a small amount of oil over medium-high heat. To cook on the grill, brush the flesh side with marinade and place salmon on the grill flesh side down. Cook for approximately 4 to 5 minutes, and then turn to brown the skin side for about the same amount of time. Brush the skin side with the remaining marinade before turning.
The way to know if the salmon is done is to touch it with your fingers. If the fish is done, it will have a firm feeling to the touch; if not it will still feel pulpy or mushy.
Ginger-Glazed Salmon
VEGETARIAN AND VEGAN VERSION
In the vegetarian and vegan version of this curry, the chicken breast is replaced by 1 pound of tofu. Start by getting out the excess moisture from the tofu. Cut the tofu into four 1/2-inch pieces and place on a clean folded kitchen towel. Place another folded towel on top of the tofu and put a plate on top. Take a heavy object and put it on the plate to make a press. Leave for 15 minutes or longer. Take the tofu out of the press and cut into 1-inch cubes. Place 1 tablespoon of oil in the saute pan and saute the tofu along with 1 teaspoon ground cumin until the tofu forms a brownish skin on its sides. Add the tofu to the curry when the cauliflower and zucchini are added.
SOUTH INDIAN COCONUT CHICKEN CURRY
Raj came to Esalen from Calcutta and worked in the Esalen kitchen as a work scholar. One day he came into my office and asked if he could make a dinner. He had a brother-in-law who was a chef in a posh hotel in Calcutta and he had gotten this recipe from him. I adapted the recipe to our kitchen, and on my next cooking shift we prepared this dish together. It was a delicious curry and many people came into the kitchen raving about how tasty the meal had been.
Serves 4 to 6
CURRY PASTE
3 tablespoons good quality curry powder
1 tablespoon garam masala
1 tablespoon turmeric powder
2 teaspoons black mustard seed
2 teaspoons paprika
1½ teaspoons cumin
1¼ teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon mustard powder
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon ginger powder
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (or more if desired)
¼ teaspoon clove powder
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
2 cups coconut milk (1 14-ounce can)
On low heat, dry roast all ingredients except coconut milk in a heavy-bottomed skillet (cast-iron is best). Roast until the bouquet of the spices becomes very strong and their color changes to a deeper hue. Be careful not to burn the spices. Put the spices in an 8-quart saucepan. Whisk in the coconut milk, stirring constantly and blending well with the spices. Simmer over low heat for 3 minutes.
CHICKEN
2 teaspoons sea salt, divided
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts
3 tablespoons vegetable
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