Saturday, January 23, 2010

Smashed Salmon Salad: A Tribute to Kona/College

UPDATED October 25, 2017: I'm sorry to say that 7 years after writing this post, Kona closed its doors in Oxford. May you all have this easy back pocket dinner to eat in tribute.

I'm not really a "look back longingly" kind of girl. I love the pictures and I love the people but am decidedly a bit sad for the "high school/college was the best four years of my life" crowd. Why sell yourself short?

But it was fun. My jobs during the school year consisted of working on the line twice a week at a local restaurant and working in a small gourmet food and wine shop. I spent my earnings at the latter using my employee discount to buy nicer wine than a 21 year old should really have access to. Fun Fact: I was hired to replace a girl named Katie who had just run off with Billy Joel. My closest counterpart at Main Street Gourmet was a woman named Tina who spent her post-divorce summers in France and helped me plan my post-graduation adventure.

Life was good. Life was also frequent tanning appointments (I'm so sorry, skin), peppermint patty shots, huge hair down to my Lumbar and an inescapable lust for the phase of my life I'm in now. So...balance.

Anyhow, that was good, now is good and the only thing my current life was really missing that college TKTC had in spades is pictured at the top of this post. That would be the Smashed Salmon Salad of Kona Bistro fame.

Oxford, Ohio is a small town of cobblestone streets, Georgian brick and the freshly scrubbed faces of young Midwestern yuppies (includes self). There was no sushi, no masala. There were delicious steamed bagel sandwiches, slices of Bruno's, and Skyline 3-ways (chili+spaghetti+cheese). But then there was also Kona.

Kona became a beacon of good eating for me in college. Nice enough to take your parents (my mother demanded it) but affordable enough for a weekly takeout habit. Macadamia nut encrusted tilapia, Ale-marinated flank steak and for $8, I could get heaven in a black takeout box. Heaven in the form of Smashed Salmon Salad.

Turns out that Smashed Salmon Salad exists in a time before cell phone cameras. A Flickr search got me no further. This week I suddenly couldn't go on any longer without Smashed Salmon Salad. Then I realized how simple this dish had to be - only two of these layers require any cooking whatsoever and it was basic.

Smashed Salmon Salad (a recipe at long last; serves 2)

Salmon

2 skinless salmon fillets (about a pound total)
2 TB Dijon mustard
1/4 cup plus 2TB of jarred mango chutney
3 TB olive oil or grapeseed oil

Mashed Potatoes
5 medium red-skinned potatoes, quartered
1/4 cup whole milk or half-n-half (or whatever you prefer for mashed potatoes)
2 TB butter
1/4 tsp garlic powder
Salt and Pepper to taste
1TB Greek yogurt, sour cream or crema (optional)

Layers
2 handfuls of baby spinach, long stems removed
1 cup of matchstick cut carrots (sold this way by the celery sticks and shredded cabbage in the refrigerated part of your produce aisle)
1 Roma tomato, sliced

Directions:
1) Combine Dijon mustard and 1/4 cup of preserves in a small bowl and whisk till combined with a fork. Bust out your favorite marinating dish (8x8 square glass baking dish works for me. Or a zip-top freezer bag). Pour marinade over top of salmon, ensuring all surfaces are covered. If using a baking dish, cover with plastic wrap. Let salmon marinate in the fridge for 15-30 minutes.

2) Put your potatoes on to boil. Cook them till pieces or easily pierced with a fork and tender. About 20 minutes. Drain, return to pot, cover and set aside.

3) Add oil of choice to a large saute pan and let it warm up before adding the salmon fillets. Cook the salmon at medium heat for 5-6 minutes, enough time to get a nice golden crust on one side. Flip the salmon and loosely cover the pan with its top so the heat building will help the salmon cook through. Check the middle of the salmon 5-6 minutes later for progress. The entire salmon-cooking process only takes about 12-15 minutes and depending on the thickness of the salmon, you may need to sear the sides as well. Pretty basic saute plan...I fear I'm making it sound more complicated than it is.

4) Once your salmon is done, shut off the heat but keep the pan covered. Shift your attention back to those potatoes. Add the rest of the "Mashed Potato" ingredients. This is my typical formula for mashed potatoes but use whatever you're used to...yes Matthew, that includes a box if you so choose.

5) Favorite part: The Compilation!

On your plate start with 1 handful of the baby spinach.
Add a generous helping of mashed potatoes on top
3-4 slices of Roma tomato, pressed into mount mashed potato
Freshly ground pepper and a little salt
A scant handful of carrot shreds
One gorgeous salmon fillet place atop (possible divided in half for balance
1 TB of your preserves spread evenly over the top of the salmon to finish

Enjoy with enthusiasm and a glass of whatever makes you the giddiest. I won't judge you if you have an inexplicable craving for an Amaretto Sour afterward. There's a little Oxford in all of us.

24 comments:

Ginny said...

Wow! that looks so good! :) I would love to have that! I like the mango preserves... I'm not one to look back on life, as those were the best years of my life, either... I prefer to think everyday will get better! :)

Maris said...

Love your thoughts on college. And agree that it's sad when "high school/college was the best four years of my life" because why not just enjoy now, and everything there is to look forward to!

Kenneth and Kristin said...

Oh wow, I would do just about anything to eat that for dinner tonight! It was my absolute favorite. Did you know they closed the Kona in Cincinnati? I was crushed! Another interesting Kona tidbit - that's where Ken and I had our first date!

Maggie said...

Ohhhh so many great memories of Kona and Y-O-U! You're smashed salmon loooks DELISH! I miss you woman, lets see each other soon!

Whitney Thompson said...

Fab post! I can't wait to try it! How funny that you replaced Katie Lee.

TKTC said...

Ginny and Maris- It's good to have company on the "always anticipating good things" front. At the very least, there's dinner to look forward to!

Kristin- I love that it was your first date:) Can you get salmon in Singapore? Maybe a silly question but I bet you could make your own mango preserves!

Magaroo- Can't wait for our city date and thanks for being my takeout buddy for so many Kona field trips...

Whitney- It's a funny place, that little college town...and thanks because your reminder to get this recipe up was instrumental in me just sitting my butt down to do it!

Unknown said...

How lovely! I do enjoy college town throwbacks. Speaking of higher education though, I see the carrots and instead of "shreds" my mind is now saying "julienne." Sigh. I've already become one of those.

Amanda said...

OMG this post made me so nostalgic! When I was traveling for work last week I woke up in the middle of the night starving (due to bad conference food) and thought to myself how good a slice of Brunos would be!

As for Kona, it has a special place in my heart - Josh and I went on our first date there!

Linda said...

I wish I have fish in the fridge, but there is chicken. I am going to borrow the sauce idea and use it for my next chicken dish. I like the fruity dressing idea and I really need to finish off the jelly in the fridge.

The Modern Gal said...

I randomly got to know a bunch of Miami alumni when I lived in Nashville a few years back. Two of them decided to get married (to one another) at Miami because they met there in college, and they hosted the rehearsal dinner at Kona. It was fabulous, though I know I didn't have this dish. I would have remembered it. Definitely will try since it's so simple!

Molls said...

Gorgeous salad!! I miss me some Kona

amy turn sharp said...

sounds awesome. Even smaller world. I was a bobcat. Roar. xo Thanks for the comment on my blog- glad to have found yrs! xoxo

stacy di said...

YUM!!! that looks crazy delicious!

great stories! sounds like college was a blast for you...great memories :)

Unknown said...

This salmon dish looks amazing! I will try this method of plating also!

you asked my favorite poison. My favorite is the pipe, followed by the Panda in a stick (health food store, but only the stick. Not the bite size ones). I'd have to say and last, the Black Licorice wheels though I hate went they're stale! When I'm desperate, I will eat Good & Plenty's!
I googled and found this blog that looks fun....


http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3298/3446975380_da95c8c1e5.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.typetive.com/candyblog/category/italy/&usg=__jx88bWuIDGMibeYSxpCsZGY5Sg4=&h=362&w=500&sz=40&hl=en&start=218&sig2=_SkCv1wz7Aq3QpR_tiFqIw&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=PppznT8ElWjmaM:&tbnh=94&tbnw=130&prev=/images%3Fq%3Ddifferent%2Btypes%2Bof%2Blicorice%26ndsp%3D21%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26sa%3DN%26start%3D210%26um%3D1&ei=eqBxS4LhKYyeMeKU4IcL

jenna said...

hey!
i just came across your blog and i can't wait to keep reading :)
i would love it if you could come check out my blog and follow as well!
Jenna

Sandy said...

I have fresh salmon in the fridge right now! I always say the secret is not to overcook it! Blah - my mom always overcooked fish.

Fun to read your thoughts!

maren said...

My that looks yummy! I have all the ingredients in my kitchen for that right now, so I'm going to have to try it.

I was the gal at Blissdom from Louisville that ordered a shittake mushroom log for her husband for Valentine's. REALLY enjoyed meeting you there!

Also am going to hop on over to your mushroom blog to check it out--maybe get some recipes for my soon to be mushroom-farmer-husband!

Joner said...

I'm making this tonight! YUM!

Kathy said...

I know this is an old post but, I am so excited to have found it! I did my internship at MU in 2003 and Kona was my Friday lunch ritual. My husband and I were talking about salmon for dinner and I remembered the smashed salmon salad and hoped against hope I might find a recipe for it. One Google search later and here it is! Thank you so much! As you said, Oxford was not the most sophisticated place on earth but Kona.... MMmmmmmmm.

giddy_kitty said...

Instead of preserves try to find mango chutney, it makes all the difference

giddy_kitty said...

Also, I live in Oxford so I'm thinking a triple S for lunch tomorrow :)

GBM said...

Thank you for this. The dish is one I very often enjoyed at Kona. Sadly they are now closed [am writing this on Monday 23 October 2017... they closed last week]. It is a loss for all of us who live in Oxford, and a loss for all of you who lived here for a time and got to enjoy their wonderful food.

JB_arch said...

I see you Gerardo

Erin said...

I don't know how many times I ate this in college and grad school; not sure I ever ordered anything else there. Googled it and was so thrilled to find this! Thanks!!