NWWC KITCHEN: Shore lunch, Georgia style: ESPN's Pellegrini hits Cowlitz
POSTED May 4, 2010 / 8:10 p.m.

CHEHALIS - Two months of planning, out the window. Or, more precisely, buried under a 34-degree snowstorm as Georgia Pellegrini - author of ESPN Outdoors' "The Kitchen" page - rolls into Spiffy's in Chehalis.

She's here (at my prodding) to tackle Columbia River spring Chinook, which I've sworn to her is the best-tasting fish in the world.

Which it is, of course.

However, Georgia's taste buds are probably a little more sophisticated than mine. She's a classically trained chef with some serious kitchen chops. She's worked in some high-powered restaurants in New York and Provence, France.

And now she's about to fire up my Coleman Road Trip Grill on a riverbank, in the middle of a hurricane.

Slight exagerration. By the time the afternoon's shore-lunch preparations start, the snow has abated to an intermittant, spitting rain, and it's only blowing about 10 miles per hour.

But we're on the wrong river.

Changing plans: Spiffy's is, obviously, nowhere near the Columbia. Mother Nature has taken a peek at my spring-Chinook shore-lunch plans and stomped them into oblivion. Ms. Georgia, meet Eli Rico, the Cowlitz River and winter-run steelhead. Don't mind the snow, wind and near-freezing April temperatures.

8CLICK HERE TO READ GEORGIA'S TAKE ON SHORE LUNCH and see how "The Hunter Girl" viewed her experience in the wild and woolly Pacific Northwest.

NWWC KITCHEN: Citrus cured salmon borrowed from EO's "The Kitchen"
UPDATED March 1, 2010 / 8:45 a.m.

SEATTLE - Here's a sneak peek at a cured/smoked salmon recipe that you'll find highlighting ESPN Outdoors "The Kitchen" this week, courtesy of Hunter Girl/chef Georgia Pellegrini.

Georgia, who cheffed it up with us Saturday, Feb. 27 in her Northwest Wild Country debut, was kind enough to forward this citrus-infused take on cured salmon, to help get us through early March. As we discussed with her in our NWWC Q&A, this is the time of year when many of us are freezer-diving in search of a creative late-winter/pre-spring-Chinook meal.

"One of my favorite things to do in these months is cure meat and fish," Georgia writes in her blog. "If I can manage to do it before it hits the freezer even better, but you do what you can."

This particular version of cured salmon can be eaten as gravlax right after it's done curing, or it can also be thrown in for a quick cold-smoke with cherry, oak or alder.

8LISTEN IN AS GEORGIA PELLEGRINI JOINS THE NWWC CREW in a discussion of the finer points of preparing deer liver, heart

GEORGIA'S CITRUS-CURED SMOKED SALMON

GEORGIA SAYS: "I used citrus in my cure because it adds a little intrigue. You could also use fennel seeds, star anise, dill, coriander seeds, or anything else that floats your boat."

INGREDIENTS
l2 pounds salmon, boneless and skinless 
l4 cups Kosher salt
l2 cups sugar
l3 lemons
l3 limes
l2 oranges
l1 tablespoon white peppercorns

PREPARATION
1).With a grater, remove the zest of the citrus fruit.

2). Mix the grated zest with the salt and sugar in a non-reactive dish, like Pyrex. The more snugly it all fits in the dish with the salmon, the better.

3), In a hot, dry pan toast the white peppercorns, until they exude their aroma, about 3 minutes. Put them on the counter or a cutting board, and using another heavy bottomed pan crush the toasted peppercorns. You could also use a mortar and pestle. Then add the cracked peppercorns to the salt mixture.

4). Thoroughly mix all of these ingredients then bury the salmon in this sandy mixture.

5), Cover the dish in plastic and store in the refrigerator for 48 hours to cure.

6), After two days, remove the salmon from cure, rinse with water and pat dry. You can slice it thinly and eat it this way, or let it sit in the refrigerator for 24 hours on a rack so the surface becomes tacky, and will absorb the smoke more readily. Then cold smoke it for 20 minutes.

-Georgia Pellegrini

WILD COUNTRY KITCHEN: Ring in 2010 with Tini Bigs' holiday drink o'choice
NEW Dec. 31, 2009 / 10:30 a.m.

SEATTLE - We get tuna advice from Tred Barta, bass advice from Jimmy Houston and steelhead advice from Buzz Ramsey. Would we take our holiday libations any less seriously?

Here, from Wild Country FOS (Friend of the Show) Keith Robbins, owner of Tini Bigs and salmon guide extraordinaire, is a grand holiday-flavored cocktail to ring in the new decade: we present to you Tini Bigs' Dirty Girl Scout, one of the many, many ridiculously imaginative cocktails they proudly serve at Tini Bigs, the West Coast's best martini bar.

DIRTY GIRL SCOUT

KEITH SAYS: "This is a great holiday drink, with all the flavors you'd want in a drink for Christmas or New Years. One or two of these are great ... three or four and you'll be feelin' it."

INGREDIENTS
l 1 ounce Crater Lake Hazelnut Espresso Vodka

l 1 ounce Crater Lake Vodka

l 1 ounce chocolate liqueur

l 1/2 ounce green menthe

l Float of heavy cream

l Crushed graham cracker rim

WILD COUNTRY KITCHEN: A very Bradley Thanksgiving!
NEW Nov. 26, 2009 / 10:30 a.m.

ARLINGTON, Wash. - Finally, I've graduated from the kids table and stepped up to the big-boy world of smoked turkey.

We've done the deep-fried bird for several years here at Wild Country Central, but the October arrival of the new Bradley BTIS1 Smoker brought the Thanksgiving feast to a whole 'nother level. The bird is resting now, and I'll have a complete Crash Test rundown of the Bradley shortly, but here's a quick peek. Happy Turkey Day, everybody.

-JS

WILD COUNTRY KITCHEN: Gentleman (and ladies), start your smokers!
NEW Aug. 28. 30, 2009 / 10:30 a.m.

ROSEBURG, Ore. - Bonus limits of coho on the tributaries of the Columbia River. Almost 5 million humpies into the rivers of the Puget Sound. Can you smell the alder smoke now?

It's the heart of the smoker season in western Washington, and with a solid month silly-good humpy fishing on tap, we figured it'd be a good time for a little "Salmon Smoking 101", courtesy of Tiffany Haugen. Over the next three weeks, we'll feature several of Tiffany's best smoking recipes - from dry brines to super-tasty recipes featuring smoked salmon - and we'll hear from Tiffany LIVE on the show on Aug. 29, Sept. 5 & Sept 12.

To get it started, here's a trio of excellent wet brines from Tiffany and Scott's must-have Smoking Salmon & Steelhead book.

HERB MEDLEY

TIFFANY SAYS: "Fresh herbal flavor througout, nice glaze. A dark, rich finished product."

INGREDIENTS
l 1 quart water
l 1/2 cup Morton's Tender Quick
l 3/4 cup white sugar
l 1/3 cup fresh parsley
l 3 to 4 sprigs fresh rosemary
l 1/3 cup fresh basil
l 3 to 5 sprigs fresh dill
l 3 teaspoons white pepper
l 8 cloves garlic, crushed

PREPARATION
- Rinse herbs and tear into small pieces

- Mix all ingredients in a large bowl with a wire whisk until suger is dissolved

- Submerge bottom layer of fish in brine skin-side down, then meat side down on the next layer. Repeat layering skin-to-skin, meat-to-meat.

- Place a weighted plate on top of the fish to fully submerge all fillets.

- Soak fish in brine 3 to 5 hours; the longer it soaks, the more intense the flavor.

- Place on racks and air dry until pellicle is formed (1 to 3 hours)

- Smoke to desired texture. Cooking time varies from 3 to 10 hours, depending on the smoker, volume of fish and outdoor conditions. Check frequently. Do not overcook!

-TH

WILD COUNTRY KITCHEN: Tiffany Haugen lends hand to NWWC kitchen
UPDATED Aug. 28. 30, 2009 / 10:30 a.m.

ARLINGTON, Wash. - So we've been stumbling around with a half-tanked recipe/cooking page here on NWWC.com for a few months, and it suddenly hit me: We give you tuna fishing information from Tred Barta, bass-fishing information from Luke Clausen, and hunting information from Michael Waddell. Why, for the love of God, are we not dealing with a recognized expert in the kitchen, too?

As of today, we are.

It's my pleasure to introduce you to Northwest Wild Country's smokehouse savior, cookbook author/food columnist/recipe developer Tiffany Haugen. Actually, "introduction" probably isn't the right word, since most of you already know Tiffany from her cooking column in Salmon, Trout, Steelheader, and from the handful of must-have fish & game cookbooks she's authored with her husband Scott.

Regardless of wheter you've tried some of her recipes before, or if this is the first time you've heard her name, make sure you bookmark this page, because we have big plans with Tiffany. I guarantee your fish and game will be better on the table if you pay attention to her advice.

-JS

WILD COUNTRY KITCHEN: Super Bowl warmups from Tiffany's bag o' tricks
NEW Jan. 30, 2009 / 5:45 p.m.

ARLINGTON, Wash. - I can't think of a better time to introduce our new kitchen savior Tiffany Haugen than the night before the biggest snacking weekend of the year.

Let's be honest here: most of our listeners are Seahawks fans (booo, hiss!) whose only rooting interests in Super Bowl XLIII is that the Steelers' team bus breaks down on the way to the game.

In other words, Super Bowl Sunday is all about the food.

We have a pair of recipes from Tiffany's Cooking Salmon & Steelhead and Cooking Big Game that will be great FOR the big game: Tropical Bacon Roll-Ups (at right, and featured in the January STS, by the way) and Meaty Black Bean Chili.

One takes 5 minutes to prepare, the other simmers on the stove (or in a crock pot) through the pre-game show.

TROPICAL BACON ROLL-UPS

TIFFANY SAYS: "When looking for hor d'oeuvres, these bite-sized appetizers are full of flavor and easy to prepare."

INGREDIENTS
l 12 to 16 ounces salmon or steelhead, skinned and deboned
l 1 pound bacon
l 1 20-ounce can pineapple chunks

PREPARATION
- Cut fish into bite sized chunks, about the same size as a piece of pineapple

- Cut bacon strips in half

- Wrap a half slice of bacon around on pineapple chunk and one piece of raw salmon

- Spear with a toothpick

- Place bacon wraps eveonly on a broiler pan

- Broil on medium heat 3-6 minutes or until bacon is crisp

- Serve immediately

Originally seen in Cooking Salmon & Steelhead, from the Water to the Platter/www.tiffanyhaugen.com

MEATY BLACK BEAN CHILI

TIFFANY SAYS: "Chili is one of those dishes in which our ingredients can vary, depending on what's in the pantry. This recipe, however, was tested and followed several times to perfection. When it comes to chili, this is a favorite."

INGREDIENTS
l 1 pound venison, ground or small cubes
l 2 tablespoons olive oil
l 1 onion, minced
l 3 tablespoons olive oil
l 1 tablespoon chili powder
l 2 teaspoons cumin
l 2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
l 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
l 1/2 teaspoon coriander
l 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
l Salt and pepper to taste
l 1 6-ounce can tomato paste
l 2 cups water
l 2 15-ounce cans black beans, drained

PREPARATION
- In a heavy stew pot or Dutch oven, heat olive oil and saute venison, onions and garlic on medium-high heat until meat is browned.

- Add spices, thoroughly combining.

- Add tomatoes and water and bring to a boil.

- Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer at least 30 minutes.

- Add black beans and simmer an additional 30 minutes.

- Garnish with sour cream, avocado and cheddar cheese, if desired.

Originally seen in Cooking Big Game/www.tiffanyhaugen.com

WILD COUNTRY KITCHEN: Clams + tomatoes + garlic = fall warmup
UPDATED Oct. 9, 2008 / 5 p.m.

ARLINGTON, Wash. - I've always been fond of one-pot meals, especially in the fall. They're simple, satisfying and delicious: the perfect definition of "comfort food".

Thanks to my Italian great uncle, I'm of the opinion that garlic, basil, tomatoes and olive oil are the building blocks of any great meal. Throw in clams, panchetta or bacon, and a little bit of wine?

Molto bueno!

There are as many variations of clams and long pasta (spaghetti, linguini, etc.) as there are Italian grandmothers in the world. It's a flavor combination (tomatoes, garlic, basil, wine, shellfish) that bridges all regional borders, and, better yet, the dish is super-simple and takes about 15 minutes to prepare.

A little on clams: Go into any grocery store in the Pacific Northwest and you'll see either littleneck or manila clams for $6.99 to $7.99 a pound. These clams are one and the same: the manila is a sub-species of littleneck that you'll find on beaches in Washington and Oregon. The ones sold in the grocery store are typically pretty small, but fall brings some of the best clam digging of the year for many species. Fill a bucket with local hardshells from Penn Cove to Coos Bay and this dish is even better:

LINGUINI PICCOLI WITH TOMATOES AND CLAMS

INGREDIENTS (serves 4 to 6 people)
l 3 pounds of littleneck clams
l 1/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil
l 8 to 10 large cloves of garlic, smashed
l 1 small shallot, finely diced
l 1/2 pound of pancetta*, diced
l 6 to 8 ripe roma tomatoes, coursely chopped
l 1/4 cup white wine
l 1/4 cup chicken stock OR bottled calm juice
l 2 dried red pasilla chilis, seeded and chopped
l 1 bunch fresh basil, coarsely chopped
l 2 pounds linguini piccoli**

PREPARATION
- Thoroughly scrub clams under cold running water with a stiff plastic brush, discarding any clams with open or broken shells. Drain.

- Preheat oven to 375 degrees

- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil

- Place a large roasting pan over two burners (or a large wok over a single burner) and heat over medium-high heat

- Pour olive oil into heated pan and add garlic, shallot and pancetta; saute until pancetta is rendered and garlic/onion are soft

- Add chopped tomatoes, peppers and basil to pan and mix briefly with garlic, onion and pancetta

- Add wine, chicken stock and clam juice

- Add clams to pan/wok and stir gently to settle clams into tomato mixture. If you're using a roasting pan, place it into the preheated oven and roast for 15 minutes, until clams open. If you're using a wok, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until clams open

- While clams/tomatoes are cooking, cook pasta in boiling water; drain.

- Remove clams from heat. If you're serving family style, empty pasta into a large serving bowl and spoon entire clam mixture over the top. If you're serving single portions, place pasta in individual pasta bowls and spoon a generous amount of clam mixture and broth over the top.

- Serve with roasted-garlic bread

NOTES
* Bacon can be substituted for pancetta in a pinch, but should be blanched first to remove the smokiness.
** Linguini piccoli is a thinner version of linguini, but regular spaghetti or linguini works well, too.

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