What was I thinking? I’ve mentioned several times that I am a lazy cook. I am. My idea of cooking is mixing some ingredients, pouring it over something, popping that in the oven, and then sitting on the couch and flipping through a magazine. Then when a family member walks by and raises their eyebrow at my sitting on the couch, I respond indignantly, “What??? I’m cooking!” Really, that’s my favorite way to cook. I should have known when I found this recipe that it was probably not for me. There are 12 words in the title alone!!! My recipes usually don’t even have 12 ingredients, much less 12 words in the title.
But, it grabbed me. Words like..salmon, slow-roasted tomatoes, and lemon oregano oil. Words that should have grabbed me…3 1/4 hours start to finish. Sometimes those words are okay, if they are immediately followed with “largely unattended.” And really, I guess you could say that this recipe was sort of largely unattended, but it didn’t feel that way. I kept thinking I was finished with a step, but then I wasn’t. It was basically like this: cut up tomatoes and put in roasting dish, go outside and cut and wash fresh oregano and basil (fret for a few minutes about what size leaves they are talking about), heat up oil in skillet for garlic and herbs, cook for 1-2 minutes (heating up a skillet to be used for just 1-2 minutes is not my idea of fun), pour over tomatoes, roast for 2 1/2 hours, think that the tomatoes are done, but no, you have strain the oil, chop some more oregano, zest and juice a lemon. Now the tomatoes are done, and yes they are good, but you get about 3-4 tablespoons of oil, for all of this work!!! Put tomatoes in fridge and lay down, you deserve it. Get up. Start to make couscous your normal way, realize that they want you to toast the couscous first. Toast couscous and prepare. Get salmon ready to roast. Roast salmon. It’s not very attractive with all that fat oozing out, but plan on strategically covering it with tomatoes. Start to plate and realize that you still have to mince some black olives, realize that this recipe will probably never end.
I know I’ve complained a lot, and you are probably wondering why I’m posting it. Well, one..it’s pretty. And it was good. Not good enough to make it worth all the work, but still good. I know some of you don’t mind work, and can probably take this recipe to levels that I can only dream about. And two..I had it bookmarked, which makes it a prime candidate for Bookmarked Recipes hosted by Ruth at Ruth’s Kitchen Experiments. Oh, and I’m not typing in the recipe, as you can imagine it’s long. It would take me as long to type it in as it took to make it. You can find it here: Wild Salmon with Pearl Couscous, Slow-Roasted Tomatoes, and Lemon Oregano Oil at Epicurious. Yeah, I didn’t have pearl couscous, so I used regular.
Lisa says
July 31, 2008 at 12:48 amIt might have been a lot of trouble but it is just beautiful and I really wish I was having it for dinner tonight!
Ruth Elkin says
July 29, 2008 at 8:05 pmWow…. you really dedicated yourself to this recipe! 3 and a quarter hours! I’m well impressed. Looks fantastic!
Haley says
July 28, 2008 at 3:56 pmWe’d like to invite you to participate in our July berry recipe contest. All competitors will be placed on our blogroll, and the winner will receive a fun prize! Please email me, haleyglasco@gmail.com, if you’re interested. Feel free to check out our blog for more details: http://blog.keyingredient.com/2008/06/06/key-ingredient-cooks-kitchen-recipe-contest/
Thanks,
Haley
KI Blogger
Kevin says
July 27, 2008 at 11:50 pmThat does sound really good!
Mike of Mike's Table says
July 28, 2008 at 3:25 amlol, see I have trouble with the “largely unattended” type of long cooking endeavors. I’ll start to doubt myself…like I forgot something, and so I’ll have to keep going back to re-check everything. And am I properly planning for the next steps? etc. lol, the type A in me, I suppose?
This sounds like a delicious meal though and it looks like the effort paid off!
Pam says
July 27, 2008 at 1:53 pmRed – I’m glad that you agree with me! Though I did like the olives, but then I always love olives.
Mary – It is good, it just seemed to go on forever!
Joy – I think there are others for you to try!
Paula – the oil was great, and when I roast tomatoes again, I’ll probably do something similar, only I’ll make much more!
Peter – I know. Slow roasted tomatoes are my favorite thing to have stored away in my freezer.
Eatingclub – yes we know all about lack of industry, don’t we?
Marjie – I’ve got those Fix it and Forget books in Mastercook!
Noble – the oil is great, and I’m definitely going to make some more of it.
Grace – seriously, anything over an hour better say largely unattended or it’s not happening.
Natasha – teenage boys, pizza, burgers, sounds like fun!!
Grace says
July 26, 2008 at 9:35 amSometimes those words are okay, if they are immediately followed with “largely unattended.”
ha. ha ha. amen to that. i so enjoy reading your posts–you help me start my day with a nice, hearty guffaw or two. 🙂
noble pig says
July 25, 2008 at 10:07 pmIt does sound fab, especially the lemon oregeno oil.
Marjie says
July 25, 2008 at 9:33 pmI cook like you do: “Fix it and Forget it” (which is an actual title of one half of a cookbook I own – and love!) Pretty? Absolutely. Too labor intensive? Looks like it. Thanks for saving me from trying it!
[eatingclub] vancouver || js says
July 25, 2008 at 8:36 pmIt does look beautiful on the plate, though. But, you did convince me that it wasn’t for someone with a congenital lack of industry. 😉
Peter M says
July 25, 2008 at 8:13 pmThe dish does look good and slow roasted tomatoes are good enough even on their own.
Paula says
July 25, 2008 at 7:16 pmBoy, it sure looks good though! The words “lemon oregano oil” hooked me in! I need to learn more about flavored oils.
redforever says
July 25, 2008 at 7:11 pmJoy – If you check this recipe’s instructions on the epicurious site, they do mention that
“Tomatoes can be roasted 3 days ahead and chilled in oil in an airtight container. Bring to room temperature before proceeding”
So you could do that ahead of time.
I made this recipe when I found it on the eipcurious site. The recipe itself is not hard, just detailed with more steps than usual.
Joy says
July 25, 2008 at 6:43 pmThe picture looked so good and the title too! But I will leave this one alone. Are there short-cuts to any of this?
Joy says
July 25, 2008 at 6:42 pmThe picture looked so good and the title too! But I will leave this one alone. Are there short-cuts to any of this?
Mary Coleman says
July 25, 2008 at 5:21 pmI’m all about the ease of preparation! But it sure sounded good.
redforever says
July 25, 2008 at 4:38 pmI made this dish a couple of weeks ago, found it on the site you mentioned and it caught my eye too.
I agree, it was not as good as the other reviewers raved, but it was better than average.
I did not think the olives added anything to the dish and would definitely not use them again.
I did have the pearl couscous and I cooked it in chicken broth instead of water. I am glad I did, I think it would be too bland otherwise. The addition of some of the lemon oregano oil was quite nice in the couscous I thought.
Anyhow, it does present nice and is a very nice dish, but I would not say it is a “great” dish. The actual cooking of the salmon under the broiler went very well and indeed, the times were dead on for the salmon, mine was nice and moist, perfectly cooked.