On Christmas Eve, Nate decided to make fondue. It was a fabulous idea--what a cozy way to spend Christmas Eve!  Now finding cheese in Korea is difficult.  Let me re-phrase that, finding good cheese is difficult, and if you want good cheese, you must be willing to pay for it.  It's about 10,000 won, a little over $10 Cnd, for a very small stick.  A few stores sell imported goods, and Nate found some Swiss cheese, Australian feta, French wine, French bread and vegetables.  I recently purchased two Korean earthenware pots for our Christmas on a Hotplate dinner (more on that to come).  Nate balanced them on the metal potholders from our stove and lit tea lights underneath them--he had a vision! 

We made two mixtures of melted cheese.  One was Emmenthal with Feta, rosemary, garlic, white wine and lemon juice.   The other was just Emmenthal, garlic, wine and lemon juice.  It was a lot of cheese.  You can't begin to count the calories in a meal like this--it sucks all the pleasure out of it. 

We ate some salad to balance things out a little. Nate remembered that when he was in Switzerland, his Swiss homestay made fondue on Christmas Eve, so this might just be our new Korean-Swiss tradition.  It' cozy.  It's communal.  It's delicious.  And it leaves lots of left overs to be parlayed into an omelet on Christmas Day--which also happens to be a Christmas tradition.

After teaching till 9pm, it can take a while to relax enough to fall asleep.  So often, at 2am, I watch cooking shows on Youtube.  This dish is inspired by a Youtube session with Italian American chef Giada de Laurentis.  The flavour was quite  delicious.  I did not follow the recipe exactly and some substitutions were necessary. 

The salsa is bright, sweet, salty and spicy.  To make it, segment your oranges, (this takes awhile but is worth it!), add olive oil, lemon juice, parsley, scallions, mint, capers, orange zest, lemon zest, and red pepper flakes. Toss lightly and season with salt and pepper. 

Sprinkle some salt and pepper on your salmon steaks and then brush with agave (or honey lemon tea, or honey, or maple syrup or whatever you have!).  Heat a grill (or a fry-pan) to medium-high heat and brush it with vegetable oil.  Grill or fry on each side for 3-4 minutes until it flakes, and then let it rest for a couple of minutes.

Spoon your salsa overtop and enjoy! 

Salsa
2 large oranges (I used mandarins), segmented
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 scallions, finely sliced (I used a similar Korean variety)
3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint (I had no mint--it was not to be found)
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed, and chopped (Koreans love their pickled foods, so fortunately, olives, capers and pickles are in ready supply).
2 tablespoons orange zest
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (I used Korean red pepper powder)
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Salmon
Vegetable oil for oiling the grill
4 (4 to 5-ounce) center cut salmon fillets, skinned, each about 3-inches square
2 tablespoons amber agave nectar (I used Chinese honey lemon tea instead)
salt and pepper

Giada de Laurentis, Salmon with Citrus Salsa Verde

In Korea, raw vegetables are not eaten often.  Veggies are served in a variety of other ways--cooked, steamed, fermented--but salads are not a traditional food.   Sadly, they have not been on our menu much lately either.  The excuse goes something like this: we do not own a salad bowl, and a salad bowl is essential to making good salad because all good salad is tossed in a homemade dressing so the flavours mix (yes, I have rigid views about salad!).  Today I decided that a frying pan can be a salad bowl any day. 

I used to dismiss pomegranates as a decorative fruit until I read (somewhere) that the arils are easily removed using a simple technique.  You cut the fruit in half and then submerge it in a bowl of water.  Break the fruit apart with your hands.  The pith will float to the top and the arils will sink to the bottom.  Strain out the pith, and you are left with a lovely handful of red fruit! 

Korean apples are absolutely delicious--much more crisp and water laden than their North American counterparts.  Their water content is similar to an Asian Pear. 

Directions
1. Heat oil in small skillet over low heat. Add shallot, and sauté 4 minutes, or until soft. Remove from heat, and stir in balsamic vinegar and honey. Season with salt and pepper.

2. Combine mesclun mix and apple slices in large salad bowl. Drizzle with half of shallot dressing, and toss to coat. Divide salad among six plates. Top with goat cheese, pomegranate seeds, and remaining dressing.
Serves 6
1 large shallot, finely chopped (¼ cup)
2 tsp. olive oil
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
2 Tbs. honey
12 cups mesclun salad mix

• 1 apple, thinly sliced
• 3 oz. goat cheese, crumbled (¾ cup)
• 1 cup pomegranate seeds

 from Vegetarian Times Issue: October 2008, p. 78.