Eat Voraciously: Fat Tuesday

Tuesday, March 1, 2022

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Here's what's for dinner tonight.

By G. Daniela Galarza

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Fat Tuesday

Many people around the world celebrate Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday, a day of feasting. But today, I think we might chat about the celebration that happens in New Orleans. There, on a night like tonight, you might sit at a table filled with jambalaya, étouffée, gumbo — and have a colorful, sugary sweet King Cake for dessert.

Unfortunately, if you haven't been preparing all weekend, there's probably no time to fix a big feast. So, tonight, to honor the festival, I think we should make this Salmon With Cheesy Fonio Grits for dinner. It's a play off of the classic shrimp and grits from chef Pierre Thiam's "The Fonio Cookbook: An Ancient Grain Rediscovered."

Fonio, if you haven't had it before, is "a nutritional powerhouse, gluten-free and high in fiber," my colleague Emily Heil wrote a few years ago. "It's fast-growing and flourishes in dry soil in a part of the world, West Africa, where few other crops grow." Thiam has been on a mission to spread love for fonio, and I'm on board. It's easy to find online, and I've seen it in natural foods markets like Whole Foods. It's delicious, with a slightly nutty flavor, but picks up other flavors well. And, it cooks quickly, like couscous: 1 cup of fonio takes just 5 minutes to cook in 2 cups of boiling water, and makes 4 servings.

But tonight, we're going to simmer it in broth and seasonings to achieve a texture that's more like grits. Then, we'll stir in some cheese, cream and butter, for richness. (It's Fat Tuesday, remember?!)

Let the fonio sit while you sear some simply seasoned salmon fillets, then plate everything up, with a few leaves of parsley on top.

🦐 Bonus: I was chatting with New Orleans resident Joy Wilson, of Joy the Baker fame — and author of Voraciously's Baking Basics newsletter — and she shared her shrimp and grits recipe with me. It's a good one, in case you want to go a more traditional route for dinner tonight.

Today's recipe

Photos by Stacy Zarin Goldberg for The Washington Post; food styling by Lisa Cherkasky for The Washington Post

Salmon With Cheesy Fonio Grits

Inspired by the Southern classic shrimp and grits, here is a recipe that uses salmon as a protein and fonio in place of grits. The fonio brings an earthier, nuttier flavor than the sweeter one of the traditional corn grits. To make the meal even more substantial, add a poached egg on top.

If you don't eat fish >> you could use shrimp here, or saute some sausages (veggie or not) to serve atop the fonio.
Can't find fonio? >> Feel free to use cornmeal to make grits, or serve the salmon with rice.
Want to avoid dairy? >> Skip the cheese, butter and cream and stir some olive or coconut oil into the cooked fonio.

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Servings: 4
Active time: 20 mins
Total time: 1 hour

Ingredients

1 quart vegetable broth or water
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup raw fonio
4 ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (about 1 1/2 cups)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons heavy cream
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Four (6-ounce) skinless salmon fillets
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
4 poached eggs, for serving (optional)

Steps

1. In a medium saucepan over high heat, bring the vegetable broth or water to a boil. Add the garlic and slowly stir in the fonio. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring frequently, until the fonio grains are tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the cheese, butter and cream. Season lightly with salt and pepper, taste, and add more if needed. Cover and set aside to keep warm.

2. Generously season the salmon fillets with salt and pepper. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the oil until shimmering. Add 2 salmon fillets and sear until golden, about 4 minutes. Using a fish spatula, flip the fillets and cook until medium-rare, about 1 minute (or 2 to 3 minutes longer if you prefer medium to well-done). Transfer the fish to a plate and keep warm while you repeat the process with the other 2 salmon fillets.

3. Divide the fonio grits among four plates and top with the salmon and parsley. Serve with a poached egg on top, if you like.

Adapted from "The Fonio Cookbook: An Ancient Grain Rediscovered," by Pierre Thiam (Lake Isle Press, 2019). Tested by Emily Heil.

Nutrition information per serving: Calories: 690; Total Fat: 39 g; Saturated Fat: 18 g; Cholesterol: 165 mg; Sodium: 330 mg; Carbohydrates: 39 g; Dietary Fiber: 1 g; Sugars: 0 g; Protein: 42 g.