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July 31, 2002          ...           Ask the Chef            ...          John Pisto
North to Alaska!  Do you love fishing? Do you love breathtaking scenery, clean fresh air, brown bears, bald eagles, seafood, the most comfortable beds in the world, great food, and great people? Well folks, I found the place. It's in southeastern Alaska on Admiralty Island, near the Indian village of Angoon, population 600. Dana and Sunday Durand, formerly from Monterey, have opened a 12-room super-duper, cracker-jack fishing lodge on a point with 180-degree views up and down the inlets where the sun doesn't set until 10 P.M. Many of you may know their resident chef - none other than Pierre Coutou, also from Monterey. The mayor, Floyd Kookash, is your fishing guide. Catch fish over 100 lbs. and fish until you're sore. The owners of the lodge are seasoned pros that make you feel like family. It's called Favorite Bay Sport Fishing Lodge (866-788-3344). www.favoritebay.com

I had heard that these folks had opened a great place in Alaska, so I grabbed my wife and said, "let's go!" The trip is in three legs, San Jose to Seattle, Seattle to Juneau (by jet) then on to Angoon, which is only reachable by pontoon plane or boat.

Admiralty Island has the world's largest concentration of brown bears (one to every square mile) and bald eagles. This I had to see and, folks let me tell you, they weren't lying, they are everywhere! It's not unusual to see a bear walking down the street (Angoon has seven miles of paved road, a general store and one gas station) and eagles were nesting within feet of the lodge. The place is like nature's supermarket, teeming with fish, wildlife, berries, edible plants, Dungeness crab, five kinds of salmon, halibut up to 300 pounds, true cod, rock cod, herring by the ton, wild geese, ducks and black tail deer.

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Alaska natives, from the village of Angoon, with a load of sockeye to be delivered to the native women for fileting and smoking.

It is what the earth was like when there weren't so many people. Over the next couple of weeks I'll share stories and recipes from our trip. Here are a couple of the recipes:

Fried Whole Crab Recipe with Garlic and Oyster Sauce

Clean and crack a whole, fresh Dungeness crab. Dust with flour and cornstarch. Briefly deep- fry until done - 3 to 4 minutes. Toss the crab in a sauce of 1/2 cup minced garlic, 1/4 cup minced ginger (fried in hot oil), 1 cup of oyster sauce, 2 tablespoons of sesame oil, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1/4 cup soy sauce and a pinch of crushed hot pepper.

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John and Dana Durand, owner and guide with 65 pound white king salmon.

 

Fresh Crab Risotto Recipe

One pound of rice equals 6-8 servings. 1 1/2 quart of light chicken stock and 1/2 quart of crab stock made from shells of picked crab.

Sauté one large onion and 2 cloves of garlic, chopped fine in 1/2 butter and 1/2 olive oil. Add 1 pound of Aborio rice and sauté for five minutes. Add salt and pepper, and then begin adding the stock one ladle at a time. In about 20 minutes the rice should be aldente. Now the secret, add the fresh picked crab and fold it in gently. Add 1/2 cup heavy cream and 2 tablespoons of sweet butter. Let rest for 5 minutes and serve with a lemon wedge on the side.

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John and Floyd after one hour of fishing - 16 silver salmon - not bad!
Halibut Recipe with Pasta and Beer (we ran out of wine)
Serves 4-6 people

1 28 oz. tin of plum tomatoes - crushed
2 tablespoons of tomato paste
1 pound of linguine
salt, pepper and hot pepper to taste
1/2 can of beer
one pound, or a bit more, of diced fresh halibut

Sauté one large onion, one bunch of parsley and 6 cloves of garlic (all diced) in olive oil for 5 minutes Add fish and continue to cook for 5 minutes more, then add beer. Reduce a bit then add tomatoes and tomato paste, lower heat and continue to cook for 20 minutes. Cook pasta, blend together (no cheese) and watch out! This is very good.

Q:   Hello Chef Pisto, Do you know where I might find chestnut flour locally? My family is from the northern end of Toscana and we have some recipes we haven't tried in ages because we lack the main ingredient! I have looked some web sites from which you can order on-line, but I wanted to try to find a retailer close to home. Grazie e a presto!   Francesca Macciardi-Sharp - via e-mail

A:   Franny!  Johnny G., at Monte Vista Market in Monterey, will have chestnut flour and dried chestnuts for you. Call him at 373-3737.
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John and Floyd Kookash, guide and mayor of Angoon, with morning catch of 100+ pound halibut.

Q:   In the July 10 Herald, you mentioned Sicilian olives. The only olives my husband will eat, we were introduced to this tasty treat while living in, of all places, Baltimore, Maryland. Do you have a local source for these olives?
Janet Weston - via e-mail

A:   Troia's Market in Monterey (350 Pacific Street). They have an old recipe that is authentic and really good.

Q:   On one of your TV shows you showed how to bake regular mushrooms in the oven. Would you share that recipe? Love your show - being Sicilian, your cooking style hits home. Thanks for your help.   Via e-mail

A:   Baked shrooms in the oven. Toss mushrooms with olive oil, fresh garlic, salt, pepper and fresh herbs. Spread out on a sheet pan and roast in the oven at 375 degrees for 10 minutes. Check them and maybe roast for another 5 minutes. This is a great side dish.

 

For more info about John Pisto's fine restaurants
in Monterey, California, click here.

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