Cordova Times staff recipes from our homes to yours, part II  

Happy holidays from The Cordova Times staff!  

We want to share some of our seasonal recipes we made this year, with the hope that you can either bookmark them for next year or make them as the holiday season comes to a close. Enjoy our staff recipes, part II!  

Ingredients: 

• Four 6-ounce portions of Alaskan halibut  

• 3 large Yukon gold potatoes  

• 2 cloves of garlic, minced 

• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme  

• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes 

• 1 shallot, diced  

• 2 tablespoons butter  

• ¼ cup heavy cream  

• 2 tablespoons flour, divided  

• 1 teaspoon lemon zest  

• Salt and pepper  

• Olive oil  

Directions:  

Halibut 

Shred cleaned potatoes with a cheese grater and squeeze out excess water with hands over the sink. Set in a bowl and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Allow the potato to dry for at least 30 minutes before preparation.  

Pat the halibut portions dry and place them on a parchment-covered baking sheet. Season lightly with salt and pepper.  

Mix one tablespoon of flour into the shredded potato along with thyme and red pepper flakes. Using clean hands, press the potato mixture on top of each halibut portion. It should stick just enough to be handled.  

Drizzle very lightly with oil and bake on convection at 380 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes until the potatoes are golden on top. Alternatively, you can bake normally and finish under the broiler for crispy potatoes.  

Cream sauce 

Melt the butter in a saucepan with minced garlic and shallot. Stir well with whisk and add in one tablespoon of flour to thicken.  

Slowly add the cream into the pan, stirring frequently. Add the lemon zest, salt and pepper to taste, and remove from heat. If the sauce is too thick, add one tablespoon of water can be added. Serve over the halibut portions immediately, or on the side for buffet style.  

Use chopped chives, pomegranate seeds or spicy cranberry apple sauce for an additional delicious garnish.  

Ingredients:  

• ½ cup butter 

• 1 cup sour cream (see below) 

• 1 ½ cups sugar 

• 5 cups flour (more if needed) 

• 1 egg 

• 1 teaspoon baking soda 

• 1 teaspoon salt 

• 1 teaspoon cinnamon 

• 1 teaspoon ground gloves 

• 1 teaspoon ground ginger 

• ½ teaspoon nutmeg 

Sour cream ingredients: 

• 1 cup whipping cream 

• 1 teaspoon vinegar 

Directions:  

Cream butter and sugar. Add egg and cream some more. 

Add sour cream (see how to make sour cream). 

Sift salt, baking soda, and spices with four cups of flour and add to the mixture.  

Scrape out dough onto well-floured board and knead lightly, adding more flour as needed until dough will hold its shape. 

Shape into long rolls, about 3 inches in diameter, and chill overnight.  

The next day, roll out small pieces of dough into long pencil-like rolls. Cut off small pieces into ¼ inch to ½ inches, giving the roll a slight turn so as to cut it from a different angle each time.  

Place on a slightly-greased cookie sheet with space between and bake at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 7.5 minutes.  

Dough ingredients:  

• 1 cup all-purpose flour 

• 4 ounces cold butter 

• ½ teaspoon salt 

• 2 teaspoons cardamom spice 

• ¼ cup cold water 

• Flour, for rolling 

Topping ingredients: 

• 1 pint whipping cream 

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract  

Salmonberry filling ingredients: 

• 4 cups of Salmonberries (previously frozen works better, in my opinion). 
  Let them thaw overnight in the refrigerator. 

• Water 

• 2/3 cup white sugar 

• ¼ teaspoon salt 

• 4 tablespoons cornstarch 

• 1 teaspoon ground cardamom 

Directions:  

Mix the flour, butter, salt, and cardamom. Add water and mix until it becomes a ball. Be sure not to overmix. 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Flour your surface and rolling pin to roll pastry out on. Roll to about ¼ inch. Place in a 9-inch pie dish and crimp the edges. Line the crust with foil to maintain shape.  

Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking for another five minutes.  

Remove and let cool.  

To make the Salmonberry filling crush 2 cups of the salmonberries. You can use cheesecloth and an extra cup of berries, or use whole.  

Add water to salmonberry juice to make 1 ½ cups of liquid. Put the juice and water into a pan. Add sugar and salt.  

Mix the cornstarch and cardamom with some of the juice, then add it to the berry mixture. Cook on medium heat, stirring constantly for about five to 10 minutes.  

Do not scorch: Stir, stir, stir. Remove it from heat and let it cool.  

Add the remaining berries. Stir and pour into the pre-baked shell. Chill the pie until completely cold. 

Make the topping by whipping the cream until stiff peaks form. Add in vanilla and any extra salmon berries for color. Pipe or spread over the top of the pie and serve.