[rik-see] photography

The Copper Door in Hayesville, North Carolina is on our bucket list each summer when we spend time over by Lake Chatuge. Tucked away in historic Hayesville, they really do have a huge copper door, and the food is just delectable!

A couple weeks ago, my fabulous sister-in-law, Satu, invited me to take one of The Copper Door’s cooking classes, the Fish Cookery.  When I read the summery, “Are you intimidated at the thought of cooking fish at home? After taking our fish cookery class, you’ll understand all the tools, tips and techniques needed to conquer your fear of fish forever…” I was sold.  Quite honestly, the smell of fish makes me nauseous, but the entire concept was right up my alley; similar to our recipe swaps, I would get to taste test multiple recipes and learn how to cook them from five star Chef Dennis himself.  Sign me up!

2:: Seared Tuna with Asian Pesto. Goodness, this was delicious. Try it next time you eat at The Copper Door.  You can thank me later.

3:: Chef Dennis demonstrating how to remove the skin from the salmon.

1-4 :: Creating a parchment paper bag to cook the halibut via steam in the oven. (Poisson en Papillote).

5 :: The Blackened Salmon

6 :: The finished halibut

7 :: Hands down, my favorite ::drumroll please:: was the Grilled Salmon topped with Citrus-Herb Vinaigrette, and I’ve never liked any salmon before! Here’s how it was done:

Citrus-Herb Vinaigrette
1 oz. apple cider vinegar
3 oz oil (30% olive oil, 70% canola)
1 tsp minced shallot
1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley (less if using dried parsley)
2 tsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp dried tarragon
salt & pepper

Mix together all ingredients above for the Citrus-Herb Vinaigrette topping. Remove the skin from the salmon if necessary. Add oil, salt & pepper and grill 4 minutes per side. Add Citrus-Herb Vinaigrette topping and enjoy. Simply delish!

If you’re in Western North Carolina, be sure and check out The Copper Door and Chef Dennis’ cooking classes.

And if you’ve been waiting for our next recipe swap, the 2013 Summer Recipe Swap is on the horizon! Be sure and sign up for our newsletter for more details.