 Here is a perfectly broiled Sockeye salmon fillet garnished with fresh berries. Meals at Crooked Creek Retreat are famous among our guests, guides, and anyone that is lucky enough to be invited. You can count on gaining a pound a day unless you restrain yourself or follow repeat guest's advice and diet before you come so you can enjoy yourself fully. Sample menus for Crooked Creek Retreat Dinners
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Meet Our Cook Brett is in the kitchen, we are lucky to have him again this next season as our chef. Shortly after check in, you will have an opportunity to meet with him to discuss any special dietary requirements. Be sure to let him know when he chefs up something for you that you really like. When you meet with Brett make sur you let him know if you are a dry sandwich or no mayo person. After you have booked your stay with us we will invite you to send along to us any special requests for your meals, sandwich makings, and any beverages we can stock for your visit. This will be passed along to Brett, but be sure and take the opportunity to meet him. We are dedicated to doing everything we can to make your visit as perfect as possible.Brett's soups are wonderful, the prime rib simply perfection, the alfredo sauce with Sea Food a real favorite. As a matter of fact everything is good. He loves to cook and comes up with salad dressings you will want to take home with you. Everyone tries to get him in their suitcase when they leave and another lodge has even tried to hire him away from us. No luck, he loves the "Retreat" and our guests. Lunches and Appetizers All lunches are prepared in our kitchen. We cook the meat for sandwiches, corned beef, meatloaf, baked ham, roasted chicken, roast beef, pulled pork, barbecue beef or you can select vegetarian, egg salad, tuna salad or a meat substitute. Your lunch will include a variety of items, some of which are potatoe or pasta salad, fresh fruit, vegies, candy, home made bakery goods, chips, nuts, olives, hard boiled eggs or any other items the cook finds to include. Soup is almost always available to be added or substituted, just let the chef know what you would like.We pack your lunches in individual red coolers, if you have special requests your name will be on the cooler. Your lunch will be waiting for you on the kitchen breakfast bar, add a beverage from the fridge on the kitchen deck and you are ready to go. Trust me, everyone on the Kenai and Kasilof recognises the red coolers from Crooked Creek Retreat. Do not be surprised when someone in another boat gets close enough, they will ask what you have for lunch. Then they will grimace as they tell you what they have. Just be glad you are with us and Auntie Dorothy is looking after you. We have switched to refillable water bottles to cut down on the enormous number of plastic water bottles that are discarded every year. Most if not all of the plastic in Alaska ends up in a land fill. We have found refillable Rubbermade bottles with no BHA. Ask us about other things we have done to go green. In the photo is raw fish Halibut and Salmon on a frozen Salt Block with pickled ginger, soy and a spicy sauce. We have everything from barbecue ribs, spring rolls, soups, to wonderful dips, it is always a surprise. Stir fried Asparagus or Green Beans
Asparagus or beans Rinse and dry your vegetables. Cut into approximately 2 1/2 inch pieces on the diagonal. Use a good heavy frying pan. Heat Sesame Seed oil or Olive oil in the pan. The oil should be hot but not smoking. It must be hot enough to sizzle when you add the vegetables, shake pan to brown. Once they are done (do not overcook they should still have bright green color) add soy sauce and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Be prepared for everyo9ne to eat twice as much as normal. Note: When selecting asparagus check the tops they should be firm and tightly closed. The beans should be the French long style and not have any blight on them. Always look for any wilting, they should be firm and not limp. Asparagus can have the ends cut off and placed in a cup of water in the refrigerator. Almond Encrusted Halibut 1 cup ground Almonds
Heavy cream 40%
Mix ground Almonds with the parmesan cheese. Use fresh shredded cheese. Rub the parmesan between the palms of your hands so that it is somewhat broken up. Cut Halibut into strips about 3-4 inches long and 1 ½ inches in diameter. In the photo are approximately 4 oz fillets. I now prefer to use the strips and use 3 strips as a portion. Make sure you pieces are dry. The cream and coating will not stick if they ar not dry. Salt lightly. Dip in heavy cream; make sure it is coated on all sides including the ends. Fry in a good pan that does not stick, use Olive Oil. Brown well and remove from pan before fish is completely done. A little translucent color in the fish in the very center is OK. It will continue cooking after you remove it from the pan. You can check it by breaking one of the pieces while still in the pan.
Poor Man’s Lobster (Should be called rich man’s Halibut) Halibut cut into 1 ½ inch cubes or use Halibut cheeks 7 up, Sprite or another similar soda. You can substitute water lemon juice and a little sugar. Butter and lemon
Bring the soda to a boil, Drop in cubes, do not cook too long, just until done. Serve with melted butter and lemon juice or other sauces of your choice. I use Chinese tea cups for the butter. Halibut Fish and Chips Halibut Mix pancake mix with garlic powder, salt to taste and beer, mix thinner than regular pancake batter. Let sit about an hour. It will thicken up as it sits. Dip Halibut, cut to your favorite size. You will have to turn the pieces over in the pan. Use fairly hot oil. If the oil is not hot enough the fish will soak up too much oil, it is too hot the fish will brown too fast and not cook in the center. I, of course fry mine on high and I drop a little batter in to make sure the oil is ready. The batter should sizzle, rise to the top rapidly and start to brown. A wire spoon is handy if you use a sauce pan with oil as opposed to a deep fryer. Chips
For the chips, use Yukon Golds, wash, dry, slice into about quarter inch in diameter strips. I always cook those first because they take longer than the fish. Blend to a fine powder sea salt with a pinch of sugar and lightly dust the fries. Your French fry quality is largely dependent upon the quality of potato you use.
Tartar Sauce Dill pickles Chop pickles and onions to the size you prefer, add mayonnaise, use a little more than you think so that it makes a sauce rather than just hold the pickles and onions together. Add a small dash of Worcestershire sauce and a small amount or horseradish to taste.
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