June 7 marks the beginning of the Churchill County Library’s Summer Reading Program, and in keeping with this year’s theme—Color Your World—we have spices for June and July that are not only widely used in cooking, but also traditionally used as dyes. Paprika is one such spice, and often the “natural color” in red or orange foods is paprika as well.
I love making natural dyes, but usually only indulge for dyeing eggs. Red cabbage, onion skins, coffee, beets and other plants make wonderful natural dyes, as well as some spices. Start with one tablespoon of spice for each cup of water, and bring to a boil. Generally, darker colors come from boiling items in the dye water, whether it’s eggs or fabric or yarn. For lighter colors, soak in the warm or cool colored water. The pH of your water will affect the final color, but paprika should give you an orangey-brown dye. Cotton and other natural fibers will take this kind of dye, while many man-made fibers will not. And generally, food dyes are not colorfast and will fade over time.
Since paprika is so dramatically red, it’s often used as much for its color in cooking as for the extra heat or smokiness it adds. Paprika is a kind of chili powder, and can be made into sweet or hot varieties, either of which can also be smoked.
Deviled eggs are probably the most well-known example of using paprika in this way, and everyone likely has their favorite way of making them. My recipe is below. The library’s spice sample this month is a sweet paprika, made of ground chilis with the ribs and seeds removed to make it less spicy, and is perfect for topping deviled eggs.
But my favorite way to use paprika is on salmon fillets. Usually, I just squeeze half a lemon over the fillet, then cover with a generous sprinkling of salt and paprika, and roast at 425 degrees for 15 to 25 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillet. But I was interested to try the Salmon Dry Rub recipe in June’s Spice Club brochure. Stop by the library in June to get your sample of paprika with more recipes!
Deviled Eggs
Makes 8
There are as many ways to boil eggs as there are to make them, but what works best for me is using an Instant Pot. Ingredient amounts can be modified to taste and consistency.
Ingredients
6 eggs
1 avocado
4 tsp spicy brown mustard
2 tbsp dill relish
Salt to taste
Paprika to sprinkle
Directions
Put eggs on a trivet in an Instant Pot. Add one cup of water. Set manual cook time for 6 minutes.
Prepare an ice bath in a bowl with cold water and ice.
After 6 minutes are up, let the pressure release for five minutes before releasing the remaining steam and opening the pot.
Put eggs directly in the ice bath and leave until cool.
Peel eggs and cut in half. Remove yolks and place in a medium bowl. Save the 8 best whites and add the whites of the remaining two eggs to the bowl. Add avocado, mustard and relish, and mash with a fork until desired consistency.
Place about a tablespoon of the mixture in each egg half. Sprinkle with paprika.
Salmon Dry Rub
Ingredients
1 1/2 tbsp wild ramps, lightly crushed (or a mix of garlic and scallion)
1 tbsp kosher salt
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp coriander seeds, lightly crushed
1/2 tsp sumac
1/2 tsp thyme
1 1/2 lbs salmon fillet, skin on
2 tbsp olive oil
Directions
Lightly score the flesh side of the salmon, no more than 1/8 inch deep. This allows the spice rub to penetrate and stay in place better during cooking.
Combine the spice rub ingredients and sprinkle liberally over the salmon.
Drizzle the top of the seasoned salmon with olive oil and grill or roast, spiced side down, for about 4 minutes. Flip to the skin side and cook another 4 to 6 minutes until crisp.
J is the Children’s Services Librarian at the Churchill County Library. Currently, J is undergoing chemotherapy and modeling an increasingly wide variety of hats.
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