People are getting “Carrie”’d away by Stephen King’s scandalous take on salmon.
On Tuesday, the legendary horror writer shared a simple recipe for salmon on Twitter that had people talking. In fact, you could say the “Firestarter” author started a firestorm of controversy.
“Dinner: Get a nice salmon filet at the supermarket, not too big,” he wrote. “Put some olive oil and lemon juice on it. Wrap it in damp paper towels. Nuke it in the microwave for 3 minutes or so. Eat it. Maybe add a salad.”
His take on preparing the fish generated a (Salem’s) lot of opinions.
“2 chemicals found in paper towels are Chlorine & Formaldehyde,” replied Oscar-winning actor Patricia Arquette. “Chlorine is used to make the paper towel white . Like thermal (receipt) paper, Paper Towel have been found to contain Bisphenol A (BPA), even paper towel made from recycled paper.”
King, who has not yet replied to TODAY’s request for comment on his recipe, is known for the spine-tingling stories he tells and it sounds like there are some people who think a cookbook may be the scariest story he could possibly write.
“The smell of microwaved fish is more horrifying than anything you have penned & I say this as an admirer who can barely watch a trailer or see a book jacket with your name on it without getting next level scared,” replied NBC News senior business correspondent Stephanie Ruhle.
“Is this why Pennywise keeps eating children? Cuz you did this to him?” writer Ian Fortey wrote, referencing the demonic clown from King’s classic book “It.”
“This maybe the shortest horror story you’ve ever written,” one outraged person wrote.
While the recipe couldn’t bass — er, pass — the muster with everyone, some people, took a “Shining” to it and were ready to take a “Stand” by siding with King.
“Calm down people. The wet paper towel is the key,” someone replied, in King’s defense. “It just steams the fish efficiently. You can do the same with corn on the cob with lovely results.”
“What are you talking about? I nuke fish in the break room microwave all the time,” another person wrote.
King’s suggestion certainly got people talking and it seems his recommendation may work — though Arquette may have a point about the paper towels.
“The microwave method that Stephen King shared technically will work as the paper towels help steam the salmon to cook it,” Christopher Arturo, chef-instructor at New York City’s Institute of Culinary Education, told TODAY in an email. “However, it is not safe with the paper towels as they might contain chemicals like chlorine. Instead, gently lay a washed kitchen towel over the salmon.
“Without salt or knowing what level the microwave is set to, the salmon will likely be overcooked and bland,” he continued. “Adding the lemon juice before cooking is also strange, because the more you heat an acidic liquid, it can develop a bitter taste.
“If you wanted to use the microwave method, I’d recommend using olive oil and salt to season the salmon, gently covering it with a washed kitchen towel, microwaving for three minutes at 50% power, and then adding the lemon juice. This way the salmon will be juicer and as the lemon is added at the end, it will give a fresher and brighter flavor.”
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