My fridge is full of sockeye; even my dog is licking her chops at the tidbits thrown her way! Chef Robert Clark, C Restaurant, Vancouver uses pink salmon in this recipe, but sockeye would be stellar!
Orange-Baked Wild Pink Salmon with New Potato and Bean Salad
One of my favourite fish, pinks have yet to receive the credit they deserve. Because they are abundant, many of them wind up in cans, but fresh pink salmon is also deliciously versatile—Chef Robert Clarke
Serves 6
Ingredients
Salmon
2 lb (1 kg) pink salmon fillet
2 tsp (10 mL) kosher salt
1 orange, juiced and zested
2 Tbsp (30 mL) butter
1 cup (250 mL) diced white onion
½ cup (125 mL) dry white wine
2 Tbsp (30 mL) orange juice
2 Tbsp (30 mL) tarragon vinegar
½ cup (125 mL) chopped parsley
to taste salt and pepper
Tarragon Mayonnaise
2 egg yolks
1 orange, juiced and zested
1 Tbsp/15 mL tarragon vinegar
pinch sugar
2 tsp (10 mL) Dijon mustard
to taste salt and pepper
1 cup (250 mL) grape seed oil
1 Tbsp (15 mL) hot water
2 Tbsp (30 mL) chopped fresh tarragon
New Potato and Bean Salad
4 cups (1 L) green beans, blanched in salted water
11/2 lb (750 g) nugget potatoes, halved and cooked in salted water
¼ cup (60 mL) chopped dill pickles
2 cups (500 mL) heirloom (or vine-ripened) tomatoes, cut in wedges
Method
Salmon
Place the pink salmon fillet, skin side down, on a piece of aluminum foil large enough to completely wrap the fish. With a sharp knife, cut the fillet into 6 equal pieces, cutting the flesh but not through the skin. Season it with kosher salt and the orange zest. Let the fish sit, wrapped and refrigerated, for 20 minutes or up to 1 hour.
Sauté the butter and diced onion in a large pan over medium heat until the onions are translucent. Add the white wine, orange juice, and tarragon vinegar and reduce the mixture until the liquid has completely evaporated, about five minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the parsley. Add salt and pepper to taste. Spread this mixture over the fish fillet. Seal the aluminum foil around the fish and place the packet on a baking sheet. Place the pan in a 400° F (200° C) oven for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the fish is just slightly under-cooked and is still moist.
To make the tarragon mayonnaise, place the egg yolks, orange juice, tarragon vinegar, sugar, mustard, and a pinch of salt in a medium bowl. Slowly add the oil and the hot water to the mixture, whisking in a slow, steady stream until it has all been emulsified. Add the chopped tarragon and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Toss the beans, potatoes, and pickles with the tarragon mayonnaise.
To Serve: Divide the salad evenly onto 6 plates and garnish with the tomato wedges. Place the cooked pink salmon on top.