SALMON WITH SORREL SAUCE                            Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 (8 ounces) salmon fillets, skin and bones removed

10 sorrel leaves, washed, stems removed and torn into three or four large pieces. (Cutting with a knife will bruise the leaves causing them to turn color) Sorrel is a sour herb – that when added to soft wine infuses sauce and napped over delicate, sweet fresh salmon, is a perfect combination of sweet, savory, salty, and sour.                     

4 ounces fish stock

1 ounce dry vermouth     

2 ounces white wine

2 tablespoons shallots, minced

2 ounces heavy cream

Wedge of lemon

Salt and Pepper

         

METHOD

1.    Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and place a rack in the center of the oven.

2.    To flatten the salmon fillets; place a piece of plastic wrap on the counter and spray or drizzle with a little olive oil.

3.    Lay a fillet of salmon onto the plastic wrap, spray with a little oil and cover with another piece of plastic wrap. With a meat mallet, or something as simple as a good heavy frying pan, flatten the fillet carefully so that it is of even thickness. This will ensure that the fish will cook evenly. Repeat this process with the second fillet.

4.    Meanwhile – let’s make the sauce. Put the stock, vermouth, wine and shallots in a non-reactive pan and boil until reduced by half. Strain the sauce into a bowl, and then put it back into the pan, and add the cream – bring to a simmer – stir the sauce and keep it on a simmer until it has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon. Take the pan off the heat and season with a little salt and pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice.

5.    Now for the salmon. Place an oven safe sauté pan over medium high heat, and when the pan is hot, add the oil and butter. When the butter foams, add the fillets into the pan, right side down, and don’t touch them for 2 minutes. With a thin spatula, turn the fish over and let them cook another 2 minutes – they should release easily, if not, let them cook a little longer on the first side. Put the sauté pan in the oven and bake the fillets for another 5 minutes. (Note: The timing is for a fillet that is about one inch thick – if it’s thinner – you may be able to skip this step.) You can tell if the salmon is perfect if you start to see the “milk” rising to the surface of the fillets – these are the proteins. As soon as you see them, the fish is ready.

6.    While the fish is in the oven, finish the sauce. Bring the sauce gently back to temperature and toss in the sorrel. It will wilt like spinach. Do this at the last minute, as it will turn grey before your eyes – It’s very sensitive to heat.

7.    To Serve– Place a puddle of sauce onto a warmed plate and nestle one of the fillets on top of the sauce. Drizzle with additional sauce. Serve this with accompaniments like parsleyed rice, or roasted new potatoes, and I think a little asparagus or haricots verts with gremolata would be perfect.

A crisp Montrachet and you have the perfect homage to spring!

Bon Appetit!