Our featured recipe this week is Pan Seared Salmon by The Guild chef, Shawn Jackson. Usually cooked salmon over a wood fired grill, it works equally as well as a pan seared dish, done in the comfort of your own kitchen. It’s a simple dish with only a few components, but good technique and the right amount of seasoning will ensure that you impress your guests, and possibly even yourself!
INGREDIENTS:
– 4 pieces salmon. 5-6oz each, skin on or off, your preference, I keep the skin on
– 1 bunch breakfast radishes
– 1 pack trimmed French green beans
– 2 heads fennel
– 2 cups milk
– 4 cloves garlic
– ½ cup butter
– 2tbsp olive oil
– 2 tbsp capers, most of the liquid drained
– ¼ cup white wine, plus the rest of the bottle for later!!
– ½ Cup chicken stock
– 1 lemon
– Salt and pepper
DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat your oven to 425˚F
2. Start by making your fennel puree. Trim the tops from the fennel, save some fronds, reserve the tops for another use, like soup. Slice the bulbs in half, remove the core, and cut into wedges.
3. Put the cut fennel and garlic cloves into a small saucepan with the milk and bring to a simmer, allow it to simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the fennel has softened. Strain the fennel, reserving the liquid.
4. Transfer the cooked fennel and garlic to a blender or vitamix, add some of the fennel fronds and a small amount of the cooking liquid and puree. Add more liquid as needed to achieve a nice smooth puree that is not too loose. Season to taste as you do so. Set the puree aside
5. Pat the salmon dry with paper towel, season both sides with salt and pepper and set aside<
6. In a steamer or boiling salted water, lightly blanch your green beans for about 20 seconds, remove and then shock in ice water. Remove them then pat them dry.
7. Trim any green tops from the radishes, then slice them lengthwise, gently season with salt and set aside
8. Heat a cast iron pan or non stick pan over medium to high heat, add the olive oil and once it is shimmering, gently put your salmon in the pan, skin side down. Gently press down on the salmon as you place it in the pan to prevent the skin from curling up as it reacts to the initial sear.
9. Sear the salmon on the one side for about 2 mins or until the skin starts to crisp. Transfer the entire pan to the oven. Cook for about 7 minutes, without turning the fish over.
10. In another pan over medium heat, melt half the butter, add the radishes and cook for about 2 minutes, add the chicken stock and allow it to reduce to almost nothing. Add your green beans to the pan, season everything and toss everything together to heat up the green beans.
11. Remove the salmon from the oven, remove the salmon from the pan and place it on a plate lined with paper towel. Using the same pan as the salmon, on medium heat, add the rest of your butter and the capers, swirl everything together for about a minute, add the lemon juice and the white wine.
12. To plate your dish, put some of the fennel puree in the centre of the dish, place a small pile of green beans in the centre of the puree. Place 3-5 radish halves around the beans. Place the salmon, skin side up, on top of the beans. Spoon some of the lemon caper butter over the salmon and garnish with fennel fronds.
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