BUTTER ROASTED SALMON
By Chef Konstantin Zaikin
As warmer weather approaches and fresh produce is at its peak in flavor and texture, spring vegetables and seafood are a classic combination for a knockout easy to prepare dinner.
This recipe highlights the harmony between a nicely cooked piece of fish accompanied with several roasted vegetables and hearty beans all tied together in a rich but delicate butter sauce. Perfect for any day of the week dinner, simple to prepare, and is a great option for anyone that is looking to be more health conscious.
Ingredients
8 oz fillet of Atlantic or Pacific Salmon
1 16 oz can of cannellini beans
1 medium-large bulb of fennel with stalk
1 bunch of asparagus
8-10 oz of baby carrots or parsnips
1 medium sized shallot or red onion
3 cloves minced garlic or 1 tbsp garlic paste
2 whole lemons
1 cup of vegetable or chicken stock
⅓ cup of white wine vinegar
¼ lb of cold unsalted butter
1 small bunch of parsley
salt and black pepper
Olive oil
PREP AND ROAST
Juice both lemons, strain any pulp or seeds, set aside.
Remove salmon from the refrigerator at least 20 minutes before cooking, season with Olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper, and any other spices you may like.
Chop and season all vegetables with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper to your liking.
In a small pot add canned cannellini beans over medium heat, allow to come up to a mild simmer, add a small piece of butter, chopped parsley, and a splash of lemon juice.
Roast fennel bulbs in a 400F oven until golden brown and tender, this will take the longest out of all vegetables so cook the fennel before anything else.
As the fennel is cooking add the seasoned carrots and seasoned asparagus to the oven and finish in the broiler if deep roasted/charred texture is desired.
Set cooked vegetables aside on a sheet tray.
Butter Sauce
In a small saucepan, over low heat, sweat minced garlic and shallot in olive oil, stirring frequently, add pinch of salt and pepper, cook for 8-10 minutes.
Add stock, white vinegar, lemon peel, fennel bulb scrap pieces, and 2 Tbsp of lemon juice, reduce on medium heat until liquid is ⅓ of the volume it was, the sauce base will darken and thicken. Remove from heat,
Pour contents from the saucepan through a fine mesh strainer into a blender.
Blend until smooth with cold cubed butter.
If there’s no blender, pour sauce base back into the cleaned pan, over low heat add butter cubes slowly while whisking to emulsify the sauce.
Set sauce aside.
Cookin’ the salmon
Heat cast-iron or stainless steel pan over medium heat.
Add Olive oil and wait for small smoke vapors to appear.
Add salmon to pan, skins side down initially if filets have skin.
Hold your hand over the fish and apply mild pressure, this is to ensure the filets lay flat and don’t curl on the edges as it cooks.
Sear for 3 minutes. Place the pan in the oven, do not flip.
Cook to your preference, this recipe works for medium rare to well done salmon.
Remove fish from the oven and place on a wire rack or small sheet tray to rest.
Pour lemon juice on fish.
PLATE AND ENJOY
Plate the beans initially. Followed by the vegetables and the fish on top.
Spoon over the butter sauce and garnish with parsley and fennel bulb fronds.
Enjoy.
