Supple and rich, salmon is great broiled, poached, grilled, smoked -- even not cooked at all. This week, show us how you elevate this familiar seafood staple from the everyday to the extraordinary.
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We found fresh young sorrel at the greenmarket, along with chervil. If you have trouble finding either, substitute baby spinach and/or any other fresh spring herbs.
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We used Alaskan King Salmon, which had vibrant orange flesh.
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As MrsWheelbarrow points out, all you need is a very sharp knife to cut the salmon into neat medallions. Slice off the strips of skin afterwards.
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This recipe calls for a mess of fresh herbs, which keeps it springy and light.
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Merrill arranges the salmon slices on a parchment-lined baking sheet (we halved the recipe, which is why the pieces are so far apart).
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A quick brush with vegetable oil and a bit of salt and pepper before the salmon goes under the broiler.
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Snipping sorrel.
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Have all of your sauce ingredients ready and measured before you start!
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A little butter to start.
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When the butter starts to turn brown, you can put the salmon under the broiler. Watch it carefully! Ours took barely 30 seconds to cook through. (Amanda has one hot broiler!)
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Meanwhile, the herbs go into the browned butter.
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Followed by the cream.
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Let the cream thicken for just a minute or so. You don't want the herbs to lose their green color (although the sorrel will turn dull quite quickly, so don't worry about it).
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Soy sauce, Alaskan king salmon, lemon, mirin, tatsoi, soba, ginger, 5-spice powder and raw sugar.
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Making the "broth" for the noodles -- the key ingredient is Chinese five spice powder, which is made with fennel seeds, star anise, ginger, cloves and cinnamon.
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Salt, sugar, five spice powder, and soy sauce make up the brine. Just add water!
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After dissolving the salt and sugar, we added the salmon.
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Our Rube Goldberg stove-top smoker: a wok, aluminum foil and a cake rack.
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A "drip pan" for the salmon, made with foil.
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Amanda folds two sheets of foil together to make a lid for the wok.
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After sealing it, you poke a thermometer through the foil and carefully prop it so you can keep a close eye on the temperature inside the smoker. cheese1227 says to keep it at 145 to 150 degrees but we found this wasn't hot enough to make the wood chips smoke. We took it up to 175 degrees at which point the chips began smoking, and then we monitored the heat to continue smoking without charring.
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Merrill cooks the soba, which takes much less time than pasta.
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Merrill peels the skin from the ginger using a teaspoon -- works like a charm!
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Then she grated it to a pulp.
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The ginger goes into the broth along with soy sauce, mirin, lemon juice, sugar and sesame oil.
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You stay on your side! No, you stay on your side!
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Rinsing the noodles -- it's a good idea to dress the noodles right after straining, otherwise they stick togehter.
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The salmon is bronzed and fully smoked.
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