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Aug 2010: Pan fried Salmon Fillet with Sauce Vierge
Serves 4
2 Portions Salmon Fillet 100 grams Flour
6 Plum Tomato 1 x Onion
3 Shallots 3 Gloves Garlic
1 Packet Basil 3 Shallots
1 Lemon 12 Plum Tomatoes
100 ml Olive Oil 1 TBS Puree
50 ml Olive Oil Salt
1 Packet Spinach 100 gram Butter
Starting with the fondue, peel and chop the Onion and Shallot finely, followed by the Garlic, also finely chopped. Mark and scope the Tomatoes, then blanch these in boiling water for approximately 10 seconds, then refresh in iced salted Water, peel and quarter, deseed and chop coarsely.
Put some Olive Oil in a Pot with the Shallots, Onions and Garlic. Fry lightly, no colouring (!), then add the chopped Tomatoes, fry lightly and add the Tomato Puree. Mix well then cover in greaseproof paper in the oven for approximately one hour at 160 – 180 degrees. Let it cook slowly, so that the tomato dries out slowly, the end result will be like compote of tomato, once cooked leave on side to cool down.
Pick and wash the Spinach, when needed just fry lightly in a little butter. Peel and chop Shallots finely, then also chop the tomato finely as you did earlier, blanch, quarter it and deseed. Cut it into nice, evenly sized dice, pick and cut the basil into nice strips (also called Julienne) and squeeze the lemon for its juice.
Cut the Salmon in half so you have 4 even sized squares.
When cooking the Salmon, just before eating, season the fish, dust in a little flour (take any excess flour off), then place in a reasonably hot frying pan, skin side down first, turn over, then back over onto the skin . Place in an Oven for about 3 minutes. Now your Salmon should be cooked, with a nice pink inside.
Take 2 Tablespoon of Tomato compote, heat up slightly, then add the chopped Shallots, Tomato dice and add some lemon juice, Olive Oil and basil last minute and do not forget to season!
Place Tomato mix on the middle of the plate, on top (in the middle the spinach and on top of this the Salmon.
Enjoy!
Brian
What to drink with it?
With the fresh herbaceous flavours of the sauce Vierge dominating this dish, it is best not to try and compete. A wine with good acidity is essential, but I would tend towards lighter bodied fairly neutral wines to lift the dish but not try and add to much flavour
Here are two to look for:
2006 Kurt Angerer ’Donatus’ Riesling, Kamptal, Austria - £13.00
This wine is an unbelievably good match to this dish. The nose is clean and bright hinting at the mineral acidity to follow. Subtle citrus and peach aromas are rounded of with a lingering herbaceousness. In the mouth the acidity is in perfect balance and again a lingering minerality and hebaceousness pick up the notes of the sauce vierge nicely.
The winemaker himself considers this the best vintage he has yet seen, and that is good enough reason for me to pick up a few bottles for the cellar.
2008 Fleurie, Domaine de la Grand Cour ’Clos de la Grand Cour’, Beaujolais, France £12.00
With richer oilier catches like salmon and trout Beaujolais is a real asset.
This Cru du Beaujolais has all the feminity expected of Fleurie, pretty dried red berries and flowers waft above a silky refined palate. But what is unexpected is the depth and firmness that comes from low yields in the vineyard, a gentle hand in the winery and a little time in quality oak in the cellar.
Served a little chilled (just below room temperature) the juicy acidity and refined palate compliment the dish sure... but more importantly make the meal.
Both of these wines are available online from our friends at Woodwinters Wines and Whiskies, www.woodwinters.com or on 01786 834 894
Who will happily deliver them to your door!
Cheers,
Steven
