Pan Seared Wild BC Sockeye Salmon

Pan Seared Wild BC Sockeye Salmon

Ingredients (Serves 4)

• 4-225 g wild BC sockeye salmon fillets, boneless
• 60 mL melted butter

Tarragon Butter

• 7 mL olive oil
• 30 mL minced onion
• 5 mL each, lemon juice and lemon zest
• 7 mL tarragon vinegar
• 5 mL Dijon mustard
• 45 mL chopped tarragon
• 15 mL chopped chives
• 30 mL chopped basil
• 5 mL lemon pepper and salt, to taste
• 250 mL whipped or soft butter

Potato, Mushroom and Pearl Onion Cream

• 60 mL vegetable oil
• 500 mL mushrooms, diced (chanterelle, shitake or oyster)
• 125 mL pearl onions, peeled
• 30 mL butter
• 500 mL new potatoes, blanched, peeled and diced
• 125 mL white wine
• 250 mL whip cream
• 5 mL each, salt & white pepper

Salmon

Preheat broiler. Cover a pan with aluminum foil. Brush the foil and both sides of the salmon with melted butter.

Place the salmon on the pan flesh side down. Broil the salmon about 15 cm away from the heat. If the salmon starts to burn within 4 minutes, move the salmon farther away from the heat source.

When the salmon is brown and crisp after about 6 minutes, reduce the heat to 200°C, turn the salmon over and place it in the centre of the oven for about 3 minutes or until salmon flakes easily when pressed with a fork.

To serve, place potato, onion and mushroom mixture in the middle of 4 plates, place the salmon on top and top with a slice of tarragon butter.

Tarragon Butter

In a frypan, heat olive oil over medium heat, add onion and sauté until translucent. Add lemon juice, zest and vinegar. Stir, bring to a boil and then set aside to cool.

Once cool, fold in the mustard, tarragon, chives, basil, lemon pepper and salt.

Stir mixture into butter until mixed well.

Spoon butter onto a sheet of wax paper and roll it up into a log 2.5 cm in diameter. Twist the ends closed and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour. Cut into medallions.

Potato, Mushroom and Pearl Onion Cream

In a large frypan, heat oil over medium heat, add mushrooms and onion. Sauté for about 5 minutes.

Add butter and potatoes, and cook another 2 minutes.

Add white wine and reduce by half.

Add cream, salt and pepper and simmer until thick and creamy.

Serve hot.

Courtesy of Dan Atkinson Of Salmon House On The Hill (West Vancouver, BC)