Peppercorn Crusted Salmon
The best Salmon dish - a delicious contrast of smoky flaky fish with sweet and salty.
Now, this is a special one - my favorite salmon recipe of all time! I am a salmon-lover. In fact, I get frustrated with myself while eating out, I always gravitate to the salmon offering and almost have to be ripped away from that section of the menu to try new things!
But it wasn't always so.....I was a sworn fish-hater growing up. The only thing I knew about fish in landlocked Utah was frozen fish sticks and an occasional rainbow trout - the trout was okay but gagging on tiny fishbones was not and I declared I did not like fish. Yes, we had the Great Salt Lake nearby but the only thing fished from that lake is salt,
Fast forward to years lived on Puget Sound in Washington State. Still not convinced, I was horrified when friends brought 2 large freshly caught salmon to our door. They were quickly dispatched to the bathtub and I told my husband he would have to deal with them. I don't think they were ever cooked and I still regret that oversight.
My conversion took place on Blake Island, off of Seattle, at Tillicum Village. I went as a chaperone to a group of Mexican foreign exchange students and the menu had one main dish - salmon. It was grilled over alder wood and served on wooden planks and it only took one bite to convert me. I was in love! Oh, what I had been missing all my life.
From there I went out of my way to find salmon recipes and am still trying to perfect cooking it to the perfect degree of doneness that many restaurants are able to achieve. But this recipe, which wandered into my home in the pages of a cooking magazine (I've now forgotten which) caught my attention by the addition of the crushed peppercorns and the brine marinade.
It became a staple on my entertainment table and received raves from those that weren't as suspicious of salmon as I had been. I have probably prepared it 50 times and find it to be predictably delicious every time. Over the years I made a few changes to the recipe but found that it was best left pretty much alone. The salty brine with the liquid smoke, tenderize the salmon, and the honey and crushed peppercorn spread on top create a contrast and depth of flavors - smoky, salty, peppery are intriguing by themselves but the addition of the wine, shallot, butter sauce raise it to pure indulgence.
This is one to add to your elegant recipes and to the fish section of your recipe files......which section I didn't have until age 32! If you need to convert anyone to fish, this recipe might be just the missionary you need!
Peppercorn-crusted salmon
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons coarse salt
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
4 1/2 tablespoons mixed peppercorns
1 tablespoon liquid smoke flavoring
1 teaspoon whole allspice, or 3/4 teaspoon ground
2 pounds whole salmon fillet
3 tablespoons honey
chopped fresh dill for garnish
SAUCE:
1 cup dry white wine
1 shallot, finely minced
2 tablespoon wine vinegar
1/2 cup whipping cream
6 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
1/2 tablespoon flour
salt & pepper to taste
FOR SALMON:
-Mix water, brown sugar, salt, ginger, allspice, peppercorns and liquid smoke in medium saucepan. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Simmer 10 minutes. Cool completely. Place salmon in large glass baking dish. Pour brine over. Cover and refrigerate 6 - 8 hours, turning occasionally.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove salmon from brine and pat dry. Arrange salmon on large, well-greased or oiled baking sheet. Strain brine into heavy medium saucepan. Place all peppercorns in plastic bag. Using rolling pin or bottom of heavy saucepan, coarsely crush peppercorns. Add back to brine and simmer over medium heat for 15 minutes. Strain, reserving peppercorns. Discard brine.
- Spread top of salmon fillet with honey. Divide peppercorn mixture over honey, pressing gently to adhere. Bake salmon until cooked through, about 20 minutes.
-Meanwhile prepare sauce: Combine wine, shallot and vinegar in heavy smalls saucepan. Boil until liquid is reduced to half, about 10 minutes Add cream and boil until liquid is reduced to 1/4 cup, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat.
-Place 1 tablespoon butter in a small bowl and smash flour into it with a fork until it makes a paste. Add to sauce then gradually add rest of the butter, whisking just until melted and sauce has thickened. Season sauce to taste with salt & pepper.
- Transfer salmon to large serving platter. Pour sauce around salmon or serve on the side in a small pitcher. Garnish with dill sprigs, cherry tomatoes and lemon slices. Serves 10 - 12.
Soak salmon fillet in brine solution for several hours.
Wine, butter sauce adds a delectable richness.
PERSNICKETY NOTES:
**I like to use Costco's skinned salmon fillets for this dish. Skinned fish allows the brine marinade to permeate both sides and makes it easier for guests to eat.
**If you like the look of a very smooth sauce, food process the shallots into the mixture before adding the cream.
**I usually add a bed of a few long tapered greens like Romaine to the platter and place the salmon on it.
**Let the salmon rest 5 - 6 minutes before removing from the baking sheet. Then use 2 wide spatulas to carefully move the fish to the serving tray, making it less likely that it will break. If it does break garnish away!
