An old Polish proverb proclaims, ""Fish, to taste right, must swim three times—in water, in butter and in wine.""
Because I am part Polish—and accordingly enjoy all three of the aforementioned ingredients—I have steeped many a piece of fish in savory butter, and washed down many a seafood meal with a glass of chilled white wine. However, two consecutive weeks spent eating, breathing and catching salmon in Alaska this summer forced me to experiment with my salmon recipes a bit. I sent countless fillets of salmon swimming in aromatic olive oil, tantalizing tomato sauce and creamy, herb-infused chowder.
Ingredients
Homemade Caesar Dressing:
5 hardboiled egg yolks
3 tsp Dijon mustard
4 tsp Worcestershire sauce
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Juice of 1 1/2 lemons
4 cloves garlic
2 tbsp freshly grated parmesan cheese
Black pepper and salt to taste
Grilled Salmon:
2 lbs fresh, wild-caught salmon fillets
Juice of one lemon
8 cloves garlic (chopped)
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
Salt
Croutons:
Sourdough baguette
Extra virgin olive oil
Garlic powder
Crushed red pepper
Freshly ground black pepper
Salad:
Mixed greens
Shaved parmesan for garnish
Yet, for this week's ""What's in the Fridge,"" I chose to follow a more land-locked route, crafting a terrain of crispy croutons, decadent dressing and gregarious greens upon which lay the sanguine salmon. Finished with a generous sprinkle of shaved parmesan, this salad holds its own against any butter-laden fish recipe. And fortunately, it still invites the company of a glass of chilled white wine!
Directions
Begin this culinary adventure by whipping up your homemade Caesar dressing. In a food processor or blender, combine the hard-cooked egg yolks, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, garlic and parmesan. Slowly add the olive oil as the mixture continues to blend and stop when the dressing emulsifies. At this point, taste the dressing and adjust the flavor to your preference with salt, pepper and more of any of the other ingredients as needed. Place the dressing in the fridge to chill for at least an hour.
While the dressing chills, marinate and sauté/grill your salmon. Coat the flesh side of each fillet with garlic, lemon and black pepper. Allow the salmon to marinate for at least 30 minutes. In the meantime, heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a pan on medium heat (you can also grill the salmon, provided that you coat the skin side with olive oil). Cook the salmon skin side down for 10-15 minutes, or until it flakes at the twist of a fork. If time allows, chill the salmon before serving on the salad.
To make the croutons, cube the sourdough baguette and toss with a few tablespoons of olive oil. Sprinkle generously with garlic powder, red pepper and black pepper, and bake at 400 F until golden brown (approximately 10 to 15 minutes).
Prepare the salad by first tossing the mixed greens with the dressing. Top the greens with croutons and shaved parmesan, and lay the chilled salmon filet over top. Serve alongside a few slices of warmed baguette, as well as a glass of chilled white wine, and enjoy!
