Wild Salmon With Fingerling Potatoes
From Owner/Chef John Sundstrom, Lark, Seattle
"May means the beginning of salmon season to me,” says Sundstrom, a James Beard Award winner. “It's kind of a perfect shelter-in-place fish, as it has so many health benefits and it's simple to cook.” Sundstrom, who has appeared on Food Network'sThe Best OfandFoodNation, along with the PBS original seriesChefs A'Field, is also the author ofLark: Cooking Wild in the Northwest, in which he shares stories and recipes, like this swimmingly delicious dish for four.
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound fingerling potatoes
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
- 1-1/2 pounds skin-on wild king salmon, scaled, trimmed, deboned, and cut into 4 (6-ounce) portions
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon minced chives
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 bunch of frisée, yellow and pale-green leaves only, washed and spun dry
1. Place potatoes in a medium saucepan that will fit them easily. Cover with cold water, add the salt, and bring the water to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer gently until the potatoes are tender throughout but not falling apart.
2. Drain the potatoes and let them cool enough to be handled. While the potatoes are still warm, peel off the skins, then cut the potatoes into 1/4-inch-thick coins. Set aside.
3. Season the salmon fillets on both sides with salt and pepper.
4. Heat a medium ovenproof sauté pan over high heat and add 2 teaspoons of the oil.
5. Place the salmon, skin side down, in the pan and cook until the skin is crispy, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn it over and add the butter. As the butter melts, use a spoon to baste the salmon. Continue cooking until the salmon is medium-rare to medium, 1 to 2 more minutes.
6. Transfer the salmon to a plate and let it rest for 2 minutes before serving.
7. Drain off half of the fat in the pan and add the potato coins to heat them through. Add the chives and toss.
8. Spoon the potatoes onto 4 plates. Top each plate with a salmon fillet, crispy skin side up, and a bundle of frisée.
Vinaigrette for frisée: In a small mixing bowl, combine lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. Gently toss frisée with half of the vinaigrette. Add more vinaigrette to taste.
Chef's Tip: If salmon fillets are more than 1-inch thick, place them in the oven at 350°F after basting and cook for 4 to 6 minutes.
Dessert
Sunshine State Orange Crunch Cake
From Chef Dennis Chan, Blue Bamboo, Jacksonville, Florida
Chan was the grand prize winner in the 2018 Neighborhood to Nation Recipe Contest for this citrusy sponge cake — after the first bite, you'll know why. “It's a staple on the Blue Bamboo menu, and our most-ordered dessert,” says Chan. “Guests start off their meal by saying ‘set aside a piece of that famous cake for me.’ “ His home version has only two layers, or simply cut the cakes in half to make four. Either way, you're serving up a slice of sunshine to the whole family; the recipe makes eight slices.
Ingredients
- 1 box yellow cake mix
- 1/3 cup neutral oil (vegetable or canola)
- 3 eggs
- 16-ounce can of mandarin oranges, crushed and drained, Iiquid reserved water
- 2 teaspoons orange extract
- 8-ounce can of crushed pineapple, well-drained
- 1 puff pastry sheet, cut into 8-inch circle
1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. In a stand mixer, combine cake mix, oil, eggs and can liquid with water (total 1 cup). Add mandarin oranges, extract and pineapple.
3. Place puff pastry sheet on a cookie sheet.
4. Separate batter evenly between 2 floured 8-inch cake pans and bake 35 minutes or until toothpick comes out without crumbs. Bake puff pastry, weighted with a pan or cookie sheet in oven at same time.
5. Set aside to cool.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1 pound unsalted butter
- 1 pound powdered sugar
- 1-1/2 pounds cream cheese
- 1 teaspoon orange extract
- 8-ounce can of crushed pineapple, well-drained
1. Cream butter and sugar together.
2. Add cream cheese, one ounce at a time, while still using the mixer.
3. Add extract and pineapple and combine well.
Frost each layer of cake, sandwiching puff pastry in between the layers. Frost entire cake. Slice and serve with wafer cookies.
