SautÉed Wild Salmon With Brown Butter Cucumbers Recipes

WILD SALMON à LA LUTèCE WITH SWEET CORN, GREEN CABBAGE, AND BROWN BUTTER VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, bring the milk and bacon to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook a few minutes, remove from the heat, and cool 5 minutes. Purée the mixture in a food processor until the bacon is fully incorporated into the milk. Add the eggs, and pulse a few times to combine. Transfer to a baking dish and set aside.
• When you are ready to cook the salmon, stir the breadcrumbs and 2 tablespoons chopped parsley into the bacon-milk mixture.
• Season the salmon with salt and pepper on both sides. Place the salmon in the batter and turn the fillets with your hands to coat well.
• Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat for 2 minutes. (Depending on the size of your pan, you may need to cook the fish in batches.) Swirl in the olive oil and wait a minute. Carefully place the batter-coated fish in the pan. (Some of the batter might fall off; use your hands to pat it back on, making sure each piece is well coated.) Turn the heat to low, and cook for about 3 minutes, until golden brown. Carefully turn each piece over, and cook another 3 to 4 minutes, until it's nicely browned on the second side and still a little rare at the center. Transfer the fish to a resting rack.
• Meanwhile, place the butter in a small saucepan and cook 2 to 3 minutes over medium heat, swirling the pan a few times, until it browns and smells nutty. Turn off the heat and wait a minute. Add the red wine vinegar, the onion, and a heaping 1/4 teaspoon salt. Return the butter to the stove over low heat, and cook a minute or two, until the onion is just softened but still slightly crunchy. Turn off the heat, and squeeze in lemon juice to taste.
• Arrange the sweet corn, green cabbage, and bacon on a large warm platter and top with the salmon. Stir 2 tablespoons chopped parsley into the brown butter vinaigrette and spoon it over the fish.
• Sweet Corn, Green Cabbage, and Bacon
• Cut the bacon into 3/8-inch-thick slices. Stack them in two piles, then cut the bacon crosswise into 3/8-inch rectangles or lardons.
• Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat for 1 minute. Add the bacon lardons and cook about 5 minutes, stirring often, until tender and lightly crisped. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate, leaving the fat in the pan.
• Swirl in the butter, and, when it foams, add the spring onions, thyme, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and a pinch of pepper. Sauté over medium heat, about 3 minutes, then add the corn, and continue cooking another 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and some freshly ground black pepper. Add the cabbage, and cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cabbage just wilts. Taste for seasoning, and toss in the spring onion tops and chopped parsley.
• Note
• You can make the base of the batter ahead of time; just wait and add the breadcrumbs and parsley at the last minute. You can also make the brown butter-vinegar sauce ahead of time if you like. Cook the vegetables while you cook the salmon.

BROWN-BUTTER SALMON WITH SCALLIONS AND LEMON

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Pat salmon dry, and season with salt and pepper. Set aside. Using a vegetable peeler, peel the zest of the lemon in wide strips. Cut the lemon into wedges for serving.
• In a large, ovenproof skillet, melt the butter over medium. When it's foaming, add the scallions and the lemon peel, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the butter turns brown and smells nutty, 3 to 6 minutes. (If you're using a light-colored pan, you'll see the browned bits in the skillet. If you're using a dark-colored pan, look for dark spots on the white parts of the scallions; those are browned bits of butter and a sign to remove the skillet from heat.)
• Immediately remove from heat, and add ⅓ cup of water. Stir to combine. Lay the salmon, skin side down (if there's skin), into the sauce. Cover the skillet and bake until cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes, or slightly longer if you're cooking a single, large piece. (You'll know the salmon is done when the fish flakes or an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 120 degrees.)
• Eat the salmon with a spoonful of sauce and a squeeze of the lemon.