Saturday, May 20, 2006
Pan-fried Salmon with Mussels
I've decided to start a second post for today's receipes, because dinner on such a beautiful day obviously had to be exceptional too. And I did not want my descriptions of either
to distract from the other. The starters were exquisite, but simple. I had 4 of the oysters with nothing more than a drop of lemon juice, a dash of Tabasco sauce and a bit of whole grain bread on the side. I know some people like to give oysters a twist by serving them with things like shallot vinaigrette, but in my opinion, the gentle flavour of these fresh oysters from Clare would be drowned out by too many additions. They are harvested freshly the night before they are sold and you can really still smell and taste the crisp freshness of the Atlantic.And while I had the enjoyment, Lofty - who doesn't even like oysters - had all the work. We left our oyster knife in Germany along with everything else that we classified as kitchen 'gimmicks' rather than tools. This was a mistake, for getting into these incredibly fresh oysters is proving hard work even for Lofty. We have tried to get a replacement here in Dublin, but this quest has so far proven futile. The oyster man has now given me a tip on where to go - apparently there is a brilliant kitchen shop just off Grafton Street - but in our laziness (or shall I say weather-induced lethargy) we have not yet gone down there. Instead, I asked my mum to have a look in Munich where, even though they are far away from the sea, such utensils are relatively easy to find.
Lofty started his dinner with a bowl of creamy pumpkin soup before we both moved on to a main course of pan-fried salmon with mussels and asparagus on a bed of mixed greens.
For the salmon:And although the whole lot was a bit poncy again, it was quite tasty. I'm still not convinced that I made the right career choice. Should I maybe get my backside in a kitchen and learn to chop onions at that phenomenal speed that Paul Rankin achieves. Maybe I'd smile a little more often...
2 salmon fillets, about 200g each
2 tbsp light olive oil
a pinch of sea salt
For the mussels:
400g mussels, cleaned
125ml white wine
1 bay leaf
2 tbsp thick cream
For the vegetables:
8 white asparagus spears, peeled
a handful of green asparagus spears (I had Irish wild asparagus, but that is incredibly hard to come by and ordinary asparagus works just as well)
1 tbsp butter
1 shallot (or ½ onion), finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 good handful beet leaves, stalks removed (alternatively red or Swiss chard or baby kale)
3 handfuls young spinach, cleaned
salt and nutmeg to taste
To cook the mussels, place them in a warm pan with the white wine and bay leaf, cover with a lid and cook on a high heat for 2 to 3 minutes or until the shells have opened. Drain the cockles in a colander set in a bowl. Set the liquid aside. Pick the mussels from their shells.
For the asparagus, bring a large saucepan full of water to the boil over medium heat. While you are waiting, season the salmon fillets with sea salt. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Place the salmon skin-side down in the hot pan and fry until the skin is nicely crisp. This should take about 5 minutes.
When the water for is boiling, add the white asparagus and cook until just tender, about 8 to 10 minutes depending on the thickness of the spears. 4 to 5 minutes before it is done, add the green asparagus. (Wild asparagus will only take about 2 minutes, or even better, just steam it for 4 minutes or gently fry in butter for 3 to 5 minutes.) Drain thoroughly.
For the greens, warm some olive oil in a deep pan over medium low heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and continue frying for another minute. Now add the beet leaves, followed about 2 minutes later by the spinach. Cook until both are wilted, about 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and nutmeg.
To serve, place the greens in the centre of a plate, spoon over the creamy mussel juice and top with the salmon. Arrange the asparagus around the plate and scatter with the mussels.
Christine at 9:16 pm
