Sockeye Salmon with potates in a rosé sauce

Aug. 3rd

Here’s a dish I made last week when Phil and Donna were visiting and our friend Maria came for dinner. (So let’s say this serves 6 people generously.) While I was cooking we also had four visiting doe munching the weeds to the side and back of the house. They are very curious little girls and put their heads up at whistling, but do not scamper off until they have had their fill.

Now to the salmon…always buy wild salmon and never farm raised. If you're going to spend money and time preparing something—make sure it's healthy as well as flavorful!

In a large deep fry pan—I use Bialetti! I coated the bottom with very little olive oil. I sliced two large Yukon Gold potatoes very thinly. (You may use any potato you have…I just happened to have these in my pantry.) These, I placed around the bottom of the pan. I added 3 white fresh onions also thinly sliced…save the green tops for later. I flecked these with about 3-4 fat shaved (as in extremely thin and papery!) garlic cloves. Then I salted the potatoes, onions and garlic, and covered with water. I cooked them for about 20 minutes: 10 minutes high and covered and 10 minutes medium uncovered or until the water almost all evaporates.

To this I added a glass of Pinot Grigio! (that’s what we were drinking for dinner), and on a high flame till the alcohol burned off. Then I poured in 8 oz of liquefied fresh pulp tomatoes—no skins—but you can cheat and add a small can of tomatoes (8 oz.).

Next I poured in almost ¾ of a cup of heavy cream. When this starts to bubble and burble, lower the heat to a moderate flame. Add a whole fillet of skinless salmon.

Since my husband purchased this for me—he forgot to ask the fish “peddler” to skin it. Needless to say, I took in hand my sharpest new Chicago Cutlery boning knife and skinned that salmon sucker clean and neat. You may need to use a smaller knife such as a 3 inch peeler to slice away any insolent piece of remaining skin.

Next what you want to do is rinse the fish so that any scales that might to be brazen enough to adhere to the fish’s flesh come off. Pat dry with paper towels. Add the fish to the pot so it lays on top of the mixture, and spray with butter, or dab with butter, or if you are an absolute fanatic and won’t even spell the word butter, margarine if you must. Salt and pepper generously. Raise the heat and cook for 5-10 minutes only. Spoon the sauce, not the veggies, on top as it cooks.

I usually sprinkle the fish with some garlic powder, and I add some very hot red SIRACHA HOT CHILI SAUCE to the sauce because my husband doesn’t like bland food. Also when you serve the fish a fresh dusting of coarse ground black pepper looks and tastes divine. Add thin rounds of the green tops saved from the fresh onions. (May also use scallions.) Serve to oohs and ahhs when the guests savor the very first bite.

Oh, and as an accompaniment to this, I made bruschetta, some with just garlic and oil, and some slices smeared with a lovely French creamy cheese, also a huge mixed salad, and asparagus. For desert we had a medley of mixed berries with a choice of vanilla ice cream and/or fresh whipped cream.

NB
Not entirely a dieter’s dinner, but oh well, c’est la vie! And life is short no matter how long you live!