Pan Fried Wild Salmon with a Beetroot Puree and Quinoa Salad
So it turns out the quality of the seafood in the Northern Alps is actually quite high. We haven’t quite got to the bottom of how they do it – we have a sneaking suspicion that the salt water fish from the Atlantic are frozen before being sent across France. They are then defrosted prior to hitting the local Poissoniers. This process helps preserve the fresh taste of the fish but can damage its texture. When the fish defrosts the ice crystals break the cell walls, resulting in a slightly mushy texture. The more delicate the fish the more it is damaged by the freezing and defrosting process. One fish that stands up extremely well to this process is salmon. It has quite a ‘meaty’ texture to go with its strong flavour so it can withstand its trip across the country.
Recipe (serves 8)
Quinoa and Rocket Salad
Cook 100g of quinoa in simmering salted water until cooked (about 7 minutes). Drain, let cool, then reserve in the fridge.
For the dressing, mix 10g dijon mustard, 10 g wholegrain mustard, 20 g honey, 100g water and 100g vegetable oil until an emulsion has been formed.
When ready to serve combine the quinoa with the dressing and some rocket.
Beetroot Cubes
2 large raw beetroots
100g balsamic vinegar
Cover the beetroots (unpeeled) in boiling salted water. Simmer until a skewer runs easily into the centre (around 40 minutes). Let cool, peel, and cut into large cubes.
Reduce the balsamic vinegar by about half so that it has thickened.
When ready to serve, pour a little glaze over the cubes and put in a hot oven for about 5 minutes until the beetroot is hot and the glaze is sticky.
Beetroot Puree
The offcuts of the cooked beetroot (about 200g)
30g butter
Warm the offcuts with the butter in a pan and then blend until smooth. Push the mixture through a fine sieve if you have one.
The Salmon
8 portions of salmon (skin on)
Warm a thin layer of vegetable oil in a pan until hot but not smoking. Season the salmon generously with salt and black pepper. Add the salmon and leave for about 4 minutes (until the skin is crisp). Flip over and cook through (about 2 minutes).
Salmon on the pass ready to go at Chalet Mautalent – Luxury Catered Ski Chalet Le Grand Massif