Salmon in Tarragon Sauce

Friday, 12 - February - 2010

This is an easily mastered recipe and it is fast, which is always nice. I often substitue pink trout slabs or filets for the salmon planks or steaks. My reason for choosing either pink trout or salmon is for the colors but if you prefer the taste of another type of fish don't hesitate to use your choice instead. I will be making 2 portions with each slab weighing in at about 120g. The Tarragon Sauce recipe is also found under Sauces.

• 2 peices Salmon weighing approximately 100g each, skin on
• 20g to 30gm (2 pats) Butter

Step 1:

Heat a frying pan over med-high heat. While the pan is heating remove the fish from the packaging and wash it under cold tap water. Blot the fish dry with 2 paper towel and set the fish aside. If the fish is frozen it must be completely thawed before beginning with this first step.

Step 2:

By now the frying pan should be warm enough to melt the butter so place the butter in the pan. When the butter has melted spread it around with a wooden spatula so that the surface of the pan is thinly covered with the melted butter.

Step 3:

Quickly place the fish in the pan with skin side down. Sprinkle a bit of coarse salt on the fish and cover with the lid. You may also lightly dust it with freshly ground coarse black pepper if you wish. As soon as the sides of the fish begin to become opacque about 5cm or a ¼ of an inch up from the hot surface of the pan turn the fish over. The goal here is not to cook the fish but to only sear it. You will probably sear the fish for about 2 minutes per side. You want the top of the fish, where there is not any skin, to be lightly golden browned.

Step 4:

Remove the fish to a plate and set aside. Remove the pan from the heat and quickly clean all the butter and fish residual away. (I simply use the same couple paper towel I used to blot the fish dry after washing but now I also wad them up loosely. It is no necessary to wash the pan, just to wipe it clean.) Don't allow the pan to cool to much.

Tarragon Sauce

• 15gm butter or 1 tsp of Light Oil
• 1 small, thin Leek, mostly white sliced in half lengthwise and then 5cm or 1/2-in rounds
• 1 small Shallot, finely minced
• 120ml or 1/2c White Cooking Wine
• 120ml or 1/2c Cream
• 1 tsp Tarragon, whole leaf
• Salt and White Pepper, to taste

Step 1:

Return the frying pan to medium heat source and melt the butter. Add the minced Shallot and sliced Leeks and Tarragon stirring so they don't brown at all.

Step 2:

Add the White Cooking Wine quickly before the vegetables begin to saute. Lower heat to a fast simmer and cover with a lid. (A fast simmer is where the liquid has several tiny to small bubbles rising to the surface from the center of the pan.)

Step 3:

Make sure that the pan doesn't become dry. When nearly all of the white wine has cooked away add the cream. Stir to blend the ingredients well.

Step 4:

Try to push the vegetables to the side and then add the fish you just just finished searing with the skin side down. Cover and adjust heat to low simmer for about 5-10 minutes.

Step 5:

This dish is done when the sauce has reached about half of its original volume. Serve it with a side-dish of pasta, wide egg noodles or rice.

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