Irish Salmon With Sorrel Food

PIERRE'S SALMON WITH SORREL

Steps:

• Choose the thickest center section of the fish. Using a flexible boning knife, cut apart the two fillets, and carefully remove skin.
• With pliers, pull out the tiny bones hiding in the center of the flesh. They can be found by running fingers against the grain of the fish. Divide the fillets in half horizontally to make four pieces weighing about 6 ounces each.
• Lightly oil two pieces of parchment paper with peanut oil. Lay one piece of parchment on a flat surface. Place fish on parchment. Top with second piece of parchment. With a wooden mallet or the side of a cleaver, gently flatten so each fillet is of equal thickness.
• In a medium saucepan, combine fish stock and shallots. Bring to a boil, and cook until reduced to a glaze, 10 to 15 minutes. Add wine and vermouth, and continue to cook until bright and syrupy, about 3 minutes. Add creme fraiche, and boil until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Pass through a fine mesh sieve into a clean pan.
• Add sorrel, and cook for 25 seconds. Remove from heat. Add butter a little at a time, swirling or stirring with a wooden spoon until completely incorporated (be sure not to break up sorrel leaves). Season with lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
• Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Season salmon on one side (the less presentable side) with salt and pepper. Place in pan, seasoned side up. Cook 25 seconds, turn, and cook 15 seconds more. The salmon must be undercooked to preserve its tenderness (it will continue to cook in the finished sauce).
• Distribute sauce among four large plates. Place salmon, seasoned side down, on plates. Season with salt. Serve immediately.

SALMON WITH SORREL SAUCE

Steps:

• Pick over the sorrel. Discard any tough stems and blemished leaves. Rinse the leaves and pat them dry. Pack the leaves closely and cut them crosswise into very thin strips. This is called a chiffonadeThere should be about two cups or slightly more when loosely packed.
• If there are any bones in the fillets, carefully remove them with pliers. Cut the fillets on the bias into about 14 thin slices.
• Put the reserved fish skin and bones in a small saucepan. Add one tablespoon of the shallots, the wine and chopped tomatoes. Bring to the boil and let simmer five minutes. Add the cream and cook about five minutes. Strain through a fine sieve, pushing the solids with a rubber spatula to extract as much liquid as possible. There should be about one and one-quarter cups.
• Heat one tablespoon of the butter in a saucepan and add the remaining one tablespoon of shallots. Cook briefly and add the sorrel. Cook, stirring, until wilted.
• Add the cream mixture, the cubed tomato flesh, salt and pepper.
• Heat the remaining tablespoon of butter in a stick-proof skillet. Sprinkle the salmon with salt and pepper and place, a few pieces at a time, in one layer in the skillet. Cook one and one-half to two minutes, depending on the thickness of the slices, turning once.
• Pour the sorrel sauce into the center of a warm platter and smooth it over. As the salmon pieces are cooked, arrange them neatly, slightly overlapping, on the sauce. Sprinkle with parsley. Serve immediately.

SALMON WITH SORREL SAUCE

Steps:

• In a saucepan over high heat combine shallots, wine and vermouth. Cook until mixture is almost evaporated. It should have a syrupy consistency. Add cream and bring mixture to a simmer. Cook, stirring frequently, for 30 minutes. Remove from heat and strain sauce through a fine sieve into a clean saucepan.
• Tear sorrel into thumb-size pieces and drop into sauce. Add lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste, and cook briefly, stirring. Remove from heat and keep warm.
• Cut salmon in half widthwise. Then halve each piece, leaving four portions. Pound each piece lightly with the back of saucepan to make surface even.
• Season salmon on skin side with salt and pepper. Cook fillets in a nonstick pan over medium-high heat for 30 seconds. Flip and cook another 30 seconds.
• Distribute sorrel sauce evenly over center of 4 warm serving plates. Place a salmon fillet over each, arranging some sorrel strands around them. Serve immediately.

IRISH ROASTED SALMON

Steps:

• Mix together honey, vinegar, whiskey, thyme, lemon zest, oil, salt and pepper. Pour over salmon and marinate 1 hour on the counter, or 4 hours refrigerated.
• Preheat oven to 450°F.
• Remove salmon from marinade and place on a rack over a roasting pan.
• Grill or Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, basting once with the marinade or until golden and white juices are just beginning to appear.

POACHED SALMON WITH IRISH BUTTER SAUCE

Steps:

• Half fill the pan with measured salted water and bring to the boil. Put in the piece of fish, just covering with water, and bring back to the boil. Simmer gently for 20 minutes. Turn off the heat, allow the fish to sit in the water. Serve within 15 to 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile make the Irish Butter Sauce. Put the egg yolks into a heavy bottomed stainless steel saucepan on a very low heat. Add the cold water and whisk thoroughly. Add the butter bit by bit, whisking all the time. As soon as one piece melts, add the next. The mixture will gradually thicken, but if it shows signs of becoming too thick or 'scrambling' slightly, remove from the heat immediately and add a little cold water if necessary. Do not leave the pan or stop whisking until the sauce is made. Finally add the lemon juice to taste. Pour into a bowl and keep warm over hot, but not boiling, water.
• To serve, lift the cooked salmon carefully from the poaching liquid. Peel off the skin gently. Garnish with sprigs of parsley or watercress. Serve with Irish Butter Sauce.

IRISH SALMON WITH SORREL

Steps:

• Dry salmon on paper towels and season with salt, pepper and lemon juice.
• Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 12 tablespoons of butter to a large skillet and heat over medium/high heat.
• Place the salmon fillets (presentation side down) on the hot skillet. Fry until golden brown, turning at least twice.
• In a separate saucepan, gently cook over medium heat in the remaining butter the diced apples, scallions, sorrel, about 2 minutes.
• Divide among four plates.
• Place the cooked salmon fillets on top.