Pacific Coast Salmon And Wild Ramps With A Morel Crawfish And Fiddlehead Fern Ragout Food

STUFFED SALMON IN FLAKY DOUGH

Steps:

• To make the mushroom-shrimp stuffing: Heat the tablespoon of butter in a skillet. When it is hot but not smoking, add the shallots. Saute for about 1 minute, until the shallots have softened, then add the mushrooms, and cook over medium to high heat until they have released their juice. When that juice has evaporated and the mixture starts sizzling again, add the shrimp, and cook for about 1 minute, just long enough for the shrimp pieces to change color. Season with the pepper, salt, and chives. Cool.
• When ready to assemble the dish, line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper. Roll the dough into a 16-inch square. Cut a 16-inch-long strip from the dough measuring 5 to 6-inches wide, and place it on the diagonal on the parchment paper. Place one of the salmon fillets on top, and sprinkle it lightly with salt and pepper. Spread the cooled mushroom-shrimp stuffing evenly on top, then cover the stuffing with the remaining salmon fillet.
• Take care to arrange the fillets so that the thinner part of the fillet on the bottom corresponds to the larger, thicker part of the fillet on top (tail to head and head to tail), and the shape and thickness are the same throughout. This way the salmon will cook evenly.
• Roll the remaining, wider strip of dough up onto your rolling pin, then unroll it on top of the second fillet. Brush off any flour from the surface of the dough, and press it all around the edges, so it conforms to the fish shape underneath. The large top layer of dough will stick around the edge to the layer of dough underneath. Press the two layers of dough gently around the edge so they adhere well together, then place in the freezer for about 10 minutes to firm up the dough. This will make trimming and decorating the "fish" easier. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
• After 10 minutes, remove the "fish" from the freezer, and trim the excess dough all around the edge to create a fish outline with dorsal fins as well as a tail from the extra dough around the salmon. Make a gill with a strip of the trimmed dough, and cut and position a round piece of dough for the eye. Continue decorating as you fancy.
• Break the whole egg into a small bowl, and remove about half the white. Beat the remaining egg in the bowl with a fork to make a wash for coating the "fish". Brush the salmon with the egg. Holding the tip from a pastry bag (large end down) at an angle, press it lightly into the "fish" to simulate scales. Bake in the 375 degree F oven for 35 to 40 minutes. Remove and set aside, uncovered, in a warm place while you make the sauce.
• Foamy lemon sauce: Whisk together 1 cup of the chicken stock and the potato starch in a saucepan, and bring to a boil. Whisk the egg yolks and the remaining chicken stock in a bowl, then pour into the hot stock, and whisk constantly over medium heat for about 2 minutes, or until the sauce thickens and foams, but don't let it boil. It should reach a temperature of 180 degrees, the temperature needed to cook the eggs and the starch and to thicken the sauce. Whisk in the salt and cayenne, then remove the saucepan from the heat, stir in the lemon juice, and set aside. The sauce should have doubled in volume.
• Using 2 long hamburger spatulas, transfer the "fish" to a serving platter. To serve, cut into 1 to 1 1/2-inch slices, and arrange on warm individual plates. Spoon some sauce around the slices, and serve immediately.

FIDDLEHEAD FERNS

Steps:

• Clean the fiddleheads by snipping off the tough 1/8-inch at the bottom and any stray coarse tips visible. Wash the ferns in cold water. Bring 2 quarts water to a boil and add a teaspoon salt. Add the fiddleheads to the boiling water, return to the boil and cook for 2 to 3 minutes or just until tender. Drain the boiling water and refresh the ferns in ice water. Drain and pat dry the ferns.
• In a large saute pan, heat the butter over medium heat. As the butter begins to bubble, add the dry, blanched fiddleheads and saute for 2 minutes. Add the lemon juice, season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

FIDDLEHEAD FERNS

Steps:

• Before you're ready to cook cut about 1/8-inch off the thick ends if they look brown and rinse the fern shoots thoroughly to get rid of the brown fuzzy chaff that clings to their sides. Dry the shoots thoroughly before cooking by first spinning them in a lettuce spinner and then patting them with paper towels. Melt butter in a pan at medium heat. Add garlic, parsley and fiddleheads to the pan. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Saute for 5 minutes or until they are done.

FRESH FAVA BEANS AND WILD MOREL RAGOUT WITH LAKE SUPERIOR WHITEFISH

Steps:

• Shell the fava beans from the large long pods in which they are encased. This will reveal the beans in their thin skin from which they must also be removed. Do this by bringing a pot of water to a boil, add the beans to the pot and blanchcook for 2 to 3 minutes before straining the favas and shocking in an ice bath of cold water. The thin skin can now be peeled entirely off by hand to reveal the sweet fava bean. It is now ready to be added to any dish and only requires a few moments of additional cooking time.
• Clean the morels carefully and trim off the bottom of the stem. Remove all dirt and debris by soaking them in several changes of clean cold water. Next, lay the morels out on paper towels to absorb the excess moisture and air dry. Keep refrigerated until ready to use.
• In a saute pan, heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium heat. Add the morels and saute 3 to 4 minutes. Add the shallots and cook for 3 additional minutes. Add the fish stock and braise the morels for 2 to 3 minutes.
• Add the fava beans and white wine to the morels and continue to cook another 3 minutes. Season the vegetables with salt and pepper and add the fresh thyme leaves. Swirl in the cold butter to allow the butter, which adds a creamy texture to the dish, to melt but not separate. Remove promptly from the heat and place the morels and fava beans on a warm serving platter. While the morels and fava beans are cooking begin to cook the whitefish by seasoning the fish with salt and pepper. Heat the remaining olive oil in a second saute pan. Add the fish fillets to the hot oil, skin side down and cook the fillets 2 1/2 to 3 minutes on each side, before removing and placing on the serving platter with the morels and favas.