Salmon And Morels Poached In Mushroom Broth Food

POACHED WILD SALMON WITH PEAS AND MORELS

Steps:

• Place salmon, skin side down, in a large high-sided skillet. Add wine, 2 tablespoons salt, and cold water to cover salmon by 1/2". Cover pan; bring liquid to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, uncover, and gently poach salmon until just cooked through and barely opaque in the center, about 6 minutes, depending on thickness. Transfer salmon and 2 tablespoons poaching liquid to a plate; tent loosely with foil.
• Meanwhile, melt butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until they begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Add 1/2 cup salmon poaching liquid and peas and simmer until peas begin to soften, 2-3 minutes. Add cream and bring sauce to a simmer. Cook until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• Using a spatula, transfer salmon, skin side up, to paper towels. Gently peel off and discard skin. Invert onto serving plates and spoon sauce over. Garnish with chives.

SALMON AND MORELS POACHED IN MUSHROOM BROTH

Steps:

• To make the broth, combine all the ingredients with 4 cups water in a large saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and simmer until reduced by half, about 1 hour. Strain through a fine sieve and place in a clean, wide saucepan.
• Bring the broth to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Stir in the morels and return to a simmer. Add the salmon and simmer slowly until just cooked through, about 10 minutes.
• Carefully lift the salmon out of the broth with a spatula and place each piece in a shallow bowl. Use a slotted spoon to place the morels over and around the salmon. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper and drizzle with the lemon juice. Ladle some of the broth around the salmon, garnish with the dill and serve immediately.

BARELY COOKED SALMON WITH PARMESAN POLENTA AND MUSHROOM CONSOMMé

Steps:

• Place the button mushrooms in a pan, cover with 8 cups of the water, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook for 3 hours.
• Strain the stock through a fine-mesh strainer, pressing on the mushrooms to release the liquid. You should have at least 2 cups mushroom stock. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour into a saucepan and set aside. (The stock can be made in advance and refrigerated for up to 3 days, or frozen for up to a month.)
• Trim the gyromitre or morel mushrooms, discarding the stems, and halve them. Because these mushrooms can be particularly sandy, soak them in cold water to remove any dirt. Lift out of the water, rinse, and repeat two more times.
• Heat the canola oil in a large sauté pan over high heat. Add the mushrooms, shallots, and garlic, season with salt and pepper, and sauté until the mushrooms are tender and have given up their liquid, but are not dry, 10 to 15 minutes. Add 3 tablespoons of the butter and the parsley and toss to incorporate. Set the pan aside.
• Bring the milk, the remaining 2 cups water, and 4 tablespoons of the butter to a boil in a medium saucepan. Lower the heat to a simmer. Whisking constantly, slowly add the polenta, continuing to whisk until the polenta is completely incorporated. Cook for 5 minutes. The polenta will be very thin. Add the Parmesan and stir to incorporate. Set the pan aside.
• Cut the salmon crosswise into 1-inch slices. Pull the ends of each side together, as if you were closing a book, and secure with a toothpick. In a flameproof shallow casserole large enough to accommodate all the salmon fillets, bring 1/4 inch of generously salted water to a simmer. Season each fillet on both sides with salt and pepper and add to the casserole. Gently poach for 3 to 5 minutes, until the salmon is warm to the touch on top, but still quite rare on top and inside.
• Meanwhile, gently reheat the mushroom broth, the wild mushrooms, and polenta. If the mushrooms are dry, add another tablespoon of butter and a bit of water to moisten.
• To serve, spoon a circle of polenta into the center of each plate. Spoon 1/4 cup of the mushroom broth around each polenta circle. Place 2 salmon fillets on each bed of polenta and spoon the mushrooms over the salmon. Serve immediately.

BAKED SALMON WITH MUSHROOM SAUCE

Steps:

• Cut salmon into 4 equal portions.
• Lightly butter a 13x9 baking dish.
• Place salmon in the dish.
• Heat butter in skillet and add mushrooms and green onions.
• Saute over medium heat until mushrooms are tender.
• Stir in flour, parsley and salt.
• Add milk and bring to a boil.
• Cook and stir until thick, then add wine or water and lemon juice.
• Boil one minute, then pour sauce over salmon.
• Bake at 350° for 20 to 25 minutes or until fish flakes easily.

PARCHMENT-COOKED FISH WITH MORELS, SPRING GARLIC, AND THYME

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Place morel mushrooms in a dry skillet over medium heat and sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Cook, stirring often, until the mushrooms release their juice and the juice evaporates, about 5 minutes.
• Sprinkle halibut fillets with salt and black pepper on both sides.
• Heat butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat and cook the halibut fillets until golden brown on the outside, about 2 minutes per side. Remove fish from skillet and set aside.
• Cook and stir garlic scapes in the same skillet used to cook fish until fragrant, about 1 minute. Remove pan from heat and stir morel mushrooms and thyme with the garlic scapes until combined.
• Fold a piece of parchment paper in half crosswise. Use scissors to cut a very large valentine-like heart shape out of the folded paper, as large as possible. Repeat with remaining parchment to make 4 large heart shapes.
• Open the heart shapes; brush right sides of the hearts with canola oil.
• Place 1/4 morel mushroom mixture in the left (unoiled) half of each heart. Place a halibut fillet on the mushroom mixture. Sprinkle fish with salt and black pepper.
• Fold the oiled right half of the heart over the fish. Fold about 1/4 inch of parchment paper over, starting at the rounded end, and work your way down to the point, folding as you go. Fold the edge over a second time to enclose fish and mushrooms in a bundle with a double-folded, sealed edge.
• Leave about 1/4 inch of the bottom point unfolded.
• Use a straw inserted into the open bottom to blow air into the bundle, making it puff up like a small balloon. Twist the bottom closed to enclose the air.
• Place parchment bundles on 2 baking sheets; don't let the bundles touch each other.
• Bake in the preheated oven until fish is no longer translucent in the center, about 15 minutes.
• To serve, plate each portion and carefully cut open the parchment to reveal the fish, mushrooms, and juices. Bundle will release hot steam when opened.