Salt Crust Salmon Food

SALT-CRUSTED SALMON WITH COLLARD GREEN SALSA VERDE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Mix the salt and egg whites in a medium bowl with your hands and incorporate until the mixture feels like wet sand.
• Spread 1 1/2 cups of the salt mixture into a thin layer, in the shape of the salmon, on a baking sheet. (You may need to spread the mixture diagonally on the baking sheet.)
• Arrange the lemongrass, ginger, chile, and cilantro over the bed of salt. Place the fish, skin side up, on the bed of salt and aromatics and pack the remaining salt mixture over and around the fish, molding it to the shape of the fillet, sealing the fish and aromatics inside.
• Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes. The salt crust should have a warm golden color almost like sand and be rock hard. Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes.
• Present the fish at the table within its salt crust, then, using a wooden spoon, strike the crust to crack it. Carefully lift pieces of the salt crust from the fish in large chunks. Peel back the skin, exposing the juicy, perfectly cooked fish. Divide the fish among plates. Discard the salt and aromatics.
• Serve with the salsa verde.
• In a food processor, pulse the collard greens, Brazil nuts, garlic, parsley and olive oil until thoroughly combined. You can use a flexible rubber spatula to scrape down the ingredients in the food processor to make sure everything mixes evenly.
• Transfer the mixture to a bowl, add the lemon zest and salt to taste (I use about 1 1/2 teaspoons). Stir in the vinegar just before serving.
• Adapted and excerpted from "Between Harlem and Heaven: Afro-Asian-American Cooking for Big Nights, Weeknights, and Every Day" by JJ Johnson and Alexander Smalls with Veronica Chambers. Copyright © 2018 by JJ Johnson and Alexander Smalls with Veronica Chambers. Reprinted with permission from Flatiron Books. All rights reserved. Photography by Beatriz da Costa.

PANKO-CRUSTED SALMON

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
• In a small bowl, mix together the panko, parsley, lemon zest, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Drizzle with the olive oil and stir until the crumbs are evenly coated. Set aside.
• Place the salmon fillets, skin side down, on a board. Generously brush the top of the fillets with mustard and then sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Press the panko mixture thickly on top of the mustard on each salmon fillet. The mustard will help the panko adhere.
• Heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet or large heavy, ovenproof pan. When the oil is very hot, add the salmon fillets, skin side down, and sear for 3 to 4 minutes, without turning, to brown the skin.
• Transfer the pan to the hot oven for 5 to 7 minutes until the salmon is almost cooked and the panko is browned. Remove from the oven, cover with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Serve the salmon hot or at room temperature with lemon wedges.

SALT-ROASTED SALMON

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Heat 1 T oil in a ovenproof skillet (I use cast iron) until it just shimmers (do not let it smoke). Add the salmon skin side down and cook until the skin begins to crisp, about 2-3 minutes.
• Mound the salt around and over each piece, trying to get it to really make a cohesive crust on each one (will make removal easier later).
• Roast in oven for 5 minutes per inch of thickness. Remove the salmon from the oven and let sit for 2 minutes in the crust. Carefully brush away the salt (the top will look slightly rare but the side will be cooked). Transfer to a clean work surface and finish removing salt with a pastry brush.
• Season with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, fresh ground black pepper, and serve with a little lemon.
• The salmon will seem a little dry but will not be overcooked. This really brings out the flavor of the salmon.

CRUSTED SALMON

Steps:

• Place salmon fillets in a shallow dish; add milk. Turn to coat. Let stand for 10 minutes; drain., Meanwhile, in a shallow bowl, combine the pecans, flour, brown sugar, seasoned salt and pepper. Coat fillets with pecan mixture, gently pressing into the fish., In a large cast-iron or other ovenproof skillet, brown salmon over medium-high heat in oil. Bake at 400° until fish just begins to flake easily with fork, 8-10 minutes.