Salmon dish is antidote to holiday stuffing
’Tis the season for indulgent eating, but for those suffering from turkey and stuffing fatigue, consider La Palma co-owner and chef Craig Harding’s salmon with avocado and citrus.
The California-inspired restaurant at Dundas St. W. and Euclid Ave. focuses on simple, lighter fare that won’t leave diners in a food-induced coma.
Here, the salmon is cooked sous vide to retain its delicate texture and natural flavour.
“The texture of the fish is like sashimi, but with the slight flakiness you get with a cooked fish,” says Harding, who also runs Italian restaurant Campagnolo across the street. “There’s something about it that’s so refreshing.
“It’s cooked through, but not dry,” Harding adds.
“The salmon and avocado are a classic pairing because they’re both fatty and creamy. The citrus adds that refreshing acidic quality that’s not as harsh as lemon or vinegar. It’s a dish you won’t get tired of.”
This recipe is perfect for the home cook who received an immersion circulator over the holidays. For cooks who don’t have one, Harding also gives an alternate way to achieve the unique, not-quite-sashimi, not-quite-poached texture of sous-vide salmon.
The fish is finished with a simplified honey-mustard dressing (use anything but the yellow hotdog variety of mustard, Harding says). A combination of chopped parsley, chives and tarragon finishes it, but for the home cook, Harding says just chives works fine.
La Palma’s Salmon With Citrus and Avocado
Star Tested This recipe uses a sous-vide machine. If you do not have one, Harding says you can simulate the texture of sous-vide salmon by replacing the sous-vide directions with these easy steps: Place salmon in a single layer in a square baking dish. In a medium-sized saucepan over medium-high heat, bring water, salt and sugar to a roaring boil. Pour this brine over salmon, just covering the fish. Let stand for 30 minutes. Make sure the salmon filets are cooked throughout. If not, heat up more brine and pour over fish. Discard brine. Pat filets with paper towel to absorb excess brine. Chill in refrigerator until ready to serve. Follow the rest of the recipe. 4 cups (1L) water 1/4 cup (60 mL) kosher salt 2 tbsp (30 mL) granulated sugar 4 skinless, boneless salmon filets, about 3 oz (85g) each and 1-inch thick, cut in half lengthwise 2 tbsp (30 mL) olive oil, plus more for garnish 1 orange
1 grapefruit
1 tbsp (15 mL) honey
1 tbsp (15 mL) mustard
1 avocado Kosher salt and pepper, to taste Chopped fresh chives, parsley or tarragon for garnish In a large bowl, whisk together water, salt and sugar until dissolved. Submerge salmon filets in brine and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Remove salmon from brine. Discard brine. Do not rinse salmon. Place salmon in a single layer in a large zipper-lock bag. Add olive oil and gently massage filets until lightly coated.
Using a sous-vide machine, set a water bath to 117 F (47 C). Submerge bag of fish in water and cook for 30 to 45 minutes.
Carefully remove fish from bags. Transfer fish to a plate and blot off excess oil with paper towel. Chill in refrigerator until ready to serve.
Meanwhile, make citrus segments by slicing off top and bottom ends of fruit with a sharp knife, exposing flesh. Stand fruit on flat end. Working from top to bottom, slice off peel and pith to expose flesh, following contours of fruit while cutting downward. Continue around fruit, removing as much pith and membrane as possible. Holding fruit in one hand over a bowl to catch juices, carefully cut out segments between membrane. Squeeze any remaining juice from membranes into bowl. Set aside segments.
In a small bowl, whisk together honey and mustard. Set aside.
Cut avocado into slices. Toss in bowl with citrus juice along with a drizzle of olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Transfer avocado to serving plates with citrus segments and salmon. Drizzle honey-mustard over each filet and garnish with chopped herbs. Serve immediately. Make 4 servings. karonliu@thestar.ca