BAKED SALMON WITH WATERCRESS SAUCE

Yield: 4 servings

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 shallot, minced

¼ cup plus

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, divided

1 bunch watercress, stemmed, 4 sprigs reserved for garnish

1 cup packed spinach leaves

¾ cup chicken stock

¼ cup heavy or whipping cream

Salt and white pepper

4 salmons fillets, 6 to 8 ounces each, pin bones removed

Olive oil, for coating pan

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

To make the sauce: In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the shallot and sauté until translucent, about 3 minutes. Stir in 1 tablespoon of the flour to make a roux and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 to 3 minutes; do not let the mixture color. Stir in the watercress and spinach until wilted. Add the stock and simmer for about 5 minutes. Stir in the cream. Transfer to a blender and purée until smooth. Return to the pan and add salt and white pepper to taste. Set aside and cover to keep warm.

In a shallow bowl, combine the remaining ¼ cup of the flour with a generous sprinkle of salt and white pepper. Very lightly dredge the top side of the salmon fillets in the flour.

Lightly coat a large ovenproof sauté pan with olive oil and heat over medium-high heat until the oil shimmers. Add the salmon, top-side down, and sear for 2 minutes. Turn the salmon over and transfer the pan to the oven. Roast the salmon for exactly 8 minutes; it should still be translucent in the center of the thickest part.

Just before the salmon is done, reheat the sauce over low heat until warm, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the salmon to warmed plates. Spoon

¼ of the sauce onto each plate and place a fillet on top, or spoon the sauce over the center of each fillet, allowing the ends to show and the sauce to pool on the plate. Garnish each fillet with a watercress sprig and serve immediately.

PER SERVING: 475 calories; 33 g fat; 11 g saturated fat; 127 mg cholesterol; 34 g protein; 9 g carbohydrate; 1 g sugar; 1 g fiber; 270 mg sodium; 67 mg calcium

— Recipe from “Seafood” by Williams-Sonoma