Salmon with Asparagus Sauce
Submitted by Dream189
Pan-seared salmon over a vibrant asparagus cream sauce, made by pureeing tender asparagus tips with butter and infusing the stalks into cream. An elegant, restaurant-style spring plate.
YIELD
8 servingsPREP
30 minCOOK
30 minREADY
1 hrsThis is a refined, spring-green plate, salmon draped over a silky asparagus cream sauce that tastes purely of the vegetable. The trick is using the asparagus two ways.
The tender tops are blanched and puréed with butter into a vivid green base, while the woody ends are simmered slowly in cream and then strained, coaxing out their flavor without any stringy texture. Combined and gently warmed, they make a sauce that’s pure asparagus, no thickeners.
One detail from the recipe is worth heeding: cook the asparagus tops a touch longer than you would for eating. Undercooked, they won’t purée smooth; overcooked, they turn earthy.
The salmon is cooked fast and barely, just seconds a side, then finished off the heat so it stays rosy and moist. Don’t overcook it; salmon loses its flavor and silkiness when pushed too far. Plate it over a pool of the warm green sauce.
Chef Tips
- Cook the asparagus tops slightly longer than for eating so they purée silky-smooth.
- Simmer the woody ends in cream and strain to capture their flavor without the stringiness.
- Warm the finished sauce to just below boiling; boiling can make the cream break.
- Sear the salmon only briefly and finish it off the heat; overcooking dulls its flavor.
Variations
- Stir a little lemon juice or zest into the sauce for brightness.
- Garnish with reserved blanched asparagus tips for texture and color.
- Use this asparagus sauce under scallops, halibut, or chicken instead of salmon.
Ingredients
Directions
For the Sauce:
Wash the asparagus and snap off the white ends.
Set aside all tops and half that number of ends.
Plunge the tops into a large pot of salted, boiling water and cook until limp but not for too long.
(Note: Cook slightly longer than for eating. If undercooked, they will not process well; if overcooked, they will taste earthy.)
Drain the asparagus thoroughly and, while still hot, run it through food processor with unsalted butter for 3 to 4 minutes until smooth, scraping down the sides of the processor frequently.
Meanwhile, chop asparagus ends to remove the dry hard field cuts and simmer with cream.
Cook the ends slowly for 20 minutes, then strain, pressing through gently.
Just before serving, combine asparagus, butter and cream.
Heat slowly to just below boiling point.
Adjust the seasonings to taste.
To Assemble:
Salt and pepper the salmon steaks.
Melt the butter in a heavy enamel or copper sauté pan.
When the butter begins to brown, add salmon and cook one side for 30 seconds.
Remove the pan from heat, turn the salmon carefully, and let cook in the hot pan off of the heat for 30 seconds.
Salmon will still be quite rare.
If you like your fish done more, add to the cooking time slightly.
Don’t overcook!
The salmon loses a lot of flavor when overcooked.
Place the salmon on a towel (cloth or paper) to drain.
Just before you finish cooking the salmon, spoon some of the sauce onto heated plates; then place the cooked drained salmon on top of the sauce and serve immediately.
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