Here
salmon is poached simply in salt water and served very rare with
mushrooms and a mushroom broth, along with creamy
polenta. The polenta
adds a starch that the salmon needs, but it is also delicate and won't
overwhelm the flavors of the fish. Mushrooms and polenta are a great
classical pair, and a sturdy, satisfying match for the meaty salmon.Barely Cooked Salmon with Parmesan Polenta and Mushroom Consommé
Preparation
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.
Barely Cooked Salmon with Parmesan Polenta and Mushroom Consommé
Recipes Qaraqish
