Salmon with Shrimp-Tarragon Beurre Blanc

Having eaten so many beautifully executed but simple meals during my time in the Cate d’Azur, I had come to learn that elevating simple ingredients to unexpected levels was the order of the day; lunch and dinner. Salmon is indeed one of those common fishes with a very distinctive flavor. To elevate this dish, building a simple but luxurious sauce to counter the crispiness of the skin on the salmon does the trick. The added surprise is the prawn meat hidden under the sauce that takes you over the top. Of course, there is nothing better than tarragon and cream.

SALMON WITH SHRIMP-TARRAGON BEURRE BLANC

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Servings 4

Ingredients

  

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Shrimp-Tarragon Beurre Blanc

• 8 large Prawns peeled, shells reserved, deveined
• 2 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
• 1 large Shallot minced
• 2 large Tarragon Sprigs leaves removed, stems reserved
• 1 Cup Heavy Cream

Salmon

• 4- 6oz Salmon Filets belly trimmed away
• Flaky Sea Salt like Maldon
• ½ Tbsp Avocado Oil or another oil with a high smoke point

Garnish

• 4 Tarragon Sprig Tops garnish

Instructions

 

• Split each prawn in half lengthwise through the tail and place in the fridge.
• Meanwhile, over medium heat in a medium saucepan, heat the butter and sweat the shallots for 2 minutes until moist and soft. You do not want any color on the shallots. Add the reserved shrimp shells to the shallots and sauté for a minute or so to let the shells release their flavor into the butter mixture. Add the cream to incorporate the shells, stir and cover. Season with a pinch of salt. Reduce the heat to low and allow to cook stirring once or so until the mixture has thickened and has become this rich reduced sauce. (Approximately 5 minutes) If the mixture thickens too rapidly, add just a slight touch of cream to thin it up a bit.
• To prepare the salmon filets, dry the skin thoroughly with paper towels. This will allow for the maximum crispiness for the crust when finished. Hold each filet from end to end between your fingers and score the skin parallel to the length of the filet in three scores. By doing this the salmon will not have the tendency to shrink or curl up during cooking. Season the filets with the flaky salt all over and into the slits you made in the skin.
• In a large non-stick pan preheated over high heat add the avocado oil and let the oil come to a slight shimmer before adding the fish. Swirl the oil around when ready and add each salmon filet to the pan skin side down and away from you. Press down on each filet for a few seconds each so that the skin has the maximum time to sear with the heat of the hot pan. Turn the heat down to medium-low. You will see the fish begin to cook up the sides of the filet over the next 5-6 minutes. As the fish becomes translucent about three-quarters of the way up the sides, tilt the pan and with a serving spoon baste the top of the filet with the residual oil and juices from the salmon for just a few bastes each. Flip each filet quickly and allow to just cook on the other side about 30 seconds each. Turn off the heat & leave the salmon in the pan while you finish the beurre Blanc.
• To finalize and present the dish, remove the halved prawns from the refrigerator and place them in a saucepan. Pour the hot cream sauce through a fine sieve over the prawns, add the tarragon leaves to the cream sauce, bring to a boil and stir. (It should only take a minute or two for the prawns to cook). Remove from the heat. Salt to taste. Place a few spoonfuls of the prawn and cream sauce in large shallow heated bowls, top each with a salmon filet and garnish with a fresh tarragon sprig. Sprinkle with flaky lemon sea salt, if desired.

Notes

1. If you don’t have a warming drawer you can place your plates in your oven for about 15 minutes prior to plating.  A temperature between 100-170 can be used on most dinnerware, (stoneware, ceramic, and some china), but please check your dishes to understand the best temperature for them. 

Nutrition

Carbohydrates: 3gProtein: 47gFat: 41gSaturated Fat: 19gCholesterol: 333mgSodium: 540mgPotassium: 990mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 1183IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 158mgIron: 3mg

Keyword Beurre Blanc, Main, Salmon

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