Cured Wild King Salmon With Wilted Young Leek Cucumber Relish Recipes

SALMON, ASPARAGUS, AND LEEK IN PARCHMENT

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees with racks in upper and lower thirds. Cut four 12-by-17-inch pieces of parchment. Fold each in half crosswise to make a crease, then unfold and lay flat. Toss asparagus and leek with oil in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
• Season fish with salt and pepper. Arrange a fillet on one side of crease on each piece of parchment. Top with asparagus mixture, dividing evenly. Fold each piece of parchment over, then make small overlapping pleats to seal open sides, creating half-moon-shaped packets.
• Bake on 2 rimmed baking sheets, 10 minutes for medium-rare. Transfer to plates and carefully cut packets open with kitchen shears (steam will be released). Serve, topped with herbs and squeezed with lemon wedges.

SAUTéED SALMON WITH LEEKS AND TOMATOES

Steps:

• If there are any bones in the salmon, pull them out with tweezers and discard. Sprinkle the fish with salt and pepper.
• Trim off the stem ends of the leek. Cut the leek lengthwise into thin slices. Finely chop the leek. There should be about 1/3 cup.
• Drop the tomatoes into boiling water and let stand 9 to 12 seconds.
• Peel and remove the cores. Cut the flesh of the tomatoes into quarter-inch cubes. There should be about 1 1/4 cups.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a nonstick skillet over moderately high heat and add the salmon pieces skinned side up. Cook 2 minutes and then turn the pieces. If you want the salmon medium rare, cook the fish 2 minutes longer. Transfer the fish to a warm platter.
• Add the remaining oil to the skillet. Add the tomatoes and leek, salt, pepper and lemon juice. Cook about 1 minute. Pour the mixture over the salmon and sprinkle with the coriander or basil.

WILD KING SALMON WITH SAVORY WHIPPED CREAM

Steps:

• Slice salmon diagonally into 6 four-ounce portions about 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick (or have your fishmonger slice it). Place on a cutting board or baking sheet. Season both sides generously with salt and pepper.
• Put cream in a mixing bowl and beat with a whisk until just barely thickened. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt, some freshly ground pepper, the mustard, the cayenne and the lemon zest. Beat again until soft peaks form, but don't let the cream get too stiff. Fold in chives. Taste and adjust seasoning.
• Put butter in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. When butter begins to foam, add salmon pieces and reduce heat slightly. Cook gently on one side for about 2 minutes, then flip and cook one minute more. Turn off heat and let rest for 2 minutes. Salmon should be cooked through but moist. Be careful not to overcook.
• Transfer salmon to a platter or individual plates. Spoon some savory whipped cream over each serving. Garnish with tarragon, watercress and flowers, if desired.

SEARED WILD KING SALMON WITH CUCUMBER, RED ONION, AND SAFFRON BROTH

Steps:

• Slice the cucumber halves on the diagonal about 1/3 inch thick. Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the cucumbers and blanch for 20 seconds, then transfer with a wiremesh skimmer to ice water to chill. Add the onion to the boiling water and blanch for 15 seconds. Drain and transfer to the ice water. When cool, drain and pat dry with paper towels.
• In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the shallots and sauté until softened, about 8 minutes. Add the wine and saffron and simmer until almost dry. Add the stock and simmer until reduced by half. Whisk in the crème fraîche. Simmer until the sauce is reduced to about 1 cup. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean saucepan. Whisk in the chives and tarragon. Add the cucumbers and onions. Season with salt and keep warm over low heat while you cook the salmon.
• With needle-nose pliers or tweezers, remove the salmon's fine pinbones. (You can feel these by running your fingers over the thickest part of the flesh.) Season the fish on both sides with salt and white pepper. Heat a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the salmon, skinned side up. Sear until nicely browned, about 2 minutes, then turn and cook until the fish just flakes, about 3 minutes longer, lowering the heat as needed to prevent burning.
• Divide the cucumbers, onions, and saffron broth evenly among 4 soup bowls. Top each serving with a salmon fillet. Garnish the salmon with a sprinkle of fresh chives. Serve immediately.
• Enjoy with Cakebread Cellars Chardonnay or another medium-bodied white wine.

POACHED SALMON WITH LEEKS

Steps:

• Trim the roots and leaves from the leeks, leaving the soft white stem. Chop the stem into sections and place in a colander over the sink, or in a bowl of water. Rinse the leeks very thoroughly, these are notoriously grainy vegetables and you don't want the dirt to end up in your food, and pat dry. In a straight edge sauté pan with a lid over medium heat add the butter and allow to melt. Then add the leeks and sauté until tender. About 8 minutes.
• Once the leeks are tender pour in the chicken broth until it just covers the leeks. If you need a little more broth than the 2 cups called for, add a little more bit by bit. Then, add the salmon steaks on top, making sure they are separated a little. If there is skin on the salmon, place the skin side up so that the fish is resting directly on the leeks.
• Turn up the heat so that the broth is simmering. Place the lid on the pan and cook the salmon for 8 minutes. After that, check to make sure the steaks are cooked through. If not, continue cooking for 1-2 more minutes.
• Divide the leeks between two plates. Serve one salmon steak on top of each bed of leeks. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.