Everyday Salmon With Tangy Cucumbers And Fried Shallots Recipes

SLOW-ROASTED KING SALMON WITH CREAMED CUCUMBERS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Melt butter over low heat in a skillet. Add ginger and shallot and sauté briefly, until softened. Add cucumbers, season with salt and pepper and sauté until almost translucent. Spread in a baking dish large enough to hold salmon. Do not wash skillet.
• Place salmon on cucumbers. Pour chardonnay around salmon. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with juice of half the lemon. Cover with a sheet of parchment or wax paper. Place in oven and cook 45 minutes for medium rare, 50 to 55 minutes for more well-cooked. Because fish is slow-roasted, it will remain quite red in center.
• Transfer salmon to a large platter with a rim. Transfer cucumber mixture to skillet and cook down for 5 minutes. Stir in crème fraîche and cook until sauce is consistency of heavy cream. Season with salt, pepper and remaining lemon juice. Pour mixture around fish. Sprinkle fish with chives and serve.

BRIGHT AND CRUNCHY SALMON

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F. Cut 1/2 orange and 1/2 lime into thin slices and put in a 9-inch square baking dish, a small rimmed baking sheet, or a heatproof skillet. Place salmon on top and sprinkle with salt and chiles. Pour all but 2 tablespoons of reserved shallot oil over salmon. Bake until salmon is opaque throughout, about 25 minutes. Remove from oil and, once cool enough to touch, break into bite-size pieces.
• Use a mandoline to thinly slice watermelon radish; set in a bowl of ice water until slices are extra-crunchy. Slice cucumbers and put in a large bowl.
• Into a small bowl or measuring cup, juice remaining 1/2 orange and 1/2 lime; add rice vinegar, fish sauce, and remaining 2 tablespoons shallot oil. Taste for seasoning.
• Drain and pat dry radish; add to bowl with cucumbers. Add flaked salmon and herbs, drizzle with just a few tablespoons of dressing (being careful not to overdress), and toss. Serve the rest of dressing on the side to preserve crunchiness of ingredients. Put on serving plates or a platter and top with frizzled shallots, peanuts, and rice cereal.

EVERYDAY SALMON WITH TANGY CUCUMBERS AND FRIED SHALLOTS

Steps:

• If serving the shallots, combine shallots and oil in a small pot or skillet. Heat over medium and cook until shallots begin to sizzle and fry in the oil, 3 to 4 minutes. Continue cooking, swirling the pot or skillet occasionally, until the shallots begin to sizzle less and brown more, another 3 to 4 minutes. Once they're just starting to turn a nice golden brown, remove from heat. (They will continue to brown in the oil, so pull them before you think they're ready.) Use a slotted spoon or mesh strainer to transfer shallots to a paper towel-lined plate. Immediately season with lots of salt and set aside to cool.
• Heat oven to 325 degrees. Season salmon with salt and pepper and place in a large baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil and place in oven. Roast until the edges are opaque and the fish is just cooked through in the center, 10 to 12 minutes for medium rare, 15 to 18 minutes for more well done. Meanwhile, thinly slice half the lemon and pick out any seeds. (Save the other half of the lemon for serving alongside.)
• If serving the cucumbers, combine cucumbers, vinegar and Aleppo pepper in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper and let sit a few minutes, tossing occasionally to evenly season. Drizzle with olive oil before serving.
• Remove salmon from oven and transfer to a large serving platter. (Alternatively, feel free to serve in the baking dish.) Scatter lemon slices over and nestle remaining lemon alongside for squeezing over. Sprinkle with flaky salt before serving with the cucumbers, shallots or both if you like, and perhaps quick pickles, buttered rice, jammy eggs or more fish (see note below).