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Slow-Roasted Ancho-Chili-Cured Wild Salmon
in a Red-Pepper-and-Leek Sauce With Braised Spinach
Nancy Verdolini
Serves 6
Salmon:
1 teaspoon butter
1/2 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1 tablespoon ancho-chili powder
6 tablespoons ketchup
3 tablespoons honey
6 thin 3-ounce squares of wild salmon, skin removed
3 sticks celery, cut in 3-inch batons
1 bunch fresh thyme
French sea salt and cracked Tellicherry peppercorns
Braised Spinach:
1 tablespoon butter
2 packets baby flat-leaf spinach
2 tablespoons chicken stock (preferably homemade)
French sea salt and cracked Tellicherry peppercorns
Red-Pepper-and-Leek Sauce:
2 tablespoons butter
1 medium leek, white part only, washed and sliced thin
2 red bell peppers, deveined, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 cup chicken stock (preferably homemade)
French sea salt and cracked Tellicherry peppercorns
Salmon:
Melt butter in a 1-quart saucepan, add the tomatoes and ancho-chili
powder, and sauté until the tomatoes are soft. Stir in
ketchup and honey until combined, cover pan, and simmer over
low heat for 10 minutes. Transfer to a food processor, and
purée. Strain through a fine sieve, and set aside to
cool. Pour this mixture into a large Ziploc bag, and add salmon.
Cure overnight in the refrigerator, turning occasionally.
Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Line a small baking pan with
parchment. Place celery batons in one layer at the bottom,
then cover the celery with sprigs of thyme. Remove salmon
from bags, season with salt and pepper, and arrange atop the
thyme. Roast for 15 to 20 minutes, until barely cooked (the
salmon will be just warm).
Braised Spinach:
Melt butter in a sauté pan over medium-high heat, add
spinach leaves, and cook until wilted. Add stock, and reduce
over high heat until the stock is only a glaze. Season to
taste with salt and pepper.
Red-Pepper-and Leek Sauce:
Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a 1-quart saucepan, add the leeks
and peppers, and sweat over low heat for 3 to 5 minutes, until
soft. Add the stock and bring to a boil. Cover, and simmer
for 10 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. Purée
in a food processor, and strain through a sieve. Return to
the saucepan, and reduce over low heat until it is the consistency
of thick cream. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and
whip in the remaining butter. Assembly: Place portions of
spinach in the centers of 6 large plates. Place a piece of
salmon on top of the spinach, and spoon the sauce in an arc
around the plate.
Photograph by Matthias Gaggl
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