Potato-Crusted Salmon Filet with Dijon Sauce

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Potato-Crusted Salmon Filet with Dijon Sauce

This is more a technique than a recipe. It will work with other firm-fleshed fish as well.

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For the fish

• 3/4 lb Alaskan Coho or other salmon fillet
  
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground white pepper
  
• 1/4 tsp salt
  
• 2 sprigs lemon thyme, leaves stripped from stems
  
• 1 medium-sized russet potato
  
• 2 cloves garlic
  
• 2 T olive oil
  

For the sauce

• 1 T butter
  
• 1 T flour
  
• 1 c milk
  
• 3 T dijon mustard, more if you like a stronger flavor
  
• salt and white pepper
  

Cut the salmon filet vertically into two strips, one for each serving. Remove the pin bones from the fish with a pair of needle-nose pliers, or by hand if you can get a good grip. Place the strips skin side down and season with the pepper, salt, and lemon thyme leaves.

Peel the potato, and slice as thin as possible with a mandoline. With a little careful adjustment, you should be able to produce flexible translucent slices approximately one millimeter thick. Cut the cloves of garlic in half lengthwise, score the cut surfaces with a knife, and rub the over the potato slices. This will flavor them, and help prevent them from oxidizing. Cover the surface of the salmon with a layer of the potato slices. Add a second layer, draping it from the top over the sides of the fish.

Before cooking the fish, start the sauce. It's really just a bechemel with some mustard added. Begin by melting the butter in a small saucepan over a medium flame. Once it is melted and bubbling, add the flour and stir thoroughly until a uniform paste is formed. Continue cooking until the roux just starts to brown. Add a quarter of the milk, and wisk to incorporate. Repeat three more times until all the milk has been added. Lower the flame to prevent boiling. Cook, stirring a couple of times, for five minutes, then wisk in the mustard. Taste, and add salt and pepper as needed.

Heat a large skillet over a medium flame. Once the pan is hot, add the olive oil. It should shimmer, and begin to just barely smoke. Place the fish potato side down in the pan. This is easier said than done. The key is not to bend the fish, otherwise the potato layer will tend to peel off. I like to place the fish skin side down on the end of a wide fish spatula, then roll it over into the hot oil. Once the fish is in the pan, let it cook completely undisturbed for two minutes. In this time, the potato will develop into a crispy crust and will release itself from the pan. If you try to mover or turn the fish too early, the potato is likely to stick to the pan. Once the crust forms, carefully turn the fish over so that the skin side is down. The potato crust should be a lovely golden brown.

Continue to cook on the skin side until the skin becomes crisp and the fish is medium rare to medium. This should take about four or five minutes, depending on the thickness of the filet. A small knife tip in the side of the fish can be used to check doneness. Plate the fish potato side up, garnished with the sauce and some greens. I like quickly sauteed spinach with a little olive oil, salt and pepper.

Keywords: Main Dish, Intermediate, Seafood, Mandoline, Fish, Dinner

( RG112 )