Ingredients
- One 3-pound fresh salmon fillet, skinned and pin boned, cut into individual servings
- 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil or grape seed oil (as needed to just cover the bottom of the sauté pan)
- 2 shallots, peeled and chopped
- 2 cups of chardonnay or sauvignon blanc (use a chardonnay that is not too oaky or a sauvignon blanc)
- 3/4 cup of vegetable or chicken stock
- 2 to 3 tablespoons honey (to taste) a generous pinch of saffron
- 2 ½ cups of heavy cream
- salt and white pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon of cornstarch dissolved in
- 3 tablespoons of water
- 2 ears of corn, husked with silk removed
- 1 medium red bell pepper, cored and diced
- 3 green onions, root and tough green ends removed, sliced on a ¼-inch diagonal
- ½ jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely cut (use gloved hands to cut the pepper so you don’t get it in your eyes)
- 2 tablespoons chopped nasturtium leaves
- 1 tablespoon chopped nasturtium or pansy petals plus 8 whole flowers for garish
Preparation
To make the chardonnay sauce:
Combine the shallots, wine, saffron, honey and stock. Simmer until reduced by 1/4. Add the cream. Simmer again and reduce by 1/4. Season with white pepper and salt to taste. If the sauce seems too thin, add a little of the cornstarch mixture while on medium heat. Stir until thickened. If the sauce is too thick, thin with additional wine.
Combine the corn, red bell pepper, jalapeno and green onions in a mixing bowl. Toss with the nasturtium leaves and flower petals. Keep separate until ready to serve. When ready to serve, add the corn mixture to the chardonnay sauce. Sauce can be made ahead and reheated. Add corn mixture right before serving.
To prepare the salmon:
Heat a large sauté pan on medium high heat. Add just enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan.
Place the fillets, flesh side down first, in the pan. Don’t put too many in the pan at once. You can do this in two pans if needed or in batches. Turn down heat to medium. Let the salmon cook for several minutes undisturbed.
When cooked and slightly crisp, flip the fish carefully and cook on the other side. You can either cover the fish and let it cook on low until done, or, if the fillets are thick, place the pan into a 375 degree oven for 2-to-3 minutes to finish (use an oven-proof sauté pan if you place fillets in the oven to finish.)
To serve:
Divide the sauce into 8 individual serving bowls, like a pasta bowl or a rimmed plate. Place the finished salmon in the center of the plate, garnishing each fillet with a reserved edible flower.
Serves approximately 8
