Pan Fried Norwegian Salmon with Asparagus, New Potatoes & Hollandaise Sauce
(2 portions)
Ingredients
350 g fresh Norwegian Salmon, deboned
8 baby potatoes
150 g asparagus (green or white)
250 g butter
3 eggs
2 lemons
2 tblsp sugar
3 tblsp flour
2 tblsp vinegar
Cayenne pepper
50 g parsley
2 cloves of garlic
Caraway seeds
Salt & pepper
Method
Vegetables
Bring water to the boil on the stove. Season with salt and pepper, caraway seeds and one clove of garlic. Boil the baby potatoes until soft, drain and place in a bowl on the side. Bring another pot of water to boil. Add salt, sugar, and the juice of half a lemon. Place the asparagus in the pot and boil till tender. Remove the asparagus from the boiling water and place it in an ice bath. Allow the asparagus to cool down, remove it and place it on paper towel.
Salmon
Cut two medallions from the salmon. Dip the skin side in flour and shake off the excess. Heat a pan with olive oil. Place the salmon with the skin side down and fry for 3 to 4 minutes until golden brown. Turn the salmon over and place it in a preheated oven at 165°C for 10 to 12 minutes (to your preference). Two minutes before you remove the salmon from the oven, add one tablespoon of butter to the pan.
Remove the fish, place on a plate and allow to rest.
Hollandaise Sauce
Place 150 g of butter in a pot and allow it to cook gently. When the butter clears, remove the foam and strain the liquid through a paper towel. Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites. Place the egg yolks in a whisking bowl. Add some salt, cayenne pepper and two tablespoons of vinegar. Bring a pot of water to the boil on the stove (for use as a double boiler). Place a whisking bowl over the boiling water. Whisk the egg yolks in the bowl until they start to thicken. When the egg yolks are fluffy and the temperature is between 60 and 70°C, add the clarified butter very slowly to the mixture while whisking. Add more seasoning if necessary. Remove the bowl from the double boiler and leave in a warm place next to the stove.
Potatoes and Asparagus
Cut the potatoes in half and the asparagus into spears. Heat a pan with olive oil.
Place the potatoes in the pan and fry until golden brown. Add the asparagus and sauté together with the potatoes. Add some butter and allow it to turn golden brown. Season with salt and pepper. Remove the vegetables from the pan and blot on a paper towel.
Plating
Place the potato and asparagus ragoût in a deep pasta bowl. Place the salmon on top of this. Drizzle the hollandaise sauce around the salmon. Garnish with parsley leaves and drizzle with a little olive oil and sea salt.
Tips
If you prefer, you can also poach the salmon in fish stock or olive oil. If Norwegian salmon is not available, you can use any fish of your choice. In November/December white asparagus is available, whereas green asparagus is available during the rest of the year.
Wine Pairing from Bosman’s Sommelier Josephine Gutentoft
With salmon I always prefer a white wine, but nothing with too much of an oak character. As such, a white Bordeaux blend made from Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon with a few years of ageing to it would work well. As the sauce is fat and creamy, the acidity of the wine will cut through it beautifully, as will the green character of the asparagus in the wine. Many of these styles of wines are made in Constantia or Cape Agulhas. Steenberg or Klein Constantia have very good examples of this type of wine.
