There are rumors out there that chefs keep the best cuts of meat or fish for themselves. While i should really try to extinguish such rumors i’m gonna go ahead and admit my guilt and point my finger at my fellow professionals as well. Chefs are bastards after all, for the most part.

I’m guilty my friends, guilty to have used the thicker part of the salmon filet for a business lunch and shamelessly saved for myself the fatty salmon goodness that is the belly. Since no crime remains unpaid i fully expect the karma police to hit me in the face with a steak tough like a shoe pad in the near future. A rubber chicken could hit me in the {beeeeep} and i would still think the moment of bliss provided by this salmon ‘confit’ was worth it. I would normally eat salmon belly sashimi style but i thought, hey.. let’s poach it in olive oil infused with herbs and garlic this time, just to see what happens. And so i did and it was good. Very good. The salmon belly didn’t seem to mind either. My own belly was happy too. Two happy bellies. One innocent and one guilty.

To honor the happy bellies i roasted some beets, fingerling potatoes and onions, soft boiled some quail eggs and made a salad with frisee and red leaf lettuce (i wanted to use dandelion but couldn’t find any). Made a mustard vinaigrette. Tossed some fines herbs and fleur de sel over the salmon and that’s about it. This would make a very nice lunch or a first course for a dinner but it taste better hiding in a dark corner, not sharing with anyone.

Enjoy, while i get my ass kicked by a mob of angry chefs.

Olive Oil-Poached Salmon Belly Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette

Serves 4

For the salmon confit: 1 lb salmon belly 1 1/2 cup olive oil Bouquet garni 1 garlic clove, smashed a few grains of black pepper For the salad: 4 small beets, roasted in foil and peeled 1/2 lb fingerling potatoes, roasted 1 cup cippoline onions, roasted 1 frisee lettuce, cleaned and roughly chopped 1 red leaf lettuce, cleaned and roughly chopped 12 quail eggs 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped 1 tablespoon fresh chervil, chopped 1 tablespoon fresh chives, chopped 2 teaspoons fresh tarragon, chopped fleur de sel and cracked pepper For the mustard vinaigrette: 1 large egg yolk 1 tablespoon dijon mustard 1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar 1 tablespoon lemon juice 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (you could use the oil you used for the salmon) salt and black pepper to taste For the salmon confit: Combine the olive oil with the bouquet garni, garlic and black peppercorn in a small, shallow saucepan. Heat over very low heat until the oil reaches 150’F. Add the salmon and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the salmon just begins to firm up. Carefully lift the salmon from the pan and place on paper towels to drain. You could use the oil in the mustard vinaigrette, you can also re-use the flavored oil to make more or in shrimp ceviche, etc…

For the mustard vinaigrette:

Whisk the egg yolk in a small bowl with mustard, vinegar, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Whisk in the olive oil. Adjust seasoning.

For the salad:

Mix the parsley, chervil, chives and tarragon and reserve.

Bring a small pot of water to a simmer. Carefully put the quail eggs inside and boil for 2 minutes. Run immediately under cold water and peel the shell.

Slice the beets and the potatoes and toss all the ingredients of the salad together with the mustard vinaigrette. (except the herbs and the quail eggs).

Dress the salad, divide the salmon confit among the plates and sprinkle with the fines herbs, some fleur de sel and some cracked pepper, slice and arrange the quail eggs around the salmon.

Be Sociable, Share!



















Tags: Appetizer, Salad, Seafood