Salmon

Yummy.

And a chef’s dream. It has a mellow flavor, one that takes to almost any treatment or sauce. Nice color for plating. It is actually healthy for you before us chefs start putting our fatty, artery-clogging sauces and butters to it.

One of my favorite things to do was to braid strips of different types of fish and then serve them with multiple butters or sauces. Salmon was good for this and a firm fish like swordfish worked well. Strips of Thresher Shark also worked well in this treatment and gave a good balance to the Sea Bass or whichever fish you use.

I would use either Two Butters such as a classic Beurre Blanc and a Burgundy Butter for example, or Two Sauces such as a Bell Pepper Crème paired with a stout Bearnaise, for yet another example. I was big on garnishes so this dish was always sent out of the kitchen with the “wow” factor. If it didn’t make you say “wow” when you looked at it, it didn’t leave the kitchen.

People made a big deal out of my Salmon Mousse w/Beurre Blanc and Caviar appetizer.

It was very easy:

1-8 oz. boneless filet of salmon (cut into cubes)

1 tsp. diced shallots.

1 egg.

½ cup of heavy whipping cream.

¼ tsp. of white pepper.

½ tsp. of salt.

1 squeeze of lemon juice.

Put all ingredients in food processer. Pulse then high ‘til all ingredients marry and are creamy.

Butter 4-oz. ramekins.

Fill to 1/2” from top.

Put in water bath to cover 1/2 way up of the ramekins.

Cover with foil.

Cook in 400-degree oven for 20 minutes.

Top w/Beurre Blanc and drizzle different caviars.

Place Nasturtium edible flowers around mousse.

For garnish:

1 tbsp. Salmon Roe.

1 tsp. Black Caviar.

1 tsp. Golden Caviar.

You can serve Salmon en Croute and it is great because it’s almost impossible to overcook. When the filo pastry starts turning golden, your fish will be nearing perfection.

I made Salmon “pasta” and served it with Sea Scallops and Oyster Sauce.

Money.

As you can tell with the passion with which I write, I loved being an Executive Chef. Hell, I loved just being a grill cook. I found it fun and the busier we got, the more I liked it. That particular skill set served me well in my career. That career brought me money and some regional notoriety, yes, but it also allowed me to live an exciting, travelling lifestyle that I loved. Being a resort chef also had great perks.

Thank God I had someone with me who knew how to adjust and roll with the punches like Karen.

I keep threatening to start up a little breakfast nook that closes at 2pm every day, but the Domestic Despot then counters with unspeakable things, fit for man nor beast, so I just acquiesce and STFU.

Once you have it in your blood, it really is a hard thing to shake.

My Mom had it.

My big brother has it.

And to a smaller degree I have it. We love cooking and cooking for groups of people. The barometer is instantaneous: People are either leaving early half-full, or they are macking down your delicious food with big smiles on their faces.

Money.

Stay well.