Description
Among my favourite cold-weather comfort-meets-elegance meals. Crispy skinned salmon served over creamed Savoy cabbage. A simple winter dinner that balances rich salmon with tender, creamy greens.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
For the salmon:
- 4 salmon fillets, skin on (about 6 ounces each)
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 1 medium head Savoy cabbage, core removed
- 6 rashers of thick-cut, double smoked bacon, cut into "Lardons"
- 3 tablespoon butter
- 3 garlic cloves, finely grated
- 2 cups cooking cream or half and half (15 - 18% milk fat)
- 1/4 bunch of parsley, finely chopped
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Starting with the cabbage. Discard outer leaves if necessary. Then with a sharp knife, remove the core in a conic shape. Remove leaves one by one until you reach the center. Trim or remove the center “vein” of each leaf for best results.
- Bring a large stock pot of water to a boil. Blanch your cabbage until tender but not fully cooked (3 to 4 minutes, maximum). Immediately strain and shock into an ice bath. When fully cold, remove cabbage from water and strain. Best if you use clean kitchen towels to pat them dry.
- Stack leaves and roll into a cigar shape and cut into strips about a ¼ inch thick.
- Over medium-high heat, preheat a skillet. Add your lardons and cook until crisp. Discard rendered fat. Add butter, chopped garlic, cabbage, toss lightly then add cooking cream. Adjust seasoning. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 – 15 minutes.
- While cabbage simmers, pat the salmon fillets completely dry and season generously with salt and pepper.
- Heat olive oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Place the salmon skin-side down.
- Cook skin-side down DO NOT MOVE THEM! Adjust heat if necessary. After 3 minute or so, you will notice that heat already reached halfway through each portion. LEAVE IT ALONE for another 2 minutes. (At this point, feel free to move them around without flipping.) Reduce to minimal heat, add butter, and baste the top side with the melted butter until you see the fish begin to become opaque. Remember, the top side should be barely cooked, but warm.
- Serve the salmon over the creamed Savoy cabbage. You can plate with crispy skin up, or down. Your choice.
