Thursday, March 27, 2008

Butter-Rubbed Salmon with Blueberry Sauce


Butter Rub
1 2-pound salmon fillet
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon capers, drained and mashed
1 teaspoon packed grated lemon zest
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon House Herbs or other Italian herb blend
1 tablespoon diced yellow onion
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Blueberry Sauce
2 cups chicken stock or store-bought low-sodium chicken broth
¼ medium yellow onion
¼ sweet apple, such as Fuji
3 to 4 sprigs fresh thyme
2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
1-½ teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces

In a small saucepan, bring chicken stock or broth to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and add onion, apple and thyme. Simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, turning over onion and apple, until stock is reduced by half. With a slotted spoon, remove onion, apple and thyme from stock and discard. Add blueberries and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 20 minutes, or until liquid is reduced to ¾ cup. Remove pan from heat. Add lemon juice, salt and pepper, and stir. Add butter and whisk sauce until butter is completely melted, about 1 minute. Serve hot, spooned over the Butter-Rubbed Salmon.

Whisk together the butter, capers, lemon zest, garlic powder, herbs, onion, salt and pepper. Using a basting brush and about half of the butter rub, coat one side of the salmon pieces with the rub. Refrigerate salmon for 5 minutes, or until the butter just hardens into a glaze.

Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium-high heat. Lay salmon, butter-rub side down, in pan and cook until bottom half of salmon flesh is opaque, about 3 minutes. Brush remaining butter rub over salmon and flip pieces. Cook 1 minute more or until salmon is nearly opaque throughout but still very moist.

From "Pure Flavor: 125 Fresh All-American Recipes from the Pacific Northwest" by Kurt Beecher Dammeier with Laura Holmes Haddad

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