Fish Night

Monday is not supposed to be a good day for fish. Most say, fisherman do not work on Sunday or even Saturday so the fish is last week's catch and old. It is our tradition to always have fish on Monday, not Friday even though I was raised Catholic. We like to eat light on Monday after our weekend of richer food, wine and desserts, so to make up for a decadent weekend, fish is on the menu.

If it were my husband’s choice we would eat fish three or four nights a week yet we still have a sixteen year old in the house and she would protest. So I shop at my favorite fish and poultry market on Monday and let my fish monger guide me to the best fish of the day. Today I chose salmon. After writing about Susan Spicer’s cookbook, “Crescent City Cooking”, I am craving her chourcroute, a traditional, French, Alsatian and in general central European dish that normally blends sour cabbage with smoked pork and sausage. I also love making that dish, in the depth of winter, but Spicer’s dish is a twist, lightened up by using salmon as the meat. Perfect for a Monday night dinner. It is made more elegant by adding a sauce; a tangy Gewurztraminer beurre blanc. I served this dish with Yukon gold potatoes that I peel, cut up, boil then drain. I heat a pan to medium high, add a few tablespoons of olive oil and place the potatoes in the pan and then break them up with a potato masher. I seasoned the potatoes with salt and pepper then let them sit in the pan to brown while I cook the salmon. The combination of the tangy sauerkraut, crunchy salmon (coated with panko then pan seared), smooth butter sauce with the potatoes to catch all of the flavors makes this dish one that I cook over and over. Please see my picture of this dish on my photos. I hope you enjoy it!

Salmon with Choucroute and Gewurztraminer Sauce

Susan Spicer of Bayona in New Orleans’s loves this dish because of the tart of the sauerkraut and spiciness of the Gewurztraminer that balances the richness of the fish. I completely agree and would recommend a dry Gewurztraminer, Riesling, or Pinot Gris; if you are in the mood, your favorite beer.

Chourcroute

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 carrot, julienned (I use a benriner mandoline)
• 1 (16 ounce) jar sauerkraut
• 1 cup chicken stock
• ¼ cup white wine (I used the Gewurztraminer)
• ½ teaspoon coarsely chopped whole juniper berries
• 1 bay leaf
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• Snipped fresh chives, for garnish

Gewurztraminer Sauce

• 1 cup Gewurztraminer (you can substitute Riesling or another Alsatian white wine)
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
• 2 tablespoons cream, optional (this is my addition, find the sauce breaks less with the addition of a bit of cream)
• 4 tablespoon (1/2 stick) butter
• Pinch salt

Salmon

• 4 salmon fillets (about 6 ounces each)
• Salt and pepper
• 1 cup panko or dry bread crumbs, mixed with 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and carrot and cook, stirring, until just wilted. Stir in the sauerkraut, stock, wine, and seasonings. Bring to a simmer and cook, about 15 minutes, then set aside, to keep warm.

Combine the wine, vinegar, and shallots in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer gently until the liquid is reduced to 2-3 tablespoons. Gradually add butter, in small pieces, whishing constantly, until the butter is incorporated, not melted. The sauce should be a shiny, creamy yellow. Add salt to taste. Taste, and adjust seasonings.

Season the salmon with salt and pepper and coat with the bread crumb mixture. Heat the olive oil in a wide skillet over medium-high heat. When it is very hot but not smoking, add salmon, presentation side down. Lover the heat to medium, add the butter, and use a spatula to lift. Cook until it is golden brown, about 3 minutes. Turn and cook about 3 more minutes, until salmon is just medium-rare. Cook a little longer if you like it more done, but not long enough to dry it out.

Divide the choucroute among four plates, top with a piece of salmon, and drizzle the sauce around the fish. Garnish with chives.