If you’re looking for a special, seasonal, luxurious Sunday supper for two, how about one that combines salmon fillets, chanterelle mushrooms and pinot noir?
Sounds extravagant, and certainly tastes that way, but it’s actually easy to make.
Preparing the fish is simple — put it in a pan, brush with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and bake until cooked. As noted in past stories, when cooked the fish will become opaque, start to separate slightly into flakes and feel slightly firm, not hard, a sign it’s overcooked, and not soft, a sign it’s not cooked through.
I left the seasoning on the salmon simple because its sauce is very richly flavoured.
Wild chanterelle mushrooms are in season and are a key ingredient in it. You’ll find them for sale at some supermarkets and farm markets. I bought them at Pepper’s grocery store (peppers-foods.com) and they were priced at $55.00 a kilogram.
That was a bit shocking, at first, but they are a real treat, only available a short while and because I only needed 100 grams for my sauce, I paid under $6.00 for them.
When buying chanterelles, opt for tightly formed, intact ones that look firm and dry and are not covered with forest-bottom debris. The latter is a sign the harvester didn’t take a lot of care when handling, cleaning and readying the mushrooms for sale. When in prime condition, chanterelles will keep well in a paper bag in the refrigerator for several days.
The chanterelles I purchased were very clean, but if you did need to remove any debris on the ones you’ve purchased, do so with a small, fine brush and/or paper towel. If there is dirt in the gills, quickly rinse it out with water and then drain mushrooms on towels. Don’t let mushrooms sit and soak in water, as they will absorb it.
To make my whipping cream-based sauce, I cooked the chanterelles with chopped shallots and garlic until tender, and then poured in some pinot noir. Salmon, because of its full-flavour and oiliness, is a fish that pairs well with this type of red wine, whether it’s served in glass alongside the fish or added to a sauce for it. That’s because it’s fruity, earthy nature and medium body and acidity compliments and cuts through salmon’s rich fattiness, but does not overpower the more subtle tastes in the fish.
When making the sauce, I reduced 1/4 cup of wine to just one tablespoon. Cooking and reducing the wine in that way alters its composition, allowing you to then add and simmer whipping cream without fear the latter will curdle. If one simply brought the wine to a simmer, added the cream and tried to reduce and thicken it into a sauce the wine’s higher alcohol content and acidity at that point would cause the sauce to split.
You could serve the fish with rice, orzo or steamed, miniature potatoes and some seasonal vegetables.
Salmon with Chanterelle Pinot Noir Sauce
Fish for two topped with a rich, decadent, easy-to-make sauce.
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking: About 20 minutes
Makes: two servings
1 Tbsp finely chopped shallot or red onion
3 1/2 oz. (100 grams) fresh chanterelle mushrooms, left whole if small, halved or quartered lengthwise, if large (see Eric’s options)
1 small garlic clove, finely chopped
2 Tbsp olive oil (divided)
1/4 cup pinot noir
1/2 tsp chopped fresh tarragon or thyme, or pinch dried
1/2 cup whipping cream
2 tsp whole-grain Dijon mustard
2 (6 oz./170 gram) salmon fillets
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Heat 1 Tbsp of the oil in nine-inch wide skillet set over medium to medium-high heat. Add the shallots (or onion) and mushrooms and cook until mushrooms are tender, about five minutes. Mix in garlic and cook one minute more.
Add the wine and tarragon (or thyme) to skillet; bring to a simmer and cook until the wine is reduced an almost syrupy 1 Tbsp. Add the whipping cream and mustard to the skillet and bring them to a simmer. Now remove from the heat, cover and set sauce aside for a now.
Preheat the oven 375 F. Line a shallow baking dish with parchment paper. Set in salmon, skin-side down. Brush the top of the salmon with 1 Tbsp olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Bake the salmon for 12 to 15 minutes, or until just cooked through.
When salmon is almost cooked, return the sauce to a simmer. Simmer until cream reduces and a lightly thickened sauce forms. Taste sauce and season, as needed, with salt and pepper.
When cooked, set a piece of salmon on each of two plates. Top with the sauce and serve.
Eric’s options: When chanterelle mushrooms are not available, you could replace them with another type, sliced, such as brown, shiitake or oyster mushrooms, or a mix of mushrooms. Instead of salmon, you could also spoon this sauce over seared pork chops or chicken breast.
Eric Akis is the author of eight cookbooks. His columns appear in the Life section Wednesday and Sunday.
