Alaskan King Salmon Tournedos with Sea Urchin Sauce
This pretty dish has a delicious and distinctive fresh-from-the-sea taste. The colors of the salmon and beet coulis are pleasing together. Hiyashi Wakame is a prepared product, available at Asian markets, and blends seaweed, chilies, sesame seed, sesame oil, and rice vinegar; Thierry Rautureau says it is the one prepared product he will purchase.
Ingredients
- King Salmon Fillet - 24 ounces
- Olive Oil - 2 to 3 tablespoons
- Salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste
- Sea Urchin Sauce
- Dry Vermouth - 8 ounces, preferably Noilly Prat
- Shallots - 3, minced
- Fish Stock (see Basics) - 1/4 cup
- Unsalted Butter - 4 tablespoons, cut into small pieces
- Sea Urchin Roe - 3 ounces (alt.lobster roe, other small roe)
- Salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste
- Hiyashi Wakame (seaweed; “Russian salad”) - 1 cup (1/2 pound)
- Beet Coulis - 1/2 cup (recipe follows)
- Calendula Petals - 1/2 cup
- Pansies - 4
Instructions
To prepare the salmon: Using long-nosed pliers, remove any remaining bones from the salmon fillet. Remove the belly-side skin, using a sharp knife to lift the skin beginning at the tail. Working toward the head end, hold the meat in place with one hand and strip the skin upwards and away with your other hand. Butterfly the fillet, cutting lengthwise almost half way through the fish and then cutting parallel to the fillet toward one side almost to the edge. Carefully turn the fillet over and do the same procedure from the other side of the fish, cutting the unsliced side.
Open the fish out flat. Roll up, keeping the side from which the skin was removed on the inside. Using approximately 12-inch pieces of string, tie the roulade at 1-inch intervals. Make the ties snug and double knot, but do not put too much pressure on the flesh. Trim off any excess string and cut off the ends to square them; reserve trimmings for stock or other use. Cut the roll into medallions between the strings and season each with salt and pepper. The tournedoes may be cooked at this point, or covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated until ready to use.
To make the sauce: Put the vermouth and shallots in a small sauce pan and bring to a boil. Reduce by two-thirds, then add the fish stock. Reduce again by two-thirds. Reduce the heat to low and take the pan off the stove. Whisk in the butter, a few bits at a time moving the pan on and off the heat to keep the sauce warm but prevent the butter from liquifying as it is incorporated. Strain through a fine-meshed sieve and put into a blender. Add the roe and blend until smooth. Adjust seasoning to taste with salt and pepper.
To cook the fish: Preheat the oven to 375 F. Heat the olive oil in a large ovenproof skillet or saute pan over high heat and sear the medallions on both sides until browned. Place in the oven and finish cooking, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove and let rest for a full 5 minutes, keeping the medallions warm. Gently remove the strings.
To assemble: Keep the oven at 375 F. Spread the wakame on a baking sheet and warm in the oven for 2 to 3 minutes. Place a 3-inch ring mold on each serving plate and fill with 1/2-inch of wakame. Press down gently to firm. Lift the molds. For formal presentation, the four most even medallions will be used; for informal presentation, all medallions may be used: place salmon medallions on the plates next to the seaweed mold.
To serve: Spoon sea urchin sauce around the plates. Put the beet coulis in a squeeze bottle and drizzle on the plates. Garnish with calendula petals and a fresh pansy.
Beet Coulis
Cook the beets until just tender in boiling salted water. Drain and let cool. Slip the skins off the beets and coarsely chop. Place the beets in a blender and puree. Strain through a fine-meshed sieve and season with salt and pepper.
