Rice Paper-wrapped Salmon with Tomato-Cucumber Salad and Coriander Broth
Coriander leaves and salmon are presented in crisp rice paper packets on a cool salad of coriander, cucumber, and tomatoes brightened with ginger. Chef Jarvis points out that he begins roughly chopping the coriander at the leaf end, cutting large pieces, but as he approaches the stem end with his knife he narrows the slices, cutting the thicker stems into smaller pieces. The unusual garnish is a pair of chopsticks, pointing up the Asian flavors in this dish.
Ingredients
- Coriander Broth
- Chicken Stock - 1 cup
- Coriander (cilantro) - 1/2 bunch, blanched and chilled
- Unsalted Butter - 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons)
- Salad
- Cucumber - 1, cut in half
- Coriander (cilantro) - 1 bunch, roughly chopped
- Grated Ginger - 1 teaspoon
- Tomatoes - 2 medium, red, yellow, or orange, quartered and sliced thin
- Extra-Virgin Olive Oil - 1/4 cup
- Rice Wine Vinegar - 1 cup
- Rice paper rounds - four, 10-inch
- Atlantic salmon fillet - four, 6-ounce pieces, skinned
- Coriander (cilantro) - 1/2 bunch, chopped
- Olive Oil - 1 teaspoon
Instructions
To make the broth: Bring the chicken stock to a boil and remove from the heat. Put half the stock in a blender, add the cilantro, and puree. Put the remaining broth in a bowl set in a larger bowl of ice to chill it quickly. Stir in the puree over ice. Refrigerate until ready to use.
To make the salad. Cut the seeds from one half of the cucumber; leave them in the other half for variety. Thinly slice both halves. Put the chopped coriander in a bowl. Add the ginger, tomatoes, and cucumber and toss together. Drizzle the oil and vinegar over the salad and toss. Chill until ready to use.
To prepare the salmon: Soak 2 rice paper rounds in warm water until soft and pliable. Pat dry on a towel and spread on a work surface. Pile one fourth of the coriander in the center of each. Top with a salmon fillet. Fold up the bottom part of the wrapper over the fish, then fold in the two sides. Fold the remaining flap over the others to form a packet, pressing gently to seal. Repeat with the remaining rice paper rounds, coriander, and fish.
Preheat the oven to 425 F. Heat the olive oil in a large ovenproof non-stick skillet or saute pan over medium heat and saute the packets for 1 minute, then increase the heat to medium-high and saute until golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Place in the oven for 2 to 3 minutes; turn the packets and cook another 2 to 3 minutes. The fish may be cooked from rare to well-done, to taste, by adjusting the time in the oven.
To serve: Heat the coriander broth in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the butter and swirl into the broth. Heat rapidly; the color is lost if it cooks too long. Mound salad in the center of each plate. Spoon coriander broth around the salads. Place a salmon packet on top of each. Garnish with chopsticks.
