Risotto of Herbs With Salmon, Oysters, Caviar and Champagne
What a wonderful combination of colors, tastes, and textures: seasoned salmon pieces amidst herb risotto and sevruga caviar cream sauce. For an added touch, the chef completes his dish with a deep-fried oyster and fresh chervil.
Ingredients
- Vegetable Stock
- Unsalted Butter - 4 tablespoons
- Onions - 1 medium, finely chopped
- Carrots - 2, finely chopped
- Leek - 1, large, finely chopped
- Celery - 3 stalks, finely chopped
- Fennel - 1 head, fresh
- Bay Leaves - 2
- Lemon Slices - 2
- Black peppercorns - 10
- Water - 4 cups
- Salmon fillet - 8-ounce, cut into1/2 in. dice
- Pinch of salt
- Cream Sauce
- Shallots - 6, finely sliced
- White Wine - 1 cup
- Fish stock - 1 cup
- Heavy whipping cream - 1 cup
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- Fresh lemon juice - 1 teaspoon
- Sevruga caviar - 2 ounces
- Batter
- Bottled Beer - 1/2 cup
- All-Purpose Flour - 1/2 cup
- Active Dry Yeast - 1 tablespoon
- Pinch of sugar
- Risotto
- White Onions - 2, finely chopped
- Unsalted Butter - 4 tablespoons
- Pinch of salt
- Carnaroli - 1-1/2 cups (alt. arborio rice)
- Vegetable Stock (recipe follows) - 3 cups
- Fresh Herbs - 4 tablespoon,s chopped, 1 sprig each chervil, dill, coriander, and tarragon, minced together
- Creme Fraiche - 4 tablespoons
- Champagne - 1/2 cup
- Rock Oysters - 4, opened and cleaned
- All-purpose flour for dusting
- Garnish
- Fresh Chervil - 4 sprigs
Instructions
To prepare vegetable stock: In a large stock pot over medium high heat, sweat vegetables in melted butter for 5 minutes. Add fennel, bay leaves, lemon slices, and peppercorns. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Cook for 15 minutes, then remove from heat and let stand for 1 hour. Press stock through a fine-mesh sieve, then season with salt and pepper. Reserve 3 cups of stock for use in preparing risotto.
To prepare the salmon: In a small bowl, lightly season salmon dice with salt and set aside.
To prepare the cream sauce: In a large saucepan over medium high heat, place shallots and cover with white wine. Cook until mixture is reduced to approximately 1 teaspoon of white wine. Add the fish stock and repeat reduction. Add the whipping cream and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and press sauce through a fine-mesh sieve. Season with salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Reserve. (Set caviar aside to be added to cream sauce just prior to serving.)
To prepare the batter: In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together beer, flour, yeast, and sugar. Set aside for 30 minutes in warm place.
To prepare the risotto: In a large saute pan over medium high heat, sweat the onions in the melted butter until translucent, 2 to 3 minutes. Season with a pinch of salt. Add rice and stir to coat all grains. Cook rice 3 to 4 minutes, over medium high heat, stirring constantly. Bring reserved vegetable stock to a boil. Add half of the vegetable stock to the rice, lower heat to medium low and continue to cook, stirring constantly, adding more vegetable stock in small amounts as needed. After 10 to 12 minutes, rice will be finished. Stir in fresh herbs, creme fraiche, and champagne. Fold in salmon, continuing to cook just until salmon dice is heated through, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper.
To prepare the oysters: Just prior to serving, heat oil in a deep heavy-bottomed skillet to very hot. Dust each oyster in flour, then dip into the foam on the surface of the beer batter. Deep fry oysters until light golden brown in color. Squeeze fresh lemon juice lightly over each fried oyster. Reserve.
To serve: Warm cream sauce through; remove from heat and gently stir in caviar. Spoon risotto into 4 serving bowls, then drizzle cream sauce with caviar over the top of the risotto. Place an oyster in the center of each risotto mound, then garnish with a sprig of fresh chervil.
