Salmon with Smoked Wild Mushrooms
This dish is full of Northwest flavors. Salmon broiled with the skin on is placed on a rich stew of wild mushrooms and veal glaze. It is served on plates bordered with golden-broiled cheese-covered macaroni and garnished with asparagus, corn, and tomato. With good ventilation, the vegetables can be done in the home kitchen; otherwise, smoke the mushrooms outdoors.
Ingredients
- Smoked Vegetables
- Hardwood Chips - 4 - 5, for smoking: alder, oak, hickory, apple, or mesquite
- Charcoal Briquettes - 2
- Mixed wild mushrooms - 1 pound (chanterelles, shiitaki, portobello, and oyster)
- Ear Corn - 1/2
- Veal stock - 2 cups
- Olive Oil - 2 tablespoons
- Shallots - 2, minced
- Clove Garlic - 1, minced
- Mixed Wild Mushrooms - 1 pound, smoked (above)
- Angostura bitters - 5 - 6 drops
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Crispy-skin Salmon
- Salmon fillets - four, 6-ounce, skin-on
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Olive Oil - 4 tablespoons
- Long Macaroni - 1 pound, cooked al dente
- Parmesan cheese - 4 tablespoons, grated
- Fresh Parsley - 1 sprig, stemmed and chopped
- Fresh Pencil Asparagus - 24 pieces, peeled and blanched
- Kernels - kernels from 1/2 ear grilled corn (above)
- Tomato - 1 medium, peeled, seeded, and diced
Instructions
To smoke the vegetables: Make sure all bark has been removed from the pieces of wood. Soak the wood chips in water for 15 to 20 minutes; this slows the burning and delivers a more intense taste. Light the charcoal briquettes and let them burn until covered with white ash. Put the wood chips in the bottom of a heavy roasting pan and add the charcoal briquettes, allowing the briquettes to ignite the wood. Once the chips begin to smolder, 10 to 15 minutes, place a rack or small grate over the coals, place the mushrooms and corn on the rack, and cover with aluminum foil. Poke 2 or 3 holes in the foil for ventilation. Smoke for 15 minutes, turning once during the cooking time. Remove the vegetables and let cool.
To make the mushroom stew: In a medium saucepan, bring the veal stock to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the stock has been reduced to 1/4 cup of glaze. Remove from heat.
Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and garlic and saute for 2 to 3 minutes, until translucent and soft. Cut or tear the larger mushrooms into bite-sized pieces. Add the mushrooms to the pan and toss to coat, then add the veal glaze. Season with the bitters, salt, and pepper. Keep warm over low heat.
To prepare the salmon: Preheat the oven to 400 F. Score the salmon skin in two or three places to keep the fish from curling. Season the fish with salt and pepper. Heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the salmon in the hot oil, skin-side down, until the skin is crisp and browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn the fish and place in the oven for 3 to 5 minutes.
To serve: Preheat the broiler on high. Arrange the macaroni in a circle around the outer edge of the serving plates, placing the pieces individually in concentric circles. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley and place under the broiler until lightly browned. Heat the last tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet and toss the asparagus spears, corn kernels, and tomatoes to heat. Divide the mushroom stew among the plates, placing it in the centers of the plates. Place a piece of salmon on top of each mushroom stew, skin-side up. Garnish the plates with asparagus spears, corn kernels, and diced tomato.
