Sunflower Seed-crusted Salmon Fillet on Enchilada with Mole Aji Amarillo
Corn enchiladas serve as the base for a southwestern variation on salmon, combining crusted fillets with mole aji amarillo, salsa, and cheese. The mole preparation is similar to other nut-based sauces in southwestern cuisine, but Chef Wadlund then cooks it with shortening, like refried beans. Aji amarillo are dried yellow chilies with medium heat; reconstitute them by soaking in water for 30 minutes before using. It is easiest to remove the seeds before soaking; just trim the top and shake them out.
Ingredients
- Flat Enchilada Batter
- Fresh Masa - 1 pound
- Vegetable shortening - 1/2 cup
- Salt - 2 teaspoons
- Cayenne Pepper - 1/2 teaspoon
- Dry white wine - 1/4 cup
- Water - 1/4 cup
- Honey - 2 tablespoons
- Fresh Corn Kernels - 1 cup
- Mole Aji Amarillo
- Corn Oil - 1 tablespoon
- Yellow Onion - 1-1/2 cups, chopped
- Garlic puree - 1/2 ounce
- Tomatillos - 1/2 pound, cleaned and chopped
- Yellow Pepper - 2 cups, seeded, stemmed, and chopped
- Almond Slivers - 1-1/2 cups, blanched
- Whole Oregano Leaf - 2 tablespoons
- Salt - 1 tablespoon
- Ground Coriander - 1/2 tablespoon
- Ground Allspice - 1/2 tablespoon
- Clam Juice - 10 ounces
- Dry white wine - 1 cup
- Water - 1/2 cup
- Aji Amarillo - 5 seeded and stemmed, reconstituted
- Vegetable shortening - 1/2 cup
- Sunflower Seed Crust
- Sunflower Seeds - 1 cup, cracked
- Yellow Cornmeal - 1 tablespoons
- Dried Lime Zest - 2 tablespoons
- Salt - 1 tablespoon
- Salmon fillets - six, 6-ounce
- Buttermilk - 2 cups
- Kosher salt - 1 teaspoon
- Corn Oil - 1 to 3 tablespoons
- Queso Fresca - 3 tablespoons, or parmesan, or monterey jack cheese
- Cilantro - 1 tablespoon, chopped
- Salsa - 1 cup
- Chives - 8 to 10, minced
- Sunflower Sprouts - 2 cups
- Olive Oil - 1 tablespoon
Instructions
To make the enchilada batter: Combine all ingredients except the corn in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat at low speed until blended. Add the corn and beat at medium speed to incorporate. Put in a sealable container and keep refrigerated.
To make the mole: Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat and add the onion, garlic, tomatillos, and yellow pepper. Cover and cook until the onions are translucent and the vegetables softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Do not brown. Add the remaining ingredients except the shortening and bring to a boil; cover and simmer 20 minutes. Put in a blender or food processor and blend until almost smooth; leave a little texture. Put the shortening in a large skillet over medium-high heat and heat until just below the smoking point. Add the mole, cover, and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and let cool. Pack in a sealable container and keep refrigerated.
To make the crust: Mix the ingredients together. Put in a sealable container and keep in a cool place until ready to use.
To prepare the enchiladas: Make 12; cook like pancakes. Heat a non-stick griddle or large non-stick saute pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Drop a large spoonful of batter on the griddle and spread into a 4-inch circle. Cook until the edges firm and brown slightly, flip, and cook on the other side until lightly browned. Remove from heat; keep warm. Repeat to make all the enchiladas.
To prepare the salmon: Place the salmon fillets in a shallow pan and cover with buttermilk; let marinate 2 hours. Spread the sunflower seed crust mixture in a shallow dish and put the fillets in the mixture, one at a time, skin-side up, coating the flesh sides of the fillets heavily with the mixture. Salt the outside of the fillets. Heat 1 tablespoon of the corn oil in a large skillet or saute pan and saute until the fish are done through and golden brown on both sides. Do not crowd the pan; if you need to cook in batches, wipe the pan between batches and heat another tablespoon of corn oil before proceeding.
To serve: Slightly overlap two flat enchiladas on each serving plate. Spoon mole over each. Place a salmon fillet on each, crust-side up. Spread queso fresca on one side of the enchiladas, and a spoonful of salsa on the other side. Sprinkle with chives. Toss the sunflower sprouts with olive oil and garnish each dish with a handful of sprouts.
