Issue Date: January, 2010
Serves: Serves 4
Pairings:
Courtesy of:

Chef Susan Spicer, Bayona, New Orleans, LA

Ingredients:

Pacific salmon:

• 3 tablespoons olive oil, in all
• 1 red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 carrot, peeled and julienned
• 2 cups sauerkraut (from a jar rather than a can)
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1/2 teaspoon juniper berry, crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 4 (6-ounce) salmon filets
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 cup breadcrumbs mixed with 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
• 1 tablespoon butter (or clarified butter)
• Gewürztraminer sauce, for serving (recipe follows)
• Snipped chives, for garnish

Gewürztraminer Sauce:

• 1 cup Gewürztraminer (can use Riesling or other Alsatian white wine)
  
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar (imported honey-cider vinegar, if you can find it)
  
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
  
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  
• Pinch of salt

Instructions:

Pacific Salmon:
In a sauté pan, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and add onion and carrot slices, toss and cook over medium heat until just wilted. Stir in sauerkraut, wine, stock and seasonings. Stir well. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook gently about 15 minutes. Stir, taste and set aside. If it is a little dry, add a little more stock or water. Set choucroute aside and keep warm until ready to plate.

Season salmon pieces with salt and pepper and coat with breadcrumbs mixed with parsley. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in skillet and when almost smoking, add salmon pieces, serving side down. Lower heat to medium high, add the butter, lifting salmon pieces to allow a little butter to get under each one.  Cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Turn and cook on second side 3 minutes or so, until salmon is about medium-rare. Cook a little longer if you like it more done, but not long enough to dry it out (please).

Divide choucroute among four plates. Top each with a piece of salmon and spoon sauce around and over the fish (do not completely cover the crispy crust with sauce). Sprinkle with chives.

Gewürztraminer Sauce:
In a small pot, combine wine, vinegar and shallots and bring to a boil.  Lower heat and simmer gently until liquid is reduced to about 2 to 3 tablespoons. Then gradually add butter, small pieces at a time, over medium heat, constantly whisking until all the butter is incorporated. Season with salt to taste. Sauce should be a shiny, creamy yellow.