Friday Night Fish: Salmon with Herb Vinaigrette, Quick-Pickled Butter-Sauteed Radishes & Beluga
Imitation is the highest form of flattery, right? If so, consider this an ode to Forequarter in Madison, Wisconsin. My husband and I ordered a dish there similar to this a few years ago and we have continued our efforts in re-creating it. Sometimes we go all out with the ingredients on special occasions, and other times, we just use what we have on hand to make a simple, pared down version.
When the culinary experts at Forequarter prepared this dish, it came sprinkled with pops of smoked roe on top, they used watermelon radishes, I believe, and if I remember correctly (this was way back in 2013...and yes, that's how much we liked it), it was made with rainbow trout instead of salmon. I've made this with both salmon and trout and both have been excellent. It's pretty easy to find relatively inexpensive local trout in these parts, too. Roe is a bit pricy, so that's one of those ingredients I save for special occasions (I've even bought non-smoked roe and did my makeshift version of smoking it at home). Using watermelon radishes will give the dish a theatrical flair with their tie-dyed appearance, but regular radishes will work just as well. The black beluga lentils provide a dramatic backdrop, though, also serve a purpose in that black lentils are firm and stand well on their own. If you can't find black lentils, the next best option would be puy/French green lentils, which are a greyish-green color and also retain their texture upon cooking. Avoid red and yellow lentils for this dish.
Hopefully you will feel inspired by these embellishments and get creative with it, but if you're looking for an easy weeknight meal, start here and work your way up. Or you could screw cooking altogether and just make a roadtrip to Madison specifically to dine at Forequarter. They have something similar on the menu right now but with burnt orange...yum!
Salmon with Herb Vinaigrette, Quick-Pickled Butter-Sauteed Radishes & Beluga Lentils
Serves: 2
Preparation Time: 45 minutes
Ingredients:
1 c. black beluga lentils, rinsed & sorted
1.5 c. broth or water
1 pkg. fresh chives or 1 bunch green onions, finely chopped
1 pkg. fresh dill
5-6 radishes (or 2-3 if you're using larger watermelon radishes), cut into quarters (or smaller depending on how large of radishes you're using)
apple cider vinegar
3-4 tbsp. soft butter, divided
coarse salt
1 large thick salmon filet (~2/3 lb.), or 2 small (1/3 lb. each)
dry white wine or vermouth
3 tbsp. olive oil
1.5 tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 tbsp. honey
1 tbsp. dijon mustard
salt/pepper, to taste
crème fraîche or Greek yogurt, to serve
Method:
1. Put quartered radishes into a bowl and pour in just enough apple cider vinegar to just barely cover the radishes. I like to use a narrow, high-walled bowl for this. Let radishes marinate while you prepare the lentils, salmon and vinaigrette.
2. Place broth or water in a pot and bring to a boil. Add lentils and about a tablespoon of chopped chives/green onions, then turn heat down until the water is at a gentle simmer and cover. Let simmer until the lentils are cooked through, but have a firm bite. This will likely take 25-30 minutes. You may need to drain the lentils if all the cooking liquid hasn't been absorbed.
3. Sprinkle salmon filets with coarse salt and let sit at room temperature. Make vinaigrette by whisking olive oil, red wine vinegar, honey, dijon mustard, salt/pepper and a tablespoon each of very finely chopped chives and fresh dill. Taste test and adjust any flavors that need balancing.
4. Drain radishes so most of the vinegar is out of the bowl. Add in 1-2 tbsp. soft butter, a pinch of coarse salt, and another tbsp. of chives. Mix until the radishes are well coated. Bring a large saute pan to medium-high heat and then add radishes. Stir fry until they turn slightly golden. Remove from pan and keep warm.
5. Add another tbsp. or so of butter to the hot saute pan. Place salmon filets, flesh side down and sear until slightly golden, then flip. Continue to cook over high heat and add radishes back into pan. Add more butter if necessary and deglaze pan with a splash of wine or vermouth. Remove from heat and cover to finish cooking (you'll want the salmon to be just done in the middle).
6. Pour half of the vinaigrette on the salmon and radishes and the other half into the lentils and stir. Serve salmon and radishes atop lentils, sprinkle with fresh chives and dill, top with a dollop of crème fraîche or Greek yogurt (and smoked roe if you fancy).
