Potato Herb Crusted Salmon w/ Wild Rice and Steel Cut Oat Risotto
Growing up in the Northwest Territories, my earliest memories were of tastes and smells of this time in my life. Earthy smoked hides, dried meats and tea: Aromatic and pungent. Forever locked in my mind's palette and still very evident in my food today.
One of my favourite flavours was this dish my Jijuu would make, which consisted of caribou meat sliced and fried up with lard, salt and pepper, then just water to make this really rich aromatic 'caribou stock' to which oatmeal was added. The result was this amazing dish that, still today, I can taste in my sleep. It was that good.
What I have done to the 'risotto' was to keep the same idea but adding my own personal touches with the addition of wild rice, mushrooms, blueberries and bacon. The good thing about this is that you don't have to treat this as you would a normal risotto as it's very forgiving. Enjoy!!
Ingredients: Serves 4
- 4-5oz portion organic salmon, skin removed
- ½ c parsley, finely chopped
- ¼ c chives finely sliced
- 1T tarragon finely chopped
- ½ c organic avocado oil
- 2T unsalted butter, cubed
- 1 potato sliced paper thin
- Salt and pepper to taste
Assemble:
- Combine all the herbs and oil, season, mix set aside.
- Place potato rounds in a single layer on baking sheet lined with an oiled piece of parchment paper.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Cover with parchment and another baking sheet the same size pressed down firmly.
- Bake in a pre-heated 400 degree oven for 5-8 minutes until barely cooked. Set aside.
- Take 1T of the herb mixture and spread evenly over the 'skin side' of the fish.
- Then evenly overlap the potato rounds to cover the fish and herbs to resemble 'fish scales'.
Wild Rice and Steel Cut Oat Risotto
- 1c Precooked wild rice
- ¾ c steel cut oatmeal
- 2 strips of double smoked bacon, diced
- 2 sprigs of thyme, leaves removed and finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic finely minced
- ¾ c wild assorted mushrooms
- 2T unsalted butter, cubed
- ½ cup dry white wine
- ¾ c dark game stock (beef stock will do, but not really Lol)
- ½ c smoked aged cheddar, small dice
- ½ minced parsley
- Lemon juice to taste
Assemble:
- In a sauce pan over medium high heat, add the butter, bacon, thyme and garlic.
- Render out the bacon then add the wine, deglaze, reduce.
- Add half the stock, the oatmeal and cook to about al dente, add the rice and cheddar, stir and cook until the oatmeal has absorbed most of the liquid, season with salt and pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice.
Blueberry Wild Sage Compote
- 1cup fresh blueberries
- 1 sprig dried white sage
- ½ c water
- ½ c sugar
- 1t lemon juice
- 1 lemon peel
- Over medium heat, combine all until reduced and flavours are well combined
Finish the dish:
- Over high heat in a sauté pan add the oil and butter until smoking, season the fish and place the salmon potato side down, sear.
- Spoon hot oil over top of the fish, do not turn the fish over (you want a dark potato crust) cook for 3-5, until medium. Set aside.
- On a large dinner plate, spoon on one portion of the risotto, place the fish on top skin side up, spoon over blueberry compote (repeat remaining fish and risotto) serve immediately.
