Admittedly, this is not the most original creation to date. However, I wanted to keep it simple, fresh, and limited to what I had in the house...besides 2.42 lbs of delicious Norwegian salmon. Yes, we've all had those cravings for a nice piece of salmon, and believe it or not, I find that the local wholesale club is one of the best sources for the freshest salmon out there. Even the salmon at the local fish market here in D.C. doesn't always look as nice. At $7.99/lb, the wholesale club is also really reasonable. However, I just discovered (after purchasing my salmon from the wholesale club) that I will likely try purchasing my salmon from the largest Korean-operated grocery chain in this area, H-Mart, because their fish looked beautifully pink, firm, and was situated right next to the sushi grade salmon on the shelf at $6.99/lb!
Salmon is an amazing fish. Born in freshwater, the salmon migrate to the ocean for adult life, whereupon they return to freshwater (their natal stream!) to breed and procreate, whereupon the female typically dies from exhaustion. As a source of protein, salmon is a deliciously buttery, supple and oily--high in Omega-3 and Vitamin D, it's pink color simply due to the carotenoids in the muscle tissue (just like carrots!). Salmon is quite possibly one of my favorite fishes.
All right, I know they say to stay away from dairy and fish; but this creation was not only served over a Vermouth cream sauce, but the crust contained parmesan cheese; but such rule-breaking tasted quite good.
The 2.42 lb skinless, boneless salmon filet was placed on a well sprayed foil-lined baking sheet, then brushed with olive oil and some dry vermouth, and liberally seasoned with salt and pepper.
Into the food processor went 2 cloves garlic, about half a bunch of fresh parsley (enough to yield 1/4 C chopped), 1/2 tsp fresh lemon zest, 1 TBS olive oil, and about 1 1/2 C panko bread crumbs. This was pulsed until nicely combined, and spread to cover the entire salmon filet. After a moderate sprinkling of grated parmesan cheese, the filet was dusted with paprika and dotted with butter. In an attempt to make this as low-fat as possible, about 1/2 TBS butter was cut very small to distribute over the entire fish:
Bake at 375F for 15 min, broiled for 5, and allow to rest for about 3-4 min.
While baking, about 1/2 TBS of butter, 2 TBS olive oil were heated in a saucepan. To this was added 1 1/2 TBS flour. Whisking briskly, over medium-low heat, about 1/4 C dry vermouth, 1 C low-fat (1%) milk, 1/4 C fish stock (chicken or vegetable may be substituted), 1/4 tsp garlic powder, 1/4 tsp onion powder, and 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper, were added and incorporated thoroughly to produce a silky and smooth low-fat Vermouth cream sauce. Vermouth, of course, being a fortified wine typically aromatized with various herbs and spices.
The salmon was served on a bed of organic mixed greens with a slow-baked potato and low-fat Vermouth cream sauce.
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