FRESH FROM THE PACIFIC NORTHWESTSeattle's Flying Fish RestaurantA Spring recipe from Chef Angie Roberts at Seattle's renowned Flying Fish restaurant (www.flyingfishrestaurant.com).
All of Flying Fish's raw ingredients are organic or harvested in the wild, as they work closely with over 9 Seattle seafood suppliers, 5 vendors for produce, dairy and dry goods and 4 foragers to obtain these products.
In addition, the restaurant subsidizes a certified natural farm in the Kent Valley near Seattle. Chef and Owner Chris Keff and Chef de Cuisine Angie Roberts consult with farmers Shelley and Mike Verdi of Whistling Train Farm over their crop plan before plantings begin each year. Flying Fish's menus changes daily based on a morning conversation with the Verdis about what is ready for harvest that day and what Chef Angie's seafood suppliers tell her are the freshest available products.
For May, Chef Angie was inspired by spring's first wild king salmon from the Stitkine River in Alaska. She pairs this gorgeous fish with wild nettles from Whistling Train Farm. The nettles nutty and earthy flavors are a perfect foil for the salmon and she only uses the chutes and tops of the leaves. Once the nettles are cooked they completely lose their sting.
RECIPE
Stikine King Salmon with Whistling Train Farm sorrel spaetzle, sautéed nettles and green garlic cream sauce
Serves 4 Ingredients:
• 1.5 pounds Stikine King Salmon filet
• Salt and pepper to season fish
• Canola oil
For spaetzle:
• 1 bunch fresh sorrel leaves
• ½ cup whole milk
• 1 whole egg
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1.5 tsp salt
• 2 qt boiling water
• ¼ pound fresh nettles
• Canola oil for sautéing
For cream sauce:
• ½ yellow onion, sliced
• 4 stalks green garlic, sliced
• ¼ cup of butter
• ¼ cup white wine
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 2 cups of heavy cream
• Salt and white pepper to taste
Equipment needed:
• 10-12 inch non-stick sauté pan
• Colander with medium to large sized holes
• Rubber spatula
• Spatula for turning fish
• Blender
• 1qt or larger sauce pot
To make spaetzle: Place water in a pot and bring it up to a rolling boil. Combine sorrel leaves with milk and puree in a blender of food processor. Whisk the egg and flour together and slowly add sorrel/milk mixture until the consistency of pancake batter, season with salt. Pour the batter through a colander with large holes into the boiling water, use a spatula to press the batter through. Once the dumplings float to the top of the water scoop them out and place on an oiled plate or tray and set aside.
For the salmon: Season the portions with salt and pepper. Heat canola oil in a non stick sauté pan until just below it is just below smoking point. Add the salmon portions to the pan (pretty side facing down) and allow them to sear until golden brown then turn and continue cooking until slightly firm to the touch.
For the Cream Sauce: Sauté the onions and green garlic in butter until translucent. Add the white wine and reduce until almost dry. Add the lemon juice and reduce by half. Add the heavy cream and simmer until reduced by half. Season with salt and white pepper to taste.
For the nettles: Use gloves to remove the stems of the stinging nettles. Heat canola oil in a sauté pan and add the nettles, sauté until wilted then add the spaetzle to warm them though. Season the mixture with salt and pepper to taste. Serve the nettle mixture with the salmon filets and pour the cream sauce over it.
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