Salmon with Red Wine-Balsamic Sauce
adapted from Chef Alfred Portale, Gotham Bar and Grill, Food and Wine, May 2011
INGREDIENTS
Four 6-ounce salmon fillets (note: Portale calls for skinless salmon and pan searing. I kept the skin and crisped it up as shown)
1 tablespoon high-heat oil (grapeseed, canola)
1 small shallot minced
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1-2 sprigs of thyme
1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
2 cups dry red wine
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons heavy cream
4 tablespoons old unsalted butter, cut into cubes
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
For the sauce:
1. In a medium saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Add the shallot and cook over moderate heat until softenend, about 4 minutes. Do not brown. Add the thyme sprig, cracked black pepper, red wine and balsamic vinegar and boil this mixture over high heat until reduced to about 2-3 tablespoons, about 12 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the cream, then whisk in the butter a couple of cubes at a time. Strain sauce through a fine strainer into a metal or glass bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Keep warm.
For the salmon:
(Note: here is Portales pan searing directions, but these can be applied to my pan-on-the-grill method shown above.)
1. Season all sides of the salmon with salt and pepper. In a large nonstick skillet, heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil (I used canola for the high heat of the pan on the grill…I was going for that hot, hot sear…). Add the salmon to the hot pan, skinned (or skin) side up. Cook over moderately high heat until the surface on the pan is well-browned, 2-4 minutes. Turn the salmon carefully and cook over moderate heat until the fish just opaque throughout, about 3-5 minutes longer depending on thickness. Transfer salmon to plates, spoon the sauce over the fish and garnish with more fresh ground pepper.