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Building flavor in a recipe starts with good products, but constructing a harmonious, successful dish at Le Bernardin requires the skill as well as a knowledge of the ingredients and how they will work together on the plate. The creative process of this dish shows us how each component brings another layer of flavor to compliment the salmon.
Serves 4
Directions
For the garlic confit, combine the peeled garlic cloves and canola oil in a small pot and simmer over medium-low heat until soft and tender, but without color. Set aside. This can be done up to 2 days ahead and kept in the refrigerator.
Slice each of the different potatoes, starting with the Yukon Gold, into ¼-inch slices and then trim the slices into 1½-inch squares. Place the potatoes in a separate pots with cold water and salt, bring the potatoes to a simmer and cook until tender when pierced with a knife or skewer. Drain the potatoes and let cool enough to handle. Arrange the potatoes in a checkerboard pattern using each of the different colors on a large plate, repeat with the remaining 3 plates; cover the plates and set aside until ready to serve.
Combine the mustard, both vinegars and garlic confit in a mixing bowl, season with some salt and pepper and slowly drizzle in the garlic oil while whisking constantly to make an emulsified vinaigrette. Taste the vinaigrette to adjust the seasoning and set aside until ready to use.
Bring a pot of water to a boil then season generously with the kosher salt. While the water is heating, prepare an ice water bath. Add the parsley leaves to the boiling water and cook until tender about 2 minutes. Drain the parsley and immediately plunge in the ice water bath to shock the parsley and to stop the cooking, drain and place in a blender container with ice cubes; puree the parsley until smooth and pass the puree through a fine mesh sieve. Set aside.
To make the Pernod sauce, combine the reduced Pernod, cream, garlic confit and garlic oil in blender and process until smooth. Season the cream to taste with salt and pepper.
Preheat oven to 350ºF.
For the snails, melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a medium sauce pan and sweat the shallots and garlic. Add the snails and cook the snails over medium heat until hot and tender; season to taste with salt and pepper and finish the snails with parsley, lemon juice, espelette and the remaining butter.
To cook the salmon, put ½ cup water in a pan; season with salt and place the pan over medium heat. Season the salmon on both sides with salt and pepper. Place the salmon in the pan; allow it to cook at barely a simmer until the top of the fish is just warm to the touch (about 3 minutes).
While the salmon is cooking heat the Pernod sauce and whisk in 4 tablespoons of parsley puree. Season to taste and keep warm. Brush the potato checkerboards with the mustard vinaigrette and warm in the oven for about 3 to 5 minutes until hot and remove from the oven.
Gently re-warm the snails.
Foam the hot Pernod-Parsley sauce using an immersion blender until very frothy.
Remove the salmon from the pot and drain each fillet on a towel. Place two salmon fillets offset each other on the potatoes. Place 5 snails around the salmon and top each salmon fillet with a chervil sprig. Spoon the sauce and foam around the salmon and serve immediately.
Ingredients
The Garlic Confit
1 head garlic, peeled
1 cup canola oil
The Heirloom Potatoes
1 medium purple potato, such as Purple Majesty or Midnight Beauty
1 medium Yukon Gold potato
1 medium pink or red potato such as Adirondack Red or Red Thumb
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 cloves garlic confit, lightly
crushed
½ cup garlic oil (from the garlic confit)
- fine sea salt and freshly ground white pepper
The Parsley Puree
2 cups parsley leaves
2 ice cubes
- Kosher salt
The Pernod Scented Cream
1 cup Pernod, reduced by half
1 cup cream, reduced to ¾ cup
4 cloves garlic confit
3 tablespoons garlic oil (from the garlic confit)
- fine sea salt and freshly ground white pepper
The Braised Burgundy Snails
4 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons finely minced shallot
1 tablespoon finely minced garlic
20 Burgundy snails, canned
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 lemon, cut in half
- pinch piment d’espelette
or cayenne
- fine sea salt and freshly ground white pepper
The Wild Salmon
8 (3-ounce) wild Alaskan salmon fillets, skin off
- fine sea salt and freshly ground white pepper
The Garnish
Chervil sprigs
