Good Fish_ Sustainable Seafood Recipes From the Pacific Coast - Becky Selengut [39]
In a blender, purée the blanched asparagus stems and peas, along with the parsley, yogurt, olive oil, and lemon juice, until smooth. Push the purée through a fine mesh strainer using a rubber spatula; season to taste with salt and pepper. Warm in a small saucepan before assembling the dish.
To prepare the beurre blanc, in a small saucepan over high heat, add the tarragon, shallot, white wine, and champagne vinegar. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the liquid is reduced to just 1 tablespoon, 6 to 7 minutes. Turn the heat down to its lowest setting and whisk in the cold butter 1 tablespoon at a time, adding each only after the previous one has been incorporated. Taste for seasoning and then set the beurre blanc aside in a warm place. It will hold for about half an hour; if it should “ break,” mix it in a blender for 1 minute to re-emulsify.
To prepare the vegetable sauté, in a sauté pan over medium heat, add the prosciutto. Cook the prosciutto until its fat is rendered and it starts to crisp, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the shallots and asparagus tips and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, or until the shallots are tender. Add the reserved peas. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside and keep warm.
To prepare the scallops, dry them with paper towels. Place them on a plate and season generously with salt and pepper. Heat a heavy skillet over high heat. Add the vegetable oil and, when it is really hot, carefully add the scallops to the pan, being careful not to splatter oil on yourself or crowd the pan with too many scallops. Cook the scallops for 3 minutes on one side without disturbing them, or until they are caramelized, then flip, cooking the other side for 2 minutes more. Set aside and keep warm until ready to assemble dish.
To assemble the dish, place a little pea and asparagus purée on each of 4 plates. Top with some of the prosciutto, pea, and asparagus sauté and a seared scallop. Pour some tarragon beurre blanc over the scallop. Garnish with tarragon leaves.
PAIRING: A grüner veltliner, such as F.X. Pichler Federspiel Loibner Frauenweingarten 2007, Wachau, Austria, or a white Bordeaux.
FINFISH
wild salmon
In 2006 I ran the galley of a seventy-five-foot yacht headed up to Ketchikan, Alaska, by way of the Inside Passage. My sole motivation for taking this job—aside, of course, from the stunningly beautiful landscapes—was what I had hoped would be access to some of the freshest and most delicious seafood I’d ever laid my hands on. I was not disappointed.
The boat was a day outside Queen Charlotte Sound and its nauseatingly rolling sea. When we arrived at the Shearwater Marina, near Bella Bella, British Columbia, my sea legs were barely beneath me, so the dock planks felt especially comforting. Matt, the marina manager, greeted me on the dock and quickly offered me a freshly caught twenty-pound king salmon that some sport fishermen had left them that day. By way of an answer, I jogged up the dock, trailing after him, a smile on my face like a delightfully simple-minded Labrador retriever. I remember holding that salmon tenderly to my chest, thanking him profusely, and coddling it the whole way back to the boat, grinning like an idiot.
I busily got to work cleaning, scaling, and cutting the salmon into portions that would fit in the boat’s refrigerator and freezer. I threw the backbone and tail over the side of the boat and watched as little fish instantaneously darted at it, taking their share as it slowly descended. I watched the bones sink until I could no longer see them and then caught up with the rest of the group. I smelled like a salmon. I couldn’t have been happier.
WHAT MAKES THIS A GOOD CHOICE: As of this writing, Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch lists all species of Alaska salmon as a “Best Choice.” All species of