Pleasure and practicality are combined in Jacques Pépin's Kitchen: Encore with Claudine, from world-renowned chef and cooking teacher Jacques Pépin. This book, along with its prequel, Jacques Pépin's Kitchen: Cooking with Claudine, is a companion to the PBS series of the same name, but they each stand on their own.
This classic salmon dish is prepared with unskinned salmon fillet steaks. Cooked in a skillet on the skin side only--first uncovered, then covere--they cook all the way through, with the flesh remaining slightly rare. The fat that melts out of the salmon in the cooking process is discarded from the skillet, and a little butter and vinegar are added. This flavorful blend is poured over the fillets, and they are served with a garnish of croutons, lemon flesh, capers, and chives.
1 1/2 tablespoons canola oil
2 slices bread, cut into 1/2-inch croutons (1 cup)
4 salmon fillet steaks with skin on (6 to 7 ounces each)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons 1/4-inch pieces of lemon flesh
2 tablespoons drained capers
2 teaspoons minced fresh chives
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Heat the oil until it is hot but not smoking in a nonstick skillet. Add the croutons, and cook them for about 2 minutes, stirring them occasionally until they are nicely browned on all sides. Transfer the croutons to a bowl, and set them aside.
Sprinkle the fish steaks on both sides with the salt and pepper, and place them skin side down in the hot skillet you used to saute the croutons. (No additional fat is required.) Cook the fish, uncovered, for 3 minutes over medium to high heat, then cover, and cook it for another 2 minutes. Place the steaks skin side up on a warm platter, and sprinkle them with the croutons, lemon flesh pieces, capers, and chives.
Discard any fat that has accumulated in the skillet. (I had 2 tablespoons of melted fat from the fish in my skillet.) Add the butter to the skillet, and cook it over medium heat until it is lightly browned. Add the vinegar, shake the pan to mix it in, then pour the mixture over the fish steaks on the platter. Serve immediately.
