Since she started out cooking on a pink four-burner stove in the basement of Toronto's Bohemian Restaurant, Karen Barnaby has been creating food that inspires. Always at the vanguard of culinary trends, she believes in fresh, seasonal, and preferably organic ingredients and uncomplicated techniques. She wrote her first cookbook, Pacific Passions, in 1995, followed up by Screamingly Good Food in 1997, and co-wrote and edited three Girls Who Dish! cookbooks. The Best of Karen Barnaby presents more than 200 of her favorite recipes from these books, plus new recipes.
When an idea strikes, it is usually a combination of flavors or ingredients. In this case, I had the title “King Salmon Bake” spinning around in my head before I knew what it was. What it turned out to be was a cozy combination of salmon, cheesy spinach and potatoes that became one of the best sellers in the history of the Fish House in Stanley Park. King salmon is the U.S. name for spring salmon.
Servings: 4
1 lb. (454 g) small red potatoes
1 lb. (454 g) spinach, stems removed, washed and drained
1 Tbsp. (15 mL) unsalted butter, melted
1 cup (240 mL) shredded, extra-old white Cheddar cheese or Asiago
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Cook the potatoes in boiling water until just tender, approximately 20-25 minutes. Drain and cool.
Place the spinach in a large pot, turn the heat to high and cover with a lid. Steam until it wilts, turning it over occasionally. Transfer to a large plate and spread out to cool. When cool, squeeze into small balls with your hands to remove the water. Finely chop and place in a bowl. Add the melted butter, cheese, garlic and salt. Mix well. The potatoes and the spinach mixture may be prepared up to a day in advance. Cover and refrigerate.
Slice the potatoes into 1/4-inch (.6-cm) slices and arrange in slightly overlapping rows in an 8- by 11.5-inch (20- by 29-cm) baking dish. Season well with salt and pepper and dot with half the 1 Tbsp. (15 mL) butter. Divide the spinach mixture into 4 equal portions, flatten each into an elongated patty and place one in each quarter of the baking dish over the potatoes. Place a salmon fillet over each patty of spinach, sprinkle with the lemon juice, dot with the remaining butter and season with salt and pepper. Cover snugly with foil and bake for 20-30 minutes, until the salmon is cooked through.
While the salmon is cooking, fry the bacon over medium heat until crisp. Drain on paper towels and crumble when cool. When the salmon is done, lift each portion onto heated individual plates or leave in the baking dish. Top each piece of salmon with a dollop of sour cream. Sprinkle the bacon and chives over the sour cream and serve immediately.
