Grant County Gourmet: Try these ideas for a more flavorful salmon

I wanted to try a different approach to cooking a salmon fillet the other day that worked out really well. Instead of just baking it (or grilling it), I thought I would top it with a sauce while it was baking, in order to get the sauce to dry out and brown lightly, before the fish was cooked through and dried out. The sauce was unique in that I placed a large heirloom tomato that I had cored and peeled into the food processor and then whipped it into a liquid. I added a little bit of salt and pepper to taste, along with about 1/3 of a cup of mayonnaise. I then spooned it onto the fish. The sauce was quite slack, so after about 5 minutes of baking at 350 degrees, I reapplied the sauce. I did this procedure twice more before the salmon was done. Part of the meal was some baked zucchini, which also got the sauce treatment, along with a baked potato. After the baking process was done, extra sauce was provided for each plate, which I used solely for topping the potato. The tomato flavor in the uncooked sauce was amazing. The ripe tomato flavor was strong, yet not overpowering, and clearly was saying we were in the middle of summer.

SALMON TOMATO BAKE

1 large salmon fillet

1 large heirloom tomato or equivalent smaller ones, peeled and cored

Salt and pepper to taste

1 tablespoon oyster sauce, optional

1/3 cup mayonnaise

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place fillet in a baking dish. Place tomato in food processor and process until a liquid. Add flavorings and mayo and process until well blended. Spoon a small amount on the fish before placing in the oven. Baking time for the fillet will depend on the size of it. You’ll be looking for a point where the fish is no longer opaque. Before the fish is done, cover with sauce twice more, or as desired. When fish is done, cut into appropriate sized servings and offer extra sauce as desired.

BROILED SALMON STEAKS

8 salmon steaks

3/4 cup dry vermouth or strong fish stock

3/4 cup olive oil

1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon minced parsley

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon thyme

1/4 teaspoon marjoram

1/8 teaspoon sage

Dash of pepper

Place the salmon in a large pan. Mix the remaining ingredients and pour over the top. Allow to stand 3 to 4 hours, turning once. Preheat broiler. Remove the steaks from the marinade, reserving the marinade. Place the fish on a greased broiler rack and broil until brown. Turn carefully and brown on the other side. Cook until fork tender, about 5 minutes a side, brushing frequently with the reserved marinade.

WHOLE BAKED SALMON

1 salmon (7 to 10 pounds), cleaned

3/4 cup equal parts lemon juice and water

1 small onion, minced

Celery leaves from a small stalk

8 basil leaves

3 tarragon sprigs

2 rosemary sprigs

2 lemon slices with peel

1/4 teaspoon thyme

Salt

1/4 pound butter

2 shallots, minced

6 tablespoons flour

Liquid in which salmon was baked

Equal parts dry white wine and boiling water

1/2 cup cream

Salt and pepper to taste

2 egg yolks

Leave the salmon whole or remove the head. Rinse under cold running water and place on paper towels to dry. Place the lemon juice/water in a saucepan and add the onion, celery leaves, basil, tarragon, rosemary, lemon slices, and thyme. Let the mixture simmer, uncovered, 1/2 hour without boiling. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place the fish lengthwise on a long sheet of foil, bring up the edges and pour the lemon juice mixture over the fish. Sprinkle with salt. Completely enclose the fish, crimping the foil to seal the edges tightly. Place the foil-wrapped fish in a large baking dish and transfer to the oven. Bake until the fish flakes easily, about 1 hour. While salmon is baking, melt the butter in a saucepan and add the shallots. Cook until transparent but not brown. Using a wire whisk, stir in the flour until it is well blended. Cook over low heat 3 minutes. Let stand until fish is done. When fish is removed from the oven, use a large spoon to dip out the juices and add to the butter mixture in the saucepan, stirring constantly over moderate heat. Continue stirring vigorously and add enough wine and boiling water to make 5 cups liquid. Cook the liquid, stirring, until thickened and smooth. Add the cream and season with salt and pepper. Strain through a fine sieve. Just before serving, reheat and add the egg yolks, lightly beaten with a little of the hot sauce. Cook 2 minutes over low heat but do not let boil. Serve salmon hot with the sauce.