Salmon BBQ
June 30th, 2010 | By: Lynn Rehn
Salmon are known as the king of fish, and are found in many places around the world. While there may be disagreements over the merits of Atlantic salmon versus Pacific salmon, and farmed versus wild, there is no contention about the flavor of this great fish, which can be prepared with virtually no limits to methods.
Imagine a local fisherman who decided to get off the boat and come to Issaquah to open a fabulous seafood shop on Gilman Boulevard. Meet Jim Oswalt, owner of Gemini Fish Market, tall, charismatic, and energetic, with a huge grin.
Now imagine a young man who blew out his knee, destroying his chances of a professional soccer career, and found a new dream as a chef! Meet quiet Sean Quinn, chef and owner of the Flat Iron Grill, a steak and seafood restaurant in Gilman Village with a bit of Argentinean flair.
Finally, imagine a beautiful house nestled in the woods, with an open covered kitchen and dining area, like the Sammamish home of Ronnie and Patti Simone.
Mix these together and you have all the ingredients for a wonderful salmon dinner and relaxed outdoor entertaining, complete with a lynx walking through the manicured grounds just as the guests arrive.
This wonderful evening starts with a phone call from Jim Oswalt, letting Sean Quinn and me know that he has just filleted a gorgeous troll-caught king salmon out of Sitka that was delivered to his market that morning.
Before Chef Sean and I meet to prepare appetizers and dinner for the Simones and their four guests, I call Tommy Garland, head wine steward of the Klahanie QFC. He’s been in the wine business for 16 years and is a wonderful source for pairing wines with various courses. He selects several excellent wines; see the sidebar for suggested pairings.
As the guests arrive and begin to sample the appetizers, Sean pulls a huge, beautifully filleted king salmon out of his cooler so he can remove pin bones while the Simones and their guests enjoy wine, Seastack Ash cheese, Pleasant Valley Gouda, and figlets – figs filled with goat cheese and wrapped with Nueske’s smoked bacon, then broiled in the oven just before serving.
I lightly coat the salmon with olive oil just before Chef Sean cuts it into individual steaks and seasons it simply with salt and pepper. Fingerling potatoes are in a hotel pan on the 6-foot grill, warming nicely in an onion mixture.
I prep black wood mushrooms, portabellas, enoki, and white button mushrooms for the caponata side dish, while Chef Sean assembles a quinoa salad with currents, arugula, poblano chiles, feta, and green onions.
Hosts and guests sip Syrah and Pinot Noir and enjoy the salad while Sean expertly grills the salmon. It glistens as it nestles on a bed of warm fingerling potato salad and then is covered in a fabulous chimichurri rojo sauce. Chimichurri is a Spanish version of pesto, a mixture of fresh chopped herbs and oil.
The salmon is a remarkable success, and we hear exclamations of delight from the diners.
This entire meal, from appetizers to wine pairings to the main course, is something you can try at home; the recipes for the fingerling potato salad and the chimichurri sauce follow. Northwesterners have a special affinity with salmon, as they return every year to our lakes, creeks, and hatcheries. I highly recommend visiting the hatchery in Issaquah, and watching the spectacular fish fight their way up the fish ladder, during the last week of September before the crush of visitors during this year’s Salmon Days Festival, on October 2 and 3.
Wine Pairings
As suggested by Head Wine Steward Tommy Garland, Klahanie QFC
For the appetizer courses:
The Crow
A blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon and Gewürztraminer.
Airfield Estates un-oaked
Chardonnay with fruit forward notes and Anjou Pear.
For the salad course:
Amavi 2007 Syrah from Walla Walla
It stands up well to acids, with a smoky note and hints of berries.
For the salmon course:
A 2007 Pinot Noir by Rex Hill from Oregon
This Rex Hill is a classically built beautiful wine.
Recipes
Warm Fingerling Potato Salad with Leeks, Golden Raisins, and Pine Nuts
Serves 4
2 pounds new potatoes diced ½”
½ poblano chile, diced
2 cloves of minced garlic
¼ yellow onion, diced
4 tablespoons of butter- 2 tablespoons for first sauté and 2 tablespoons for the roux
1 bunch leeks, sliced, white part only
½ cup diced celery
½ cup white wine
2 cups heavy cream
½ cup stone-ground mustard
¾ ounces sherry vinegar
2 ounces roux Put 2 tablespoons of butter in small pan, melt and add 1 ½ tablespoons of flour. Stir while cooking until blended and begins to darken.
¾ tablespoon fresh thyme
1 tablespoon Italian parsley
Salt and pepper
½ cup golden raisins
¼ cup pine nuts
Blanch the potatoes, and set aside. Sauté poblano, garlic, and onion in butter until tender. Add leeks and celery, and sauté for 1 minute. Deglaze with white wine. Add cream, mustard, and vinegar, and bring to a low boil. Add just enough roux to thicken, about 2 ounces. Add thyme and parsley, and season to taste. Reduce heat and add raisins, pine nuts, and reserved potatoes, and heat through (about 8 minutes).
Chimichurri Rojo for Grilled Alaskan Troll King Salmon
Makes about 2 cups
1 cup piquillo peppers
1 tablespoon roasted garlic
3 tablespoon ancho powder
2 tablespoons smoked paprika
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper
Combine peppers, garlic, ancho powder, smoked paprika, and lemon juice in a blender. Slowly add oil while blending. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
To serve, grill wild salmon. Place a serving of potato salad in the center of each plate. Lay salmon on top of potato salad and top with chimichurri rojo.
Flat Iron Grill Quinoa Salad
Recipe By Chef Cody Reaves
Serves 10
Ingredients
1 pound of Quinoa cooked
1 diced Poblano Pepper
1pound of crumbled Feta Cheese
1 diced English Cucumber
8 Green Onions, Sliced Thin
1pound of wild Baby Arugula
½ pound of Currants
1 ½ cups of Walnut Vinaigrette
In a large bowl mix all ingredients together, making sure that the walnut vinaigrette is well distributed. Using tongs arrange some of the dressed arugula on the base of the salad plates and then cascade the rest of the ingredients over the top.
Walnut Vinaigrette
Yield = 4Cups
½ Cup of toasted walnuts ground and chopped fine
1Tablespoon of minced shallots
1Tablespoon of minced garlic
2 Tablespoons of Stone Ground mustard
½ Cup of Champagne Vinegar
1 Tablespoon of Honey
½ Tablespoon of lemon juice
½ Cup of water
1 Tablespoon of fresh chopped Oregano,
1 Tablespoon of chopped Parsley
2 Cups of Olive Oil
Kosher salt & pepper to taste
Making the Dressing:
In a food processor combine all ingredients except walnuts and oil. While mixing on low slowly drizzle oil to make an emulsion. Add walnuts and adjust seasoning with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Store cold.
Rehydrating The Currants:
In a large sauce pan bring 2 cups of red wine vinegar and 2 cups of granulated sugar to a boil. Add the dried currants and simmer on low for approximately 5 minutes until the currants are plump. Strain the liquid and allow the currants to cool before adding them to the salad. The poaching liquid can be reserved cold for another use.
