The Cook's Illustrated Cookbook (204 page)

MAKES ABOUT 1 CUP

Making this classic seafood sauce at home is easy and the results are far better than store-bought options.

Mix all ingredients together in small bowl. Cover and let sit to blend flavors, about 15 minutes. Stir again before serving. (Sauce can be refrigerated for up to 1 week.)

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

We wanted a fuss-free, foolproof sole preparation that was suitable for a weeknight dinner yet impressive and elegant enough to serve to company. We found that rolling the fillets into compact bundles eased the transport from baking dish to plate and covering the baking dish with foil protected the delicate fish from the drying heat of the oven. To ramp up the fillets’ mild flavor, we brushed them with Dijon mustard; seasoned them with salt, pepper, fresh herbs, and lemon zest; and drizzled them with melted butter and garlic. Then we rolled them up, drizzled them with more butter, and baked them. For texture, we added a mixture of herbs, butter, and panko bread crumbs to the sole at two intervals. We removed the foil before the fish was done cooking, basted the fillets with pan juices, topped them with most of the bread-crumb mixture, and then returned them to the oven uncovered. Just before serving, we sprinkled the remaining crumbs over the fillets.

SERVES 6

Try to purchase fillets of similar size. If using smaller fillets (about 3 ounces each), serve 2 fillets per person and reduce the baking time in step 3 to 20 minutes. We strongly advise against using frozen fish in this recipe. Freezing can undermine the texture of the fish, making it hard to roll. Fresh basil or dill can be used in place of the tarragon.

1.
Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Combine parsley, chives, and tarragon in small bowl. Reserve 1 tablespoon herb mixture; stir lemon zest into remaining herb mixture.

2.
Heat 4 tablespoons butter in 8-inch skillet over medium heat until just melted. Add half of garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

3.
Pat fillets dry with paper towels and season both sides with salt and pepper. Arrange fillets, skinned side up, with tail end pointing away from you. Spread ¹⁄
₂
teaspoon mustard on each fillet, sprinkle each evenly with about 1 tablespoon herb–lemon zest mixture, and drizzle each with about 1¹⁄
₂
teaspoons garlic butter. Tightly roll fillets from thick end to form cylinders. Set fillets, seam side down, in 13 by 9-inch baking dish. Drizzle remaining garlic butter over fillets, cover baking dish with aluminum foil, and bake 25 minutes. Wipe out skillet with paper towels but do not wash.

4.
While fillets are baking, melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter in now-empty skillet over medium heat. Add panko and cook, stirring frequently, until crumbs are deep golden brown, 5 to 8 minutes. Reduce heat to low, add remaining garlic, and cook, stirring constantly, until garlic is fragrant and evenly distributed in crumbs, about 1 minute. Transfer to small bowl, stir in ¹⁄
₄
teaspoon salt, and season with pepper to taste. Let cool, then stir in reserved 1 tablespoon herb mixture.

5.
After fillets have baked 25 minutes, remove baking dish from oven. Baste fillets with melted garlic butter from baking dish, sprinkle with all but 3 tablespoons bread crumbs, and continue to bake, uncovered, until fillets register 135 degrees, 6 to 10 minutes longer. Using thin metal spatula, transfer fillets to plates, sprinkle with remaining bread crumbs, and serve with lemon wedges.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

We wanted to find an effortless method for cooking skin-on salmon that would exploit the fish’s high oil content and natural moistness while creating a crisp, even, deeply golden crust; pan-searing was the answer. We preheated the pan over high heat, added a scant teaspoon of oil (butter was too rich and tended to burn), then turned down the heat soon after adding the salmon to the skillet to avoid scorching. We found that removing the salmon just before it was done prevented overcooking; the residual heat finished cooking the fish.

See “BUTTERFLYING SALMON” illustrations that follow recipe.

SERVES 4

To ensure uniform pieces of fish that cook at the same rate, buy a whole center-cut fillet and cut it into 4 pieces. With the addition of the fish fillets, the pan temperature drops; compensate for the heat loss by keeping the heat on medium-high for 30 seconds after adding them. A splatter screen helps reduce the mess of pan-searing. Serve salmon with a sweet and sour chutney (recipe follows), a fresh salsa, an herb-spiked vinaigrette, or a squirt of lemon or lime.

1.
Use sharp knife to remove any whitish fat from belly of salmon and cut fillet into 4 equal pieces. Pat fillets dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet until shimmering, add fillets, skin side down, and cook, without moving, 30 seconds. Reduce heat to medium-high and continue to cook until skin side is well browned and bottom half of fillets turns opaque, 4¹⁄
₂
minutes.

2.
Turn fillets and cook second side, without moving, until fillets are no longer translucent on exterior and are firm, but not hard, when pressed, 3 minutes for medium-rare (125 degrees). Transfer fillets to serving platter and let sit 1 minute. Pat with paper towels to absorb excess fat on surface, if desired. Serve immediately with lime wedges.

MAKES ABOUT
¹⁄
₃
CUP

Since it takes several minutes to make this chutney, prepare it before cooking the salmon. A little of this intensely flavored condiment goes a long way.

Mix fennel seeds, cumin, coriander, cardamom, paprika, and salt in small bowl; set aside. Heat oil in 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook until soft, 3 to 4 minutes. Add reserved spice mixture and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Increase heat to medium-high and add vinegar, sugar, and water; cook until mixture reduces by about one-third and reaches syrupy consistency, about 1¹⁄
₂
minutes. Stir in parsley.

Butterflied salmon should look similar to a salmon steak. The advantage of this method is that both sides of the flesh get a good sear, so there is twice as much of the brown, flavorful crust. We don’t recommend it for skin lovers, because the skin never crisps since it is never exposed to the heat.

To butterfly salmon, slice down middle of each fillet, cutting down to but not through skin. Fold halves away from each other so each side lies flat; skin should act as a hinge. Cook butterflied fillets for just 2 to 3 minutes on first side.

For heightened sesame flavor, rub the fish fillets with toasted sesame oil instead of canola or vegetable oil. If you pair this variation with the butterflied fillets variation, double the quantity of sesame seeds and coat both sides of each fillet.

Spread ¹⁄
₄
cup sesame seeds in pie plate. Rub fillets with 2 teaspoons canola or vegetable oil before seasoning with salt and pepper, then press flesh sides of fillets in sesame seeds to coat. Cook fillets as directed.