Seared Alaska Sockeye Salmon with New Potato and Alaska King Crab Hash
- Prep Time: 30 minutes plus time to thaw salmon filet if needed
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Servings: 4
- Yield: Approx. 1 1/2 cups Green Goddess, 4 cups potato and King Crab hash(Approx. 1/3 cup dressing,1 cup hash per serving)
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup basil leaves, tightly packed
- 1/4 cup fresh dill sprigs, tightly packed
- 1/4 cup tarragon,tightly packed
- 1/4 cup Italian parsley, tightly packed
- 1/4 cup mint leaves, washed, tightly packed
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup buttermilk
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 large skein Alaska pollock roe, roe removed, outer membrane discarded
- 8 small multicolored new potatoes
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 11/2 cup sugar snap peas, stem and string removed
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large spring onion with greens attached, sliced thin
- 1 large spring garlic with greens, and sliced thin
- 3 large Alaska king crab legs, picked over
- 1 Alaska sockeye salmon filet, skin off, pin bones out, cut into 4 equal portions
Preparation
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Step 1 Read the chef's notes
This recipe celebrates the seasonal bounty in all its splendor: snap peas so sweet you might think you added sugar, the freshly dug potatoes made even better by good butter, spring onions and garlic so tender, they yield at a mere whisper of heat. Then there is freshly caught Alaska Sockeye salmon, so beautiful, delicate, and vibrant red, it needs no more than a sprinkling of salt and pepper and a brisk time in the skillet to realize the full flavor it possesses. I could stop here and just enjoy. But as I am a big proponent of “more is better philosophy” I recommend folding in few chunks of sweet Alaska King crab into this medley. It truly elevates it.
Finally, a little drizzle of pale green sauce called the Green Goddess completes the dish. It is loaded with fresh green herbs that give it a bright clean flavor. Adding the spicy and sweet Pollock Roe into the sauce instead of customary anchovies is my new favorite way to prepare it. You will have more sauce than you need to serve with salmon. Use it as a salad dressing or a dip with chips the next day. I promise you will not be disappointed.
-Chef Vitaly Paley
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Step 2 Make green goddess dressing
Place picked herbs in a bowl; mix to combine. Remove about 1/3 cup herbs to a small container, cover and refrigerate. Place remaining herbs in a blender. Add mayonnaise, sour cream, cider vinegar and buttermilk. Season generously with salt and pepper; cover and liquefy until the mixture turns pale green. Transfer sauce to a small bowl; stir in pollock roe, cover and refrigerate. Green Goddess tastes best when fresh,but can be made up to a day ahead.
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Step 3 Cook potatoes
Place potatoes in a small sauce pot. Cover with water, add 1 tablespoon salt, and cook over high heat until they are tender when pierced with a paring knife, about 20 minutes, checking them often throughout cooking for doneness. Drain and cool slightly, about 10 minutes. When cool enough to handle, turn broiler on, quarter the potatoes and place on a small sheet pan. Break butter into small chunks; place butter on top of potatoes. Season potatoes generously with salt and pepper; place under the broiler just until golden brown, about 2 to 5 minutes. Reserve at room temperature.
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Step 4 Blanch snap peas
Bring a small pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the snap peas; blanch until they turn vibrant green, about 1 minute. Drain; refresh in ice water to stop the cooking process. Cut each snap pea in half lengthwise. Reserve at room temperature.
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Step 5 Make hash
Place a large skillet on medium heat; add 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add onion and garlic; season generously with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until softened slightly, about 5 minutes. Add potatoes, followed by crab. Cook stirring gently until warmed through, about 2 minutes. Turn heat to low while cooking the salmon.
Place a nonstick pan on high heat; add remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Season salmon pieces generously on both sides with salt and pepper. Cook about 2 minutes per side. While salmon is cooking, add the snap peas and fold in the herbs into the pan with potatoes and crab.
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Step 6 Serve
Spoon crab and potato hash onto a platter, top with cooked salmon and serve dressing on the side. Or you can spoon the hash onto 4 individual plates, top each with cooked salmon, and drizzle the dressing all over.
