Grilled Salmon with Silky Potato Sauce

The tasty and tantalizing culinary architecture of Lydia's Fall meal.

Once you’ve cooked salmon like this, you’ll never want to do it another way,” said Shire. “Leave the skin on. It’s the best part.” This recipe can be made all year, but the vegetables can be varied according to what’s in season. Use wild king salmon if it’s available, as it has more flavor. The potato sauce is thinner than mashed potatoes; it’s an accent for the fish instead of a side dish.

For the potato sauce:
2 baking potatoes
1 cup chicken stock, clam juice, or milk
1 T. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 T. extra-virgin olive oil
Pinch horseradish (optional)
Kosher salt, to taste

For the salmon:
4 (6-8 oz. each) salmon fillets with skin on
1 T. mirin (Japanese rice wine)
1⁄4 cup soy sauce
11⁄2 t. rice wine vinegar
4 slices unpeeled ginger root
1 T. olive oil
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
Freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
1 bunch cilantro
4 t. extra-virgin olive oil or basil oil, for garnish

To make the potato sauce: Wash the potatoes and prick with a fork. Place in a roasting pan and bake at 400 degrees until soft and cooked through, about 45 minutes. Let cool enough to handle. Cut each one in half, scoop out the pulp, and put through a ricer or mash with a fork. Place in a pot over low heat. Add the chicken stock (or other liquid), mashing and stirring until completely smooth and silky. Stir in the butter, olive oil, salt and horseradish (if using). The consistency should be thin. Adjust with more liquid, if necessary. Keep warm until ready to serve.

To make the salmon: In a ceramic or glass bowl, mix the mirin, soy sauce, vinegar, ginger root, olive oil, salt, pepper, and 2-3 sprigs cilantro. Place the salmon in the bowl, and let it marinate for 3-5 minutes.

Preheat a grill to medium-high heat. Remove the salmon from the marinade, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and place, skin side down, on the grill. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook until the skin becomes crispy and the fat is rendered, about four minutes. Do not move the salmon too soon or the skin will rip. Flip the salmon, leaving the skin on, and cook for an additional minute or until the flesh is brown and cooked through.

Place a spoonful of sauce on a plate and a salmon fillet on top. Serve with seasonal vegetables, such as oven-roasted eggplant, red pearl onions, and cherry tomatoes. Garnish with cilantro sprigs, and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil or basil oil. You could also garnish the plate with broccoli rabe leaves sauteed in olive oil. Makes 4 servings.

Recipes:
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