Salmon with Pea-Wasabi Puree
Happy New Year! Hope you all had a nice holiday and got your fill of fattening, sweet foods. I know I did. While the holidays are a fun and happy time, the one problem with them is all the rich, sugar-laden goodies that we get to ingest; and you know there are a lot of them: you’ve got your holiday parties, cookie swaps and multiple course-holiday dinners. Since each one of these includes at least three or four dessert options, it’s no surprise that I’ve gained a little extra weight. And while that extra layer of blubber helps with the cold weather, it makes fitting into my favorite pair of jeans a lot more difficult. That’s why it’s no surprise that the number one New Year’s resolution is to lose weight and get in shape. While I have not added that particular resolution to my list this year, I have decided to try and eat better. So, to keep in line with that plan, I’m starting off the year with this healthy salmon recipe.
Salmon is one of my favorite types of fish. I’ll eat it raw, grilled, seared, or smoked. I’ll eat it in salad, on a bed of rice or on a bagel. It’s pretty much a guarantee that if salmon’s on the menu, I’m eating it. So when I found this recipe from Eric Ripert in Food & Wine Magazine, I knew I had to try it. Minus the difficulty in finding some of the ingredients (which I eventually found at a Japanese market), it was super easy to make and well worth the ingredient search.
The salmon may be the main attraction of this dish, but my favorite part is the pea-wasabi puree. The wasabi adds just the right amount of heat to the delicious peas, and the combination is the perfect partner to the fish. Add the salmon roe as a finishing touch and you’ve got a healthy dinner that’s both delectable and a great way to start the new year off right.
Salmon with Pea-Wasabi Puree
Ingredients:
- 1-1/2 cups frozen peas
- 1 tablespoon wasabi paste
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, cut up
- 1 tablespoon yuzu juice
- 8 (3-ounce) skinless salmon filets
- 4 ounces salmon roe
- 2 tablespoons celery, finely diced
Directions:
- Cook the peas in a pan of boiling water until just tender, about 6 minutes. Drain and transfer to a blender. Add the wasabi paste and 6 tablespoons of water and puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper and transfer the puree to a small bowl. Cover and keep warm.
- Boil a 1/2 cup of water in a saucepan. Whisk in the butter 1 tablespoon at a time, until fully incorporated. Whisk in the yuzu juice, season with salt and pepper and keep warm.
- Line a baking sheet with paper towels.
- In a large skillet, bring 1 cup of lightly salted water to a boil. Season the salmon with salt and pepper. Place the salmon fillets in the skillet and reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer until the fish is warm to the touch, about 3 minutes. Drain the fish on the prepared baking sheet.
- Spoon the wasabi pea puree onto plates. Top with the salmon fillets. Drizzle the yuzu sauce over the salmon. Garnish with the salmon roe and celery and serve.
