Salmon Steaks with Curried Fennel-Wine Sauce

One of my favorite birthday gifts this year (Aerosmith tickets aside) was Food & Wine’s 2012 annual cookbook.  This Salmon Steak with Curried Fennel-Wine Sauce recipe is straight off those pages and this is our 3rd time enjoying this dish.  It’s simply amazing.

When fennel is slow cooked it becomes tender and oh so flavorful…just a hint of licorice.  Add curry to the mix and all you can do is shake your head and pray that some day you’ll be able to envision such amazing flavor combinations.

Salmon Steaks with Curried Fennel-Wine Sauce

Marcia Kiesel with Food & Wine

Slowly cooked fennel in a curry-laced wine sauce over broiled salmon. Delicious.

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Course Seafood

Ingredients

  

• 2 Tbl. canola oil
• 1 large fennel bulb halved, cored and sliced lengthwise 1/4 inch thick, plus a few fronds for garnish.
• salt and fresh cracked pepper
• 2 scallions cut into 1 inch lengths
• 1 tsp. medium-hot curry powder
• 1/8 cup dry white wine
• 1/2 cup bottled clam juice
• 2 salmon steaks
• 1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
• 1 Tbl. cold unsalted butter

Instructions

 

• In deep 10″ skillet, heat 1 Tbl. canola oil.
• Add the fennel and season lightly with salt and pepper. Cover and cook over low heat, stirring until lightly browned and tender, 20 minutes. Add the scallions, cover and cook an additional 2 minutes. Transfer to bowl.
• Add the remaining 1 Tbl. canola oil to the skillet and add the curry powder. Cook over low heat, stirring until fragrant, about 1 minute.
• Add the wine and boil over high heat until reduced by half. Then add the clam juice and boil until reduced by half, about 2-3 minutes.
• Cover and remove skillet from heat.
• Preheat broiler.
• Arrange salmon steaks on large rimmed baking sheet and season with salt and pepper.
• Broil about 6 inches from heat for 3-4 minutes, until just opaque throughout.
• Meanwhile, scrape the fennel and scallions into the sauce and reheat; stir in lemon juice.
• Remove skillet from heat and stir in butter, then season with salt & pepper to taste.
• Transfer salmon to plates. Spoon sauce on top, garnish with fennel fronds, and serve immediately.

Notes

Serve with orzo, rice, or couscous. This sauce is too good to leave one drop on the plate.
Beware the bones. Salmon Steaks have a center bone which branch out on either side. They are easily removed once the steaks are cooked.

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