Broiled Salmon with Artichoke in Lemon Shallot Sauce
This is an elegant dish that is surprisingly simple to prepare.
This is an elegant dish that is surprisingly simple to prepare.
- Carbohydrate 16.6236687506517 g
- Cholesterol 170.492589269622 mg
- Fat 53.1687699115934 g
- Fiber 7.21650019526482 g
- Protein 49.402376602095 g
- Saturated Fat 18.3070778660994 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (434g)
- Sodium 918.26954920381 mg
- Sugar 9.40716855538684 g
- Trans Fat 7.54803643019486 g
- Calories 756 calories
Step-by-step
- Prepare a steamer for the artichokes. Trim the artichokes aggressively of the outer leaves (I took off about 4 full layers) until you are left with the hearts. Cut the spikes with kitchen shears. Put in acidulated water (water with just a little bit of lemon juice) to keep them from browning. Put the artichokes, leaf side down, into the steamer, and steam for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, rinse the salmon in cold water and dry thoroughly with paper towel.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In my case, the salmon was about 1.25" thick, and I baked it for 10 minutes in the oven and finished it by broiling it on the second-from-top shelf for another 5 minutes. Prepare a baking dish with a little vegetable oil in the bottom of the pan, just to keep the skin from sticking.
- Add the salmon, and surround with celery and onion wedges. Sprinkle kosher salt on top, and add 2-4 slices of butter to the top. When the artichokes are finished, put the salmon in the 400 degree oven for 10 minutes and make the sauce.
- Remove the artichokes from the steamer, and, working carefully, split each artichoke lengthwise down the middle to create 4 halves. Using a sharp spoon, remove the core of the artichoke (the "choke"). It should remove easily. Take care not to destroy the shape of the artichoke -- it will be tender and easy to break.
- In a saute pan, bring 3-4 tablespoons of butter to melt, and add the diced shallots, some more kosher salt and pepper to taste. When the butter foams and the shallots are tender, add the wine and turn up the heat. Reduce the sauce down by half, and add another tablespoon or so of butter. Squeeze in the lemon juice.
- By now, you should check on the salmon, and add a broiling finishing touch, to brown the top. Turn on the broiler, and monitor the salmon every 2 minutes or so until done. (Mine took about 8 minutes to develop a slightly brown top).
- Remove salmon, and plate -- salmon, topped with artichoke half, and pour lemon-shallot butter sauce on top. Serve immediately (with the wine you used.)
Balancing the 30-minute steam time for whole artichokes against a rapid 10-minute bake for salmon requires precise multitasking in a compact kitchen. Because raw artichokes oxidize rapidly when exposed to air, submerging trimmed hearts in acidulated water prevents enzymatic browning before they hit the heat.
- Dry the salmon skin thoroughly with paper towels before placing it in the oiled baking dish to prevent steaming and encourage proper adherence to the pan.
- When reducing the dry white wine and shallots by half in the sauté pan, maintain medium-high heat so the alcohol evaporates without scorching the butter solids.
- Substitute shallots with mild yellow onions at a one-to-one ratio if shallots are unavailable, though the resulting sauce will lose its subtle garlic undertone.
- Monitor the salmon closely during the final five-minute broil on the second-from-top oven rack, watching for an opaque flake and a lightly browned surface.
- Scrape the fuzzy choke from the cooked artichoke halves using a sharp-edged spoon while the vegetable remains tender yet structurally intact.
Pairing this preparation with a crisp, dry chablis echoes the acidic components of the reduction. Finishing the plated fish immediately prevents the pan juices from cooling and solidifying the butter emulsion.
