Sunday off..and cooking at home

Perhaps my most popular topic, "Sunday offs" and then some home cooking is back again. Well, Sundays are very special to me since my childhood--firstly, it being the weekly holiday[despite Saturday has been a holiday as well, before I started working in hospitality] & secondly, the mutton curry--a must have on a sunday lunch, albeit with steamed rice.
The evenings were mostly reserved for going out, having dinner in some restaurants and then back home!!
So whenever, I get off on Sundays, I just feel I am going to enjoy the international weekend[and not the regional weekend, which comprises of Friday+Saturday]. Its been a while, that I didn't do a proper cooking at home--a set menu, a loving gesture that I mostly do to myself and then I cooked, I ate and I digested all.
So the menu was

Cream of Artichoke soup

Truffle oil, Pork Tartine

-

Panfried Salmon

White Asparagus, Polenta, Orange emulsion and gremolata foam

-

Chocolate poached pears

Mixed berry soup, pear sorbet

Well...that was the menu for previous sunday!!!However, I will share only one recipe out of all these, one that of main course...

Panfried Salmon

White Asparagus, Polenta, Orange emulsion and gremolata foam

Ingredients:

For the Salmon

Salmon-180 gm filet, preferably from the belly part, with the skin on

Seasoning-As required

Olive Oil-20 ml

Butter, chilled-25 gm

Fleur de sel-1 pinch

For the orange emulsion

Orange-1 no

Star anise-1 no

Honey- 1 tsp

Fish stock- 30 ml

Seasoning- as required

Olive Oil-20 ml

Butter, chilled-10 gm

For the Polenta

Quick cooking polenta-20 gm

Milk-100 ml

Water- if required

Butter- 10 gm

Parmesan, grated- 10 gm

Salt- As required

For the White Asparagus

White Asparagus tips-3 nos.

Butter- 10 gm

Seasoning- As required

For the gremolata foam

Parsley-1/2 bunch

Lime-1 no

Garlic-2 cloves

Soy Lecithin/"Lecite" by Texturas-1 pinch

Salt-1/2 tsp

Water-500 ml

Method:

For the Gremolata Foam

1.Chop up the parsley, zest the lemon & take the juice out of it, chop the garlic & add all in the water, with some salt. Bring it to boil & simmer for 20 minutes and then let it infuse for further 15 minutes. 

2.Strain the mixture, reserve the water, adjust the salt & blend in the lecithin. Keep warm

For the Polenta

1. Cook the polenta in milk, add salt till its no more grainy. Add water if milk is not enough. Finish off with butter, parmesan & let it cool down enough, to cut into a square.

For the Orange emulsion

1.Zest & juice the orange & simmer with star anise, honey, fish stock & salt. Once it is a little syrupy, strain & add in the Olive Oil & keep aside.

For the White Asparagus

1. Peel, blanch the asparagus in salt water. Drain & refresh in ice-cold water & drain again. Reserve until ready for cooking

Final Cooking:

Season the salmon. In a hot pan, add oil & once the oil is hot, put in the salmon, skin side down & cook for 3-4 minutes. In the meanwhile, cut the polenta in a square block[same size of that the salmon] & heat in the oven. Finish the orange emulsion--bring it to boil & add in the block of chilled butter & mix fast. Heat butter in a pan & when it is lightly browned add in the asparagus & season.

Once salmon is cooked on one side, turn on the other side, add the butter in the pan and baste the fish with the melted butter from the pan--cook for a further 2-3 minutes.

Plating:

First arrange the white asparagus on the plate & put the polenta on top. Rest the salmon on top of polenta & drizzle the sauce around. Use a handheld blender to make the foam & put some foam around the fish & on the sides of the fish. Sprinkle the fleur de sel on top of the salmon.

Bon Appetit!!