Crispy Skin Salmon with Swiss Chard and Beet Reduction

Ingredients:

For the beet reduction sauce:
1/3 cup/75 ml fresh beet juice (from about 3 red beets)
3 tablespoons/50 ml dry red wine
3 tablespoons/50 ml red wine vinegar

For the beet garnish:
1 golden beet
1 red beet
1 sprig fresh tarragon leaves
1/4 cup/75 ml red wine vinegar
1/4 cup/75 ml extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the salmon and Swiss chard:
3 tablespoons/50 ml olive oil
1 bunch red Swiss chard, cut crosswise into 1-inch/2-cm wide ribbons
3 garlic cloves, sliced paper thin
Four 6 ounce/180 g salmon fillets, skin on and scales removed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:

To Make the Reduction Sauce:

Combine the beet juice, red wine and red wine vinegar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Simmer for about 10 minutes, or until the liquid reduces and forms a glaze.

To Make the Beet Garnish:

Using a Japanese mandolin, thinly slice the beets. Toss the sliced beets and tarragon in a medium bowl to combine. Whisk the red wine vinegar and olive oil together in another medium bowl to blend. Season the vinaigrette to taste with salt and pepper. Toss the beets with the vinaigrette to coat. Season the beets to taste with salt and pepper.

To Make the Swiss Chard and Salmon:

Place a heavy large pot over high heat. Add 2 tablespoons/30 ml of oil. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, or until fragrant.  Immediately add the chard and sauté for 3 to 5 minutes, or until wilted.  Strain the excess juices from the chard and keep the chard warm.  Drizzle the remaining 1 tablespoon/15 ml of oil into a separate unheated large non-stick sauté pan.

Sprinkle the salmon with salt and pepper. Place the salmon skin side down in the pan. Place the pan over medium-low heat.  Increase the heat to high and cook the salmon for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the skin of the salmon is golden brown. Turn the salmon and cook for 1 to 2 minutes longer, or until the salmon is just cooked through.

To assemble the dish:

Mound the sautéed chard in the center of 4 dinner plates and place the salmon on top. Drizzle the sauce and some of the vinaigrette from the beets around the plate. Stack the beet slices on top of the salmon and serve.

Apple Butterscotch Compote with Armagnac-Soaked Dates and Naturally Set Yogurt

Serve 4

Ingredients:

32 (10 ounces/300 g) Medjool dates, pitted and chopped
5 tablespoons/75 ml Armagnac
4 Granny Smith apples (about 2 pounds/1 kg), peeled, cored and coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons/30 ml water
1/2 cup/110 g sugar
1/2 cup/115 ml heavy whipping cream
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
2 cups/450 g Greek yogurt
Candied Tangerine Peel (see the recipe that follows)

Method:

Combine the chopped dates and Armagnac in a heavy small saucepan over medium-high heat. Carefully ignite the Armagnac with a long match to create a flambé. Allow the Armagnac to flambé until the flames die out and the dates are hot but not mushy, stirring often with a large metal spoon. Set the date mixture aside to cool completely.

Combine the apples and water in a heavy medium saucepan. Using a small knife, scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the apples, and add the vanilla seeds and bean to the apple mixture.  Cover and cook over medium heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the apples are very soft and resemble a puree.

Place a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the sugar to the hot saucepan and cook without stirring for 5 minutes, or until the sugar dissolves and becomes golden brown, swirling the pan as the sugar dissolves to ensure it browns evenly. Remove the pan from the heat and add the cream. Return to the heat and stir until the mixture simmers and the caramelized sugar dissolves. Stir in the apple compote. Set the apple compote aside to cool completely.

Whisk the yogurt in a bowl to blend. Spoon the date mixture into the bottom of martini glasses or small glasses. Spoon half of the yogurt over the dates and gently tap the glasses to help spread the yogurt over the dates. Gently spoon the apple mixture over the yogurt. The mixtures should form 3 distinct layers. Spoon the remaining yogurt atop the apple mixture.  Top each with some candied tangerine peel and serve.

Candied Tangerine Peel

2 tangerines
1/4 cup/55 g sugar
1/4 cup/60 ml water

Using a small sharp knife, cut the orange peel off of the tangerines. Cut off any white pith on the peel. Cut the peel into very thin strips. Combine the sugar and water in a heavy small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Add the tangerine peel and cook until the peel is tender and the syrup thickens, about 20 minutes.