Côtelettes de Saumon

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Food processor with metal blade
• •Medium-mesh sieve and flexible bowl scraper
• •Four shallow 8-ounce (240 ml) oval molds or ramekins
• •Small heavy saucepan
• •Roasting pan for the bain-marie
• •Instant-read thermometer
• •12-inch (30 cm) heavy skillet
• •Wide slotted spatula
• •Splatter screen

Instructions

1. 1

   Chill the mousseline gear

   Put the processor bowl, blade, salmon, egg whites, and cream in the cold for 20 minutes. Butter four shallow 8-ounce (240 ml) oval molds or ramekins generously. Heat the oven to 325°F (165°C) and set a folded kitchen towel in the bottom of a roasting pan; the towel steadies the molds and softens the direct heat beneath them.

2. 2

   Reduce the Allemande

   Melt the roux butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, stir in the roux flour, and cook for 2 minutes without coloring it. Whisk in the fish stock gradually, scraping into every corner, then simmer gently until reduced to about 1/2 cup (120 ml) and thick enough to leave a clear trail across the pan. Whisk the egg yolk with all but the reserved tablespoon of cream, temper it with a little hot sauce, then whisk it back into the pan off the heat. Return the pan to its lowest heat and stir until the Allemande coats the spoon, but never let it boil. Add the lemon juice. If the liaison turns grainy, remove it from the heat and whisk in the reserved cold cream, then strain it. Ça se rattrape.

3. 3

   Bind the salpicon

   Melt the salpicon butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the diced mushrooms and cook until their liquid has escaped and evaporated, leaving the dice tender and lightly browned rather than wet. Add the truffle for the final 30 seconds, then fold the mixture into the reduced Allemande. The salpicon must hold together in a spoon with no sauce running around it; if it is loose, return it to low heat briefly and stir until tighter. Spread it in a shallow dish, cover its surface, and chill until completely cold.

4. 4

   Make the mousseline

   Put the cold salmon and salt in the chilled processor and pulse until the fish becomes smooth and tacky. Add the egg whites and process only until absorbed. With the machine running, pour in the cold cream in a thin, steady stream, stopping as soon as the mousseline is glossy and holds a soft peak; add the white pepper. Press it once through a medium-mesh sieve with a flexible scraper to remove sinew and refine the texture. If it turns oily or grainy, stop processing, nest the bowl over ice, and fold in a spoonful of cold cream. Do not force a warm mousseline forward.

   Poach a teaspoon of mousseline in barely trembling water before molding the cutlets. It should swell slightly and remain tender; this small test lets you correct the seasoning while correction is still possible.
5. 5

   Fill the molds

   Using a spoon dipped in cold water, line the bottom and sides of each buttered mold with a 1/2-inch (1.25 cm) coating of mousseline. Divide the cold salpicon among the cavities, stopping about 1/3 inch (8 mm) below the rims. Cover completely with the remaining mousseline and smooth the tops. Seal every gap, especially around the edges, because exposed filling will escape during poaching.

6. 6

   Poach them gently

   Set the molds in the prepared roasting pan. Pour hot water around them to reach halfway up their sides, cover loosely with buttered parchment, and poach in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes. The mousseline is ready when it feels resilient under a fingertip and reaches 145°F (63°C) at the center. The water should quiver, never boil; if bubbles become vigorous or beads of fat rise on the mousseline, add a little cold water to the bath and lower the oven heat.

7. 7

   Unmold and dry

   Rest the molds for 10 minutes, then loosen each edge with a thin knife and invert the cutlets onto a rack. If one clings, dip the bottom of its mold in hot water for 3 seconds and try again. Refine the ovals gently with a damp knife, then refrigerate uncovered for 20 minutes, just until their surfaces are cool, firm, and dry enough to accept the coating.

8. 8

   Fry the garnish

   Heat a shallow layer of clarified butter to 340°F (170°C). Fry the bread batons until evenly butter-gold, then drain them on a rack. Fry the thoroughly dried parsley sprigs for only a few seconds, shielding the pan with a splatter screen, and lift them out while still green. Strain the butter if any crumbs remain and return it to the skillet.

9. 9

   Coat à l'anglaise

   Arrange the coating station in order: flour, Anglaise (for Egg-and-bread-crumbing) (No. 174), and fine breadcrumbs. Roll each cutlet lightly in flour and brush away the excess, coat it completely in the Anglaise, then press it gently into the crumbs. The layer must be even and closed, not heavy. If you find a bare patch, dab it with a little Anglaise and press on fresh crumbs. Rest the coated cutlets for 10 minutes so the crust adheres.

10. 10

    Fry and serve

    Bring the clarified butter back to 340°F (170°C) and fry the cutlets two at a time, about 3 minutes per side, spooning hot butter over their curved edges until the crust is an even deep gold and the centers are hot. Handle them with a wide spatula rather than tongs. If a seam begins to leak, stop turning that cutlet and spoon butter over its top until the crust seals; ça se rattrape. Arrange the four côtelettes in a circle on a warm platter, tuck a fried bread baton into the narrow end of each to suggest the bone, and place the fried parsley in the center. Send the Sauce Dieppoise separately, hot and glossy. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Choose a firm salmon fillet with no soft belly flap, then remove every pin bone. Technique first, always: an honestly good piece of salmon kept cold will make a finer mousseline than an expensive fillet allowed to warm on the board.
• •Fresh black truffle is splendid when the season provides it. A preserved whole black truffle is the classical pantry's honest answer at other times; drain it, dry it, and dice it finely. Truffle oil cannot replace the texture or deep woodland flavor of the actual truffle.
• •Clarified butter matters because its milk solids have been removed, allowing the crust to brown before the butter burns. Strain the clean butter after frying and refrigerate it for another savory use. We don't apologize for butter, and we don't waste it either.
• •The source offers Sauce Dieppoise, Shrimp sauce, or a fresh vegetable purée with a suitable sauce. This version chooses Sauce Dieppoise because its shellfish and mushroom character answers both the salmon and the salpicon without burying either.
• •Serve with a dry white Burgundy or a firm, mineral Champagne. The dish is rich but delicate, so the wine should carry freshness rather than oak or sweetness.

Advance Preparation

• •The mushroom and truffle salpicon can be prepared one day ahead and chilled with its surface covered. It must be completely cold before it meets the mousseline.
• •The cutlets may be molded, poached, unmolded, and refrigerated unbreaded for up to one day. Bring them out 20 minutes before coating, then apply the flour, Anglaise, and breadcrumbs shortly before frying.
• •Prepare the Sauce Dieppoise earlier the same day. Reheat it gently and loosen it with a spoonful of fish stock if it tightens while waiting; do not let it boil once finished.
• •The fried bread batons can wait for several hours in a dry place. Fry the parsley close to service so it stays crisp and green.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 390g)