Keep it reel

Alaska salmon with roe, shallots and tarragon

Michelin-starred chef Andy Beynon’s recipe for pan-fried, wild-caught Alaska salmon

by Andy Beynon

Alaska salmon with roe, shallots and tarragon

Photography & videography by Mindless Group

Published: Friday 1st November 2024

Serves 2

Preparation time 30 minutes

Cooking time 15 minutes

Cooking with and eating British salmon has become an increasingly complicated experience as wild stocks dwindle and farms are plagued by health issues.

That’s where Alaska salmon fits in. The state’s abundance of wild-caught salmon brings bold flavour profiles and fillets packed with nutrition.

While the fish can be cooked in numerous ways, Michelin-starred chef Andy Beynon simply pan-fries the fillet in butter before deglazing the pan with lemon juice and pouring this over the crispy fillet to infuse the flavour.

For the sauce, he sautees tarragon, garlic and shallots and reduces it down with white wine, before adding a dash of cream and butter, letting it all emulsify together and then adding in the salmon roe. It’s the perfect way to let the natural flavour of this wild fish shine.

Ingredients

  • 1 whole Alaska salmon or 2 fillets
  • White wine
  • ½ shallot, diced
  • 5 peppercorns
  • 50ml double cream
  • 250g unsalted butter, cubed and chilled in the freezer
  • 100g salmon roe
  • 1 bunch of thyme
  • 1 bunch of tarragon
  • 2 cloves of garlic, crushed

Method

  1. To get the tronçon cut of salmon, slice through the fillet and belly of the salmon at two cross sections 2 inches apart to create this round shape. Take the two loose ends of the salmon belly and tie together with cooking string to keep the tronçon in shape during cooking.
  2. Brine the salmon fillet in a 20% salt bath for 30 minutes to firm up the flesh. Once 30 minutes is up, take out and wash all brine off, leaving to dry in a cool place.
  3. For the sauce, add 300ml white wine, shallot, peppercorns and 3 stems of tarragon to a saucepan and cook on a medium to low heat, reducing the liquid down to 100ml.
  4. Once reduced, pass the liquid through a sieve and pour it back into the pan.
  5. Add 50ml double cream to the reduced wine and reduce by half again.
  6. At this stage, gradually mix in the cold cubes of butter, whisking in one by one until you have a beurre blanc.
  7. When the sauce is emulsified add the salmon roe and gently stir through.
  8. To cook the fish, place a pan on a medium to high heat and sear one side in some oil, before flipping the tronçon and adding 50g of butter along with a few sprigs of thyme and the garlic. Cook on each side for 2 minutes until it’s crisp and nicely coloured.
  9. Once basted in the butter and garlic, remove from the heat and allow it to rest.
  10. To assemble, add the salmon tronçon to the middle of the plate. Douse the salmon with the salmon roe beurre blanc.

For more information visit wildalaskaseafood.co.uk

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