SALMON SOPHISTICATION

I don’t show my salty-side as much as I would like to on my blog, but trust me, my kitchen activities do not always revolve around sugar! Actually, I almost prefer working with meats, fishes, vegetables, etc. I also have my fetish dishes, and the one I’m posting about today happens to be on my personal all-time-fave list. It includes salmon, a swirl of tagliatelle with tons of fresh beautifully scented estragon, a bed of spinach, and maybe the best part- lobster bisque with orange zest. It’s classy, sophisticated, and very tasty… and quite honestly, very easy to make- no exaggerations here.
Salmon, estragon tagliatelle, spinach & orange zest lobster bisque.

Salmon pavés
Tagliatelle
Fresh estragon- and I insist on it being fresh! No dry estragon for this recipe please!
Spinach leaves
Orange (zest)
Lobster bisque
Olive oil
Salt & Pepper

Prepare your mise en place: have the tagliatelle ready & cooked (1 minute less then the indicated time because you are going to heat it again later on). Chop the estragon and grate the orange. In a deep saucepan, sauté the spinach leaves with some olive oil, salt & pepper. Set aside or keep on a very very low heat so that it stays warm but doesn’t burn. In a pot, lightly add some olive oil, add the cooked tagliatelle, and throw in lots of chopped estragon & salt. You want to heat the pasta mixed with the estragon and have it ready to be eaten at the right temperature when the salmon is cooked. Heat the lobster bisque with orange zest in a pot, and JUST before serving- either whisk it or use a hand blender to ensure an impeccably smooth consistency. This is absolutely critical, and always recommended when serving a considerate amount of sauces- always blend it just before serving. You want the bisque to feel rich & silky in the mouth. On a dish, pat dry the salmon and season before cooking. Add some olive oil to a pan, heat, and transfer the salmon. Cook on both sides according to your personal taste. In a deep plate, start by placing some spinach in the center. Top off with the tagliatelle, on top place a salmon pave, and finish off by drizzling the lobster bisque around it all.

Before I end this post, and without wanting to sound annoying, I would like to emphasize that timing and the order of things is absolutely vital here. When I’m not baking desserts, I am very picky on serving everything at the right temperature, because this is what is going to help enhance the harmony in taste when presenting and enjoying the dish. In a glance, this is what I recommend:

1.Cook tagliatelle- approx 9 mins
2.Grate orange- 1 min
3.Chop estragon- 1 min
4.Sauté clean spinach leaves- approx 5 mins
5A. Mix tagliatelle & estragon- approx 4 mins
5B. At the same time, heat the bisque- approx 5 mins
6. Cook the salmon- approx 6 mins
7. Blend the bisque- 30 seconds
8. Transfer everything to dish- 1 min

Total time: about 30 mins for a classy seductive tasty dish!